"Uroboros" genre: Progressive Rock
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	A progressive exploration of the human condition,sounding even more Rush-like with guest vocalist Scott Freeman,and a snake charming bass solo! (And let us not forget Dave's drumming..done in two takes after having not played for 3 months!)
	Credits: Lyrics and Music by David Bell--David Bell:Guitars and Drums--Scott Freeman:Vocals--Scott Mapes:Basses
	Story Behind the Song Uroboros is basically about the human condition. I based the song on diverse books such as Carl Sagan's "The Dragons of Eden: speculations on the evolution of human intelligence"; Sigmund Freud's "Civilization and its discontents"; William Barrett's "Irrational Man: a study in existential philosophy"; Camille Paglia's "Sexual Personae: art and decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson; and Carl Jung's "Aion." The film "Apocalypse Now" also added some inspiration. The song was also inspired by people that I have known. It seems that many of them would complain about their circumstances, blaming others for their problems. But what it really came down to was that THEY were to blame for much of their misery. As a rubric to tie everything together I used the symbol of the "Uroboros," which is represented by a snake devouring its own tail (the musical architecture of this song is symbolically an Uroboros, as the song begins and ends in a similar fashion). This symbol is thought to have originated with the ancient Greeks...some say the Egyptians. Above all, it is a symbol of transformation. This song is about Mankind's dark nature--his instinct to destroy, conquer, and control. Nothing escapes this force, as love, religion, society, and history is linked or affected by this instinct to dominate/destroy; each to a different degree. However, the song is not entirely rooted in pessimism, as the final line of the chorus reveals that by becoming aware of this ancient instinct, we can tame it. Perhaps the song focuses too strongly on the negative aspect of humanity, not acknowledging the many positive contributions. But the goal with this piece is to show that these deeply rooted "reptilian" impulses are not a deterministic feature to the human condition. Can this instinct ever be completely removed from Mankind's mind? Only future history will reveal the answer. Lyrics UROBOROS The seeds of life fervently sprout from the morbid decay of the dance trapped in the stare of spinning desire evolution moulds us in this trance the feasting germ coils where it can't be found and the echoes of blissful addiction resound (chorus) Writhing within the wrath of an ancient war Building the arena of hate with such elegant lore Instinct residing in shades of such subtle extremes Can we ever escape the suffocation of our own being? Bound to myths that only obscure the venom welling up at the core deceptive ritual--aesthetics of pain-- the gravity endures the circular force twisting gently into cold frontiers and drowning in the slithering tears Embraced within the consuming shadows actions reflect the harbored schemes masks endure the illusion of love-- selfishness is the thread of all life's themes humanity's cycle of destructive relations driven by the fear of annihilation Writhing within the wrath of an ancient war Building the arena of hate with such elegant lore Instinct residing in shades of such subtle extremes We can shed this skin, ascending to a new reality

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