A Walk with Aqualung – First Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

For those of you who do not know, the band Jethro Tull is my favorite of all bands ever.  I think that Ian Anderson is both a lyrical and musical genius.  My first introduction to the band was shortly after the album Aqualung was released.  I had recently suffered the loss of my Grandfather and was struggling with many other things.

For the uninitiated, Jethro Tull is the name of the band but no one in the band is named Jethro Tull.  The historical Jethro Tull invented the seed drill and changed agriculture forever.  He deserves his own kind of honor.

As I questioned the life around me I found no real answers.  The church told me I was bad and that my questions were unwelcome.  My home was not the stability I needed.  I was just discovering how much I loved music and I was knee deep in my hatred for God.  Then this piper called a tune that would change me forever.

I do not think I have ever clearly articulated how much this collection of songs around a single theme impacted me at that young age.  It is true I was young; only eleven.  Rock music was in its early adolescence.  Aqualung was not a concept album.  Ian Anderson made this very clear in a 2005 interview.  However, It carried a theme of its own that addressed an issue that young adults on both sides of the pond were aggressively pondering.  The United State was knee deep in Vietnam.

I bought the album based on the cover art and a series of verses on the back penned by Ian Anderson.  I had no idea how the honest question and directive penned on the back would change me.  I had no idea how much this music would impact my path and my faith.  So I invite you to journey with Ian and I for a bit.  He may not agree with all my inferences from his work but as the author his intent is truth in his writing.  As for my inferences they are mine and they are what have done so much to shape my thinking.

1. In the beginning Man created god: and in the image of Man created he him.

2. And Man gave unto god a multitude of names. That he might be lord over all the earth when it was suited to Man.

3. And on the seventh millionth day Man rested and did lean heavily on his god and saw that it was good.

4. And Man formed Aqualung of the dust of the ground. And a host of others likened unto his kind.

5. And these lesser men Man did cast into the void. And some were burned,

And some were put apart from their kind.

6. And Man became the god that he had created and with his miracles did rule over all the earth.

7. But as all these things did come to pass, the spirit that did cause man to create his god, lived on within all men, even within Aqualung.

8. And man saw it not.

9. But for Christ’s sake he’d better start looking.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."