Song Post: Volar Alto

The main inspiration for this song is the Greek story of Icarus. When I was told this story as a child, It was implied that the lesson learned in the story was to heed your warnings. Being a defiant child with my own obsessions with flight, I didn't agree with this theory. I felt that the meaning to the story was that to some people it just may be worth the price. Some people have never come across this story, or may not remember it, so here is the basic story of Icarus.

Daedalus, a talented and remarkable Athenian craftsman, Was hired by King Minos to built a Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur (half man, half bull). One day, Theseus, the enemy of the king, went into the Labyrinth to defeat the Minotaur. The Kings Daughter, Ariadne was in love with Theseus and wanted to help him survive, so with help from Daedalus, she gave Theseus a clew of string to help him find his way out of the Labyrinth. When King Minos learned of this, he exiled Daedalus and his son Icarus from the land of Crete.

To escape the island that they were exiled to, Daedalus built wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son. Before taking flight, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea. Icarus was overcome with the feeling of flight, he kept rising higher and higher into the sky. Eventually he came too close to the sun, which melted the wax holding his wings together, and Icarus fell to his death.

The name of the song is simple. It just means "To Fly High" in Spanish. I thought that even though it is spanish, it almost has a greek sound to the name. After reading that story, it becomes pretty obvious what the meaning of the song is, but what I added to my version is how people have the tendency to create limits for other people by telling them things like: "It isn't possible", or "you could never do that", or even as rude as "You will only fail, why even try?" When we are young, we look at things in a pure point of view. If we want to know if something is possible, all we have to do is try. Unfortunately, even though I felt this way as a child and believe this to be a great way to see things, I have still had a lifetime of people telling me what is and isn't possible. If only I could remove those thoughts and get back to that childish and pure way of thinging.. I wonder what would happen if...................

Volar Alto

When I was of a younger mind

I knew no boundaries when I looked toward the sky

I was warned of a price so great

but I knew that there was a larger fate

in store for me

The price some pay to rise above them all

to some is worth making that fatal fall

I've since been grounded by a jury of my peers

convinced to limits by all the doubt and fears

I wave goodbye as my feet leave the ground

you clip my wings but my will cannot be bound

and I will fly

The price some pay to rise above them all

to some is worth making that fatal fall