Location: CHINA
Lyrics:
The eternal search for truth is elusive as the wind
(But carried on the wind are the voices of our souls)
His wisdom calls to me from a land I do not know
(This ancient path will lead to the place of his light)
The path is fraught with dangers beyond what I have known
(Take with you the wisdom and compassion of your heart)
And so I leave behind all the safety of this land
(You will bring new life with the ancient words of truth)
Credits:
Vocals - Annmarie Garone and Tony Garone
Drums and percussion - Casey Carney
Instrumentation - Tony Garone
music and lyrics by Tony Garone ©2013
Comments:
Xuanzang wrestled with his decision to travel to India via the Silk Road. His meticulous study of Chinese Buddhist texts revealed their conflicting and confusing nature, compelling him to travel to India (where the Buddha lived around 600 B.C.) to copy the original, more accurate texts and return them to China. Xuanzang recognized the nature of this journey and fully understood the dangers awaiting him. The Silk Road was a treacherous way to travel as it wound its way through deserts and mountains, was plagued with thieves and murderers, and was populated by many cultures completely unknown to the Chinese. Through all this, Xuanzang's passion for his faith was stronger than his fear of the unknown and he decided to undertake the Silk Road journey to India.
In this song I tried to convey Xuanzang's passion for accuracy of the Buddhist texts and his search for truth through his resolve to undertake the journey. I also tried to imagine his concerns of undertaking such a perilous challenge. Additionally, the song sets the stage for the story and it has two parts; the first part is Xuanzang thinking about his endeavor with my voice representing his analytical mind and Annmarie’s voice representing his faith while the second part, (which comes in after the first part of the song sounds like it ends), is Xuanzang's main theme which will make an appearance later on in the album upon his return to Chang'an.