I Look Up – lyrics & inspiration

I wrote this song whilst I was living for nine months in Alice Springs, which is a small town in the heart of Australia. I dedicated these nine months to establishing a program for kids aged 11-15 called the Junior-Youth Empowerment program – it seeks to empower young people to discover their talents and use them to serve humanity, to make moral decisions, express themselves in a constructive way and to become agents of change in the world. With my main focus being on service to humanity, these nine months were one long spiritual high for me. This song was born out of this high – I guess it’s an anthem of hope for the world. Some of the lyrics come from my convictions as a member of the Baha’i Faith that all of humankind is one family, that we were created to love one another and that world peace is not only possible but inevitable.

Lyrics:

The way I’m feeling now
I think I just might have the universe for afternoon tea
And smile happily
You ask what lifts me higher than Alpha Centauri
Well, take your best guess at that

My mama told me that we were created to show love to one another
Brother, did you know that
Mankind’s one family
And we were destined for very great things?

‘Cause I’m only human like you
And humans got to move
So let’s take the right direction

When I look up
I look much higher
So when I look down
There’s the sky
All around I see the signs that life’s much more than living, so when
I look up
It’s divine

Children singing
All down the rainy street
I see a hippy tipping that busker singing a love song
All day long all these people I meet
The bus drivers, the joy jivers

Tell me, what does streetwise mean, smart boy?
Is it animosity or love for all to enjoy?

(Chorus)

Do you really wanna go along with the tide, brother?
Do you really wanna be the bride of fate, brother?
Do you really not want to make something better of it all?

‘Cause I’m only human like you
I’m only human like you
And human’s got to move
So let’s take the right direction

(Chorus x3)