kriegspeil:

I talk a lot about The Ark and Ola Salo. I remember once in a while that quite a few of you are pretty new followers, and might not know my history with this band.

This is their anthem. Released in 2000, played at every single gig since. It summarises all they were, all they are. And somehow in this video even more so. It’s from 2011, some months before their breakup, during their farewell tour. The outfit Ola is wearing is the same as he wore in 2000, the tears in his eyes are real.

Normality is a construct, and the communication method within this construct is shame. We show shame to validate our normality. This is to sort the mentally unreliable away from society, but what it does is to also push away the feeling people, the playful people, the happy fools. It creates a society that is sick in itself, because shame and guilt will in the end make people sick and miserable.

So embrace your oddities and allow yourself to feel. Overcoming shame isn’t easy, I am struggling with it every day. But being aware of your shame and embarrassment and acknowledge it and understand why you are feeling it is a first step to free yourself from it.

I found this band when I was eleven, now twelve years ago, and I have no words for how grateful I am of having had them in my life for so long. Their combination of highly political, philosophical and relevant lyrics with often over the top glam and playfulness is like nothing else I’ve come across.

It takes a fool to remain sane

Whatever happened to the funky race? 
A generation lost in pace 
Wasn’t life supposed to be more than this? 
In this kiss I’ll change your bore for my bliss 

But let go of my hand and it will slip on the sand 
If you don’t give me the chance 
to break down the walls of attitude 
I ask nothing of you 
not even your gratitude 

And if you think I’m corny 
then it will not make me sorry 
It’s your right to laugh at me 
and in turn that’s my oppurtunity 
to feel brave 

Because ridicule is no shame
Oh it’s just a way to eclipse hate
It’s just a way to put my back straight
Oh it’s just a way to remain sane

Every morning I would see her getting off the bus 
The picture never drops, it’s like a multicoloured snapshot 
stuck in my brain 
It kept me sane for a couple of years 
as it drenched my fears 
of becoming like the others 
who become unhappy mothers 
and fathers of unhappy kids 
and why is that? 

‘Cos they’ve forgotten how to play 
Oh, maybe they’re afraid to feel ashamed 
to seem strange, to seem insane 
to gain weight, to seem gay 

I tell you this 

That it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, in this world all covered up in shame 
(Oh, take it to the stage) 

So, take it to the stage in a multicoloured jacket 
Take it jackpot, crackpot, strutting like a peacock 
Nailvarnish Arkansas, shimmy-shammy featherboa
Crackpot, haircut, dye your hair in glowing red and blue 

Do, do, do what you wanna do 
Don’t think twice, do what you have to do 
Do, do, do, do, let your heart decide 
what you have to do 
That’s all there is to find 

‘Cos it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, in this world all covered up in shame 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, it takes a fool to remain sane 
Oh, in this world all covered up in shame 

bredandjam:

*This article covers issues of gender and sexual identity. If you are offended by these issues, please do not read further.

*Also note that this article contains spoilers for Skins series 5 and episode 1 of series 6. If you don’t want to be spoiled, do not read further.

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