Fait-divers on emptiness

In true emptiness, there is no I to be confused and nothing to be confused about.

Fait-divers on happiness

Happiness doesn't require an activity just like boredom doesn't require the absence of activity.

The Mamas And The Papas - california dreamin live, 1967

"John Edmund Andrew Phillips (August 30, 1935 – March 18, 2001) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the leader of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas and remains frequently referred to as Papa John Phillips. In addition to writing the majority of the group's compositions, he also wrote "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" in 1967 for former Journeymen bandmate Scott McKenzie, as well as the oft-covered "Me and My Uncle", which was a favorite in the repertoire of the Grateful Dead. Phillips was one of the chief organizers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival."

Damien Jurado - arkansas, 2010

"a folk-rock song with introspective lyrics exploring themes of love, blame, and escape"

Fait-divers on humour and internet

Internet privacy is amazing because humanity spent 5000 years to develop technology that lets you write things that nobody else read.

Fait-divers on attitude by Gerry McCann

The best reason to do something is simply because it is the right thing to do. (Gerry McCann)

Stereolab - cybele's reverie, 1996

"Cybele's Reverie is an EP by English-French rock band Stereolab, released on 19 February 1996 by Duophonic Records. Its title track serves as the lead single from their fourth studio album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. The four-track EP is the only one by Stereolab on which none of the songs are in English: the title track, "Brigitte", and "Young Lungs" are in French, and "Les Yper-Yper Sound" is an instrumental."

Fait-divers on charity by Thomas Merton

Charity is without fear: having given all that it has, it has nothing left to lose. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers on storytelling

Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is.

Fait-divers on attitude again

If you’re not ready for everything, you’re not ready for anything.

Fait-divers on attitude

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.

The National - nobody else will be there, 2017

"It’s about marriages falling apart," frontman Matt Berninger said of it. "I’m happily married, but marriage is hard and my wife and I are writing the lyrics together about our own struggles, and it’s difficult to write, but it’s saving my marriage."

Owe Almgren And Sisters Of Invention - across the universe cover, 2021

"Their latest album, a collaboration with their father Owe Almgren, was released in 2021. "Owe Almgren & Sisters of Invention Does The Beatles Nordic Noir", an album with interpretations where the musicians aimed to capture an atmosphere of a more melancholic character."

Fait-divers on the universe

We're all living in a black hole: The bold theory scientists can't disprove.

Fait-divers on music and silence

People who are unable to endure silence do not deserve music.

Fait-divers: The Lucifer Effect

"The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil is a 2007 book which includes professor Philip Zimbardo's first detailed, written account of the events surrounding the 1971 Stanford prison experiment (SPE) – a prison simulation study which had to be discontinued after only six days due to several distressing outcomes and mental breaks of the participants. The book includes over 30 years of subsequent research into the psychological and social factors which result in immoral acts being committed by otherwise moral people."

Fait-divers on behaviour

"People in virtual environments tend to behave in ways that are expected of their avatars. For example, if you embody a tall avatar, you’ll negotiate more aggressively than if you were given a shorter body. And behaviour in virtual environments can continue to influence you after you exit VR. In another study, people who embodied avatars that looked like older versions of themselves were more inclined to save for retirement after they returned to real life. Such psychological changes are of great concern when it involves violence or criminal activity in the virtual world."

Fait-divers on attitude

In all things: let love guide you, let truth test you, let success humble you, let dreams awaken you, let meaning free you.

Fait-divers on listening

Listen to others with an openness that allows them to be as they are, or as they think themselves to be.

Fait-divers on humour

Humor is overrated. All it shows is that you are so privileged that you can afford to laugh.

The Beatles - can't buy me love, 1964

"While in Paris, the Beatles stayed at the five-star George V hotel and had an upright piano moved into one of their suites so that songwriting could continue. It was here that McCartney wrote "Can't Buy Me Love". The song was written under the pressure of the success achieved by "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which had just reached number one in America. When producer George Martin first heard "Can't Buy Me Love", he felt that the song needed changing: "I thought that we really needed a tag for the song's ending, and a tag for the beginning; a kind of intro. So I took the first two lines of the chorus and changed the ending, and said 'Let's just have these lines, and by altering the second phrase we can get back into the verse pretty quickly.'"

The Flaming Lips - when you smile, 1995

“When You Smile” is transcendently beautiful and foreshadows their future pop brilliance."

Fait-divers on Love by Einstein

"There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE." (Albert Einstein)

Fait-divers by Milan Kundera

The absolute absence of burden causes man to be lighter than air and his earthly being, and become only half real. (Milan Kundera)

Letting Up Despite Great Faults - bishops, 2014

"Bishops" is a track from the 2014 album Neon by Letting Up Despite Great Faults, an American indie pop/dream pop band. The track features vocals by Annah Fisette and is described as having a darker, more pounding take on the band’s dreamy, shoegaze-inspired sound. Critics noted its catchy vocals and electronic dream pop elements, fitting into the album’s nostalgic yet urgent vibe."

Fait-divers on curiosity

Curiosity when looking up doesn’t take anything from you. This curiosity just gives.

Fait-divers on honesty and compassion

"Honesty without compassion and understanding is not honest, but subtle hostility." (Rose Frarnzblau)

Fait-divers on perspective

A sense of perspective may be among the most critical qualities.

The Beatles - i should have known better, 1964

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song by English rock band the Beatles composed by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and originally issued on A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name released on 10 July 1964. "I Should Have Known Better" was also issued as the B-side of the US single "A Hard Day's Night" released on 13 July."

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers

Like a little lighthouse, in the blue shadows.

Fait-divers on universe

"We waved at the universe, and it waved back. The odds of that happening were, well, astronomical."

Donovan Woods - portland maine, 2016

"Woods' song "Portland, Maine" (co-written with Abe Stoklasa) has also been recorded by Tim McGraw. Woods' song "Leaving Nashville" (also co-written with Abe Stoklasa) has been recorded by Lady A singer Charles Kelley."

Enya - to go beyond two, 1987

"...reflection on the future..."

Fait-divers by Gerry McCann on Love

Hatred is the ultimate failure; it leads to total emptiness. Only Love can set us free. (Gerry McCann)

Fait-divers on Love

Understanding is love’s other name. If you don’t understand, you can’t love.

Fait-divers on art

One of the reasons we admire or like art, if we do, is that it reopens us in some sense.

Fait-divers on books

Seeing someone reading a book you love is seeing a book recommending a person.

The Beatles - i don't want to spoil the party, 1964

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was featured as the twelfth track on the 1964 album Beatles for Sale. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale (No. 2) EP. It was later released as the B-side of the US single "Eight Days a Week", and then as the fifth track on the North America-only album Beatles VI. The song reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100."

Imagine Dragons - it’s time, 2012

"There's so many times you wake up at 3 a.m., grab a recorder on the iPhone and say something — a lyrical idea or melody —a nd then you lay it out in Logic later on and sometimes it makes no sense. We sat with 'It's Time' for a year or year-and-a-half. Sometimes you just have to let a song sit for a while. There's just something really special about it. I wrote it during a very hard time in my life. I had dropped out of college, and I was just sitting down at my computer, and I came up with this rhythm. And the words just wrote themselves. I knew I had something special coming. When a song is most honest and most raw that's when you know you're doing something right. A lot of my favorite artists are able to be in touch with their problems and put it through melodies. It happens all the time with bands."

Club 8 - stay together, 2025

"Club 8, the Swedish indie pop duo consisting of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård, released their single "Stay Together" on June 6, 2025. The track is part of a series of singles released by the band following their 2024 album, A Year With Club 8. Described as a blend of dream-pop and shoegaze influences, "Stay Together" features the duo’s signature melodic style with introspective lyrics and a modern yet nostalgic indie pop sound."

Ford Chastain - long gone, 2025

"Listening to his music is an experience in itself; I find myself returning to it time and again. The tracks are a vibrant blend of summer-infused melodies and upbeat rhythms, enveloping the listener in a dreamy soundscape that instantly hooks you."

John Murry - photograph, 2012

"Murry's debut solo record, The Graceless Age, details his struggle with substance abuse."

The Style Council - the lodgers or she was only a shopkeepers daughter extended mix, 1985

"As well as the song's single release, it has featured on various compilation albums released by the Style Council. The song was included on The Singular Adventures of The Style Council, The Complete Adventures of The Style Council, and Greatest Hits."

Roger Waters - wish you were here live, 2025

"Waters has noted that the collaboration between himself and Gilmour on the song was "really good. All bits of it are really, really good. I'm very happy about it." Gilmour has playfully called "Wish You Were Here" "a very simple country song" and stated that "because of its resonance and the emotional weight it carries, it is one of our best songs."

Yndling - before it gets dark, 2025

"The song is part of a five-track EP that blends dreamy synths, reverb-heavy guitars, and introspective lyrics, characteristic of Yndling’s style inspired by bands like Mazzy Star and Beach House."

Sufjan Stevens - run away with me, 2020

"The Ascension is more weary than angry, with Stevens fighting against hopelessness while trying to cheer himself with kaleidoscopic arrangements as danceable as anything in his catalog."

Genesis - in the wilderness, 1969

"Songs which were primarily or wholly written by Banks-Gabriel include "The Serpent", "The Conqueror", "In Limbo", and "The Silent Sun", while songs which were primarily or wholly written by Phillips-Rutherford include "In the Wilderness". "Window" is a rare example of significant collaboration between the pairs; the music was composed on the roof of Thomas's house by Phillips and Rutherford, and the lyrics were written by Gabriel."

Sintra, hoje, 6 de Junho de 2025, há uns minutos atrás

Frank Turner - the fastest way back home, 2009

"My skin has thickened. I've got much better at weathering internet storms – and they pass very quickly. The internet is, generally speaking, a fantastic thing, a wonderful boon for humanity. It gives everyone a voice, which is a double-edged sword. The instinctive egalitarian democrat in me thinks that's a good thing, but at the same time it means that every bored, ignorant, bile-filled arsehole can send me hatemail. And they do."

Sufjan Stevens - video game, 2020

"Video Game" is a song written, recorded, and produced by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens for his eighth studio album, The Ascension (2020). It was released as the album's second single on August 13, 2020, through Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label. It has been called a synth-pop song with lyrics that describe the effects of social media upon society."

Zager And Evans - in the year twenty-five twenty-five, 1969

"In the Year 2525" is a song about the journey of mankind over a 10,000-year span. It predicts that man's thoughts, relationships and body will be negatively impacted by technological advances and ends with man's extinction."

Fait-divers on the brain and the music

Mystery of 101-year-old master pianist who has dementia. When it comes to music in general, we don’t have a great sense of where it exists in the brain.

Fait-divers on attention and consciousness

Attention is a series of beginnings, those mental rebirths that occur in consciousness when it heeds time’s instants.

Fait-divers on the mind and the brain

The mind isn’t locked in the brain but extends far beyond it. If the mind is not bounded by the brain or the skin, where does it stop? What is the boundary line?

Fait-divers: Brian Eno, the universe and music

"He was investigating the structure of the universe, not inspired by music, but with music."

Fait-divers by Charlie Chaplin

"Look up to the sky. You'll never find rainbows if you're looking down." (Charlie Chaplin)

The Beatles - all my loving, 1963

"All My Loving" represents a notable advance in sophistication and technique over the first couple of singles and the original cuts on the "Please Please Me" album."

Bear's Den - longhope, 2019

“We wanted to make an EP that felt intimate, nostalgic and felt united by the theme of winter. It was a chance between albums for us to work on and explore something more musically sparse and lyrically reflective, working with our longtime friend, collaborator, and producer Ian Grimble. The EP is a collection of songs united by a sense of what winter means to us. In all its beauty, sadness, stillness and its ability to transform and bring things back to life.”

Pink Floyd - embryo, 1970

"Embryo" (sometimes called "The Embryo") is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was written by Roger Waters, recorded in 1968, and regularly performed live in 1970–71, but never released on any regular Pink Floyd album. A studio version appeared in 1970 on the rare multi-artist album Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air, which was reissued in 2007, and the 1983 band compilation Works. Live performances expanded on the studio original, stretching beyond ten minutes. Multiple renditions of "Embryo" appeared on the band's 2016 box set The Early Years 1965–1972; two versions were also included on the smaller 2-disc compilation The Early Years 1967–1972: Cre/ation."

Mojave 3 - who do you love, 1998

"Rolling Stone called the album "stunning" and "an unerring collection of floating, giant little moments." The Washington City Paper wrote that the album "showcases [Neil] Halstead’s considerable songwriting talent." The A.V. Club praised the band's "subtle and simple, yet surprisingly full-sounding, instrumentation, which includes doses of organ, horns, and pedal-steel guitar."

Guillemots - ice room, 2010

"Ice Room" is a song by the indie rock band Guillemots, featured on their 2011 album Walk the River. The track, written by the band, explores themes of emotional vulnerability and the struggle to let go, set against a backdrop of vivid imagery."

Fait-divers on art and attitude

Art isn't there to change your life, but how to look at it.

Fait-divers on art and chaos

Art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos.

Fait-divers on art

A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist.

Fait-divers by Muhammad Ali

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." (Muhammad Ali)

Coldplay - a head full of dreams, 2015

"The song "fades in with distantly chiming bells, a synthetic dance pulse, a drum set shuffling complicatedly, and a guitar repeatedly drawing a high, short melody".

Public Service Broadcasting - late night final, 2013

"Inform - Educate - Entertain is the first album by alternative British group Public Service Broadcasting. It features samples from the British Film Institute (BFI) and The National Archives (UK) and features themes from the first expedition of Mount Everest, the invention of colour television, road safety, fashion, the creation of the Spitfire plane and Thomas Woodrooffe's 1937 radio broadcast at the Spithead Review."

The Beatles - all you need is love live, 1967

"Broadcast at the height of the Vietnam war, Our World was the first live multinational satellite TV production. 14 countries participated, with The Beatles representing the UK."

Fait-divers on Love

A physician once said, "the best medicine for humans is love". Someone asked: "what if it doesn’t work?" He smiled and said: "Increase the dose."

Fait-divers

When you read a statistic, of any kind, be sure to ask how – and more importantly, why – the statistic was generated.

Fait-divers: humour on pessimism

Pessimism is the art of feeling worse when things get better.

Fait-divers on kindness and education

If you reward a baby with a gift for being kind, the propensity to help will decrease by up to 40 percent.

Fait-divers on peace by Elie Wiesel

“Peace is our gift to each other.” - Elie Wiesel

Fait-divers on silence by Paul Goodman

"the musical silence that accompanies absorbed activity"

Fait-divers on attitude by Gerry McCann

"Beware of trying to influence others by superficial tricks. Character ethic is deep and real." (Gerry McCann)

Fait-divers on attitude

What we perceive depends on what we look for.

Fait-divers on cynicism by Maria Popova

"Cynicism is a hardening, a calcification of the soul. Hope is a stretching of its ligaments." (Maria Popova)

Fait-divers on attitude by Ghandi

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. (Ghandi)

Fait-divers on randomness

"A random universe is hard to prove.”

“The statistical definition of random would be that two events are entirely unconnected”

"in reality, it’s almost impossible to prove that two events are unconnected"

random = we don't know? (there’s a problem with using the word "random")

Fait-divers on ego by Eckhart Tolle

“The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. Ego implies unawareness. Awareness and ego cannot coexist.” (Eckhart Tolle)

Laurent Voulzy - rockollection zero zero eight, 2008

"Rockollection 008" is a 2008 re-release by French artist Laurent Voulzy, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1977 hit "Rockollection." The song, originally a nostalgic blend of French lyrics by Alain Souchon and covers of 1960s English-language hits, was reimagined in this version with a duration of 15:43. It’s part of the album Recollection, certified platinum in France. For the first time, Voulzy included a French song, Michel Polnareff’s "L’Amour avec toi," alongside covers like The Beatles’ "Ticket to Ride," The Troggs’ "With a Girl Like You," and The Buggles’ "Video Killed the Radio Star." The tracklist features classics such as "Paint It, Black," "Eleanor Rigby," and "California Dreamin’."

Ozark Henry - it's in the air tonight, 2010

“Early in my career, I met David Bowie. He taught me that ego doesn’t matter. It is the work connecting us – the music we leave behind – that matters most. I never forgot this lesson.”

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - stay, 2017

"From the initial rush to the all-too-familiar crash, the Pains have spent the better part of a decade charting the highs and lows of young love. But Berman, like many of us, isn’t quite so young anymore. What happens when all the love in your life is no longer as fleeting as a three-minute pop tune? Echo of Pleasure tries to get to the heart of the matter."

Belle And Sebastian - black and white unite, 2002

"Much like the film Storytelling itself, which was drastically edited and censored before finally reaching theaters at a running time just short of 90 minutes, Belle & Sebastian's music for the movie barely appeared in the final cut. All of their work appears on Storytelling, for better or worse - it's an occasionally jumbled, yet undeniably pleasant, collection that unsurprisingly feels like a hybrid of a proper Belle & Sebastian album and a more traditional film score. The strings, horns, and harmonicas that drive instrumental tracks like "Freak," "Night Walk," "Consuelo," and "Fuck This Shit" have a definite retro vibe that also extends to songs like "Wandering Alone" and "Black and White Unite," which sounds a bit like the band covering Simon & Garfunkel's soundtrack for The Graduate."

Fait-divers: God and Thomas Merton

Infinite sharing is the law of God’s inner life. (Thomas Merton)

Bear's Den - conversations with ghosts, 2019

“I wrote this while I was in Mexico. I was surrounded by Mexican culture and became fascinated in their perception of death with, for example, the Day of the Dead. I wanted to know more about it and read the book Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo. The story is about a guy who goes back to his family’s town which had turned into a ghost town. In the story, you don’t know who’s alive and who’s dead because they’re all communicating with each other. Coincidentally, I’d read another book just before that one called Lincoln in the Bardo, which is set in a graveyard and follows ghosts who talk to each other. All these stories were going around in my head in Mexico came together in this one song.”

Mint Julep - holding on, 2025

"Dream Shoegaze at its best. Close your eyes and let the dreams flow in."

Pet Shop Boys - i get along, 2002

"Written as a love song, Neil Tennant has stated that "I Get Along" is also a commentary on the then fraught relationship between British prime minister Tony Blair and New Labour architect Peter Mandelson after the latter had to resign again from the British Cabinet when he was involved in a second major scandal. It is the first in a trilogy of songs about Blair, followed by "I'm with Stupid" (2006) and "Legacy" (2009). The phrase "rock royalty" was inspired by t-shirts worn by Stella McCartney and Liv Tyler at the 1999 Met Gala, and the line, "The big boys are back and we need them", came from an interview with Richard Ashcroft in NME. The song, like its parent album, also stands in contrast to the Pet Shop Boys' predominantly electronic catalogue of songs. It opens with a piano and features a rock-style guitar, played by Johnny Marr, with percussion by Jody Linscott and bass guitar by Steve Walters. There are only sparse actual synthesised sounds in the song."

Mazzy Star - fade into you, 1993

"Fade into You" is a song by American alternative rock band Mazzy Star from their second studio album, So Tonight That I Might See (1993). The song was written by lyricist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback, who also served as producer. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1994 and is Mazzy Star's only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 44. The song also charted at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number three in Iceland. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "Fade into You" at number 468 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Pitchfork included the song at number 19 on their list of the "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s". Australian alternative music radio station Triple J ranked the song the 32nd greatest of 1994."

Fait-divers on attitude

Before speaking, ask yourself: is this true? is this kind? is this necessary? is this helpful? If the answer to one of these questions is no, stay silent.

Fait-divers on attention and love

With the utmost love and attention the man who walks must study and observe every smallest living thing.

Fait-divers

Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.

The Flaming Lips - fight test, 2002

"I am really sorry that Cat Stevens thinks I'm purposefully plagiarising his work. I am ashamed. There is obviously a fine line between being inspired and stealing. But if anyone wanted to borrow part of a Flaming Lips song, I don't think I'd bother pursuing it. I've got better things to do. Anyway, Cat Stevens is never going to make much money out of us."

Sufjan Stevens - tell me you love me, 2020

"This song is lyrically and melodically simple, but sometimes less is more."

Fait-divers on attitude

The biggest gift you can give is to be absolutely present.

Fait-divers: Meet the philosopher ducklings that indulge in abstract thought

“This remarkable research demonstrates that baby ducklings spontaneously notice abstract relationships in the world around them,” says Elizabeth Brannon at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Most people are aware that a baby duck will imprint on a random object – that is, they will follow it around as if it were their mother – but this shows that they can actually imprint on a concept as well, and without any training.” Kacelnik doubts whether it would be possible to engender abstract thought in older ducklings and ducks, given that the motivation to grasp the information is instinctive after hatching. “Logic dictates it would be more difficult after filial imprinting is complete,” he says."

Fait-divers

Clouds are in love with horizons.

Fait-divers by Thomas Merton

We live in a state of constant semiattention to the sound of voices, music, traffic, or the generalized noise of the happenings around us. (Thomas Merton)

Fait-divers by Niels Bohr

Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it. (Niels Bohr)