Rufus Wainwright:Across the Universe

We successfully grabbed someone else's radioblog. It might look like another bandwidth theft but think about it, we're just embedding that webpage which is open to public anyway. Well maybe we should put a proper link back to the owner. Next time we'll have our own radio broadcast (future plan =.=||)

To kick it off, the first track you hear as ukulele ensemble loads, is Rufus Wainwright's 'Across the Universe', from his 2nd album 'Poses' (2001). It's used in the movie 'I am Sam'. Hey, I just realized there're 2 Rufus songs in Brokeback Mountain soundtrack- 'King of the Road' and 'the Maker Makes'. His voice is distinctly recognizable. When I randomly skipped in the playlist, there it was. 'Ding!' Isn't it Rufus??

His lyrical skills are definitely enviable. Later I realized 'Across the Universe' was originally written by the Beatles -> Wikipedia entry and was performed by a whole list of artists, Rufus being one of them.

Across the Universe

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
and call me on and on across the universe.
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box,
They stumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of love are ringing through my open mind,
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe.
Jai guru deva om.

Nothing's gonna change my world (8X)


Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva,
Jai guru deva...



Some side notes if you read deep into the lyrics: what's this weird 'Jai Guru Deva, Om'? There's actually a webpage dedicated to the explanations -> here. I'll take the liberty to quote verbatum from the webmaster.

"Jai Guru Deva, Om

During the making of this page, I get a number of emails from people that visit that have questions that aren't answered on the page. The question I get most often is "What does "Jai Guru Deva, Om" mean in "Across the Universe"?. So, I decided that I should post it to save you guys the trouble of emailing, and to satisfy the curiousity of countless others who always wondered what it meant. Plus my page is titled "Across the Universe", so I believe it is fitting. Just a note, there are a couple of other sites that have other translations on its meaning, and in no way am I saying that I'm completely right, and they are wrong, I'm just trying to explain this to the best of my knowledge. The words are Sanskrit, and translate loosely. Anyway, here is what I believe the translation means.

Guru Deva, actually it is Guru Dev, is incited in the song because he was the Maharishi's teacher. He is an actual person, and they invoked him in their meditation every day. The name actually has meaning in itself. A Guru is a teacher, or spiritual leader of sorts. Dev, according to some other sites I went to, means god or heavenly one. As stated, Maharishi's actual teacher's name was Guru Dev. John Lennon appeared to take the liberty adding the "a"on the end. Jai means, and there are several meanings I have for this, "I give hope, or thanks to", this I was told, but some sites say it means, "victory" or "salutations". Om, is probaby the easiest part to explain. Om is believed to be the natural vibration of the universe. Hence, when many meditate, they make the "ooohhhmmmm" sound. They are trying to bring in that vibration of the universe.

So all together it means, "I give thanks (victory) (salutation) to Guru Dev (or heavenly teacher), om."