The Hanged Man
“The Hanged Man” is the moment in the journey where progress no longer comes from pushing forward but from surrendering. In tarot, the card teaches the value of sacrifice, patience and the wisdom that arises when we willingly pause. It speaks of choosing stillness, of stepping back from the frantic pull of life in order to see the world from a new angle. It is a reminder that transformation often begins with letting go of our usual way of thinking.
When I wrote “The Hanged Man”, I found myself drawn to myths and philosophy that echo this same lesson. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero must tie himself to the mast to resist the Sirens, choosing restraint over impulse, clarity over temptation. That image felt deeply connected to the energy of the card, the idea that wisdom comes from disciplined inaction, from the willingness to hold still even when something seductive is calling your name. This inspired the lyric sirens dishonour they call out to feed, a reflection of how distractions and temptations can lure us away from our path unless we anchor ourselves deliberately.
Plato’s teachings also found their way into the song. His allegory of the cave speaks of shadows that distort truth, illusions that we mistake for reality. The lyric got to forgo all these shadows like Plato told became my way of acknowledging that the journey toward understanding often requires us to release the comfortable illusions we cling to. We must step out of the half light and into something clearer, even if it means leaving behind what once felt familiar.
This track became an exploration of voluntary surrender. The choice to pause before acting. The courage it takes to resist the easy path in favour of the right one. The understanding that sacrifice is sometimes an investment in clarity rather than a loss. “The Hanged Man” invites the listener to look at their life from a different angle, to sit with discomfort, to embrace patience and to trust that a shift in perspective can be as powerful as any forward movement.
At its heart, the song is a reminder that wisdom often arrives not during the rush, but during the quiet moments where we release control, let the world settle and allow a new truth to rise to the surface.
