Mankind

Lyrics

Morning to you world And to you too, mosquito Though you have not slept last night, at all Sun take the cold Coffee make me warm Fire burn and warm my soul Mankind I’ve had enough of you But I must come back to you again Mankind I cannot live alone Fish bite my worm Tree give me your shade Sun, give me peace and comfort Mankind I must come back to you Mankind, 7 years away from you Was long enough to learn - be kind to me

Behind the music

Inspiration for the song: Lighthouse (Lars): When writing this song, my inspiration was Beethoven’s 6th Symphony – the Pastorale. I wanted to put words to my childhood experiences in nature. In my childhood, I could play alone all day by a creek. I loved the peace in the forest, and especially the sound of the water quietly flowing. I was so much at peace there—just me and my fantasy world. While writing the song, I also thought of my stays at Mount Athos and the monastery of Konstamonitou. Life in that monastery was simple, almost timeless. No distractions, just prayer, work, and the rhythm of the day. After a long, warm morning picking olives, there is nothing better than eating in silence under an olive tree and just looking at the sea. I felt like I did in my childhood by the creek. Those feelings are what I tried to capture in this song. If I hadn't had a son and a wife, I would have stayed at that monastery on that mountain. There, I found an otherworldly peace—just me and God, and many good monks and workers. Some, like me, go alone, and some sit together, laughing and simply enjoying the beautiful world created by God. Maybe paradise isn’t a place, but a moment—when you feel completely at peace, whether it’s by a creek, under an olive tree, or anywhere else. Sunshine (Leendert): Writing the music for this song was rewarding. I know this song means a lot to Lighthouse and I wanted to write the right music for him and his lyrics. I think that I captured the essence of the song and the meaning behind the lyrics very well. The music is soothing and calming. You can actually picture yourself in the forest together with Elijah when listening to the music. I've written this with a mixture of major and minor chords, because this song needed to feel melancholic, because of the "feeling of belonging", but it also needed to feel safe and at peace. That's also why this song is written with the capo on the 7th fret (which doesn't make it easier to hit the chords), This song turned out to be a beautiful piece that calms and soothes the soul when you need a break from it all. I am very happy with how it turned out.

✉️ Click to unroll Lars' handwritten diary...