“I'm gonna swim for a week in
Warm American Water with dear friends
Swimming high on a lea in an Eden
Running all of the leads you've been leaving”
- Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes
One of the ways I meditate, and take in beauty, is to listen to really beautiful music. Not just in structure and orchestration, but lyrically as well. One of my favorites has been the music of the Fleet Foxes. In fact, my wife and I just saw them at the new Moody Outdoor Amphitheater in Austin, TX. Really great lyrics not only say something beautiful, but they also open up the possibility to the expression of hundreds of other glorious things.
As a fan of the Fleet Foxes, along with the Grammy nominating committee and virtually every music critic, I was a bit dismayed when they took a 6-year hiatus after their most celebrated album, Helplessness Blues, in 2011. A lot of rumor and speculation circled the band during that long break, but a very different story emerged.
Robin Pecknold, leader of the band and the one who penned all those beautiful lyrics was the one prompting the break. Instead of an extended stint in rehab, a nervous breakdown, or the dissolution of the band related to selfishness and greed…like so many other stories of bands that go away, this break was completely original.
Although regarded as one of the best lyricists in music, Robin wanted to become a better writer. Even though many compare his penning of “Helplessness Blues” as the “Blowin’ in the Wind” of this generation, he wanted to grow in the mastery of his craft. So, to the consternation of his fans, music critics, and probably his record label, he went back to school. He moved to New Your City, enrolled in Columbia to get an undergrad degree in literature.
The best in any field always come with some mix of natural gifting and ability, but what makes them truly great is the incredible hard work they apply to growing and refining that natural gifting. To become more excellent.
Gifting + hard work = genius.
But that isn’t even the entire equation. Because what really separates the great from the world-class is humility. Not a lack of confidence, but the humility to know that you can get better. There is more to learn and there is wisdom and experience that you can still benefit from.
And that is true with Robin Pecknold as well. Learning to love the writing of some of America’s great authors impacted him deeply. His song “Sunblind” off the 2022 album Shore is a complete acknowledgment of what he gained from them. He refers to the great American authors as dear friends. He sings of swimming in a deep pool of their writing and comparing it to Eden.
He thanks them and honors them by “running all the leads you’ve been leaving” and exploring fully the inspiration they’ve provided.
Consider
What are you inherently gifted at?
What are you doing to get more excellent at that thing?
How are you honoring those that you’re learning from?