Thursday theme – This Masquerade

Today’s theme song in ENGL 203-04 is “This Masquerade” by Leon Russell. It’s from Russell’s 1972 album Carney. Lyrics here.

At the song’s heart is the familiar idea that humans put up barriers between themselves and others in the form of masks. This “lonely game” of deception keeps us from making real contact with one another, and the result is especially problematic if we allow ourselves to play the game in a romantic relationship. In such a relationship it’s essential that we allow others access to the “real” self that lies behind the mask. Only when we let our masks fall can there be genuine “understanding” between us, the kind of understanding that’s an essential condition of love. Continue reading “Thursday theme – This Masquerade”