Mental Health Themes in Music: Cosmic Shrug

Welcome to the next entry in the exploratory series of Mental Health Themes in Music! Today, we’re looking at the indie rock/chamber pop song “Cosmic Shrug” by Olive Tiger, released in 2022 on the EP, Softest Eyes: Side B. This track is not only a total bop, but it genuinely encapsulates a quality of hope that can only be found inside the paradox offered by existentialist philosophy. Let’s take a closer look…

“I believe that everything is chaos at random

And we're all gonna die

And I believe that everything has purpose and meaning

And that right now we're alive”

Because this sentiment is so direct and, perhaps, jarring, it pulls the listener into the message immediately. Yes, life is finite. Yes, certainty is a myth at best. However, this is what allows for our time navigating the chaos as meaningful as it is. If nothing actually matters, then the fact that we are doing it anyway makes the act of doing it at all even more profound.

“Even though the odds were against us from the start,

Somehow we're still surviving and just look at where we are!

Floating on a giant ball of molten lava at

Sixty seven thousand miles an hour 'round the sun”

If you pause and think about it in these terms, it is objectively amazing that existence is not only possible, but actively happening. This fact is something that can evoke awe, inspiration and even gratitude.

“[instrumental solo]”

I’m not going to spoil the surprise, but please note that I have not memorably experienced a more perfect use of an instrumental solo in a piece of music at any other time in my adult life.

“It's all a lot to swallow and trust me, I understand

But tell me when you're ready and then we're gonna take a drive

Find an open meadow and stare up at the darkness and the light”

While some people find delight in this philosophical perspective, these lyrics are a wonderful nod to those who find it harder to tolerate and even validates that experience. However, the offering of staring up at the expanse of the night sky is a beautiful way to initiate a connection with the enormity of existence.

The world can be an especially challenging place to inhabit, chaos and uncertainty are prevalent, and it can be difficult to grasp onto a sense of meaning or purpose. My hope is that you are able to connect/reconnect to something substantial or find comfort in this perspective. Either way, please know that you are absolutely not alone.

This month Looking Glass counseling is proud to support The Network/La Red. The Network/La Red is a survivor-led, social justice organization that works to end partner abuse in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, kink, polyamorous and queer communities. Rooted in anti-oppression principles, their work aims to create a world where all people are free from oppression. They strengthen communities through organizing, education and the provision of support services.

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Kim Johnson, LMHC, MT-BC, is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and board certified music therapist (MT-BC) who graduated with her master’s from Lesley University in 2017. She has experience with adults and adolescents in group private practice and community mental health settings. The levels of care she has worked in are outpatient, with both individual and group therapy and in partial hospital programs for mental health and substance use disorders. Additionally, she has had intensive training in dialectical behavioral therapy and cognitive processing therapy for PTSD.

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