The Caves of Altamira by Steely Dan ~ Time Travel to the High View of the Inner Mind

The Song, The Caves of Altamira, was inspired by the Actual Caves in Spain, that were discovered in 1868 by Modesto Cubillas, near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. These Caves are renowned for 'prehistoric' cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human endeavors...Show more

But, not really...

Donald and Walter wrote the song for what the MESSAGE of the Caves represent...know that the Latin word, Altamira, means Place of High View, or to See from a High Place...and thus, the Caves actually represent Going DEEP within ourselves, during Meditation, where we 'DRAW' Primitive Images upon the Walls of our Mind, so that when the 'Time' comes to Re-Awaken Ourselves from Slumber, once more, that we are TRIGGERED by one of these Primitive Images...

And this is PRECISELY what Donald and Walter wrote about in this Stunningly Brilliant Song, they are Time Travellers, leaving Messages for themselves, upon the Walls of their Inner Mind, the Optic Thalamus, the Light of the World, as is referenced within the Song...

This song is NOT meant to be taken Literally, but rather Allegorically, as a Vehicle to enable U to remember Time Traveling Within yourself, which U have undoubtedly done at one 'Time' or another...thus, Verses One and Two are Parables about Meditation and Time Traveling Inner Space, for the purpose of Self Discovering...

[Verse 1]

I recall when I was small
How I spent my days alone
The busy world was not for me
So I went and found my own
I would climb the garden wall
With a candle in my hand
I'd hide inside a hall of rock and sand

[Verse 2]

On the stone an ancient hand
In a faded yellow-green
Made alive a worldly wonder
Often told but never seen
Now and ever bound to labor
On the sea and in the sky
Every man and beast appeared
A friend as real as I

And then the Chorus, which reveals ALL, if your EYE is Open...

[Chorus]

Before the fall when they wrote it on the wall
When there wasn't even any Hollywood
They heard the call
And they wrote it on the wall
For you and me we understood...

We did this, we 'Wrote Messages' for ourselves on our Inner Walls, that we would Awaken to when the Days of the Great Awakening began again...so that, U and Me, we would UNDERSTAND God, and thus, ourselves...and we didn't even need any Hollywood to do so...

And then in the Final Verse that Closes the song, Donald and Walter end with the Lines,

[Verse 3]

Can it be this sad design
Could be the very same
A wooly man without a face
And a beast without a name
Nothin' here but history
Can you see what has been done?
Memory rush over me
Now I step into the sun

And in those last four lines, All is revealed but only to those who can Truly SEE thru the Single Eye...Nothing Here but History, refers to Space Travel within yourself, Traveling thru your Past Lives, in search of Clues and Messages that U left for yourself, as Primitive etchings upon a 'Cave Wall' (your Inner Mind)...so, Can U See what has been done? Memory wash Over Me, Now EYE Step into the SON...

Thus, when we Inner Space Travel, to receive these 'Writings on the Wall', then our whole True Memory Re-Awakens, Washes Over U, your Single Eye Activates, and U Step into the SON, which is Christ Consciousness, Pure Awareness, the Activated Pineal Gland, ILLUMINATING the Optic Thalamus, so that U become, The Light of the World, and thus, THE SON...

And this is the Level of Genius that the Freemasons have gifted to us, as Callings, Teachings, waiting here for us, Eternally, for when we finally reach those moments of Awakening from the Slumber, so that we come to Truly begin to SEE again...

What's in a Song?

Everything...

Enjoy, Love, CF