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about
Penn Johnson's single release Keep Keepin On (featuring and produced by multi-instrumentalist Flint Blade) is a shockingly personal spoken word soliloquy inspired in part by the questions gifted by alternative medicine. At its core it’s a mantra for us to keep pushing ourselves forward despite the continuous complications of the human experience. The song displays depth and vulnerability in every lyric, acting as a paradigm-shifting manifestation by shedding light on issues such as the growing housing crisis, environmental disaster, social anxiety, phone addiction, and the alienation often associated with following a new spiritual path. Through deliberately debilitating depictions of self doubt and questioning, Penn explains that despite everything always being in ‘divine alignment,’ life is still pretty tough for all of us. The silver lining of the song is that rather than “drowning in the prose,” and believing we’ve “miscalculated,” Penn suggests we place our hope in our words and prayers being “sung and recognized around the multiverse” and while those prayers are in the process of being answered, in the meantime, we do what we can to inspire others to keep keepin on.
lyrics
how do i keep on keeping on
when everything around me seems so far gone
can i listen can i speak does it matter what i share in this dream?
what i share in this dream?
does it matter what i share in this dream?
yo
shit dog i’m sorry if i’m stuck in my ways
it’s the only thing that makes me feel like i’m ok and
please forgive me if i’m screaming and shouting
i have a habit of constantly just running my mouth so if there’s
nothing but this old dead air between
we can shock it back to life with a new melody i’m
generally one or two bumps deep
right now i’m sitting on a couple spoons of ketamine i tried
tobacco, ganja, meditation and breathing, hot saunas, and several songs
and now i’m chasing the meaning i heard
if you lean out enough you’ll find the edge
i’m leaning so far out i’m barely even a sketch i see
volcanos rising and rent prices compiling
and fashion statements themselves are going outta style and
i get bummed out the times i pick up my phone
several thousand people listening not a single soul to call
not a single soul to call
how do i keep on keeping on
when everything around me seems so far gone
can i listen can i speak does it matter what i share in this dream?
what i share in this dream?
does it matter what i share in this dream?
hey nice to see you been a while in fact
i can’t recall the last time demons wasn’t breathing down my neck i know
sometimes i seem much lighter than most but spare a moment of your time
and soon i’ll drown you in prose oh no
light hearted started singing songs around this fire
been so high in my life hard to think i could be higher one time
i soared through portals for 2 hours in Texas
i couldn’t take off my own shoes or pour myself a glass a water check this
reckless scattered and reputation been tattered and
despite my best to do my best i must’ve just miscalculated, shit
must’ve just miscalculated, shit
must’ve just miscalculated
transmutation other planets other beings
manifesting manacle miracles and sips of my believing i’m
not sure which way the new earth pendulum’s swinging
but i’m a couple revolutions from burning out and retreating
from burning out and retreating
how do i keep on keeping on
when everything around me seems so far gone
can i listen can i speak does it matter what i share in this dream?
what i share in this dream?
does it matter what i share in this dream?
well my eyes are seeing clearly but my third eye’s awful blurry
if i focus my attention all it start to do is hurt well shit
maybe i missed the boat where i belong
cuz i was somewhere singing sweetly when it left the dock oh well
i guess i’ll have to stay and drop these bars
lasso the earth and be rebirthed and serenade the stars how nice
can you imagine a fate so divine
like dr seuss and alan watts’ best lectures combined or not
maybe just another kid with some words
hoping that they’ll be sung and recognized round the multiverse
round the multiverse
how do i keep on keeping on
when everything around me seems so far gone
can i listen can i speak does it matter what i share in this dream?
what i share in this dream?
does it matter what i share in this dream?
credits
released April 15, 2023
Recorded by: Rob Taylor on the Big Island of Hawaii
Produced by: Rob Taylor & Flint Blade
Lyrics & Music Written by: Penn Johnson
Guitar, Vocals by: Penn Johnson
Chapman Stick by: Flint Blade
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