Until Saturday night, the man watches over us all. Then in one spectacular blaze, we all watch the man.
As a virgin, one thing that surprised me was how every burn had a different character. I thought fire was fire, but there was a wide variety. The Temple burn was somber. The Alien burn was theatrical. The Embrace burn was contemplative.
But the man burn must always be primal. Think of Dionysus and the ruthless Pagan women who raved in honor of his resurrection. We *don’t actually drink blood and sacrifice animals, but that’s the orgy-tastic vibe we’re aiming for.
Truly the song in this playlist that better fit thematically is “Everything In Its Right Place,” a song about the birth of an Android. In some ways it feels like the Man is born in the fire and not before, just as Dionysus, in his death and rebirth, gave his followers the gift of rebirth. And after the man burns, people say “Happy new burn year!” Truly, the cycle begins anew for the burner. Because for the burner, the culmination of their passion is presented at Burning Man. It is truly the pinnacle of whatever creative pursuit they’ve been following all year, so when the Man burns it is time to begin anew, calendar be damned.
So the Radiohead song fits better lyrically, but the mood of “I Got My Eye on You”—primal, fierce—better fits the man burn. Whatever, hooker, pictures!
*at least not in my camp. Maybe we’re too tame?
Meet the Man
The Man Burns
Nari & Milani -I Got My Eye on You (Nari & Milani Original Mix)
From my Burning Man dance mix