As humans, we seem to be constantly on the search for who we truly are. “Finding yourself” is a popular idea – something, in fact, that we’re told to seek out. Max Embers’ “Got To Get You” expresses the anxiety around this idea, and brings us inside his brain at a self-reflective moment.
He asks: “Who am I now if I’m looking for somebody else? Am I looking in the right places?”
The track begins with a breezy mingling of guitar picking and light percussion before violin slowly leans in and emotions deepen. Ember’s voice, clear and full, describes the feeling of trying and failing in an inward search. Lyrical hooks add flavor and rhythm. As the song progresses, the instrumentation becomes more layered.
I’ve given into every craze
vice and virtue all the same
followed dreams like fire and fame
searching for me
and I still don’t really know who I’m supposed to be
It’s easy to think that growth comes from popularity or money. Though tempting, these thoughts can lead us further from our true desires of being closer to ourselves.
Being disconnected from yourself can really knock you loose. Embers relays his frustration with a fruitless search, and emphasizes the urgency behind it. He says “Got To Get You” rather than “me,” as if in reference to searching for another person entirely, which is how it can feel when you are “othered” from yourself.
I keep drawing circles one by one
orbit round me like the sun
thought one day I might be done
searching for me
As we are taken deeper into the heart of the story and song, swirling instrumentation matches the revelatory message of internal patience in the process of growth.
I don’t know where
I am going or when I’ll get there
if good things tend to find the right time
maybe it’s alright that I am… longing for some kind of feeling
From anxiousness to freedom, Embers discovers that as you evolve forever, so will your inner search – and that’s okay. Even in the moments of searching for who you are, you’re still you, just in a different state. Realizing this helps us relax into who we are, and in turn aligns us with ourselves.
Chasing material wealth is not what will fulfill us. In the end, it’s our truth in who we are that matters.
I hear the wind cry
‘easy, darling, the rush won’t help
you may never get the world and everybody else
but you got to got to got to got to get yourself’
We are all on a journey, and self discovery never ends. Recognizing who we want to be is an important step to bettering ourselves as people, but applying the pressure to do so won’t speed up the process. Max Embers reminds us to take it slow and trust ourselves in “Got To Get You.”
Check it out below!
