Dan Too’s catchy debut “Isis and Osiris” builds off the Ancient Egyptian myth to explore the relationships between value, purpose, and impermanence in our lives.
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The Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris is a somber, sobering tale of death and devotion, love and longing. Osiris, the first pharaoh of Egypt, is murdered by his own brother. Osiris’ grieving widow, Queen Isis, goes to unimaginable lengths to bring Osiris back from the dead, but her attempts are in vain: No matter what she does, he is gone from her.
For millenia, scholars have gleaned various teachings from this ancient story, yet one needn’t dig too deep to feel an overwhelming sadness at Isis’ plight. Her beloved will forever be out of arm’s reach, yet she refuses to give up. This resilience, a testament to love’s strength, is as marvelous as it is tragic. We are reminded of the value we give to objects in our world; of our tendency to place too much import on the tangible, fleeting things, and perhaps not enough import on those that matter the most. Dan Too’s catchy debut “Isis and Osiris” builds off the Ancient Egyptian myth to explore the relationships between value, purpose, and impermanence in our lives.
When it comes to this
I’d rather sleep out in the rain
I’d rather drown myself in words
From someone else who’s half insane
So when it comes to this
How could I be so caught off guard
No signal for the fade out
So little disregard
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “Isis and Osiris,” Dan Too’s debut single (premiered by No Depression this past June). The alt-country band of Daniel Talamantes, Jon Payne, Ian Parks, and Tyler Larson, Santa Cruz’s Dan Too have introduced themselves with an inviting soft-rock sound brimming with heartland warmth. More The Eagles than Lucero, the California quartet fills their first single with bittersweet pedal steel riffs and jangly acoustic strums. For a hearty lament, “Isis and Osiris” is unnervingly charming.
And you alone can’t save us from this
When it’s broken to pieces
We’re as helpless as Isis
And I alone got no room for this
Fractured on the floor
We’re as broke as Osiris
“The seed for ‘Isis and Osiris’ was a dark existential joke on the word ‘this‘,” Dan Too’s Daniel Talamantes tells Atwood Magazine. “Soon after the first verse, the joke flowered into a fully decorative existential crisis. The word ‘this‘, like the song, is modal by nature. The song explores the meaning and purpose we attach to material and immaterial subjects. I found a ripe metaphor in the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris. ‘This‘ is meaningless but represents something that had value and importance in your life. Could be a relationship, could be mortality, or it could be a hotdog that slipped out of the bun and into the gutter. Whatever it is, now it is glass shattered on the floor. There is a reflection, you want to rebuild it, but in grasping there is pain and there’s no way for it to return as it once was. The purity and innocence lost.”
Don’t wait to lose those you love. Cherish your time with them, and make the most of every moment. Forget about the things as best you can, and focus on the people, the laughs, the minutes and hours. When it comes to this, you don’t want to waste a moment.
At its extreme, “Isis and Osiris” is a call to appreciate life. Dan Too’s music video finds the band basking in one such moment as they enjoy a blissful, easy yacht cruise together. We as an audience feel their happiness – the glow of their camaraderie and connection extends beyond the film, adding layers of familiarity and cheer to a song that urges us to be present, and to bring our full selves to every interaction.
Stream Dan Too’s “Isis and Osiris” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
Stream: “Isis and Osiris” – Dan Too
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