"Protect Your Mind" - Feint Young Son, Roland Clark
I recently stumbled upon this house track by Feint Young Son and Roland Clark and was immediately hooked by both the beat and the lyrics. Released in February, 2021 when we were still in the depths of Covid, this track speaks to the isolation, confusion, and disroientation so many of us were feeling at the time.
While this was a timely piece in 2021, I find the message to be just as relevant and important today.
As I searched for the lyrics online, I was shocked that I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I’ve taken my best effort at transcribing them below. (There’s only one line I’m unsure of—can anyone confirm what Roland means by “okedok”?)
The song itself is an optimistic and groovy little beat layered with subtle synths and a percussive rhythm. A soft female vocal adds some atmosphere before Roland Clark steps in with a spoken word that feels more like a sermon than a verse.
His voice is calm, deliberate, and full of intention. He invites us to connect - with ourselves, with others, and with what really matters.
The lyrics cut through the noise of modern life with reminders that feel almost radical in their simplicity:
Take care of your mind.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Don’t compare yourself to the next person.
Stay true to yourself.
I’ll let the lyrics speak for themselves:
In these unprecedented times
We all need to connect
Once again
Connect with your friends and your family
Don’t forget to tell them that you love them
You see it’s real easy to get confused and to get sidetracked
Because of all the things that we see out there on social media
Everybody’s got their own opinion, you know?
There are so many people out there faking the funk,
Only showing you the pretty things in their life
But when you break it all down
We’re all the same
So don’t compare yourself to the next person
And open your mind to a different point of view
It’s like everybody’s trying to confuse us
Trying to pit us against each other
Not unlike the news
On one channel they’re saying one thing
Another channel is saying the next
But little do most people know that the media is a business
They profit on imprisoning our minds
And making us believe what they want us to believe
But don’t fall for the okedok?
There’s something funny about the truth
You know it when you hear it
Stay positive
Stay true to yourself
Believe in something but believe in the right thing
You’ve gotta protect your mind
This is a sign of the times
This is a sign of the times
This is a sign of the times
I know sometimes the day seems long
And you don’t know when the chaos is going to end
But take a deep breath
Breathe in
Breathe out
Take care of yourself
Take care of your physical
Take care of your mental
Reach out to somebody who needs help
Reach out to somebody who needs love
Stay positive in the negative
Shine bright in the darkness
And protect your mind
This is a sign of the times
This is a sign of the times
This is a sign of the times
Come on!
Even now, Especially now, this feels like a needed message.
Protect your mind. Reconnect. This is a sign of the times.