Nothing profound by HDT. He just liked the way the words sounded together. Was great inspiration for Pink Floyd lyrics.
I think the full quote is something like: Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still unsung. Or some shit like that.
Can't remember if that wasn't somebody else (Waters, Gilmour?) paraphrasing an earlier Thoreau quote either. The original Walden quote that this quote references spells it out. Quiet desperation is essentially giving up. Resignation = confirmed desperation.
American Lit was required back in the day at some colleges.
|