‘Coaching Calls With a Roman Emperor’: Writing a Stoic Song
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Welcome to Stoicism Today! This week we are delighted to share a pop song inspired by Marcus Aurelius. We connected with Jonas Hedberg, who wrote and recorded the song, via email and asked him about the song, his inspiration and for some tips on how we can write a song lyric inspired by our Stoic reading. So, turn up the volume, listen and enjoy!
🎵 Marcus Aurelius song and lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
Let me introduce you to my ghosts
To the ones that scares me the most
There not in my closet or under my bed
They’re the ghosts inside my head
The live rent-free in my chest
I think they watched too many horror movies
And learned some methods of distress
Chorus
Ghosts & demons go pack your bags now
Join me to Athens and Rome (for)
Coaching calls with a roman emperor
Then you’re gone and I’m going home
Verse 2
Let me introduce you to my savior
He’s the captain on my ship
He will salvage any drunken sailor
Lift them up from any dip
Through Zoom and Teams calls with Marc Aurelius
I skip the 3AM anxiety train
Through some Stoic quotes I stay victorious
Since I control what’s in my brain
Chorus
Ghosts & demons pay close attention
The fear you transmit aren’t facts
Coaching calls with a roman emperor
Means I pay my wellbeing tax
Email exchange with songwriter Jonas Hedberg
Stoicism Today: Could you share some personal context to your Stoic-inspired song?
Jonas Hedberg: I have been practicing Stoicism for the past 10 years or so, and I was looking for a song where I could fit the message in. Then it struck me that this one, which I had originally written in 1983 with different lyrics, could fit well.
ST: Which quote was the inspiration for the song?
JH: The song lyrics are inspired by my favorite quote: “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts”. 1
ST: Tell us about your Stoic practice.
JH: I’ve read several books on Stoicism. In addition to Meditations, I have read The Obstacle Is the Way, Mastering the Stoic Way Of Life and several by Swedish authors.
However, the way I’ve turned it into a daily practice is another Ryan Holiday book called The Daily Stoic. I’m sure you know it, but I find that these bite-sized, short reads are perfect to start your today. Since, at least as I see it, practicing Stoicism demands regularity, with this book I’ve found a way, a daily process, that works well for me.
Personal development is important in the company I work for so I do trainings on Stoicism there. It struck me that I use it daily, I practice it at work so it felt natural to also bring the topic up in a song.
ST: Tell us about your band, PhD.
JH: PhD is a Sweden based, musical project rooted in an unusually long friendship. We started the band in Sweden around 1975. Back then, we couldn’t play any instruments, but the dream of becoming rock stars was there. A few years later we got a record contract, reached #10 in the Swedish charts and toured. Then me and the bass player went to university in another city and the singer’s dad REALLY wanted him to get engaged in the family business so the band fell apart. Later on I moved to France. I haven’t returned to Sweden since then, and I now live in Luxembourg. However, we all stayed in touch and earlier this year we felt it was time get the band going again - and here we are! The name PhD is short for for Persson, Hedberg, Dreifäldt, the guys in the band. PhD bridges past and present - a legacy of friendship, creativity and music-making now reaching a new audience.
Jonas and PhD back in the early 1980s.
Jonas’s tips on how to write your own Stoic-inspired song lyrics
We asked Jonas to give us some tips on how to write a Stoic song lyric. Writing songs, lyrics and even poetry is a great way to memorise the Stoic teachings, and here are some quick tips from Jonas.
Hmm, how to write a song in 5 minutes, I’d say:
- There are several free, online AI-drive tools you can use for song writing. Just make sure the essence of the song, the main message and lyrics, the tune and harmonies are your own and then let the AI-tool help with the rest.
- Choose your favorite quote and build the chorus lyric around that.
- Base the verse lyrics on your personal experiences.
- Keep it simple & have fun with it!
About the Author
Jonas Hedberg was born in Oskarshamn, Sweden in 1965. After gaining a degree in business and marketing he has built a career in marketing in the health and wellness industry across Czech Republic, France and Belgium. When he’s not working, he enjoys food and wine, music - of course - reading and sports. He has lived in London and New York and, since 2020, he lives in Luxemburg with his wife, two children and a toy poodle named Esther.
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This comes from Meditations, Book 5.16. Here are some other translations:
Robin Waterfield (2021): “Your mind will come to resemble your frequently repeated thoughts, because it takes on the hue of its thoughts.”
Robin Hard (2011): “As are your habitual conceptions, so will your mind be also; for the soul takes its colouring from its conceptions.”
Gregory Hays (2002): “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.”
Gerald Rendall (1898): “Repeat impressions, and your understanding will assimilate itself to them ; for the soul takes the dye of its impressions”
George Long (1862): “Such as are thy habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of thy mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts.”
Francis Hutcheson and James Moor (the ‘Glasgow translation’, 1742): “Such as the imaginations are which you frequently dwell upon, such will be the disposition of your soul. The soul receives a tincture from the imagination.”
Meric Causabon (1634): “Such as thy thoughts and ordinary cogitations are, such will thy mind be in time. For the soul doth as it were receive its tincture from the fancies, and imaginations.”