Seven Ways of Going

Song Meaning

Patti Smith's "Seven Ways of Going" is a raw, fervent exploration of spiritual awakening and devotion. The recurring motif of "seven" acts as both a structural and symbolic anchor, suggesting completeness, sacredness, and perhaps the seven deadly sins. Smith presents the journey of self-discovery as a series of transformations, "seven sweet disguises," all ultimately leading to a higher purpose. The lyrics hint at a past mired in "lewd impostered night," implying a period of moral ambiguity or spiritual slumber from which the speaker is violently jolted awake. This awakening isn't gentle; it's a forceful extraction from iniquity, guided by a divine hand. The song's imagery is rich with religious allusion, referencing both the "Seas of Galilee" and the "Seven Hills of Rome," blending Christian and classical motifs to illustrate a universal search for redemption. The act of turning "toward home" signifies a conscious choice to embrace faith, a turning point marked by an embrace that transcends earthly existence. The line, "we spun from life to life, till you loosened me and let me go toward the everlasting light," suggests a relinquishing of control, a surrender to a higher power that ultimately liberates the soul. Yet, "Seven Ways of Going" isn't solely a hymn of submission. There's an active, almost defiant element in the lines, "In this big step I am taking seven seizures for the true…As I declare to you the number of my moves as I speculate." Smith isn't passively receiving grace; she's engaging in a deliberate, almost strategic pursuit of truth. The final lines introduce the concept of "the eighth," a transcendence beyond the initial seven, representing unconditional love and the acceptance of sanctity in all forms. The song, therefore, becomes a testament to the complex, often turbulent, path of spiritual evolution, a journey marked by both surrender and relentless seeking.