Octopus Cross — It symbolizes a few things in my life
An artistic and symbolic idea.
While it started as a creative concept, I’m fairly sure where it comes from—my perspective and how I view octopuses. Honestly, doves—and even everyday people—can share some of these qualities too, but they’re often overlooked in the routine of daily life.
When you see an octopus as a teddy bear, there’s nothing unpleasant about it. But when it’s tied to a cross, nothing about death feels fitting or clean. Maybe that wasn’t the case in earlier times, like in B.C. eras or in raw survival contexts.
Yes, there’s the idea of renewal after passing—it’s an important tradition—but still, it’s complex.
I’ve learned from this.
Octopuses also seem like creatures capable of escaping—finding their way back to freedom.
The first version of the song started with nothing to do with octopuses. It was a remake of the Woodikkul Pine EP I made long ago. Woodikkul Pine was a theme-driven, story-mode fantasy music EP—almost like an audiobook. The only image needed was the cover.
Even though it was under par, I managed to capture the experience of singing in an ancient, European, traditional style—something I had never fully or consistently expressed before while creating an album.
Anyway, making a song from it led me to the first title: “This Octopus Cross.” It was also a phrase I heard a Catholic leader teach about in long seemed years 2020’s. I saw him on a random TV channel, and he said that everyone has a cross to bear. So I integrated that concept into many simple values which help a lot for my long healing haul.
Back to remaking the song—it was strange waters. The first creature I expressed on the track was a whale singing. On top of that, I wanted tribal drums and Christian chants, because this was created years later, after recovery. The original Woodikkul Pine track was too otherworldly in both sound and lyrics. So this time, I approached it more grounded—from the dirt, from the start—with the lyrics.
The guitar part hit hard—it’s still on my TikTok page. With the guitar, I aimed to express my overall insight and vibe of an octopus. I can say I nailed it, like a painter working with sound.
At first, I didn’t have the confidence to go with the title, and the whole song felt too off center—too highly unique. I had to work through the tension it created in my perspective and outlook. I wondered how my family would feel about me using a creature often seen as unpleasant or strange.
So I added the word “This” in front of Octopus Cross. I still believe that helped resolve the issue, at least mostly. There may still be unusual interpretations from people judging my intent, but it pushed me to refine my understanding.
I realized that many birds have been seen on crosses. Wars have been fought under crosses. There are even crossed swords. And beyond that—Christ Himself, the Son of God, suffered physically on the cross. Bodily suffering and death are not clean things; they carry a kind of harshness.
I never intended to create an octopus cross as a new symbolic replacement or to influence how people use crosses. But I understand that when you create and present something publicly, you take on a kind of leadership.
Still, I know to follow my calling with good intention—not to turn any object into something harmful.
So yes, I hope that people—especially those who understand my perspective—can appreciate the uniqueness of the art and find something meaningful in it, just as more traditional symbols, like pearl crosses, became accepted over time.