"Breathe" by Pink Floyd
Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave but don't leave me
Look around and chose your own ground
For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be
Run, run rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one
For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race toward an early grave.
Don't be afraid to care
Leave but don't leave me
Look around and chose your own ground
For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be
Run, run rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one
For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race toward an early grave.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey creates a distinct division between those with power and those without, of the "wolves" and the "rabbits": "The rabbits accept their role in the ritual and recognize the wolf as strong" (60). The strong, "wolf-like" McMurphy, as the designated protector, or hero, of the ward, is the archetypal wayward individual rebelling against the constraints of society, represented by the Big Nurse's controlling and intrusive ward. Although McMurphy originally intends to make that statement with his actions, his motivation for his rebellion gradually becomes more and more related to the empathy he feels for the patients—like the song says, "Don't be afraid to care." As McMurphy's motives become less and less self-interested, his ability to feign disinterest towards the outcome of the conflict and even to admit defeat also wanes. This complication leads to McMurphy's eventual demise, as the force he faces is impossible for one man to shoulder alone, and his commitment to it breaks him.
This is displayed in Floyd's song, as well, when it says, "Run, rabbit, run/Dig that hole, forget the sun/And when at last the work is done,/Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one." What this implies is that McMurphy is, in fact, a rabbit in this scenario, powerless against the immovable and impenetrable force that is society as a whole, thus marking his defeat as practically inevitable. When the song says, "And balanced on the biggest wave,/You race toward an early grave," it is stating that McMurphy, as the hero at the front and on the "biggest wave," is heading for an unavoidable doom by doing so.
However, while McMurphy himself was technically defeated by the Big Nurse's lobotomy as seemed inevitable, he was still successful. By the end of the book, most of the Acutes had become free enough from the ward's (and therefore society's) constraints to finally leave of their own free will, especially in Chief Bromden's case. In the end, it does not matter that McMurphy, the tragic hero pitted against the immovable evil, predictably had no chance at survival, because the spirit of individuality that he fought on behave of prevailed.
This is displayed in Floyd's song, as well, when it says, "Run, rabbit, run/Dig that hole, forget the sun/And when at last the work is done,/Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one." What this implies is that McMurphy is, in fact, a rabbit in this scenario, powerless against the immovable and impenetrable force that is society as a whole, thus marking his defeat as practically inevitable. When the song says, "And balanced on the biggest wave,/You race toward an early grave," it is stating that McMurphy, as the hero at the front and on the "biggest wave," is heading for an unavoidable doom by doing so.
However, while McMurphy himself was technically defeated by the Big Nurse's lobotomy as seemed inevitable, he was still successful. By the end of the book, most of the Acutes had become free enough from the ward's (and therefore society's) constraints to finally leave of their own free will, especially in Chief Bromden's case. In the end, it does not matter that McMurphy, the tragic hero pitted against the immovable evil, predictably had no chance at survival, because the spirit of individuality that he fought on behave of prevailed.