Phish › Lyrics › Seen and Not Seen

He would see faces in movies, on T.V. , in magazines, and in books
He thought that some of these faces might be right for him
And that through the years
By keeping an ideal facial structure fixed in his mind
Or somewhere in the back of his mind
That he might, by force of will
Cause his face to approach those of his ideal

The change would be very subtle
It might take ten years or so
Gradually his face would change it's shape
A more hooked nose, wider, thinner lips
Beady eyes, a larger forehead.

He imagined that this was an ability he shared with most other people
They had also molded their faces according to some ideal
Maybe they imagined that their new face would better suit their personality
Or maybe they imagined that their personality would be forced to change
To fit the new appearance

This is why first impressions are often correct
Although some people might have made mistakes
They may have arrived at an appearance
That bears no relationship to them

They may have picked an ideal appearance
Based on some childish whim, or momentary impulse
Some may have gotten half-way there, and then changed their minds
He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake