Lucifer by Don Simpson (Cover)

Andrea del Sarto was an Italian painter who lived from 1486 until 1530, he was regarded as an artist senza errori ("without errors").

There is a (possibly apocryphal) story that del Sarto was invited to France by François I. While in France, del Sarto's wife, Lucrezia, demanded that he return and the French king gave him money to buy Italian works for the French Court. Andrea bought a house with the money and never went back to France (so the story goes).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_del_Sarto

In 1855, Robert Browning, published a poem about del Sarto (titled Andrea del Sarto), and it included the line "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?".

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Andrea_del_Sarto

This song, Lucifer, sung by Leslie Fish (written by Don Simpson) makes several uses of that line, you can hear it on the album 'Avalon is Risen':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d622BxV_DDE

You can buy the album here on Bandcamp:
https://lesliefish.bandcamp.com/album/avalon-is-risen

While I was in my 20s and trying to recover from a pentecostal christian up-bringing, I read The Satanic Bible, by Anton LaVey. At the core of the teaching is selfishness, and getting what you want through any means. Lying, cheating, stealing, deception etc. are all acceptable. The story of Andrea del Sarto, as re-told by Browning, is an example of this doctrine in practice, and may be the reason that Don called this song 'Lucifer'.

Using 'Lucifer' as the bogey man of pentecostal christianity seems to be targeted at women, and anyone who seeks knowledge and thinks for themselves. As far as I understand it, this concept wasn't part of the Torah and isn't part of the Jewish take on things. Lucifer was used to keep people from thinking, and acting, for themselves.

For me personally, the Satanic doctrine of self-serving didn't sit well with me, but neither did the Christian ban on free inquiry. In Buddhist theology, actions have consequences and there is no 'free lunch' for those who act in their own interest at the expense of others. Three times bad, three times good, as the Wiccans say.

Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
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