With Arteries Afire

After having spent many many hours this past week/end cramming for my Physio final, I've thought a lot about the inner workings of the body. And one area that we spent some time on recently is the Cardiovascular system, my fav. The other night I was driving home and one of my favorite songs came on, Night in my Veins by the Pretenders. And this got me thinking...the veins get all the attention. Do you know how many songs include veins in their lyrics? Here's a handful discovered via a quick google search:

Veins of Hell
Veins of Frost
Veins of Immortality
Veins of Glass
Night in my Veins
Blue Veins
My Veins are Open
In the Veins
End of Green Death in Veins
With Veins Afire

And we can't forget everyone's favorite scary heavy metal guy Alice Cooper and his poignant song Poison ("You're poison running through my veins!!!!!!")

I get the reference. When "vein" is used in a song it generally refers to something big and important. Something larger than life. Something worth struggling for. It's something that the writer/singer needs and must carry with them at all times. Something that is so much a part of them that it courses through their body. Like oxygen. Or maybe it's something they don't need because it's bad but it's too late because it has permeated their soul (insert dramatic music here). Like drugs or anything evil. Whatever they mean, the veins symbolize something getting spiritually, mentally, physically visceral.

But you never hear anyone talking about arteries. And frankly arteries are a bit more physiologically interesting than veins. Arteries do things like deliver oxygen rich blood so you can, you know, live. Obviously veins are important too. And if it weren't for them we couldn't get IVs when we're sick, we couldn't get blood tests, and intravenous drug users wouldn't know where to inject. But I think the main reason why people use the word "vein" as their symbol of choice is because it works better. That's all. "Vein" rolls off the tongue with ease. And it's got only the one syllable. And it rhymes with things like pain, rain, and sane (other popular song topics).

Sometimes art just isn't scientifically right.