“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” – Victor Hugo
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There are good days but it seems there are more bad days. We read about those crimes in the newspapers. We often see the wars going on in other parts of the world. We cringe with those posts on social media.
It’s a no-brainer that we worry too much these days. The good thing is that when these worries are gone, we can smile and relax. After that, what comes next? Listening to your favorite songs, of course.
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness,” wrote American author Maya Angelou. Inventor Albert Einstein himself admitted, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think about music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky wrote: “And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if I wrote one of them, I would be very happy.”
Music, they say, is the language of our soul. This is the reason why movies have their own theme song. One of the most well-known songs that is still being sung today, particularly in karaoke bars, is “The Impossible Dream” from the movie, The Man of La Mancha.
My most memorable lines are these: “This is my quest to follow that star. No matter how hopeless, no matter how far. To fight for the right without question or pause. To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest.”
Whether you are riding a bus, inside a cinema, or even at home lying in bed, you cannot escape from hearing music. Whether you hate or love the lyrics or melody, the world is full of music that cannot be ignored. Even birds sing.
The group Eagles, for instance, advise that even how big your problem is, just take it easy: “Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Lighten up while you still can. Don’t even try to understand. Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy.”
In this game called life, the winner takes it all. The Swedish group Abba sings: “The gods may throw a dice, their minds as cold as ice. And someone dear, the winner takes it all, the loser has to fall. It’s simple and it’s plain, why should I complain?”
Listening to the lyrics of Don McLean’s “Vincent,” you seem to see the paintings of Vincent van Gogh: “Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and grey. Look out on a summer’s day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul. Shadows on the hills, sketch the trees and the daffodils. Catch the breeze and the winter chills in colors of the snowy linen land.”
One of my favorite songs written by British singer and composer Elton John is “Skyline Pigeon,” which has these memorable lines: “Turn me loose from your hand, let me fly to distant lands. Over green fields, trees and mountains, home along the lanes of the skyway.” The chorus goes this way: “Fly away, skyline pigeon fly. Towards the dreams you left so very far behind.”
Love spares no one. But pity those who are poor for they cannot express their love to their loved ones. All they can do is sing the song of Tom Jones: “He buys you diamonds, bright sparkling diamonds. But believe me, dear, when I say that he can give you the world, but he’ll never love you the way I love you.”
But what is love? John Denver croons: “Oh love to some is like a cloud, to some as strong as steel. For some a way of living, for some a way to feel. And some say love is holding on, and some say letting go. And some say love is everything, some say they don’t know.”
Those who are madly in love and have been married for several years can relate to the song of Kenny Rogers: “Through the years you’ve never let me down. You turned my life around the sweetest days I found, I found with you. Through the years, I’ve never been afraid. I’ve loved the life we’ve made and I’m so glad I stayed right here with you, through the years.”
But not all lovers stay together forever. There are love stories that end before they even begin. The Everly Brothers paint the pain of losing someone you dearly love: “I’ll never let you see, the way my broken heart is hurting me. I’ve got my pride and I know how to hide all my sorrows and pain. I’ll do my crying in the rain.”
Oftentimes, women have a hard time picking the pieces back again. Listen to the words of Helen Reddy: “I can’t say goodbye to you no matter how I try. You’re such a part of me, without you I would die. Deep in the heart of me, I know that you and I were meant to be forever. I can’t tell you goodbye.”
Laura Branigan is even more direct: “Tell me how I am supposed to live without you. Now that I been lovin’ you so long. How am I supposed to live without you? And how am I supposed to carry on.”
When you’re down and out and you need a helping hand, don’t forget to call your friend. James Taylor reminds: “You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am, I’ll come running… If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds. And that old north wind should begin to blow. Keep your head together and call my name out loud now. Soon, I’ll be knocking upon your door.”
So, how many lines of other famous songs should I write to stop you from singing? The answer, my friend, is “blowin’ in the wind.”
