Meaningful Lyrics

The Native Americans used to say, "Sound holds this world together". They were referring to the elements of sound, its tone and frequency. I am not a musician, though I would like to be and perhaps will fulfill that before I kiss this planet goodbye, but I do fall into the percentage of the listening public that knows when a certain sound resonates within. I go further. I believe in the lyrical component. What do the words really say and where is the emphasis?

Parents are outraged by certain rap verses and right they are because what changes the internal mindset or construct of a person, child, is the language that accompanies the beat of the drum. Now that we are blessed with internet, lyrics are easily obtained for any song. Youtube watchers can pick out a video that has lyrics flashing across the screen as well. Very cool for us baby boomers who strain to hear "huh? what was that word?" Now its in print because often, lyrics are not in the CD jacket anymore. And why not?

Just for fun I will list some of my favorite lyrics, and sorry you will have to just hum the tune of the song. Stop and Stare by One Republic: "Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go nowhere, yeah I know that everyone gets scared, but I've become what I can't be, Stop and Stare, you start to wonder why you're here not there and you'd give anything to get whats fair, but fair ain't what you really need, oh you don't need." Our kids trying to grow older may be pushed to think this way. Its a window into the soul of that kind of kid.

Praying for Time by George Michael: I must admit I also enjoyed the Carrie Underwood rendition on American Idol. "These are the days of the open hand, they will not be the last, Look around now, These are the days of the beggars and the choosers, This is the year of the hungry man, whose place is in the past, hand in hand with ignorance and legitimate excuses, the rich declare themselves poor and most of us are not sure, if we have too much but we'll take our chances cause God stopped keeping score . . ." Wow, well that packed it in didn't it? It finished with " Its hard to love, there's so much hate, hanging onto hope, when there is no hope to speak of and wounded skies above say its much too late." And to think this song was composed long before we experienced the downshaft of economy in our nation/world.

Remember Into the West by Annie Lennox (credit roll Lord of the Rings )? "What can you see, on the horizon, why do the white gulls call? Across the sea, a pale moon rises, the ships have come to carry you home. Dawn will turn to silver glass, a light on the water, all souls pass, into the west." Okay, this is a 3 hankie song. Sometimes I feel it was written to memorialize a soul making its transition to the next world.

There is a new one now that stirs the soul. A Note To God by Charise. She didn't compose it but her mighty voice is startling. " Give us the strength to make it through, help us find love cause love is overdue, and it looks like we haven't got a clue. Need some help from you, grant us the faith to carry on, give us hope when it seems all hope is gone, cause it seems like so much is going wrong, on this road we're on." Whew! I guarantee whoever hears this will be stopped. The momentum it creates rocks the inside of your chest wall. I sit back and think about lyrics that are the cause and eruption of what resonates as truth within my heart. I think it is a way for us to re-think our living and believing. I bow before any musical composer or singer who can translate this language of the soul to the people of this world. I think the most unfair experience is to be deaf. The deaf community is exempt from the beauty of song. How is their world held together?