Music is often the fuel that drives me. Music can connect us and inspire us. It can liberate us. Songs have the ability to unearth long-buried memories. Songs are emotion put to music. They make us feel a certain way. In fact, sometimes I love a song for reasons that I can’t put my finger on other than the way it makes me feel. Lyrics can sometimes speak directly to our hearts and imprint themselves on our souls. Songs can make us laugh or cry. Everyone has a life soundtrack. Think about it… often our most significant life events are tied to music. Let’s take a listen to my soundtrack…
Track One: Grow Old With Me by the incomparable John Lennon
We sat on the bedroom floor of my apartment, CDs scattered around us. I had my wedding planner open on my lap, taking notes and scratching things off of lists. He gave me an exasperated look and told me to just pick a song. I was taking this too seriously. No, it has to be just right. This will be our first dance as a married couple and we will remember it for the rest of our lives. It has to be perfect. I consulted the list and popped in the next song. As I played it, we listened – really listened- to the lyrics. He took my hand and I saw his eyes soften and yes, he teared up. We both knew we had found THE ONE. The lyrics speak of commitment, promise, future, growing old together and facing life’s challenges together. It spoke to both of us. We ultimately went with the Mary Chapin Carpenter version. At our wedding reception, my husband cried as we danced to this song. To this day, he still cries when he hears this song.
Track Two: You Are My Sunshine
Somewhere in the fog that was the early days after my first daughter was born, I remember waking in the middle of the night and hearing my husband’s voice coming from the nursery. I groggily stumbled out of the bed and into the hall. I looked into the nursery and saw him holding her, rocking in the rocking chair. He was singing to her in a soft voice, almost a whisper. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. It was a heartwarming sight watching that big, tough man cradling and singing to such a small infant with so much love. That became his go-to song with both of our daughters. I heard that song so many times during their childhood. That was the song he sang when they couldn’t sleep or when they were sick or when they were afraid of monsters under the bed. I take comfort in knowing that when they are adults they will hear that song and think of their dad.
Track Three: I’m Yours by The Script
The Script is one of my favorite bands and I love their lead singer’s voice. But there is some kind of magic in this song that goes beyond that. The first time I heard it, I cried. It is lyrically beautiful – raw and honest emotion. I still cry when I hear it. It just speaks to me, knocks on the door of my heart. Maybe its because it reminds me that we all have bruises and scars. We are all bent and broken. Sometimes the path we take through life is crooked and complicated. But we all deserve love. And true love – love that accepts us as we are – will let us overcome. Love is salvation.
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song. Just go ahead, let your hair down.
What songs are on your life soundtrack?
Credits: Girl, Put Your Records On written by Corinne Bailey Rae, John Beck and Steve Chrisanthou
You Are My Sunshine: credited songwriters Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell; original writers may have been the Rice Brothers, who sold the rights to Davis.
Photo by adamr at freedigitalphotos.net
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Day 3 prompt: Write about the three most important songs in your life. What do they mean to you? Twist: Form a daily writing habit – 15 minutes of uninterrupted writing.
Amie Writes 