Music and Meaning

Do you ever wonder what the lyrics of popular songs are really saying? Do you ever look for the meanings behind the words that pour in to our minds from the radio stations and the myriad of sources of music around us? Sometimes I find that the lyrics speak right to my heart or to some current situation.
 
An example of this was when the wonderfully creative & humorous Robin Williams took his own life, the Queen/David Bowie collaboration song "Under Pressure" stuck in my mind every time in played on the radio.


Firstly, I have to say, I am not a great fan of the video clip, but a few lines struck me most significantly. Firstly, there is this line:

      "It's the pressure of knowing what this world is about 

       Watching some good friends screaming 'Let me out!'" 

I think given the situation I mention, the meaning is quite evident and also sadly common. Many people, often people quite close to us, feel the pressure of a world that seems to be trying to pull them apart. But thankfully the song does not stop there. Later in the song there are these lyrics:

      "'Cause love is an old-fashioned word

        And love dares you to care for 

        The people on the edge of the night

        And love dares you to change our way of

       Caring about ourselves"

To me, this points to each of our needs to support and encourage not only those around us who are struggling, maybe even to the point of hopelessness. And what is it that will cause us to do that? It is love that will drive us in that direction. Now there are many songs that speak about the power of love, but that is another story.

So I would challenge you to not just let the lyrics of the songs wash through our minds unguarded. You will find that you will be challenged by some, reassured by others, and quite possibly even disgusted by the lyrics of some songs. Words have power and music is a mighty conduit for them to flow through.

Necessity has another child

Many will be familiar with the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention". After this morning, I am sure that necessity gave birth to another - intention, which is convenient in that it only changes one letter. Let me explain this a little further.

Some time ago, I bought a new bike. I had every intention of going for a ride, but one thing or another got in the way. And so it sat, waiting to be taken for a spin. My intention was good but it was never realised, never put in to action.

This morning all that changed and necessity stepped in to lend a helping hand. I had misplaced my keys, so I had to drive my wife to the station with her keys and leave the car parked there as she needed her keys for work. That was fine and all sorted. We worked out our alternative actions for me without the car.

On the walk home, I of course had time to think. In the process I remembered where the keys were and decided to ride up and pick up the car, as I knew the bike rack was in the boot. Apart from having trouble with a broken air pump at one service station (another story for another time perhaps), the plan worked well. I was back at the car fairly quickly and driving back home.

The moral of this story - If you have good intentions that don't seem to be working themselves out in to action, try and work out a way to put yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to put your intentions in to action. This may be hard to arrange on your own, so you may have to enlist the help of others, but in the end we are pushing wants over to the realm of needs, where there is an added urgency to take action.

Is there something you have been wanting to do for a long time? Feel free to add to the comments. Perhaps together we can help make it happen for you. 

Until next time, keep smiling.