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.