A song to express your feelings

[lookingforme]

At this hour, I find myself particularly vulnerable because I am heavily sleep deprived, and my brain can't really process. I have been awake for 21 hours and 12 minutes straight after a string of nights of only a few hours' sleep. I don't feel well, nor do I feel sleepy. So, I am listening to the soundtrack of my life entitled "Walkabouts" and right now, the perfect song to describe what I am feeling (at least the chorus of it) is Madness by Muse. Has anyone ever felt like they could communicate more if they did it through the songs that already exist? I challenge us to have a conversation consisting of song quotes.

So, dedicated to my depression; here I go...

Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad....Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...I, I can't get these memories ooout of my mind, and some kind of maaaadness has started to evolve. Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad... And I, I tried so hard to let you go-ooo, but some kind of maaaadness is swallowing me whole, yeah....Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad mad mad...I have finally seen the light. And I have finally realized, what you mean....

Ooh oh oh

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[Eagle Ray]

I think what I especially liked about The Boxer is the finger picking style, as I play guitar myself and like listening to it. It's like an epic story song though I hadn't paid close attention to understanding the lyrics. I just looked it up and read about its account of resilience in the face of loneliness, poverty and struggle that you mention. It is a good question, when to keep persevering and when to let go. Sometimes perseverance is necessary for survival, but then it can be hard to let go of as a life pattern even once survival seems a bit more stable.

I really like The Sound of Silence too. It's such an evocative song. Their songs were very deep and they were so young at the time. I just read that Paul Simon was 21 when he wrote The Sound of Silence.

My song today that resonates for me is Hands by Jewel. There are so many wise lyrics in the song, but two of my favourite lines are:

We are never broken

In the end, only kindness matters

What I also like about the song, is that it is about the reclaiming of oneself after a trauma (the video depicts a trauma situation) and the way we can own ourselves again after we may have temporarily lost ourselves. It's about recovery and healing and the role of human compassion in that process. Jewel was only 24 when she wrote the song, so again a songwriter seeing deeply at a young age. I have a book of hers called Chasing Down the Dawn about her early life growing up in Alaska. She's been through a lot including poverty and homelessness, and more since that book was written. She now does some amazing advocacy work in the mental health field.

[Croix]

"We Gotta Get Out of This Place"  (1965)
Eric Burdon and the Animals.

While very much associated with US soldiers in the Vietnam war it equally applies to any significant life change, often for the better having had a hard time

It think it fits neatly with one theme of "the Boxer" where perseverance may need to change. Maybe also "The Jewel" which I have yet to listen to.

[Eagle Ray]

Hello Croix,

"We Gotta. Get Out of This Place" is something I often feel about my town. But it can definitely also relate to a state of mind. I'm trying to make breakthroughs to new states of being at the moment and I'm feeling it's happening at times, where a new way of feeling and being is coming through.

Perseverance has always been a trait within me, to a pretty intense level, so I'm trying to remember to just slow down and be more peacefully present in this moment.

The song by Jewel is called "Hands". There is a lyric video for it that comes up which is an alternative to the original official video which does depict an emergency response situation where people are being rescued from a building. The lyric video may be preferable for anyone not wanting to view an emergency response situation and can be found by searching "Jewel - Hands (Official Lyric Video)". I'm guessing she did the first video to illustrate how something bad can happen but we can be okay and support one another through it.

[Eagle Ray]

The world seems so serious at the moment that I needed something bright and cheerful today. So my song for today is:

Starfish and Coffee (Muppets Tonight) - Prince

[Croix]

I listened to "Starfish and Coffee"

That's a very young Prince trying to grow a beard:) surrounded by Muppets

I believe  "Starfish and Coffee" tells the true story of an Autistic child named Cynthia Rose who has found her place at school despite an unusual dietary habit. 'A smile under her nose' - fun.

Don't Stop Believin' (1981)

Journey's song is about change and the persistence of hope despite uncertainty, with a nod towards night-life and meetings.

[Eagle Ray]

I listened to Don't Stop Believin'. It's such a classic sounding song from that time. Songs that are about the persistence of hope despite uncertainty can be so helpful 🙂

Yes, I read about Starfish and Coffee being about Cynthia Rose. It's really lovely. There is a bit of a sad side to the performance in that from what I understand Prince had his own baby on the way at the time, and I think was an extra clucky future dad, throughly enjoying being on the Muppets and looking forward to his new baby. However, his baby son was born with a genetic disorder and didn't live very long. He kept very quiet about it for a long time, but there are performances he did shortly after his son's passing that are moving to see, knowing he was struggling emotionally at the time. I think his music and faith are what held him together. One of the performances he did was a cover version of the song One of Us, kind of an appeal to God but a God who is also ordinary and among us. It's like the searching for that empathy and connection amidst grief and loss. I find it very moving and I can relate to trying to reconnect to life and meaning after loss. I'm not religious as such, but I do feel a strong connection to a greater/wider consciousness beyond individual consciousness. I experience individual and collective/spiritual consciousness as two sides of the same coin. So I'll put that down as my song for today:

One of Us (live) - Prince

Prince was the most amazing guitarist and musician. Music was like water flowing through him. He just had a really natural gift for it. Actually, another performance during the period of grief and loss he went through that I find moving is:

The Holy River (live, Rosie O'Donnell Show) - Prince

I feel like he was emotionally brave, continuing to perform at this time.

[Croix]

Chocolate Jesus (1999) co-written and sung by Tom Waites

Despite it's absurd idea as a means of staying in bed on Sundays Tom appears to be  putting a lot of deeper meaning here, with concepts of commercialization of religion, looking for quick fixes in religion somewhat like reaching for a bottle of whisky and more.

Mr Waites singing voice is at its gravelly best.

[Croix]

Theme from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2011)  by Greg J Walker

This TV series has a lovely collection of jazz, blues and ragtime form the 20's which raise thoughs of a different world

[Ggrand]

Hello everyone….🤗♥️..

I listened to Tom Waites and Chocolate Jesus…his voice is very uniquely good…

I am just laying on my lounge looking outside, so I think today I’ll put a Creedence Clearwater Revival song up for how I’m feeling today…in fact I will just get up and put it on..

“Looking Out My Back Door”…..Who knows what I’ll see 

[Croix]

Rehab by Amy Winehouse (2006)

Raw and honest, it captures the complexities of addiction — the denial, the pain, and the desire for self-determination. It can help one understand what others are going though despite help being to hand.

PS "Looking out my Back Door" - you certainly have an unusual back yard:)