The funny thing is, the very next song to come on my iPod was "Hey Jude" by The Beatles. It was the second time that day my iPod choose to play that song while shuffling through my over 800 different selections. Was God trying to tell me something? Relax? Follow my dreams? Get the girl? Wait, no.... I'm not a lesbian, so I guess it can't be that last one. Maybe I rely too much on Fate. I mean, it is just an iPod right?
Or maybe it really is simple: "Take a sad song, and make it better." Spin it. Look at the positive. Take control of your own fucked up emotions and do something with your life. I mean, that is what Mommy was trying to say earlier that afternoon, right? Of course, she's also made the astute observation before that I am the type of person who performs well under stress. When I have too much free time I turn into the sort of pathetic sulking blob one might picture inspired such a tune as, "Hey Jude." I mean, really, it is pretty simple, insipid, Hallmark-esque advice. "Hey Jude, don't make it bad." Jeebus, my 6th graders could have come up with something better than that!
But you do gotta hand it to them Beatles, they do know how to get a song stuck in your head. Those damn "na na na naaas" from the end of "Hey Jude" just bounce around in my head for hours after I hear that song. I find myself "na na na-ing" to myself as like a "get it together" kind of mantra.
It would seem that I had a Beatle as my guardian angel last night. Those na, na, nas sure did soothe my bruised ego at having missed a train that was right in front of me! Of course, I got so inspired to write about it that once I got on the next E train I forgot that I was only going one stop and I inadvertently flew right by it!
As I sat and sat and sat waiting for my train heading back in the opposite direction (which of course had stopped running so I ended up walking a few blocks over to the 7 instead) my guardian angel decided to play for me, "Let it Be." That song is another very simple Beatles hit and yet I find it to be very moving. I really think that image of "Mother Mary comes to me" is beautiful and uplifting. As a child, I used to imagine being upset and all of a sudden feeling a warm, white light cover me. Then, I would look up and see a woman with kind eyes, pale skin, and soft features smile at me benevolently and tell me to have faith.
But you do gotta hand it to them Beatles, they do know how to get a song stuck in your head. Those damn "na na na naaas" from the end of "Hey Jude" just bounce around in my head for hours after I hear that song. I find myself "na na na-ing" to myself as like a "get it together" kind of mantra.
It would seem that I had a Beatle as my guardian angel last night. Those na, na, nas sure did soothe my bruised ego at having missed a train that was right in front of me! Of course, I got so inspired to write about it that once I got on the next E train I forgot that I was only going one stop and I inadvertently flew right by it!
As I sat and sat and sat waiting for my train heading back in the opposite direction (which of course had stopped running so I ended up walking a few blocks over to the 7 instead) my guardian angel decided to play for me, "Let it Be." That song is another very simple Beatles hit and yet I find it to be very moving. I really think that image of "Mother Mary comes to me" is beautiful and uplifting. As a child, I used to imagine being upset and all of a sudden feeling a warm, white light cover me. Then, I would look up and see a woman with kind eyes, pale skin, and soft features smile at me benevolently and tell me to have faith.
Now, when I hear that song, I also think of that scene in the movie "Across the Universe." If you haven't seen this movie, you must! Whether or not you are a Beatles fan, this movie is beautiful, musical, and powerful. This particular scene I have included is one of the most moving sections of the film. It is hard to put into words so I will simply say it puts into perspective atrocities of our nation's history in a way no text book ever has for me.
In closing, I guess this entry goes to show that music can be there for us in "times of trouble" even if Mother Mary cannot. I think that the power of music to soothe, to cheer us up, to just plain make life easier to get through is something that transcends.
So, what is your go to song when you need a boost? Have you ever found yourself rescued by a song? Post a comment and let me know.
Until next time, this is Megs saying music is everywhere and if you let it in it can change your mood, your life, and even your soul...
