Musical Powers

Recently, I've been listening to the lyrics in songs a lot more closely than usual. For certain reasons, I've been able to identify with a lot of music out there. I've realized that much of the serious music out there has a lot to do with one of two things: love or heartbreak.

Why is it that relationships, whether successful or failed, make the best content for the art produced by modern-day poets we call musicians? Is it because we've all been there before? Each one of us has been lifted high by the emotional thrill ride of love that pushed us to listen to the happy acoustic singer-songwriters or the poppy pop-tarts and shameful boy bands. Most of us have had our Icarian wings melted off at the height of our flight and felt the pain of the fall that left us listening to the baleful words of ballad-writing rockers and embittered emo-punks. Many of us have known that girl at the front of the room who never seemed to notice this silly schoolboy crush wasn't just pretend. Whatever the case, at some point in our life, we relate our feelings to music... and more often than not, the music has some reciprocal effect on our feelings.

Music gives flight to the feelings of the performer, and the audience suddenly realizes that they are not alone in their love, loneliness, bitterness, and joy. These songs give us a chance to join someone else in celebrating the good times and mourning the hard times. Some songs offer a ray of hope in the words of the musical poetry: that if someone else has gone through this, maybe I can make it too. Some songs offer a chance to blow off steam and release bitterness through art and expression rather than unhealthier means. Some songs give words to an almost wordless joy we find in the other who is more significant than we ever imagined.

Throughout the spectrum of relationships and the spectrum of music, I see an intricate relationship. There's a song out there to go with every feeling, and a feeling for every song. Sometimes a song is associated with a person, and if things ever go awry, even the most blissful song can evoke a dark sadness; a song that used to be "our song" can turn into "her song" and reopen painful memories. Other times a sad song will come along and help us through a cheerless time; like when a song gives closure for a final goodbye to a lost loved one. Throughout my own life, I unconsciously catalog the songs I hear into relational categories. I have songs for ex-girlfriends, best friends, family, the deceased, groups of friends, potential girlfriends... pretty much anyone I share a relationship with. I don't know if everyone does this, but there are songs out there for every category of relationships, and in observing other people, I think we all have certain songs for certain others.

All this has led me to see the power in music. Music can give hope, instill bitterness, grant closure, open past wounds, and so much more. The words of a song can have an immense effect on the way you feel if you open yourself up to the music. In a positive light, this means that music can begin a healing process in us or increase what positive feelings we have inside; on the darker side, it can also lead us down a path of bitterness and anger, and even violence. I guess like most things in life, it comes down to our own choice. Where will we let music lead us? Will we choose to brood and listen only to the music that makes our darkness grow? Or will we choose to listen to what leads us to the Source of joy?

"My love is music; I will marry melody...
I need music, I need music
I need music to set me free
To let me bleed..." -- Cold, Bleed