Music and Lyrics

we went to see this movie on friday night. It was decent, not bad, but not great. Nothing you should run out and see for yourself, but if you do, it’s not a total waste. Anyways, as Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore begin to write this song together, and agrue for a moment what’s more important the melody or the lyrics and it was described as such....the melody is what attracts you at first, grabs your attention and you become intriqued, but it’s the lyrics then that pull you in, they are the words that tell you more and let you see inside, when you find out what it’s all about. Obviously I don’t remember exactly if that’s how it was expressed, but I liked the analogy.

I have noticed more recently that I’ve been listening more closely to the lyrics of songs, and have found songs to become a bit more meaningful than I would have in the past, I don’t know if it’s because I’m growning older and can now relate a bit more to the words about life and love as I’ve finally come to understand what that feels like?

It is interesting though as I think about it, while growing up, I listen to music because well, I love to sing, Anyone who knows me, knows I love to sing a long!

As a kid, it was all the classic songs from the Disney movies, from Ariel to Belle, I knew all the words to everysong, I’m sure I probalby even broke a few cassette tapes from playing them too much. (( remember how they’d get caught and the tape would come unwound and you’d try to fix it and wind it back together hoping you didn’t ruin it or get it tangled up in the process.... yes, I’m thankful for the iPod! ))

Then there’s country, the next music genre I fell in love with (( of course there was also my Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith phase, but that’s all I’ll say about that )) I’ll have to admit, one of the reasons I love country is that it’s so easy to pick up on, you hear a song once and you know all the words.... yes, making it very easy to sing along to the next time you hear it on the radio. Now I must say that I love country because it take me back home, the songs reference a time, a place, a moment, or someone I know. The songs are even about such... like Teresa Yearwood’s “The Song Remembers When” or Blue County’s “That Summer Song” .... and I know there’s more.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to listen to much country since my move to LA as there isn’t any country music stations on the radio.... I know, it’s shocking. I will say though, that I kind of like the fact as it’s forcing me to listen to new music. ((which I think I need to mention that even before my move out here I didn’t only listen to country, I’m really not picky when it comes to music and like to listen to a variety, I’m just terrible at knowing specific artist names or labeling a certain genre ))

I will admit though, the other day I decided to play some of my country from my iTunes and I just couldn’t do it. For one, it takes me back home, and yes I will admit, it made me a bit homesick, but more importantly though, I don’t think I could do it because I was listening to the lyrics. Country music typically is about all the things I knew growing up. The good ol’ down home loving and living. It’s those songs like “Front Porch Looking In” and “Just Another Day In Paradise” that I’ve always dreamed about and thought life would be... and well, I’m just not there yet.

But that’s Ok..... I’ve been introduced to Kendal Payne, SnowPatrol and Nick Drake to list a few and of course I’ve always loved Jack.... and then there’s also songs like “Whatever Gets You Through Today” from the Grey’s Anatomy sound track.