It's been a minute. Okay, it's been some months. Like when trying to get back into the rhythm of a gym routine, I've been trying to find pockets of time when I can just narrow my focus in on songs and write. Like I did in 2016, though it might not be a nightly practice this time around. back when I was writing my original music blog, I'd let my Pandora listening guide me to songs, and I'd perform an analysis. Some of the upcoming pieces will streamlined in what's covered, but otherwise, this will be an project where I just reflect on a set moment where I'm listening to songs songs that just orbit around performers, albums, or movies.
*takes a breath* Here we go.
the way that things worked when I was listening to S Club 7. Weird, huh? The McLachlan song that played was "Answer", and the timing couldn't have been more fitting. This is what I plan to be my return to writing about music, and "Answer" was the subject of one of my 2016 posts. Sarah McLachlan's music is part of a category of music that I indulge in as if it's a warmth bath. It's soothing, serene, and something that you can just listen to through earbuds (for an more immersive experience). That is something that I something that I specifically noticed in the lyrics of "Answer". Someone weary from experiences on figurative open water, is finding their way to safe harbor. I feel like this "safe harbor" identity may be closely tied with Sarah's music, and rooted in her connection to the coasts of Canada. From her Nova Scotian origins to her home in British Columbia, there's a maritime association which then translates to calming bathwater. Fitingly, other McLachlan recordings that played during this listening session are "Angel" and her cover of the Beatles' "Blackbird". Both about the embattled finding sympathetic comfort and support. One originally being written about a people rising up from hardship. The other having gone from an iconic song of the "Ciy of Angels" movie to serving as the soundtrack for ASPCA advertisements. As if sensing a theme, the Pandora station also played Dido's "White Flag". Rather than steering directly into safety, the first person perspective is that of someone who in a sense of great devotion is willing to see a relationship through to the end, being there for the long haul. While having separate messages, "Answer" and "White Flag" both speak of the strong bond that sustains and can heal. Natalie Merchant's "My Skin" (from the "Ophelia") album also comes close to this mark as someone traumatized by the past is reaching out for the comfort of someone they trust, while at the same time apprehensively retreatinging into a place of withdrawn darkness.
In the pattern of female singer/songwriters of the 90's, I wasn't at all surprised when Jewel's "Foolish Games", Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough". Jewel's "Pieces of You" is a favorite album of mine which I'll write about at greater length some other time, but tonight, I must acknowledge the heartbreak of this iconic single calling out how a partner's games have forced the painful decision to split up a relationship. The Sheryl Crow single (from an album preceding Jewel's debut album by two years) is instead looking at a potential significant other questioning the potential of a relationship. A Lady Gaga Song from tonight ("Always Remember Us this Way"), isn't looking so much into the past or future, but into the present, at a moment of such rich intimacy, which will be remembered fondly even when the two at some point part ways. This radio sequence is drawing from so many musicians, and not always from the same time period, and that's part of why I love it. Jewel's "Standing Still" starts up, and I'm so ready. The nostalgia carries on as the singer experiences anxiety over whether or not love is requited, If otherwise, she romantically is stagnant and is just becoming conscious of it.
Some of the music from tonight are pieces that I don't look to so much for the lyrics as I do for how they atmospherically make me feel. Enigma's "Return to Innocence" and Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" (not to discredit the lyricists), are often parts of my afternoon meditation practice, and have appeared tonight. As my tea cools with 15 minutes left of my lunch, that's when I usually hold pieces of clear quartz between the fingers of my right and left hands while focusing as much on the music as I am on the sensations flowing back and forth through the crystals. "Fade Into You" lends ethereal steadiness to the meditation while "Return to Innocence" allows my creativity and enthusiasm to take flight as I prepare for the rest of my day.
My night is winding down, and I've reached "In the Early Morning Rain" (a cover by Eva Cassidy). She plays that this old Gordon Lightfoot song that artfully rises and falls as thoughts about missed love ones are expressed. Perhaps for Lightfoot, it was the perspective of touring. Something that Eva could only experience so much of in her short career. I feel content about the length of this post, and creatively spent for the night. Feel free to leave any suggestions that you may have regarding music and future subjects for posts.
Thank you,
Ken
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