Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 3

The theme of the third day of the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge is 3 favorite songs of 2016.


The first song I like is Heathens by 21 Pilots. On 6 December 2016, "Heathens" received three Grammy nominations: Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Every time I hear this song I think about the men I used to write to who were in prison as part of CLF's Prison Ministry program. A couple of them would share with me what people were like there, how they had to act, and the general atmosphere. There are many parts to this song that echo what they told me.

The second song I like is Handclap by Fitz and the Tantrums. It's one of those songs that I like for its energy. There's a part where the lyrics repeat: "I can make your hands clap." It reminds me of when I worked for the American Composers Forum and there was a performing group that used their bodies for instruments. It was pretty cool to see all the different sounds that could be made with clapping on hands, arms, and legs.

The most recent song that I like is Kids by One Republic. There are parts of the song that I especially like. It's not so much the lyrics with this song. However, as I read the lyrics online, I found these lines interesting:

I refuse to look back thinking days were better
Just because they're younger days
I don't know what's 'round the corner
Way I feel right now I swear we'll never change
Back when we were kids
Swore we would never die
You and me were kids
Swear that we'll never die


Although the lyrics above talk about not looking back on younger days assuming they were better, I would have to disagree. I think of my own childhood and how - in many respects - it was an idyllic world. Not all parts were perfect...there were challenges...but, for the most part, it was certainly an easier world than what we all live in now.

What I do agree with is the part about not knowing what is around the corner. Sometimes it does feel like things will never change...that you can get into a rut or pattern of living that seems endless. Yet, without embracing change, we would never know what's to come and whether it's something that will improve our lives.

The last few lines remind me about how, as kids, we see our lives as unending. Death does not seem real - for ourselves or others. In reality, death is omnipresent...we just may not be aware of it lurking in our lives.

For that reason, it is vitally important to live each day to its fullest and make the world a significantly better place. We each have that responsibility...at least that's what I believe.

1 comment:

Rita said...

You know much more about the music today. I am on a different planet these days as far as music goes. Haven't been listening much since like 1990--LOL! ;)