I have wanted to start blogging again and this song challenge combines two of my loves so effortlessly: writing and music. It's a no-brainer!
Today, I'm posting a song I like with a color in the title. Hmmmm...
Initially, the only songs I could think of were "Yellow" by Coldplay and "Pink" by Aerosmith. After doing my research, I found several songs I freakin' loved, but I had to pick just one (well, two- I make my own rules, haha). Songs like, "Red, Red, Wine" by UB40 and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John were among my favorites, but alas, the final two are, drumroll please...
"Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra
This song just screams summer and an attitude of being care-free! I love the opening lyrics:
Sun is shinin' in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It stopped rainin' everybody's in a play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day...
It reminds me to seek out joy, optimism, and hope in my life, which can be a struggle for me, at times. The song addresses this very point when it asks, "Mister Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long." Not all days are "rainbows and butterflies" in life. If everyday had blue skies, we wouldn't appreciate that beautiful weather as much; we'd easily take it for granted. Indeed, there are times when rain, snow, or other inclement weather occurs, which weather isn't always enjoyable to go through. Experiencing it enhances the joy that comes from days abounding with sunshine and blue skies! Stress, loneliness, worries, hopelessness, aka the "inclement weather of life," can weigh a person down, but happiness or days bursting with "blue skies", does make its appearances and reminds us we will see better days. After a storm, a glorious rainbow is revealed.
My All Time Favorite: "Stay Gold" by Stevie Wonder
I can't even begin to convey how much this song means to me. It appeared in one of my all-time favorite movies called, "The Outsiders." That movie is so moving and is one I can watch anytime without ever getting sick of it. In addition to loving this movie, Stevie Wonder is my absolute favorite singer! His voice, his lyrics, his talent: I am in complete awe. My family threw a surprise 50th birthday party for my mom in 2012 and we showed a slideshow about her at it, which featured this song too. Each time I hear it now, my mind is flooded with pictures of her growing up in her childhood and the incredible love I have for her. Using the song at her party made me love it even more, if that's even possible!!!
Like "Mr. Blue Sky," "Stay Gold" uses the analogy of weather to remind us that life is a wondrous compilation of unpredictable, fleeting feelings: sorrow, happiness, despair, hopefulness, regret, satisfaction, anger, contentment, fear, confidence, etc. The list could go on and on. "Nothing gold can stay," a line recited by Ponyboy in "The Outsiders" illustrates the notion that all good things must come to an end. As much as we long for them to last, to remain in moments where we are "on top of the world," we have to go on, experiencing a myriad of emotions as we go on the "ride of life." To know true joy, we have to experience sorrow. To feel optimism, we have to go through times of doubt, uncertainty, perhaps, even utter hopelessness. At times, we don't always want to face the harsh realities of life and we find ourselves longing for the past, wishing we could go back to simpler times, where we didn't have a care in the world. The song powerfully conveys this message:
Seize upon that moment long ago
One breath away and there you will be
So young and carefree
Again you will see
That place in time... so gold
Steal away into that way back when
You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather
Nothing can ever, and be in time
Stay gold
Memories aid us in having beautiful, permanent snapshots of the vast experiences and emotions we encounter in our lifetime. We can revisit and relive them anytime we want, yet time does not stop or slow down in this process. We must keep moving forward, using our past to help fuel us to continue on our journey. Perhaps that's what Stevie Wonder and Carmine Coppola meant in the song. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how much it can discourage you... harden you... cause you pain... never lose hope. Stay gold. Keep the magical wonder from moments of sheer bliss and complete joy alive. Cling to that optimism tightly. Stay on the path. Stay gold.
It felt great to blog again!
No comments:
Post a Comment