Journal Thought before my thought
It’s August 25, 2023, Friday morning, I hope you are well.
Yesterday was a long day with many an unnamed set of occurrences. I’ll share more later. But it’s becoming readily apparent we are aging, and sometimes that’s a hard pill to swallow. Before age slows us down too much, what would I want from the remainder of my life? That’s a good question. I must give it some deep thought.
How would I want it to sound if I could read this to you?
Most probably in the tempered voice of a favored news anchor of my youth,
Walter Cronkite, and just so you know,
There was a time when the news was appreciated,
Because of a trusted voice that shared the woes of the world
Also became the voice of hope and awe.
The fact that his education came from UT in Austin,
Probably cinched it up tightly for me to enjoy.
As I sit down to finish this thought,
This darkened sky of a Friday morning.
The lights are off, and the blinds are open,
The clouds are dark and heavy. So, I began to pray.
It seems my prayers are answered!
Thunder! Lightening! Oh, I hope it pours!
In the meantime, here’s my thought.
Songs That Matter
I just finished listening to several favorite songs,
By artists that speak to my style and sensibility.
Songs that talked about life, love,
And the accompanying pain and joy.
From celebrations of love to the heartbreak of letting go,
Songs have a way of telling us a story about life.
Some relate to it more easily than others,
But songs that mean something report about life.
The Good. The Bad…yes, and even the U-G-L-Y.
Red Robin Hamburger Birthday Song…
From 30, maybe 40 years ago…
“U-G-L-Y,
You ain’t got no alibi,
You’re ugly! Hey, Hey, you’re ugly!”
[I suspect they don’t use this any more.]
From genres of my past to one-hit wonders hard to find,
There are more than I can name or even remember.
I’ve learned that my favorite songs are stories.
It’s often more about the words.
Words first, and maybe later a catchy melody,
But the words must have a message that speaks to me.
Message songs. Meaning. Purpose. Story.
But if I’m going to listen to a song, I must be able to sing it.
And there is a limit to singing in my world.
The lyricist may pen some meaningful words,
But the melody may not be to my liking,
Or the key and tempo make it challenging.
If my limitations cannot sing them,
I’ll enjoy the words and dismiss the notes.
For it to be a song I like,
Words and melody, tempo, and key,
All must align for me to say,
Let me sing it for me, with thee, for thee, and to thee.
John Denver wrote one of his most popular songs,
Annie’s Song by title. After a bit of a tiff with his bride,
He jumped on a chair lift in Aspen and on the ride to the top,
The words popped into his mind as he rode to the top,
As he beheld the scenery, it soon became one of his biggest hits.
In 10-1/2 minutes, he established his place in the world. [Source]
You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses, come fill me again [Source]
A fellow Texan I never met, A.L. Clanton by name,
Older than I, but with similar roots of time before mine,
Penned the words to a Gospel song I know so well.
Turn to Page 1 in your hymnal, “My Thanks To Him.”
Let’s sing a few bars of the chorus.
O He is more than all the world to me
The dearest friend that I have ever known
And it will take the whole eternity
To thank Him for the love that He has shown
Listen. We are drawn to songs often due to the singer and music,
But if I’m going to make that song mine, I must be able to enjoy it.
Driving down the highway or on my tractor in the pasture,
The truth is I must be able to bellow it and not worry if you hear it.
It’s more about the beauty of the Words, add a melody that fits,
Let the tempo and the key give me a story I can relate to.
Finally, a bit of historical knowledge that you may not have known. There are over 185 songs identified in the Bible, the book of Psalms the largest collection. The ones we know are embedded in many popular songs of the day. Pete Seeger wrote many popular songs, but one particular song was made famous by The Byrds made popular. “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Yes. It’s directly from one of King Solomon’s famous scriptures.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!