It was once said that the true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.
It has always been more to me. Always. And, with time, the lyrics grew to help shape my heart and the way I view this life. With each beat, my heart drummed alongside the words that were able to see into my world and bring me home.
There are four artists that, with their voice and their passion alone, have changed who I am. They have changed the feel of heartbreak for me and let me into this life of love. They have been the lyrics that have played throughout the halls of my summer home day and night. And, through this, these lyrics have become home, and this band has become apart of how I view this world, in my head full of dreams.
In 2000, Coldplay released their song "Yellow" that sparked the hearts of so many spirits in this world as they were able to connect to the words of truth in each lyric. This simple song ignited the flame that would burn throughout the world in the homes of so many.
"Your skin, Oh yeah your skin and bones, Turn into something beautiful... Do you know, You know I love you so, You know I love you so." - Yellow 2000
We are all given skin and bones, and when it is all said and done... it is what we did with the skin, bones and breathes on this earth that is our testimony; our life. Over time, as the words in this song flooded my summer home alongside the warm air, I am brought back to the presence of the purest of elements we were given to create such magic on this earth, to connect so deeply with those God has given us and live the thrills this life has to offer. It is magical to think of the complexity of our work on this earth that is built from such simplicity, and the endless connections needed to build something so incredible. Something truly beautiful.
"When the truth is, I miss you...Yeah the truth is, That I miss you so..." - Warning Sign 2002
It is God-given. A person's capacity to miss is a gift from God. After September 2013, these words had a whole new meaning for me. Missing someone had never struck my heart so deeply and created so much of an impact on my whole world. But, as time went on, I embraced this truth. To miss someone means that your heart, in its purest form, is acknowledging the power and impact that soul and spirit has had on you and your world. It is the act of missing, that you are let into the true beauty and grace of their presence, and the work of God through them.
So miss. Miss someone with all of you have, and if you are given the chance to be in their presence again, and experience the work of God through them just one more time, look them in the eye and let their soul and spirit fly.
"My song is love, Love to the loveless shown, And it goes on..." - A Message 2005
What is the melody that your heart gives off to this world? What is your song? When I hear a certain song, I think of a certain person. I think of their energy and their passion and it seems to just connect. When my dad passed, he was alive in the songs that he played. Every Sunday, my family and I would turn on his music and his heart beat to the rhythm throughout the house. He carried this beat with every interaction he had on this earth. He had a rhythm, and you have your own.
You have the power to create your own rhythm, and leave others to listen to a sound that brings them to you. Dance, and live, to your own beat.
"Lovers keep on the road you're on... Runners until the race is run" - Lovers in Japan 2008
These lyrics were simply words to me as a kid, but now I hold onto these words as I hold a picture of the person I know with all of my heart God has given me to run this race with. As I got older, I found a heart who has caught my eye and I have not been able to stop staring since. Life has us in our races, and we are 365 miles apart. Each time I hear these words, I know that our race has just begun, and the roads we are on will come together again in time.
"When you're tired of racing, And you find you never left the start... Come on, baby, don't let it break your heart." - Don't Let it Break Your Heart 2011
There are so many ways to view this life. There are so many ways to view loss and heartbreak. I have been through so many different ways. But, what I can say, is that when it is all said and done, I can look up to the sky and know that there is a heart
"So fly on, Ride through, Maybe one day I'll fly next to you... Fly on, ride through, Maybe one day I can fly with you." - "O" 2014
These will forever be the words that will, time and time again, leave me speechless. These are the words I have used to connect to a heart that is no longer beating on this earth. I have, time and time again, let my heart, soul and mind reach out to my two fathers in heaven, and while I say these words, I am reminded of the fact that I can always look up to the sky and breathe them in and feel them at work in me and through me. I am flying on with them in the way that God wishes for me to right now.
"But the beautifullest treasures lie in the deepest blue, And there isn't a fire, that I wouldn't walk through... My army of one is gonna fight for you." - Army of One 2015
Army of One. When I hear these words, I think of the army of "one"s that God has blessed me with in this life. I think of all of those who have fought for me and seen the beauty of God's work in me when I couldn't see it for myself. I think of the people that God gave me to do this life with; and the others that he placed into my life later on in the midst of my journey. I think of who I fight for and who I love and the beautiful way in which we are all connected in this beautiful life that we find ourselves in.
These are the words to my heart, and they are found in the words of these four men. This is the beauty of music, of life, of sharing our stories in hopes to spark the stories in others hearts. To truly find a home in one another and build our stories on this earth from the simple elements we have been blessed with. This is the power of music, of love, of God.
This is why, if you turn on a single one of these songs on the radio, you will see a tear stream from my cheek and a smile across my face. My eyes will dance and my hands will raise and I will be ignited by a fire that was built before me...
A Head and Heart Full of Dreams.
