Songs with meaning are few and far between. I realized that I stopped listening to lyrics when I hear a song, because most are just nonsense. Last night, I was reawakened by Ben Rector and his ability to put all of his thoughts into words. A four-hour drive to see him live, be able to close my eyes, and just listen to what he was explaining through song was so worth it.
It reminded me to listen for a message because some of them explain exactly how you are feeling. Ben Rector has a way to make music emotional, touching, and uplifting all in one song. A few lyrics of Ben's hit me hard.
"I don't know how long I have to keep reminding myself to be who I want to be and not somebody else." - "Note to Self"
The entire song "Note to Self" is a lot of reminders of how to live your life. It's not specific details, but a guideline of actions to make your life better. He's realizing who he's been and who he wants to be. He recognizes that he's too wrapped up in living for everyone else. Throughout my life it's been a struggle to remember that I am exactly who God created me to be, and I should own that.
"I'm gonna raise my sail, God knows what I'm headed towards." - "Sailboat"
"Sailboat" shows the struggle to know where you belong. It displays our uncertainty of our purpose and the unknown that lurks ahead. We all try to become who we think we are supposed to be, but Ben reminds us that only God knows. He's the only one who can take us to our destination. We have to put ourselves, or our sails out there, and he, or the wind, will take us to where we need to be.
"Now that I think about it, maybe we should always live like the world is going to end." - "Like The World is Going to End"
This line comes from a more fun song, but it still carries a message. No days are promised. We should dance like fools, laugh until we cry, call the people we've hurt, reconcile, and tell the people who we love, that we do. The older I've gotten, the most obvious is that tomorrow is no guarantee. Young lives are taken way too soon and so many people never get to say good-bye.
"Maybe you got dealt a good hand, maybe you play it the best that you can, but I don't know how far you'd walk without those cards, in Howard and Danny's working shoes." - "The Men that Drive Me Places"
If you have never heard this song, go listen now. Ben tells a story about the taxi drivers he has met and how big of an impact they made on his life. This just reminded me to take what I have and use it. I was dealt an unbelievable hand at life and it would be a shame to not use that everyday. The minute we get lazy, we've stopped using the assets and skills that God gave us. Out there are people working nights and driving taxis to get where you are.
"Overthinking is overrated." - "Loving You is Easy"
It doesn't get much more simple than that. I've spent my whole life overthinking every move I made. There's not a better reminder than a song by Ben to remind me to just live life. Love is love. Life is life. You can spend time overthinking them both, but you won't change how you feel. Let love happen. Let life happen.
"Sometimes, it takes the sky to see what's on the ground." - "30,000 Feet"
We are often overwhelmed and have troubles remembering the positives in life. It often takes us stepping back and having time to ourselves to remember what keeps us moving each day. He realizes it on a plane. He looks down and it all becomes clear to him. When life gets rough and you feel like challenges are just being thrown in front of you, step back, and take yourself away from the real world.
"She is whoever she wants to be." - "She Is"
He loves a girl and writes a song about it. He describes her with this sentence first. Not her appearance, but that she is whoever she wants to be in life. You will be appreciated when you stick to your beliefs. You pick who you get to be, and Ben loves the girl who does whatever she can to stay true to herself.
Finding lyrics that make you think isn't common. Many artists throw together the words that sound the best, not the ones that hit home. I heard him talk about his music and answer questions about why he sang what he did. He loves what he does and he wants to impact people. It's not about the fame for him, but about an Oklahoma boy who wants to sing what he feels.
Seeing how passionate Ben Rector was about his music was a reminder to close my eyes and listen. He has many more songs with exceptional lyrics. These are just some of them that make me think twice.
