I was lucky enough to go see OneRepublic recently with guests Philip Phillips and Mike Posner. They played songs from their new album, Oh My My, which was released on October 7, 2016. But they also played some of their classics that almost anyone can sing along to. As I sat in my seat and watched Ryan Tedder, the lead singer, entertain the New York City crowd, I thought, “wow, these lyrics are amazing”. I’ve always noticed that, but I never noticed how inspiring some of them can be.
“We won’t break, we won’t die, it’s just a moment of change.” - All We Are
In this song he is singing about a relationship, but this lyrics can be used in all walks of life. Change can be scary and change can make us feel like everything is going to go downhill. But really, it’s just a change. It will be alright.
“When you’re happy like a fool, you let it take you over. When everything is out, you gotta take it in. Oh this has gotta be the good life, this has gotta be the good life.”- Good Life
Life is so good it’s great! For many people in our world today, life is not good. But for many people, life is good. I think this song is important because it’s so easy for us to get stuck and focus on things that don’t really matter, but will weigh us down. Sometimes we need to step back and realize how lucky we are.
“I owned every second that this world could give, I saw so many places, the things that I did, With every broken bone, I swear I lived.”- I Lived
This song always hits me right in the face. It reminds me that I need to be living as often as possible. Weird, I know. Of course, we are all living! But are we making the most of our time? I ask myself that question a lot. It’s funny how it will completely change your perspective on life. Each day I try to make the most of my time and find something that really brings me joy every day. I want to “own every second” and you should too. Start your bucket list. Read your favorite book again. Talk to someone new. Just live.
“They say love is pain, well darling, let’s hurt tonight.”- Let’s Hurt Tonight
I think this lyric says a lot about love but also the effort that it sometimes take to make love work in our lives. Not an effort to love someone, but an effort to make their love work within their lives. I think he’s really making a statement here about love involving pain and hurting. The passion behind this song really puts it into perspective. But also, reminds us that love isn’t always easy.
“I refuse to look back thinking days were better just cause they were younger days”- Kids
This lyric is inspiring because it is true, most people in their lives will look back and say, “those were the days” or “man, we had fun”. In this song I think he wants us to realize that we can make all parts of our lives as good as when we are young. Sure, things change, you grow up and have more responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean you should just be going through life. You are still able to live it.
So if you're having one of those days, check out OneRepublic. They have something to say other than drugs, sex, and money. They can teach you something about life, love, and happiness. These songs will put a smile on your face and probably in the meantime, make your heart smile too.
