It’s about 8am on a deliciously crisp, Autumn, Saturday morning and I’m up! 8am on a Saturday morning is quite early for me, however I’m up and I’m thinkin’ and listening loudly to Soul II Soul’s “Get a Life” (in my head of course)! In particular, the line that says, “what’s the meaning…?”
My thoughts are of family and friends and the life experiences we all encounter. Some are familiar. While other experiences seem like foreign concepts to me. But no matter the situation. No matter the day or time, more often than not…I seem to have the uncanny ability to find a song that provides color and imagery for nearly every situation.
At first, it was my own little game. A personal challenge to come up with that “perfect verse over a dope beat” that fits any given scenario. However, my game has since grown into something that has taken on a life of its own. Now the “right” song just comes to me, without second thought…without effort. My listening to Soul II Soul’s 20-year old song is an example of this gift I have. (“Get a Life” is 21-years old to be exact, but who’s counting.) And typically, the song playin’ in my head isn’t good enough. Most times I reach the point where I literally have to hear that song or I’ll be singing it all day. The tune will get stuck in my head. Hence…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjCcg123Y8&w=320&h=240]
(see what I mean)
My friends fortunately/unfortunately have to endure this along with my other idiosyncrasies. At times my musical gifting of “perfect-song selecting” can be funny. Entertaining even; as I pull out songs they haven’t thought about, let alone actually heard in YEARS. Nine times out of ten, I’ll end up saying, “You know…”so and so” wrote a song about this exact same thing.”
It even happens during times when the situations aren’t so humorous. Prime example: while writing this post, my parents called with some not-so good news about a close family member’s health and my automatic response was to begin singing “He’s a Healer,” an excerpt taken from the line in Donnie McClurkin’s “I Call You Faithful.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VMAdu-HKQ8&w=320&h=240]
So consider yourself warned. As you get to know me better, you will see. It will happen. In what seems like a random moment of me talking or in the midst of our conversation or perhaps while I’m writing, I will break-out in song. And it will seem like I pulled it out of thin air, but in all actuality it was probably triggered by something that was said. You know, now that I’ve put this to paper and I’m re-reading what I wrote, I can see how one might think this is a bit odd. Crazy even. But to me, it just illustrates how passionate I am about my music. It runs deep…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ToR5YyBdQ&w=320&h=240]
(You were warned.)
Until the next time…keep listening to music that means something to you…
-T
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