Music & Lyrics

No, I am not talking about the adorable movie starring Hugh Grant and Drew Berrymore, although it is a great movie and does kind of fit in with my thoughts today. I am talking about finding the perfect melody for the perfect lyrics or visa verse. Many lyricists, when sitting down to write, have one of two goals in mind. Either they want to write a song that depicts a story that will lift you out of your current situation in life and into a dreamland or they want to write a story that you, in your current situation,can identify with. The melody of a song is equally important as the lyrics because it sets the tone for the story. You know as soon as the song starts whether you are in for a heart wrenching tear jerker, a cheatin' song (as we down south say), or a song that is going to empower you. However, every song has a common denominator...Love. Whether it is about romantic love, mother-daughter love, Father-son love, sibling love, or the love of dog or truck (country music fan can you tell?) every song is telling a story about love.

I am music lover. It becomes an escape for me at least twice a day. On the way to and from work (which is 30 minutes one way) my car becomes a concert hall and I am singing my little heart out. Each cd in my dash has a significant meaning to it and each has at least one song that I can listen to over and over again. During my "jam" session on the way to work this morning I was listening to a local country radio station. They had a guest artist in the studio who is breaking into the country music world. I was listening quite intently as she began to sing a song from her debut album. The name of the song was "Butterflies." Through the lyrics of this song I think the lyricist not only identifies with the heart of every woman but truly captivates a desire for love that all women have. Here is the chorus:

I want fireworks Like the 4th of July
And love that’s true blue
Like a clear summer sky
I want passion so strong
That it makes me wanna cry
I want nothing short of Butterflies

After hearing that song, and not just the beautiful words but the beautiful voice that portrayed the story with heartfelt passion, I began to smile. Life has thrown me a few hard curve balls lately and I have been struggling to find words that communicate what my heart feels and wants from a romantic relationship. These words were perfect. It is exactly what I want. I was smiling from ear to ear as a I was, what felt like flying, driving down I20 this morning. Finally I had figured it out but now how do I get there? I am learning to trust God and the plans that He has for my life and really trying to find His will. I don't believe that anything happens by chance but that everything has a purpose. Shortly after asking the question of "How do I get there?" God gave me an answer using the same avenue that He had used to show me a desire of my heart. Yes another song.

As I was driving on my lunch break this afternoon a familiar song came on the radio. This is a song that I have heard many times before and know the words by heart but today a portion of the lyrics stuck out and as I sang along with them that same smile that covered my face at 7:30 this morning again covered my face. Here are the words:

I realize what life is all about
It's hanging on when your heart has had enough
And giving more when you feel like giving up.
I have seen the Light.
-Martina Mcbride

It's amazing how God uses everyday tools like music to speak to us. Today He revealed Himself to me through my love of music. Neither of these lyricists probably knew that God would use them in such a way to speak to heart of a woman that they have never met but they both wrote songs that were identifiable and that was their goal. I am grateful today that God chose the avenue of music to reveal Himself to me. Like I said before, nothing happens by chance. Everything has it's purpose. God knows my heart and my love for music and He knew I would be listening.