Johnny Cash
influenced so many and I think his music will influence future generations to come. My favorite Johnny Cash song is one where he is feature with U2. “The Wanderer“, is a haunting tune and I was thrilled that one of my favorite ’80’s bands teamed up with such a huge icon to produce this amazing song. Cash preached a strong message in a number of his songs, to me this is one of his most powerful “sermons“; for U2 to pair up with him, was sheer brilliance!
Tag: Music
30 Day Music Challenge: Day 13
Today I turn to The Beatles for my 13th song. I like ” I Want to Hold Your Hand” for its simplicity. Songs now a days are full of explicit lyrics that demean and degrade human love. Back in the day, some lyrics did contain racy themes, but the song writers knew the art of concealing them within the song with flowery words. Not today, where everything about sex is so openly sung about. Enjoy the sweet simplicity of this Classic ’60’s song which by the way is my favorite tune The Beatles ever made. What is you favorite song from The Beatles? Comment and let me know 🙂
30 Day Music Challenge: Day12
This song, “Forever Young” by Alphaville is one of my guilty pleasures. This is the dance version of the song; the slower version puts me to sleep, so that’s why I prefer this one. This is the kind of song I listen to maybe once a year; I hear it, I smile and I put it away until the next time.
Music Brings Back Memories
When I was six years old I was living in Colombia.My parents had passed away and I was living in the home of a family that was assisting me in acquiring the proper papers so that I could come to the Unites States legally. The lady of the house had grown up children who attended college. They enjoyed listening to American rock and roll music on a short wave radio that transmitted from a station in the U.S. The first American song I ever heard was Simon and Garfunkle‘s,”The Sounds of Silence“. I didn’t know any English so the words didn’t mean much to me. The haunting melody of the song grabbed my attention because it served to comfort me,reminding me that I wasn’t suffering alone.Just the other day,I heard that song again,and it took me back to that time when I first heard it. I could even picture exactly what I was doing that day. The family was re-upholstering some chairs in a luxurious red brocade tapestry . I even remember running my small fingers along the ornate design of the fabric to the sound of the music as I tried to sing along.
Another song that evokes some strong sentimental attachment is Bruce Springteen’s “Brilliant Disguise“. That song came out right when I graduated from high school in 1987. I had just left my uncle’s house and was trying to start life on my own. I had moved in with my eldest sister and I felt completely alone. The first time I heard that song on the radio, I was riding in my sister’s drab blue Camaro on my way to work. I was wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Living at my uncle’s house I had been forced to live in a box of his mindsets and ideas. I never was given the opportunity to voice my own opinion and the few times that I attempted to,I was shot down immediately. So I never really thought I had anything important to say,much less to offer anyone. For the ten years that I lived under this man’s roof, I donned a brilliant disguise in order to fit in. I was forced to put away for a season , the person God designed me to be,in order to survive life at my uncle’s.
One of the lines reads;”Now look at me baby,struggling to do everything right, and then it all falls apart when out go the lights.” This made me see back then, after I left home,that no matter what I did I would never succeed at pleasing my uncle. So this song helped me to face the real me,whom I had put on a shelf for a decade,discard the disguise that had fooled a lot of people and embrace the person I was created to be. I’ve recently been
One of the lines reads;”Now look at me baby,struggling to do everything right, and then it all falls apart when out go the lights.” This made me see back then, after I left home,that no matter what I did I would never succeed at pleasing my uncle. So this song helped me to face the real me,whom I had put on a shelf for a decade,discard the disguise that had fooled a lot of people and embrace the person I was created to be. I’ve recently been
listening to this sort of personal anthem, and it brings me great satisfaction to see the personal growth I’ve done in the twenty years of the song’s release. Mr. Springsteen,thank you so much for that inspiring song that has become ingrained in the grooves of my soul!
Music is immensely integrated in our lives. My husband and I encourage our four children to listen to many types of music genres. They all play an assortment of musical instruments. In order to play great music you have to first be exposed to great music. I see much of today’s young people becoming narrow minded especially when it comes to music. I have a young friend who only wants to listen to rap music,that’s where its at for him. My children on the other hand find his point of view rather dull and uninspired. I thank God that my uncle exposed me to a vast array of classical music, because I am doing the same with my children.
When I listen to Latin music,I reconnect with my roots at a deep level. Juan Luis Guerra, the Dominican born singer and song writer stirs me the most. One day not too long ago,I was dancing to my favorite song, “Ojala Que LLueva Cafe” and I was mesmerized. I have adored the sound of this man’s voice; it is soothing and comforting. I have often wondered if perhaps his voice reminds me of my papa’s voice. Often,when I hear this particular piece , I feel reconnected to my father.I lost him when I was four years old and the only memories I have of him usually come back to my remembrance when I hear this tune.
God,thank you for giving us the gift of beautiful music.We can worship God in so many ways,but when we run out of words,music is there to bridge that gap between our limited earthly realm and that of God’s Kingdom.
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011
Music: A Friend for Life Part2
Now onto The Classic; the music that your parents and maybe even their parents may have listened to. Some of those songs could represent your classmates that you knew way back during your formative years. Kids with whom you grew up and perhaps you stayed in touch or maybe you moved on and lost track of them. Once you reconnect with childhood friends you still see semblances of the kid you used to know in the adult they’ve become.
A classic song is a master piece-in some cases a model of perfection, a genuine gem. Friends that are like classic songs are like jewels given you to adorn your heart, be it through their touching your soul with kind deeds or loving words of wisdom and encouragement to help you along in your journey. These types of songs and people though seemingly rare, always shine a bright light in your heart to help you discover the treasure you have inside. Because they are genuine, they never need to prove anything to anyone regarding their grandeur. You just know when you are in the presence of a true classic.
Another aspect of a classic is that they don’t have to hang around you everyday; classic friends are constant whether they are right there in your own home or a million miles away…perhaps as far away as heaven. A classic song is something you don’t normally listen to everyday either. Classic songs take you back to simpler times of your life when things ran at a slower pace; and the time piece on your mother’s mantle seemed to never move at all. A time when sunsets lasted more than a few minutes- dawn brightened your horizon much more further than what your eyes could perceive.
These are the songs that stay with you all your life because at times, they were the only friend you had.
Eva Santiago Copyright 2011
Music: A Friend for Life
Sitting down to listen to an old song is like making time to visit with a dear, close friend. New songs are like new friends; you have to really tune in and listen closely to what they’re trying to say. When you’re working on becoming friends, you are taken in by their outward appearance at first. The same can be said of a new song you just heard on the radio-you only hear the melody and not so much the depth of the lyrics.
With some songs it takes a while to decipher their hidden messages; it takes a while to draw out the hidden intent of a person’s heart and that only happens when you spend time with your new found friend.
Songs like friends can touch your soul deeply. Others leave you giddy, as if on cloud 9; these songs and types of people slip in and out of your life and you can’t lean on them when times grow rough.
Then there are the love ballads that never fail to strike a chord; reminding you of a promise of love someone broke when you were younger. Others speak of melancholic tales of all consuming fires that took all you had including your innocence. Love ballads are like your closest most intimate of friends because they never lie; there to remind you of the person you used to be and how you arrived at your current state.
Tune in to Part 2 of this my personal reflection on music.
Life is Messy: Live and Love to the Fullest
Dear Reader, I wrote this post back in 2009 when I had another blog. I wanted to share it since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…Remember how special you truly are!!
Life is messy. Nature reflects the messiness of life. We spend our whole time here making sense of the chaos; ordering our lives so as to try to put a handle on the mess. Life never works out as neat and tidy Algebraic equation In math, it all works out without fail. Follow a prescribed method and WAPA! Problem solved , move on!
Well, life hardly mirrors mathematics. It does have prescribed patterns and formulas. For instance, there are physical laws such as gravity as well as spiritual laws of reaping and sowing. These and a multitude of others are set in place so we may have order in the midst of chaos.
We are taught as children to follow and obey all that is set before us then, PRESTO! We will be successful and have a great life. The more we live though, we all come to the same conclusion; life is messy. The Golden Rule says to treat others as you would like to be treated. The problem is it works sometimes and at other times people can be down right cruel. Then there is the pursue love at all costs and yet again, when we do, we are left feeling stranded at times…life is messy. So, you love someone and you keep loving that person no matter what and they never love you back; another unsolved equation.
Love is never a science; knowledge of facts or principles gained by systematic study. The laws of science dictate cause and effect. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, that’s how science works. Love is messy because there are no guarantees; if I love, that does not guarantee that my actively loving someone will cause that person to love me back equally and with the same measure of love. The human heart is an ocean with its shallow areas where we can swim and feel all is well within; don’t worry there are no “be ware of sharks” signs posted. Swim safely. Then there are those areas where the light has never reached; similar to those parts of the ocean where no man ,no camera has ever seen. There IS life in those depths awaiting our discovery. We fear the unfamiliar, so we stay in the shallow parts for our safety. Deep calls to deep and when we hear that call to venture out more, where it’s messy and chaotic, where things simply don’t add up, then we back paddle back to our safe zone. It takes trust to venture out to the unknown recesses in our hearts; to let love into areas that remain in the dark. Love is light; a closed up heart is a heart in darkness. Fear keeps us locked up thereby giving us a false security. The wise man said that out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks; we unlock or lock people up with our words; life giving words unlock others and poisonous words that curse keep others locked up as in a cell…solitary confinement. Love requires relationships. Some say, ” I love you but I have a hard time showing you. ” Well, love is easy to spot…it’s messy and all over the place. Picture a little child who was trying to make you breakfast and went on to make a great mess in attempting so. A little dab won’t do you; you have to reach out and take all you can. The more you take then you have more than enough to give to others. So if you take only a little, you’ll only have enough for you and that’s why you say, ” I love you but I can’t show you because I haven’t enough for the two of us.
Love should be celebrated everyday because everyday is a brand new opportunity for love to come into those dark areas in our hearts. People tolerate love because its nature is unpredictable, nerve wracking and annoying, especially when it show up unexpectedly. If we relegate it to a few holidays such as Christmas Valentine’s day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and all the minor holidays that fall in between, then love is confined and it loses intensity. Love’ REAL LOVE baffles the mind and astounds the senses and it should. God is Love; Love is God. God so loves us, with a messy kind of all over the place love;the kind that was powerful enough to gift us His only Son. He puts His heart on the line for us and the best we can do is love one another and in doing so we are loving Him.
Eva Santiago copyright 2009,2014
Eva Santiago 