Before we get to the first song, a little about me. I'm a 30 year old musician living in Raleigh, NC with my beautiful wife. I love music, not only because I write music, but because for as far back as i can remember, music has had a really strong effect on me. I can't always explain why, but sometimes a lyric or a chord progression just gets me. The feeling is hard to define, but if i had to try, I would say that the strongest emotion is one of nostalgia. Let me clarify; there is not always an actual memory associated with a song, but it evokes that sad longing of a fading memory you want desperately to hold on to. Often a song can bring back a time period or a person, or like i said, just the feeling. The strangest part, is that sometimes the song has nothing to do with the time period of memory that it evokes.
To me, it's like a gift. It's a perfect moment. It's almost as if I'm experiencing a memory that doesn't belong to me, and i can't quite complete the picture, but the feeling comes though strong and clear. Now understand, these are not songs that I just "like", these are songs that evoke a very strong emotion in me. Sometimes it's the whole song and sometimes it's just one part, but it's striking, and beautiful.
Through this blog I'm going to share with you some of the songs that have this effect on me. You may or may not share my view, but i'll do my best to explain what it is in the songs that particularly moves me. Thanks for reading!! Here we go!!
The first song in this series of songs that have a strong effect on me, is Tea and Sympathy by Jars of Clay. Certain songs get me through the lyrics and subject matter, and others through the music. This one is most definitely because of the music!
It's a seemingly simple and sweet little song when it begins, almost unremarkable. However, when the first chorus breaks, the chord progression really hits me hard. The D, Bm, F#m to the G followed by the D, Bm, Am7, Em is just stirring. If you're not familiar with this song, please take a moment to click the link below to hear it on Youtube.
The lead singer of Jars of Clay, Dan Haseltine, doesn't have a very powerful voice, that is to say, he doesn't sing with the gusto and machismo of Sting. However, it is quite beautiful and haunting at times. Dan sings with a kind of vulnerability that come very naturally. The high note he hits just before the chorus kicks in, has such a softness to it, that it almost sounds as if he's on the verge of tears. Then as the chorus begins, he comes back in with strength (and just the right amount of reverb) that it almost breaks your heart. It's difficult to pin point exactly what he's singing about, but it resonates a pain that all to identifiable through the way he sings the lyrics.
I know most people don't give this much thought to a song, but some songs demand a closer look. When a songs moves you, you need to wonder why. Oddly enough, i don't have any memories of this song from my youth. Tea and Sympathy comes off the album "Much Afraid" which was released in 1997, just two years after the stellar self titled debut. I have memories of listening to the first album (driving home with my brother, on a beautiful day in the winter, having just been to a friends house to ride horses) but nothing from this album. In fact, i remember not really liking it at all. Jars of Clay's first album was very acoustic guitar driven, and i really loved it, so when Much Afraid was released, with it's fuller orchestrations, and TOTALLY different sound, i remember not liking it at all! I never owned this album and don't remember listening to this song back in the late nineties, but for some reason, when i listen to it, I'm carried back to the winters in Upstate New York. My mid teen years were full of what everyone else's teen years are filled with; angst. But not sadness or stress or anything, but this song almost brings a sadness to me when i think of that time in my life.
Again i come back to the idea of nostalgia. It's almost like I'm missing that time period, the people, the places, but nothing specific. Just a general feeling of missing my youth I think. And although it's a rather sad feeling, i swim in it. Must like the person who listen to a sad song over and over again after a particularly nasty break up, find myself putting this song on repeat and just living there.
Well there you have it! I hope you give this song a good listen or three and just close your eyes and let it fill you up. If you like it, go buy their album!!! It's wonderful! (You'll be seeing another song off this album in the future!)
Thanks for letting me share this with you! Feel free to pass it on! God Bless!
Trevor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFu06nKynQ4
No comments:
Post a Comment