 |
| The masked bear; Creative Common License; Wikimedia |
As we face a pandemic, we turn to music. I have been spending time on YouTube listening to all types of music. I have collected a few playlists that express certain themes. One is the depression of many, the loneliness and self-debasement of the bullied, and other emotional issues. On the positive side are the songs of those who have overcome the slings and arrows of others and of their own negative experiences.
These songs are pure poetry, no matter who sings them. But the videos I have chosen tend to make one focus on the actual words of the poem while the background melodies and harmonies of the music add to the emotional response. I defy you to listen to this playlist dispassionately. I suspect you, like me, will fight tears at some point.
Today, I present songs that will make you think about others and the pain they face. May it make us care for others. I complete the series with, among others, "Man in the Mirror" sung by Brian Crum. Maybe soon I will add songlists for other memes.
Do add your song titles in the comments. Feel free to provide links to a song online.
Songs To Set the Mood
"Mad World" sung by Pentatonix
The student ignored at school is heartbreaking. I thought of the disassociation of depression when I listened to the lyrics.
"Creep" sung by Brian Justin Crum
This to me is a meme of the bullied, a person so put-down that they cannot see anything good in their own self.
Then there is the classic expression of alone-ness one feels when surrounded by many others, again sung in such a way that emphasizes the words over the music.
"The Sounds of Silence" sung by Pentatonix
What happens when you reach out only to be disappointed? There are phrases in this next song that speak of disillusionment in man or personal relationships, but still imply a retention of hope and slivers of faith.
"Hallelujah" sung by Pentatonix, my favorite version, is here, but this video version is beautiful, too.
"Hallelujah" (Shrek song) sung by Espen Lind, Askil Holm, Alejandro Fuentes, Kurt Nilsen
You can see the Shrek movie scenes for which this song is the background.
Then there is grief of the loss of a loved one-- sometimes through death, sometimes through dementia or other memory loss, and sometimes through the ending of love or lost friendship.
"I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice
Here is the story behind this song.
Others about loss include these:
''Say Something" sung by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
"With You" sung by lady on Britain's got Talent (Song starts on 1:42 min. into the video.)
Let's Change the Mood.
The songs above take us on a journey of depressing, negative emotions often felt and often ignored when we sense them in others. At times we reach out to each other to ask and receive help with these emotions. We do this through our churches, clubs, and non-profits. We honor the vets and first responders that gave their all. We help each other to get through this.
"Man in the Mirror" sung by Brian J. Crum (Song starts at 1:32min into the video.)
I hoped these songs moved you and maybe even inspired you to lean on each other a bit. After all, "He ain't heavy. He's my brother."And "Like a 'Bridge over Troubled Water'..."
(Get the story behind the legendary " Bridge over Troubled Water" with some of the original sounds.)
(Hear the original soundtrack.)
Closing Thoughts
I want to share Puddles Pity Party's tribute to all those who are helping us with this pandemic.
Remember, to get through the pain, you must recognize that you feel it, you must share it, and you must reach out to others. Throughout the ages, man has used music and poetry to share with each other.
Check out the Books and Authors blog for the playlist of Fred Zuker.
There are additional playlists in his set of Quaran-Tunes that begin here.
Y'all take care.
Who is Fred Zuker?
Fred Zuker wrote The Zuker Memoirs, a set of books that I edited and that my company Coskrey Biz Published. You can get these books on Amazon as ebooks and in various stores as paperbacks.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}