**FREE&FAITH** Music - Listening or Hearing

This is a cross post from my other blog. I think it will be of interest to anyone - regardless of belief.

When I was growing up and listening to a lot of music, my friends would tease me because I always misheard lyrics. There is a name for that now: mondegreens. Huh.

I looked up and found a list of common examples of misheard lyrics:

"I Can See Clearly Now"

by Johnny Nash: Some listeners hear "I can see clearly now Lorraine is gone" instead of the correct lyric "I can see clearly now the rain is gone". 

"I'm a Believer"

by The Monkees: The lyric "Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer" is sometimes misheard as "Then I saw her face, now I'm gonna leave her". 

"Losing My Religion"

by R.E.M.: The line "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight" is often misheard as "Let's pee in the corner, let's pee in the spotlight". 

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"

by Eurythmics: The title lyric is sometimes misheard as "Sweet dreams are made of cheese". 

"Blowin' in the Wind"

by Bob Dylan: The lyric "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" is sometimes misheard as "These ants are my friends, they're blowin' in the wind".

 

"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"

by AC/DC: The title is often misheard as "Dirty deeds and the thunder chief" or "Dirty deeds and they're done with sheep". 

Kind of silly, right? But I'm sure we can all relate. Misheard lyrics are one thing. At least we are paying attention to what we think is being said. What bothers me is when we don't apply discernment to what we hear.

I think it was the pastors Joe Schimmel and G. Craige Lewis that first prompted me to pay attention to lyrics and meanings.  One song we've probably all heard at least once is "I Write the Songs" sung by Barry Manilow, but written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnston.

On the surface of my mind, I always heard the song as a lovely melodious tribute to the creativity. Then, as I said, I was prompted to get out of my social emotions and pay attention to what was being conveyed. 

Here are the lyrics and, as you read them, think about who is speaking and what the message is. I boldfaced some of the words:

I've been alive forever

And I wrote the very first song

I put the words and the melodies together

I am music, and I write the songs

I write the songs that make the whole world sing

I write the songs of love and special things

I write the songs that make the young girls cry

I write the songs, I write the songs

My home lies deep within you

And I've got my own place in your soul

Now when I look out through your eyes

I'm young again, even though I'm very old

I write the songs that make the whole world sing

I write the songs of love and special things

I write the songs that make the young girls cry

I write the songs, I write the songs

Oh, my music makes you dance

And gives your spirit to take a chance

And I wrote some rock 'n' roll, so you can move

Music fills your heart, well, that's a real fine place to start

It's from me, it's for you

It's from you, it's from me

It's a worldwide symphony

I write the songs that make the whole world sing

I write the songs of love and special things

I write the songs that make the young girls cry

I write the songs, I write the songs

I write the songs that make the whole world sing

I write the songs of love and special things

I write the songs that make the young girls cry

I write the songs, I write the songs

I am music (music), and I write the songs. 

People might say that the song is from the viewpoint of God - I read that's what Johnston claimed. But would God want to make anyone cry? Would God want your spirit to take a chance?

G. Craige Lewis once pointed out that Lucifer was created with "tabrets" and "pipes," built into him. Some people think of Lucifer as having been a chief musician in Heaven. That's debatable,  but it's how many people think of him.

My point is that we (okay, me) often hear without listening. Even I have thought a lot of innocent-sounding songs have deeper and darker meanings buried in them.  Mainly, I chose these because something in them just felt wrong in my spirit. You might some debatable but here is a list:

• "Stairway to Heaven" Led Zeppelin
• "Sympathy for the Devil" The Rolling Stones
• "Hotel California" The Eagles
• "Riders on the Storm" The Doors

Actually, I didn't like anything by The Doors because the lead singer creeped my out for some reason...

Here are a couple of videos showing more songs. I noticed I already had some on my list.

And don't think that so-called "gospel" and "Christian worship" songs are any better. So many people striving to be "stars" are doing anything to get there. Anyway, people, be more discerning in your every day life, as I will be.

Peace

--Free

Mood Music and Poetry

No matter what I'm feeling, I can usually find something something breathed out by another creative soul to catch my mood. Sometimes, that's a comforting thought - like when I realize that almost everything I feel (from physical desire to blind utter despair) is covered in the poetry of the Bible. Sometimes, it's absolutely chilling to know that my deepest fears and worst thoughts are represented by some artistic person in this world.

As a wanna-be novelist myself, anyone else's creative expression makes me feel that I am in unique company. I can't sing, but I hear songs and think, "Yes! That's just what it feels like." ("It" might be pain or worry or joy or madness.)

Though I love music, I often unintentionally re-write song lyrics as I sing them loudly (and badly, badly, badly) while dancing around my apartment. I try not to sing as loudly while I'm driving, or anywhere around the very young or very elderly for fear of causing internal organ trauma.

Before I get too far off subject, here are some songs and poems that fit certain moods. I hope you like them:

If you are sad

• x..... A Little Sadness (Auphy Zophy) love this!
• "Mmm" (Laura Izibor) not really a sad song, but comforting.
• "Sad Violin" (Thao Nguyen Xanh) beautiful, not depressing.
• "The Wolves" (Bon Iver) 
• "Sitting On the Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)
• "In the Upper Room" (Mahalia Jackson) comforting & hopeful
• Words from Psalm 56:8 always move me: Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

If you are in love, out of love or just confused

• Almost anything by D'Angelo, Melody Gardot, Ella Fitzgerald
• The Staple Singers and Marvin, of course. Just stay out of trouble.
• "To Be in Love" (Gwendolyn Brooks) my very favorite
• The Bible's Song of Solomon has a verse so beautiful, it might make you weep.
• This poem by Langston Hughes is reported as his first. It's another favorite poem.

Just because I loves you-

That's de reason why

My soul is full of color

Like de wings of a butterfly

Just because I loves you

That's de reason why

My heart's a fluttering aspen leaf

When you pass by (Hughes 28)

If you need to dance or do anything else to work off stress

• Beth Hart just kills it. She's so badass & I love her work. Get her if you need to move, pretend you can move or if you feel love.
• Go oldies with The Temps, Lionel, or LTD
• Go new with whoever you want to. I almost gave myself whiplash trying, so I'll stop here.

Getting back to mishearing lyrics, here's a fun fact: There is a name for mishearing/misquoting lyrics - "Mondegreen". Interesting...

More Interesting: The origin of the word.

Most Interesting: The one mondegreen I'm not guilty of is the funniest one ever. ("Desperado, you've been outright offensive, for so long now" (Real lyric: "You've been out riding fences," The Eagles.)

"In Da Club" (by 50 'Fitty' Cent) is one of my favorite songs to have a dancing fit to. My family will never, ever let me forget that I always heard the words as "We gonna slip a tardy" instead of, "We're gonna sip Bacardi." Think that's bad? This next line puts me in a league of my own: I hear "toes down, be's up" instead of "hoes down, G's up." (I just thought he was doing the country grammar thing!) That's what happens when someone my age listens to music way out of generation. (I still like my 'version' best.)

Peace
--Free