If I wasn’t already convinced before, Jason Mraz’s new album has convinced me that the man is surely an old soul. Every single song is filled with so much heart, and the words strike a chord that only genuine feelings can evoke. And, oh, how some of his words make me swoon.
Throughout the years I’ve had various friends who will know the entire melody to a song, but somehow don’t know a single word that the song consists of.
In my mind, listening to music without paying attention to the words is unthinkable.
Music, for me, is something that I feel, that resonates through me, and that I can relate to. It is what I cling to when I need uplifting, what makes me ridiculously giddy on days where I’m feeling on top of the world, and is something I can always rely on to remind me that I’m human.
I feel like every single song on Mraz’s new album serves to remind all of us of what’s important in this life: the people in our lives and our interactions with them. It sounds simple, really. Yet, he does it in such a way that makes it so that you can’t help but smile to yourself as you listen, because you’ve been there, or felt that; you know.
The mixture of slow and fast paced songs is balanced so that regardless of the mood you’re in, there is surely something on the album that is fitting. I do, however, find myself listening to a couple of songs a bit more than the others, so I’ll let you in on what I consider to be the gems of this album.
To start, his song ”Living in the Moment” has this upbeat catchy tune coupled with words that just make you thrilled to be living. Here is my favorite verse from the song:
“I’m letting myself off the hook for things I’ve done
I let my past go past
And now I’m having more fun
I’m letting go of the thoughts
That do not make me strong
And I believe this way can be the same for everyone.”
Now, the next song that I’m stuck on makes me smile every single time I give it a listen because it really is so very swoon worthy. It’s called “The Woman That I Love,” and this verse pulls on my heart strings every time:
“No, I don’t mean to change you
You’ve got it under control
You wake up each day different
Another reason for me to keep holdin’ on
I’m not attached to any way you’re showing up
I’m just gonna love you like the woman I love”
Whether this is the type of music you typically listen to or not, I urge you to give it a listen. I’m constantly surprising myself with new music discoveries that I never would have fathomed liking.
I think if you listen to this album with an open mind, you’ll be pleasantly surprised where it takes you.
So here’s to happy listening.
Take out those head phones, place them in your ears, and allow yourself to feel the words. Every. Single. One.
tooling around: words
Words.
Funny things, words. I mean, what are they? A few or more letters flowing together across a page. Sounds spilling from lips and floating through the air.
For all their weightlessness, words can feel awfully heavy.
Every word has the capacity to leave its indelible mark on someone’s heart. Say something kind and watch someone’s entire countenance change. Read the comments from any given Scoutie Girl post and you can witness amazing growth wrapped up in a few short lines. And, sadly, I think we’ve all had that instant where one harsh word undid the work of a thousand sweet syllables.
The internet is especially dangerous where that last scenario is concerned. Too often we forget there are actual people behind those handmade products, blog posts, photos, and, yes, even less-than-complimentary feedback.
As crafters, we use our tools to create, and the things we craft with our words can be uplifting or they can be very, very heavy.
The adage bears repeating: words can hurt.
They can even scar. A mean-spirited comment from a stranger can cut; from a loved one, it can crush; but coming from oneself, harsh words can be a slow poison. I am guilty of condemning my dreams to creeping death – I suspect most artists are.
Original art by Valentina Ramos. Click on the image for more details.
Right now something particularly big is looming on the horizon so I punish myself even more than usual. All I can think about are past put downs, failures, and shortcomings, real or imagined. And no one can find the words to make me feel better. Maybe not any one, but many…so, a few years ago, I gathered the words of many and put them where I could always find them.
A personal blog post. Click on the image for more information
I made a list of wonderful things people had said to me and I posted them to my personal blog. (If you decide to click on the image and follow the link be warned: my personal blog has had its ups and downs.) Now I have more than a dozen kind thoughts to combat each negative one. It is pretty potent stuff because it is so very personal, but I also keep a running tab of inspiration on Pinterest.
from http://lovelyfighter.tumblr.com/ via Pinterest. Click image fordetails.
Now I have a huge database of words at my disposal to help me prepare for many ventures in business and in life. I’ll be honest, though – I’m not sure how much good it will do me for that next big thing in my life.
Recently I got a call from overseas, “Baby, I’m coming home.” And for that, there are no words.