I just realized I never posted this last month when I wrote it. So, here it is... another post on song quotes.
There's a song I love called "Come from the Heart" which, I believe, was based off an old poem. I'm not sure who authored that, so this is all about the song here. The lyrics are a great lesson to me... excellent advice that I, for one, too seldom take. So, let this be a reminder to me.
The lines from the chorus follow:
You've got to sing like you don't need the money
Ok, I do a fairly amazing job at this one. Singing like I don't need the money is a talent of mine... This nearly always involves my crutch: JT (my guitar). Now, I can usually sing on pitch. I have the right sense of rhythm and can make a song sound like the correct song. But I have a pretty average voice, sound, and ability level, and mostly... people aren't asking to listen. So... I sing like I don't need the money, because, yes... I do sing anyway. I mean, maybe I do need the money, but I wouldn't get much for my lack of true talent. Proof: When I was in Israel studying abroad, I played guitar and sang with a friend on Ben Yehuda Street. In a half hour or so we earned a few shekels. That's not much. We could have gotten some Mentos with our loot, I'm sure. A truly talented performer befriended us, borrowed one of our guitars, played for 3 minutes and quintupled our earnings or more.
Well, Symbolically, I don't think the line is necessarily about singing, but about all those things that we love to do but are too timid, or embarrassed, or self conscious about to really do it loud and right. We just need to go for it! Be who we are and who we want to be, do what we want to do, and quit worrying so much about what others think. If it's something we love doing, we should do it no matter how we look, sound, or feel... do it for the love of doing it and experiencing. Chances are, we'll find that the people listening love us all the more for just that.
Love like you'll never get hurt
Now, I used to be amazing at this. I would give my heart away somewhat easily when I found a quality guy. And I'd love... then I'd hurt. Then I'd love, then I'd hurt. So, present day me: CAUTIOUS! Have fun, get to know people, serve, give, enjoy, but hold back a bit, at least emotionally. Sometimes a lot. Because when you get hurt, it can really hurt. (profound, no?) But when we don't give everything... when we're not willing to give our heart, it's not as real. It's not the whole and complete you (me), and you (I) feel it. When is the right time to show and be the whole you? Probably from the start. Give it all. As Neal A. Maxwell said, "No love is ever wasted. Its worth does not lie in reciprocity." So, maybe the real trick is to be willing to love, wholly and completely, whether in friendships or romantic and other relationships, and work on doing so selflessly, so that when you do get hurt, it's ok. It's ok, because you did it right. And the pain will end, and you will have been all the better for loving the whole way through. This is advice I need to take more readily.
You've got to dance like nobody's watching
Literal interpretation: Anyone who knows what I dance like (a rare, precious few for my lack of taking this advice) would be able to say... "Oh, yeah, she danced like no one was watching, or she wouldn't have danced at all." I'm not good. I wasn't willing to learn the skills as a child, have regretted that in my adult-life, and now will sometimes dance... sometimes like nobody's watching. But most often, I KNOW people are watching so I step out of the room. I'm working on this one. And in the right circumstances I just go for it... knowing I have no clue how to look good on the dance floor, and just pray that everyone around me is entertained by me rather than shaking their heads at me.
Figurative interpretation: Who freaking cares what you look like when you dance? Give up the pride and live your life in bold humility.
Well, in the song, Guy Clark sums it all up when he sings:
It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.
If everything we do comes from the heart, we can live feeling ok about what we've done, how we've lived, who we've become. May I take the advice a little closer to heart.
Following is a link to the folk song. No video. Sad.
Guy Clark: Come from the Heart
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