Tag: Song of the Week

Taking a brief interlude from country and blue grass groups, the Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of alternative music group Lifehouse and is titled Somewhere in Between.

Through minor chords and repetitive melody, the song commends an obvious sympathy for anyone living amid one of life’s crossroads and waiting for the next steps to become clear. It’s mellow tenor communicates that the ultimate message of the song is as much one of grace as it is one of transition. The unspoken lesson seems to be that time has a way of effecting the change for which we wait. We initially reach a point of questioning, “why am I losing sleep over this” until we arrive at the conclusion we are “somewhere in between.” This place has many locales be it in between anger and forgiveness, sorrow and joy, or tumult and peace. Still, during these periods we find grace through the Philippians sense of working out our own salvation as we confront the obstacle in debating “what is real and just a dream.”

In some sense, our entire lives are devoted to this Pauline task. Desmond Tutu told me at breakfast many years ago “There’s only one way to eat an elephant- one bite at a time.” This maxim is true for life. It is a point both obvious and inevitable in the song but it’s instructive for anyone waiting, praying, seeking or yearning and finding themselves somewhere in between.

Somewhere in Between

I cant be losing sleep over this, no I can’t
And now I can not stop pacing
Give me a few hours, I’ll have all this sorted out
If my mind would just stop racing

Cause I cannot stand still
I cant be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening

This is over my head but underneath my feet
Cuz by tomorrow morning I’ll have this thing beat
And everything will be back to the way that it was
I wish that it was just that easy

Cuz I’m waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I’m somewhere in between
What is real, and just a dream
What is real, and just a dream
What is real, and just a dream

Would you catch me if I fall out of what I fell in
Don’t be surprised if I collapse down at your feet again
I don’t want to run away from this
I know that I just don’t need this

Cause I cannot stand still
I can’t be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening

Cuz I’m waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I’m somewhere in between
What is real, and just a dream
What is real, and just a dream
What is real, and just a dream

The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of country music legend Garth Brooks and is titled Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old.

It pretty much sums up life as a twenty-something but no one can sing it quite like Garth.

Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old

This ol’ highway’s getting longer
Seems there ain’t no end in sight
To sleep would be best, but I just can’t afford to rest
I’ve got to ride in Denver tomorrow night

I called the house but no one answered
For the last two weeks no one’s been home
I guess she’s through with me, to tell the truth I just can’t see
What’s kept the woman holding on this long

And the white line’s getting longer and the saddle’s getting cold
I’m much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I’m much too young to feel this damn old

The competition’s getting younger
Tougher broncs, you know I can’t recall
The worn out tape of Chris LeDoux, lonely women and bad booze
Seem to be the only friends I’ve left at all

And the white line’s getting longer and the saddle’s getting cold
I’m much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I’m much too young to feel this damn old

Lord, I’m much too young to feel this damn old

The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you from progressive blue grass trio Nickel Creek and is titled This Side.

Written by violinist and background vocalist Sean Watkins the lyrics speak of transitioning from one phase of life to another and the uncomfortable uncertainties which accompany such segues. Despite its weighty subject matter, the song’s message is ultimately one of optimism culminating in the final verse as the bard once again becomes content and at home amid change.

The song’s power comes from the unique way in which lyrics and music work together to create the final product. The melody itself is up-beat but it would lack its optimistic quality if not for the harmony of the combined instruments which meld to create a strong, light sound. Written in a series of alternating major chords with a dissonant strains sprinkled about, the score would be hard to improve. The dissonant sounds are uniformly combinations of major, sharp chords which create a high-pitched disharmony- as opposed to a more dour sound heard among smatterings of minor chords say in Johnny Cash’s Hurt, for example.

Vocally, the lead voice of the song undergoes its own transition. The early lyrics wistfully recall memories past and evokes feelings of regret and fear. But as the song progresses, the voice gets stronger along with the music and ultimately becomes a voice of optimism as he embraces a new future. Not unlike all of us in life.

This Side

One day you’ll see her and you’ll know what I mean.
Take her or leave her she will still be the same.
She’ll not try to buy you with her time.
But nothing’s the same, as you will see when she’s gone.

It’s foreign on this side,
And I’ll not leave my home again.
There’s no place to hide
And I’m nothing but scared.

You dream of colors that have never been made,
You imagine songs that have never been played.
They will try to buy you and your mind.
Only the curious have something to find.

It’s foreign on this side,
And the truth is a bitter friend.
But reasons few have I to go back again.

Your first dawn blinded you, left you cursing the day.
Entrance is crucial and it’s not without pain.
There’s no path to follow, once you’re here.
You’ll climb up the slide and then you’ll slide down the stairs.

It’s foreign on this side,
But it feels like I’m home again.
There’s no place to hide
But I don’t think I’m scared.
(there’s no place to hide)
(there’s no place to hide)
But I don’t think I’m scared.
(there’s no place to hide)
But I don’t think I’m scared…

The Pax Plena song of the week comes from the country music group Sugarland and is titled Stand Back Up.

There’s no need for deep analysis with this one, folks. The message of the song is simple and profound: sometimes life throws an unexpected punch or two and there’s nothing one can do to avoid the impact or pain.

But the song reminds us that our inner temerity and determination are enough to get us through the darkness of any situation and indeed we can do all things through the Source of our strength. Whether you are dealing with a seasonal affective disorder (believe it or not, a real malady) or if you’re just going through a rough spot, Sugarland’s ballad is sure to inspire.

Musically, the song is as simple as its message. It is played with a clear, lone acoustic guitar. The sound becomes haunting in places as the strumming drives home the melody at just the right points. The lyrics are superbly delivered and the singer’s voice couldn’t be better. It is almost a performance of necessity-any weakness in the singer’s voice would ultimately destroy the message of the song. Sugarland more than overcomes any such deficiency.

Go ahead and take your best shot
Let ‘er rip, give it all you’ve got
I’m laid out on the floor, but I’ve been here before
I may stumble, yeah I might fall
I’m only human but aren’t we all
I might lose my way, but hear me when I say

I will stand back up
You’ll know just the moment when I’ve have enough
Sometimes I’m afraid, and I dont feel that tough
But I’ll stand back up

I’ve been beaten up and bruised
I’ve been kicked right off my shoes
Been down on my knees more times than you’d believe
When the darkness tries to get me
There’s a light that just won’t let me
It might take my pride, and my tears may fill my eyes
But I’ll stand back up

I’ve weathered all these stroms,
But I just turn them into wind, so I can fly
What don’t kill you makes you stronger
When I take my last breath
Thats when I’ll just give up

So, go ahead to take your best shot
Let ‘er rip, give it all you’ve got
You might win this round but you can’t keep me down

‘Cause I’ll stand back up
And you’ll know just the moment when I’ve had enough
Sometimes I’m afraid and I don’t feel that tough
But I’ll stand back up

You’ll know just the moment when I’ve had enough
Sometimes I’m afraid and I don’t feel that tough
But I’ll stand back up

Bucking the recent trend in calling St. Valentine’s Day “Singles Awareness Day”, this single has opted to mark the occasion by posting a song for the amorously inclined. And looking through my library of music, nothing expresses romance quite like Darryl Worley’s Opportunity of a Lifetime.

It’s by no means the most famous country love song. But there’s just something about it that captures the innocence of young love and the vitality and optimism it creates for the couple. Long before the personality conflicts and pessimism start to creep into a relationship, love offers folks an opportunity to willfully be optimistic for the future and the start of something new. The song brings these feelings of new love to mind.

Musically, the song has just a hint of Western swing that actually reminds me of lazy summers fishing and driving along the back roads with someone you love. While the song is definitely more traditional than some contemporary artists it’s one that fits well in a country play list especially during the summer months.

http://songza.com/e/listen

Opportunity of a Lifetime
Big brown eyes, soft red lips
I’m thinkin’ I could get used to this
This could be the opportunity of a lifetime

My heart melts when you whisper my name
I’ve got a feeling if you’re feeling the same
This could be the opportunity of a lifetime

I don’t need to travel the world
Chase after rainbows, I’m telling you girl
There’s so many things that I’d rather do
Like wakin’ up each morning with you

We’ve got a chance at a real true love
We’d have to be crazy to pass it up
This could be the opportunity of a lifetime

I can just see us sittin’ there
Front porch swing with gray in our hair
I know it seems like a lifetime away
But we could get started today

We’ve got a chance at a real true love
We’d have to be crazy to pass it up
This could be the opportunity of a lifetime
Oh yes-sir-ee, this could be
The opportunity of a lifetime