Music Monday: Home

Music Monday!

Music can be a great source of comfort and inspiration when you’re feeling down.

Today’s song is: “Home” by Phillip Phillips (what a silly name)

Listen to the song here:

Lyrics:

“Hold on to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave, wave is stringing us along

Just know you’re not alone
‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home

Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble—it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home

Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble—it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home”

Why this song’s so cool: Catchy and pleasantly upbeat. Not to mention extremely fun to harmonize along to.

Why this song’s helpful: THIS: “Just know you’re not alone, ‘Cause I’m gonna make this place your home.” It’s repeated many times, and I’m glad.  It’s an important thing to remember, and it can be especially difficult to remember when you are suffering or in pain, such as the pain and suffering accompanying depression.

“If you get lost, you can always be found.” This is a particularly affirming quote that is helpful for those feeling especially lost and alone.  When in crisis, dealing with loss, feeling lost, confused, and alone, suffering from depression, or all of the above, you tend to suffer an influx of increasingly negative and hopeless thoughts.  You’re mind becomes confused and irrational, making the truth difficult to accept or even see at all. That’s why it is so important to have a strong support system to tell you those truths over and over again – for them to believe, even if you can’t. Music can be a part of your support system, and the lyrics of this song can be a resource for having those positive and affirming messages repeated over and over to you – the more you hear positive messages that you are not alone, the more likely you will be to believe them.


“For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.”

-Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene


More about Phillip Phillips:

http://www.phillipphillips.com/

The Psychology of Home:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/the-psychology-of-home-why-where-you-live-means-so-much/249800/

Home is Where Your Butt Is:

Home Is Where Your Butt Is

 

Music Monday: Stars

Music Monday!

Music can be a great source of comfort and inspiration when you’re feeling down.

Today’s song is: “Stars” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Listen to the song here:

Or if you like lyric videos, this one is pretty …. STELLAR!!!

Lyrics:

“I lit a fire with the love you left behind
And it burned wild and crept up the mountainside
I followed your ashes into outer space
I can’t look out the window, I can’t look at this place
I can’t look at the stars
They make me wonder where you are
Stars, up on Heaven’s boulevard
And if I know you at all,
I know you’ve gone too far
So I, I can’t look at the stars
All those times we looked up at the sky
Looking out so far, we felt like we could fly
And now I’m all alone in the dark of night
The moon is shining but I can’t see the light
And I can’t look at the stars
They make me wonder where you are
Stars, up on Heaven’s boulevard
And if I know you at all,
I know you’ve gone too far
So I, I can’t look at the stars
Stars
Stars, they make me wonder where you are
Stars up on Heaven’s boulevard
And if I know you at all,
I know you’ve gone too far
So I can’t look at the stars”

Why this song’s so cool: It is SO beautiful.  And it’s a good wailer/belter to get really into.  I have definitely karaoked this more than once.  Vocal-wise, it has a nice range of mood variety and dynamic options, so lots of potential to expressing a broad emotional range.

Why this song’s helpful: Perfect song for dealing with a loss.  And I don’t necessarily mean a death. A loss of any kind.  Also a nice jam for just feeling sad and/or lonely. Or if you’re looking at the stars.


More about Grace Potter:

http://gracepotter.com/

 

Music Monday: No One Is Alone

Music Monday!

Music can be a great source of comfort and inspiration when you’re feeling down.

Today’s song is: “No One Is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim, from Into The Woods.

Listen to the song here:

 

Lyrics:

“CINDERELLA
Mother cannot guide you.
Now you’re on your own.
Only me beside you.
Still, you’re not alone.
No one is alone, truly.
No one is alone.

Sometimes people leave you
halfway through the wood.
Others may deceive you.
You decide what’s good.
You decide alone.
But no one is alone.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
I wish…

CINDERELLA(To Little Red)
I know…
Mother isn’t here now. BAKER(to Jack)
Wrong things, right things…
Who knows what she’d say?
Who can say what’s true?
Nothing’s quite so clear now-
Do things, fight things…
Feel you’ve lost your way?
You decide, but
You are not alone, You are not alone.
Believe me.
No one is alone.
No one is alone,
Believe me.
Truly…

BOTH
You move just a finger,
Say the slightest word,
Something’s bound to linger,
Be heard.
No one acts alone.
Careful, no one is alone.
CINDERELLA
People make mistakes. People make mistakes.
Fathers,
Mothers,

BOTH
People make mistakes,
Holding their own,
Thinking they’re alone.

CINDERELLA
Honor their mistakes…
Fight for their mistakes-
Everybody makes-

BOTH
One another’s
Terrible mistakes.
Witches can be right,
Giants can be good.
You decide what’s right,
You decide what’s good.

CINDERELLA
Just remember:

BAKER
Just remember:

BOTH
Someone is on your side.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD & JACK
Our side.

CINDERELLA & BAKER
Our side-
Someone else is not.
While we’re seeing our side-

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD & JACK
Our side….

CINDERELLA & BAKER
Our side-

ALL
Maybe we forgot:
They are not alone.
No one is alone.

CINDERELLA
Hard to see the light now.

BAKER
Just don’t let it go.

BOTH
Things will come out right now.
We can make it so.
Someone is on you side,
No one is alone.”

Why this song’s so cool: uhhhh… because it IS.

Why this song’s helpful:  Not everyone will understand what you are going through, but you’re not alone.  No one is alone.

More about Into The Woods:

The Musical:  http://stageagent.com/shows/musical/1284/into-the-woods

The 2014 Movie:  http://movies.disney.com/into-the-woods/

Stephen Sondheim:  http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/stephen-sondheim/