I Have A Song For You
“I have a song for you.” It’s a phrase I find myself saying constantly in my head and regularly on social media. Whether it’s a phrase I hear someone saying/posting that triggers my brain or a situation that reminds me of a lyric, I find that I think in song. Sometimes it comes out at inopportune moments like when my wife tells me, “Stop what you’re doing…” as I’m pulling a pan of burritos out of the oven. Confused when I complete the lyrical opening with “’cause I’m about to ruin the image and the style that you’re used to,” from the world-famous “The Humpty Dance,” she was no more amused when I explained the situation. The saying rings true, “If you have to explain it, it’s not funny.”
However, where this self-perceived “super power” lands its most effective punches is when I can share an inspirational song, whether spiritual or secular, to someone in need of an encouraging words or melodies in a difficult time. A friend of mine who has been going through an awful personal situation has been posting often about her good days and her bad ones. Lately, she has experienced a breakthrough in wanting to focus on the light in her life and not allowing the dark to command such a presence in her. As we exchanged messages, she said something that made me think of a non-charting Boyz II Men song called “So Amazing” from The Hurricane soundtrack – and so I shared it with her.
As is typical for me that musical train kept rolling down the tracks, and I thought of a different Boyz II Men soundtrack song from The Prince Of Egypt that released about a year prior.
It peaked at #32 on the pop charts and fared moderately better on the R&B charts at a transposed #23 per Billboard charts. Now I could dwell in all the music nerdery about how it was their last foray into the Top 40 of the Billboard pop charts, but doing so would sell the song short.
In our society anymore, we tend to place so much emphasis on lists and rankings. Industry executives have data points on many topics in their respective fields. There can be value in collecting such data to measure the business success of art. Perhaps you can even argue that these professional lists can be objective. However, a chart or ranking can’t accurately show the impact of how a song makes someone feel. That’s generally measured externally with a smile or internally with a rush of endorphins. If you possess a keen ability to provide a respite for someone who could use a helping hand through a small or big problem, use it graciously and use it often. Your act may not make a national chart, but it may very well make their day.