thank you for the music

Someone wise once described music to me as the most underestimated force in the world. They were right. It has the capacity to make us laugh, make us cry and think, all without stopping to realise why. It is the most real thing in this world, brutally honest, and raw. Listening to the latest album by punk-rock giants, Simple Plan, I came across a very special song dedicated to their fans. ‘This  Song Saved My Life’ spoke of the connection between the band and all of their fans, and it got me thinking about MY connection to and passion for music, about how many times it has been music that has saved me.

Now, we have all seen that iconic scene from Bridget Jones’ Diary, dancing around, slightly drunk, singing to ‘All by Myself’ by Celine Dion, and as much as we hate to admit it, we’ve all been there in some way or form. Down, alone, and singing hopelessly along to some song by an artist who ‘understands’ us. We all turn up our music to drown out the worries of the world around us, to rid ourselves of the stress that IS life.

Each person in the world, each passionate fan and music fanatic has some special connection with a particular artist or song. A defining piece of artwork that just seems to fit and describe us perfectly. How amazing is it that a complete stranger manages to describe us in words that sometimes we cannot even begin to think of?

I think, that at some point, we are all saved by music, all comforted by a song. When we are at our lowest, by some crazy fluke, we manage to find a piece of music that comforts us, lets us know we are not alone, or better yet it inspires us to push forward and do better.

We find purpose and solace among people who are similar to us, and people are drawn together by an artist or an album. Lady Gaga’s ‘Monsters’ are a notable group who take pride in their passion and difference. Each genre, band or singer has something different to give their fans and the world. Each one comes forward with a different message and outlook on life.

I speak from a deeply personal perspective when I say that it is the music that has made ME who I am. This may sound incredibly dorky, desperate and overly sentimental, but I would not be the person I was today without the music that I listen to. Not only has it defined me, but some of it has changed my life in ways that most people would not even be able to begin to imagine. There are so many different people that have touched my life through their lyrics and I owe it to them a million times over. Most of them will never even realise how much it has affected me.

Each song tells a story, a deeply personal one at that. Music has the ability to change people’s lives and the world. It can bring back memories (wanted or unwanted) that transport us back to a time or place. It can affect relationships and friendships, draw people together or tear them apart. Music itself is a universal language that everybody speaks. It has its own cultures, dialects and ways of living. Yet, we find that if we delve deep enough, we can see the connection, we can see and relate it back to anyone.

Shis is my little thank-you, to the music…. and as ABBA asked so wisely so many years ago:
“Without a song or a dance what are we? So I say thank-you for the music, for bringing it to me.”

By Jessica Coates

(Image credit: 1.)