I don’t know what it is about driving in a car by yourself with the ability to listen to whatever music you choose, but there are some songs that are so poetic, they move me to tears. I’m back to my old tricks–the hopeless romantic in me has returned. Full force.
On my way up to Local Authors Day at the Bel Air Library (a 45-minute drive), I was listening to John Mayer. He’s one of my favorite artists, primarily because his lyrics are so incredibly moving and realistic.
Back in the car on the ride home, I popped the CD back in again. Every time I listen to “Comfortable,” it gets me choked up. It’s one of those songs where you can almost hear the artist’s heart breaking. I am no singer or performer, but I remember watching American Idol when the judges would comment that they didn’t “believe the contestants when they sang.” I know what the judges mean by this—all you have to do is see Anne Hathaway sing “I Dreamed A Dream” in the film “Les Miserables” to witness an incredibly believable performance. She won Best Supporting Actress for it.
But back to John Mayer: he feels the lyrics. We hear his voice become affected by the words and story he is telling. And that’s why I pay attention to lyrics—I want to listen and interpret the story that’s being told to me through song.
There was something about his song that made me tear up today. Maybe it was because all afternoon I told the plot of my novel to potential readers over and over again…a plot that focuses on love, heartbreak, and forgiveness, or maybe it’s because of entirely different reason all together. I don’t know if I can put my finger on it, but it was somewhere in these lines of lyrics that I felt myself become weepy:
“Can’t remember, what went wrong last September
Though I’m sure that you’d remind me, if you had to…
Our love was, comfortable and
so broken in …
She thinks I can’t see the smile that she’s fakin’
and poses for pictures that aren’t being taken
I loved you
grey sweat pants, no makeup, so perfect
Our love was, comfortable and
so broken in
she’s perfect, so flawless
I’m not impressed, I want you back.”
