#7Songs – Number Five
The soundtrack of our lives is one big mixtape of emotions. Joy and sadness, love and loss, triumph and failure. It’s unique to the individual and takes us back to those moments. Like pushing on a deep bruise, the music reminds us of a time when we were young, made and lost friends and lovers, failed and triumphed in school and later work.
Music allows us to relive those moments and then snap back to the present, often bringing the emotions back, if only for a brief second, to be lost until we play the song again and push on the bruise to try and feel (and hopefully) learn the lessons taught in the past.
Some timeless standards immediately transport me to the lost years of my youth. When I was struggling to discover my true self. Times when I had no clue what the hell I was doing, where I was going, or where I’d end up. I just kept moving forward.
The Song: You Go To My Head – Cassandra Wilson’s Version
Why this one: This song, to me, tells the best story of unrequited love. A story where we know the individuals will never have a chance. A story in which days are filled with possibilities, but they’ll never come to fruition. Depressing? Maybe. But haunting poetry nonetheless.
The lyrics can be a trifle, or they can shake you to your core. For me, I’m reminded of those emotions. Carefree and Careless, longing and lost.
Where it takes me: Cassandra Wilson’s version takes me immediately back to France. I’m standing in the study of a stately old townhouse in the north, waiting for dinner and trying not to inhale the small bowl of mixed nuts, while my wife’s uncle is cooking. He’s playing her album and improvising on his technique.
The meal was nothing short of exceptional. Maybe it was the aperitifs, maybe it was the excitement of some great fois gras coming, or maybe it was the moment. Ms. Wilson’s voice added to the emotion and sensory elements that grabbed me, not letting go, until I paid them attention.
Parting Shots: I was standing alone at a party, tuxedoed and annoyed at my bowtie when this song came on in the lounge before a formal event. I turned around from my spot at the bar and surveyed the room and the other guests who were there. Many had no idea what this song was, or who sang it. Most probably didn’t care.
Me? I quietly smiled. I turned back to my drink and listened as the song gently pressed on that old deep bruise. The feeling was there but it was different. I was still moving forward, but this time I had a better sense of how far I had come, and how much further I still have to go.
