"Hey Jude, don't make it bad...
Take a sad song and make it better..."
Ah that Beatles song. I remember singing at the top of my lungs with my sister and brother to this song, dedicating it our mom. Just because the name of the song matched hers. Usually in the car on road trips. And when it got to the extended "nah nah nah, na-na nah nah..." that goes on for 17+ counts (yes, I counted once) we'd add a little extra loud belting it out. She loved it....even if she didn't express her love for it at the time!
Nowadays that song always makes me pause when I hear it. There are other songs that always bring me back to a time and place long forgotten. It's funny, too, how I can remember the exact details of what I was doing - the car I was in, the road we were on, who I was with, when I hear some songs. How strange how our memory works. I suppose that's why I love music so much. It's not just the sound of guitar and drums - or piano and bass guitar, or whatever instrument is involved in creating an amazing song. It's the combination of a song + time and place. Whether it's the lyrics of the song, or the activities associated with the song - there is something about music that produces a feeling of connection beyond that physical recording of the sound.
Have you ever been asked "If you had to lose your sight or your hearing, what would you choose?". It's a hard one - and one I hope to never have to make! But for me, I think I'd have to give up my sight before my hearing, for the simple fact of music. Sound.
As I plan my wedding - flowers and dress and cake oh my!! - I keep returning to the music. John of course is also very much into music, which I love. In particular, the songs that will be involved in the actual ceremony are proving harder to choose than I thought! Classical or contemporary? Instrumental or with original lyrics? Slow tempo or upbeat? I've been on a musical journey the last couple of weeks, previewing all of my old favorites with a more critical ear - would this work to walk down the aisle to? Is it too sad/obscure/fast? It's been fun to go through my history of music - and the memories that pop up with certain songs.
Which brings me back to Hey Jude. Ah, that song. My mom. I would love to incorporate it somehow, but I'm not sure if it's too sad, or too obvious. I don't know....I wish I could call up my mom and say "Hey mom, what do you think....?"
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