As I listened to the Bald Brothers on the radio recently, I heard
one of those old classic hits. A caller rang in to say it was good
to hear a song that one could relate to, and how one could understand
the words. Ah, the good old days, I thought.
I later found myself listening to the Beatles’ I am the walrus.
The words were very clear (I could hear every syllable) and the meaning
was so obvious:
Semolina pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower
Elementary Penguin singing Hare Krishna
Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus
This got me thinking about how timing is so important to the way
one interprets messages from any source. Our state of mind opens us
up to hearing meanings in the lyrics, with which we then connect.
In the move to CDs and DVDs, I have found myself restocking my music
collection. I have a tendency to go for compilation recordings – they
give a good historical context to the music. Often it makes me rethink
about the songs and what is the topic of the lyric. Others rekindle
thoughts of times when my needs and aims in life were different or
being shaped.
The lyrics of today are no less meaningful. Yes, there are new diverse
rhythms but there is still everything from corny love songs, lovely
love songs, protest songs, hate songs, guilt songs, sad songs, jingoistic/nationalistic
stand-and-salute-the-flag songs, and what-the-hell-is-that-about songs.
The connection to music and lyrics is about where we are in our lives.
So, if I am feeling down, I may choose songs to lift me up or to reinforce
my gloom. I know I drive much quicker to Meatloaf’s Bat Out of
Hell than I do to The Beatles’ Fool on the Hill.
Similarly, in a counselling session, the role of the counsellor is
not to provide some magical truth but to allow people to consider
where they are at and why they are at that point. Then to discuss
their positions, so that they can identify the choices they have and
what decisions they will take. To assist them to make sense of their
lives’ current lyrics, or at least understand something of where they
are coming from or going to.
To create change, people need to accept their own need to change.
Sometimes, a counsellor will provide a set of words that enables clients
to understand more of themselves than they had previously, and that
can assist them to move forward more positively.
It is not for anyone to tell another how they should or shouldn’t
feel. If the song sounds off-key to me, no amount of telling will
change my view. I once found it difficult to get a particular client
to express his feelings about issues. This made it hard to assist
him.
I gave him a diverse music CD (Van Morrison’s Greatest Hits)
to listen to for a week and asked him to pick a happy song, a sad
song, and a positive one. We used those choices to talk about his
feelings, what it was in the music or lyrics that created those feelings
in him, and what memories (if any) the feelings created. This provided
some insights for each of us.
Often we look back with blinkered eyes and forget that it is we
who have changed – not the music or lyrics. I hear old songs with
new knowing and sometimes my old favourite sounds have become nice
music but irrelevant words. Or songs that were just nice sounds now
appear to say so much. Music helps to create memories of events. People
hear a song, remember an event associated with it, and recreate feelings
that went with that event.
Paul Simon’s words in the Sounds of Silence were once true
and the words of the prophets were written on the subway walls, but
now all I see is annoying tags put there by anti-social misfits.
