One way I enjoy life is to laugh at the absurdities, or the unexpected ways we can do something that was Not what we intended. I have many examples of this that I myself have done, but today I wanted to share a music tip: check out the lyrics before you play a song for others.
Why would I say that?
Well, twice in the last week, it didn’t happen. A wonderful radio DJ was talking about how excited he was that a dear friend’s child was turning 6 today! and how wonderful for the couple to have been married so long, and that they were all going to enjoy the day. So, to celebrate, he would play Luke Bryan’s song, “Drink a Beer”.
Uh, oh.
For those of you who know the song, it’s not about a party. It’s about someone getting the call that someone had died, and he can’t believe they’re gone, so he’s going to sit on the edge of a pier and drink a beer. (You can Google the exact lyrics. They are lovely. Or YouTube the song if you have Kleenex handy.)
I felt so sorry for that DJ – what do you do when you realize what kind of song you are playing? I don’t know what he did, since I was driving, and didn’t want to drive with wet eyes, so I changed the station. But the more I thought about it, the funnier it got, since I could So see myself doing something like that. And that made me start laughing at myself.
And then, a few days later, I was reading a book where one of the ladies had to sing at someone’s wedding before she was free to do whatever the plot required next, and she did a lovely rendition of “I Will Always Love You”.
Huh?
The title is lovely, but the lyrics are a tragic goodbye, and overwhelming loss, in the great songwriting done by Dolly Parton: “We both know I’m not what you need.”
And again, I could just see myself picking a song by a title, and not technically making sure I know all the lyrics, or even sharing it when I’ve completely mis-heard the lyrics. And there I was, reading a wonderful book, but bursting out laughing at something So much like what I would do.
And so, that’s my tip for the day: Before I share a song with someone else, I’m going to my favorite Google, and check out the lyrics first.