Hear the Song
v
Live With A Song
words and music by Paige Powell © 2016 Paige E. Powell
1. Morning, out of bed, and there’s coffee to make
And there’s a song in mind
that helps me stay awake
And bring it along
Then, after the meeting I was humming a tune
Singing the the time away,
now it’s already noon
I live with a song!
Chorus:
These black and white words love music’s colors
And from all our radios we love a great song
We’ll whistle the melody and hum the chorus
To feel music’s happiness is where we belong
2. If I were a prisoner, locked up and alone
I’d still be singing songs and music I have known
And bring it along
I can bear the traffic when the radio plays
I know I’ll move along, but the music stays
I live with a song!
Bridge: Tell me why lullabys let babies sleep
Rhythms of rocking-chair peace
Symphonies of melodies
make strong men weep
Why do they feel such release?
Chorus: These black and white words
love music’s colors
And from all our radios we love a great song
We’ll whistle the melody and hum the chorus
To feel music’s happiness is where we belong
Tag: And bring it along — Live with a song!
For listeners who love Renaissance madrigals with a ¾ Waltz tempo, this finely-crafted song about music and its value in our lives delivers a “mini symphony”.
Songs have such power to lift our spirits, yet music is something we can’t see or touch. Our favorite “ear candy” can accompany us throughout a dull day when we “bring it along” and “live with a song”.
After the second verse, the bridge swells with orchestral strings and lyrics "...symphonies of melodies make strong men weep..." Full harmonies on the final chorus round out this anthem which declares, "These black and white words need music's colors!".
From the August 27, 2021 Blog:
The Story Behind the Song, "Live With A Song"
It's getting more and more difficult to watch or listen to the news, right? Fires in the west, flooding in Tennessee, turmoil in Afghanistan and climbing numbers of people dying from COVID. Minor local bummers are favorite
restaurants and locals businesses closing, some because they can't get enough people to work there. If we dwell on all this bad news, we'll sink down into sadness, and that's not helpful to our psyche or to our general health. Having a positive outlook helps us function better and think more clearly, but it's hard to maintain.
Music can save our sanity. Are you feeling blue and listless and trapped? Is fear robbing you of peace, or motivation to be productive? My advice is to make yourself put on your FAVORITE music and dance to it. Really. In your living room or bedroom where no one is watching. You might feel silly, but it works.
To take a break from dancing to rock songs, next put on Paige's waltz, "Live With A Song" (click on the title) or to hear it using Spotify, click here. It was originally titled "Celebration" and over the years I edited it, keeping the theme of "black and white words" with music giving them "color". The second verse was inspired by the 1994 movie, "The Shawshank Redemption" a truly classic film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Here are the lyrics: "If I were a prisoner, locked up and alone, I'd still be singing songs and music I have known, and bring it along". In the film, Tim Robbins plays a prisoner who is locked in solitary for several days. When he emerges, his fellow prisoners are pleasantly surprised that he seems to be okay and asks him how he stayed sane. He points to his head and says he had "Mr. Mozart" with him. Music saved his sanity.
If "Live With A Song" doesn't become a favorite of yours, that's okay as long as YOU are okay. Many times, music has lifted me out of depression, but I had to make myself play it, listen to it and then dance to it. After the 3rd song, you should feel better, just as I have.
As for me, I'm grateful that a local writer, Amanda Socci interviewed me and gave her readers a review of many of my original songs. Her monthly newsletter is available by subscription — click here for the link.
Sign up for Paige's once-every-10-days Newsletter, "The Story Behind the Song"
