Everlong – Foo Fighters

Gareth reflects:

Where to start on picking a song that represents something powerful and poignant to you? The list is endless and so dependent on the mood you’re in, who you’re with, what has happened in your day. Then add to that songs that speak into your understanding of your faith and what God is saying to you – it is a difficult, if not impossible, choice.  

I think I am quite lucky in that I have not been blessed with any musical talent whatsoever. What I lack in talent and ability, I try to make up for in volume and because of this completely talentless ignorance, it gives me that space to simply listen to the music. Take in the words. Follow and enjoy the melody. Find the beauty in so many instruments and techniques coming together. 

I am not a big fan of singing worship songs – one reason for this is as noted above. If I tried singing as a means of attempting to offer something to God, at best it would be received as a pair of socks at Christmas. I often, therefore, listen to sung worship. In this Foo Fighters song, and so many like it, I hear of connection with the God who is alive and moving in every facet of what we do.  

This song, and in particular the acoustic version, I remember first hearing it with a real chance to listen to it properly sat on the train to London and I must have played it four or five time in a row to try and absorb as much of it as I could. There was a simplicity, vulnerability and honesty to it that I think is rarely found and few musicians are willing to fully engage in. Much like in church life, I believe that this is where and when music has a real opportunity to impact us. 

The chorus sings;  

And I wonder 
When I sing along with you 
If everything could ever feel this real forever 
If anything could ever be this good again 
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you 
You got to promise not to stop when I say when 

One of the theological writers that I enjoy reading speaks of their thoughts of God. They describe the challenge of imagining God and instead liken Gods presence in the world as being like a song. A song that has been sung since creation and is continuously sung still. They describe our challenge as being to try and sing along with the song. A song of connection, a song of grace, a song of love and so many other things.  

Occasionally, I feel as though I get a few notes right and in these times, I do wonder, as the chorus sings, If everything could ever feel this real forever, If anything could ever be this good again. These are times of real connection with God and the relationship that we have with the Holy Spirit seems to be one that sings the tune in perfect harmony.  

I would like to think that the more aware we are of that song, as our eyes are opened to the places that song is being sung, as we become more aware of the people who are singing the song, the more chances we have to sing the same notes. 

Follow Foo Fighters at https://foofighters.com/