We’re running low on Friday Fix reflections. Following the recent bleak IPCC Report and the upcoming COP26 Gathering, we wondered if songs about change and/or the environment might prompt some ideas for contributions. Perhaps a season of ‘protest’ songs might be in order?
Anyhow – have a think and a shuffle through your record collection (physical or mental). Gill would love to receive a few reflections at thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk. As always, don’t worry about format, editing and links to videos – we can do all of that.
Looking forward to an influx of songs in the next couple of weeks!
On March 15 2018 I was (as I said in my Facebook post at the time) playing out late on a school night. Along with my dad (the main source of my musical education), my sister and my brother (who’d been roped in last minute because my mum was ill) I had the immense joy of seeing the legend Joan Baez in concert at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
What I was looking forward to the most was seeing this amazing woman sing ‘Diamonds and Rust’ live and, honestly, she didn’t disappoint in her delivery of that classic. But, as much as I love that song, it ended up not being my main memory of the night.
A few weeks before the concert took place, on February 14, a gunman had opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 peopleand injuring 17 others. This terrible, tragic event became the most deadly high school shooting in American history (how sad that there is even a list), surpassing Columbine (1999) in its number of victims. It came at a time of increased support for gun control (following other mass shootings in 2017) and it prompted several Parkland students to start the #NeverAgain movement, advocating for tighter regulations that prevent gun violence.
In response to all this, Joan Baez sang the Bob Dylan song ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’ and dedicated it to those brave students, taking a stand against the NRA and turning their grief into action. I remember turning to my brother (who had been a very reluctant stand-in to take the spare ticket) and seeing tears streaming down his face, tears that mirrored my own as I reached out and took his hand.
As we were reeling from the emotional impact of Dylan’s ever-relevant lyrics, Baez moved into singing the beautiful song that this post is actually about. Written by Zoe Mulford, ‘The President Sang Amazing Grace’ tells the story of the 2015 attack on the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, which claimed the lives of nine of the church-goers. The title refers to the reaction of then President, Barrack Obama, when he attended the memorial service for the victims:
But no words could say what must be said For all the living and the dead So on that day and in that place The President sang Amazing Grace The President sang Amazing Grace
As Joan Baez sang this beautiful song, I swear the whole audience held its breath. It felt like a profoundly spiritual moment – a shared acknowledgement that some things are just too awful to comprehend, some feelings too big to articulate. I’m not ashamed to say that, at this point, my brother and I were practically clinging to one another and sobbing like babies.
This song has returned to me recently as I’ve been watching the news – in particular (but not only) the worrying events in Afghanistan, the tragic shooting that occurred in Plymouth and the aftermath of the awful earthquake in Haiti. I’ve watched the video, with some beautiful, hand-drawn animations that serve the song well, a number of times. The lyrics tell us that sometimes all we can do is share our pain with God, knowing that God is with us, that God not only understands but shares our grief and cries with us. We can lean on God and feel ourselves held.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
In the last 18 months or so, I’ve had a lot of people talking to me about “finding your song”. It may have been in worship or through a children’s story; through conversation and reflection on a radio programme or even through song lyrics themselves. It has even extended to those conversations about Simon Sinek’s work on “Finding Your Why” or discovering your core purpose. A sort of perfect storm then around discovering who you are and what really drives you. What is your song and how do you sing it with passion?
Into that space then comes this song from k.d. lang. It has such a lazy summer feel to it and yet it has at its heart a celebration of the unique individuals we are. The imperative to be true to yourself and all you can accomplish with what you’ve been given or learnt or seen as critical in life. How to be your true self and then what you do then with that discovery.
The story in your eyes
Spoke of all the things you realize and dream
The thing about finding your song or purpose is that it offers great joy. A kind of sweet spot moment but also comes with other questions and queries. If we extend the metaphor then. What happens if you’ve effectively lost your voice for while? What if someone, or some situation, has stopped you from singing? What if you’re in a choir and the rest of your friends want to sing something different? What if your song is a one hit wonder or maybe it’s a classic. How do you teach others to sing it if it has a complicated tune? How long can you sustain a solo without backing singers? You get the picture. How do you handle having to not be your whole self for a while knowing that at your heart there is a thread of being you can’t put down?
As a person of faith it never ceases to amaze me how critical song is biblically.
Songs of joy and thanksgiving. Psalms full of gratitude and despair. Songs of lament and sorrow in exile. Songs of love. Songs of realisation. In scripture then these songs are a representation of how people were discovering who they were and what they were for. People who knew from the start what they were being called to and what their purpose was. People who were unsure and on a voyage of discovery. People who had to be persuaded or discovered the hard way. People who didn’t like it. People who lived through some really tough stuff. Abraham. Moses. David. Hannah. Samuel. Jonah. Joseph. Jeremiah. Mary.
Each one with a unique story to tell and a significant “song to sing.”
It seems then that all this “song stuff” requires of us at least a little self awareness. Time to dig deep and find out who we are and how that plays out in our lives. Time to discover and focus for a while but then whatever you do and whatever your song……..
Sing it loud, sing it, sing it, sing it loud
So everyone knows who you are
Oh and by the way I Iove this bit:
When the days grow dark with confusion
You can always give your burdens to the music
It’s a real truth for me and I guess many readers of a blog like this. Ultimately I suppose, your song is what keeps you grounded but more simply the songs sung by anyone can sustain you and you can rest there for a while. Both literally and metaphorically of course.
Another turning point A fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist Directs you where to go
In her book ‘How to Fall in Love’, Cecelia Ahern describes life as “a series of moments, and moments are always changing.” We humans mark out our lives with key moments/milestones/achievements – birth, first tooth, first steps, first tantrum, first day at school, first love, last day at school…you get the gist.
Some of the moments are choices; some of the moments are not; some moments are inevitable; some moments are completely unexpected.
For me, this song manages to capture the tension between the expectations and uncertainty of life. The last year of pandemic restrictions has confronted us with the notion that we’re not in control of everything. We can diligently plan to the finest detail but we should also factor in that such plans can be scuppered in a moment. Or by a teeny, tiny organism.
So make the best of this test And don’t ask why It’s not a question But a lesson learned in time
So what am I going to learn from these unexpected moments that have been foisted on me thanks to Covid? Well first of all, I’m going to accept that it might be a few years down the line for some of the learning to manifest. Secondly, I am going to continue to grab opportunities as they are offered and relish them – rather than wait for a better option or compare them to other experiences. And finally, I’m going to try and embrace the unexpected; less anger at things not going ‘my’ way and being thankful for the chance to learn and grow even more.
So take the photographs And still frames in your mind Hang it on a shelf In good health and good time
The last Friday in June traditionally marks the last day for those in Year 11 at school. I know this year that many schools opted to finish their Year 11’s early. Not so in our house, it really is the last day of Year 11 for my son today. There will be photographs – and dressing up in daft costumes – and a BBQ with the staff to say a cheerful goodbye. Memories caught in images that will continue to be replayed, revisited and reviewed throughout their lives.
True enough, the last two years of school life have certainly not been what was planned and expected. It’s been distressing, disheartening and disruptive. However, it’s also opened minds, opened up dialogue about how we do things and opened up new possibilities about how we move forward.
Tattoos of memories And dead skin on trial For what it’s worth It was worth all the while
Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes famously talks about a time for everything. It also reminds us that we’re not the ones in control. Verses 11 to 13 sum this whole thing up perfectly ‘True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life.’ (The Message Version)
It’s something unpredictable But in the end it’s right I hope you had the time of your life
As I was driving home the other day, I was suddenly transported back to the summer of 1989. How? Well Soul II Soul’s ‘Back to Life’ came on the radio, that’s why…
It got me to thinking that it would be lovely to fill our Friday Fix in the coming weeks with songs that you associate with summer. Who were you with? Where were you? What were you up to?
So if this has inspired you, why not sit down this week (or sometime soon) and jot down your thoughts in a Fix and send it to Gill at thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk.
So you’ve been following the Friday Fix and have loved reading them. Some might have really provoked some action you’ve taken. Some might have made you nod in agreement. Some may have reduced you to tears. Some may have made you chuckle or reassure you.
You have an idea in your mind about a song that you love, or made a difference, or reassured you, or challenged you but you don’t think anyone would want to read all about this.
How wrong you would be. We’ve received Friday Fixes from lots of people who have said ‘you don’t have to use it’ or ‘it’s probably not good enough’ – only to find that they have been some of our most popular posts.
So go on – take a deep breath and pop your thoughts down in an email to Gill at thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk. You don’t have to find the video clip, it doesn’t have to be word perfect and it can be about any song as long as it’s ‘secular’.
Looking forward to a deluge of contributions over the coming days and weeks!
Just to brighten up your January days, we’ve created the Friday Fix 2020 Playlist on Spotify.
It’s nearly all the songs that we covered last year – a couple of them are so ‘leftfield’, Spotify doesn’t know them (or the artist doesn’t want Spotify to know them).
There’s been much discussion in the British media this week about Christmas Songs. Whether they should be played in November (some shops have banned them until 1st December) and which one is the most annoying (the prize goes to Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas according to a UK poll by Huawei).
We wondered if there were any Christmas songs that speak to you. Or whether there are any songs that you associate with Advent or Christmas that warm your heart.
We’d love to hear from you. Just send an email to thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk with the name of the song, the singer and an explanation about why & how the song speaks to you.
Lots of people cite Autumn as their favourite time of the year. Are you one of those people? Do Keats’ words of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ thrill you? Are there secular songs about Autumn or songs that remind you of Autumn that you could tell us about?
We’d love to hear from you – just write a few words about the song and why it resonates or moves you. Email it to Gill at thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk or drop a comment through this blog to us.
The Friday Fix 