The Feeling Music Brings...

I think I'm having a better day today. At least so far. I drove to Lexington yesterday for a program and had a little bit of quiet time in the car along the way. It always amazes me how music can move you and invoke such strong feelings in people. Sometimes, a certain song or two will come on my iPod and I change it immediately - there are a few songs that get me every time. The song that Dad and I danced to at my wedding is one - who knew how prophetic the song would come to be.

(Okay, so this is weird - I'm sitting here listening to my iPod as I type this - another song that brings me to tears every time I hear it just came on - "Go Rest High on That Mountain" by the wonderful Vince Gill...must change now before tears start falling. Danny and I saw him live about a month after Dad died and I just sat in the VIP section at Horsehoe Casino crying...I just couldn't control myself. I don't know if it's Vince's voice or the lyrics to the song, but it gets me every time.)

Anyways - yesterday, I was listening to my iPod and one of my all-time favorites popped up: "Soulshine," originally by the Allman Brothers Band, covered beautifully by my musical boyfriend, Warren Haynes (LOVE!). I have always loved this song, but with whatever I was going through yesterday, the song spoke to me in a different way. Here are the lyrics:

When you can't find the light
That got you through the cloudy days,
When the stars ain't shinin' bright,
You feel like you've lost you're way,
When those candle lights of home,
Burn so very far away,
Well you got to let your soul shine,
Just like my daddy used to say.


He used to say soulshine,
It's better than sunshine,
It's better than moonshine,
Damn sure better than rain.
Hey now people don't mind,
We all get this way sometime,
Got to let your soul shine, shine till the break of day

I grew up thinkin' that I had it made,
Gonna make it on my own.
Life can take the strongest man,
Make him feel so alone.
Now and then I feel a cold wind,
Blowin' through my achin' bones,
I think back to what my daddy said,
He said "Boy, in the darkness before the dawn:"

Let your soul shine,
It's better than sunshine,
It's better than moonshine,
Damn sure better than rain.
Yeah now people don't mind,
We all get this way sometimes,
Gotta let your soul shine, shine till the break of day.

Sometimes a man can feel this emptiness,
Like a woman has robbed him of his very soul.
A woman too, God knows, she can feel like this.
And when your world seems cold, you got to let your spirit take control.

Let your soul shine,
It's better than sunshine,
It's better than moonshine,
Damn sure better than rain.
Lord now people don't mind,
We all get this way sometimes,
Gotta let your soul shine, shine till the break of day.

So there I was, driving to Lexington alone, belting this song out, tears streaming down the face. I love it. And now, the iPod has shuffled and landed on my ultimate music pick-me-up. If I am having a bad day, I put this song on and it always makes me smile. What is it? Well, it's "Gin and Juice" originally by Snoop Dogg (not a favorite), but covered by "The Gourds." Just something about hearing a bluegrass/country band sing a rap-song gets me every time!