Everything has music built in. I just know it.
I came to this realization long ago, when I was about six I think, watching the Muppet Show. As it started, and that bouncy Muppet Show song came on, I just knew:
This song was strumming my pain with its fingers.
You know, telling my whole life with his words.
Perhaps, not, however, killing me softly with his song. Because, they’re Muppets you know. It’s a happy thing. They don’t do killing.
Linking up with my favorite people today! Five Minute Friday. And the theme?
Oh, I have a lot to say about this. But, alas, I have to pick my children up from school in a bit so I’ll keep it short.
So, yes, I realize that sounds like I’m alas-ing about the kids showing up here. Not quite. They’re the ones that bring a lot of noise and all. Chaos. Child-chaos, the most mind-fizzling kind. Like trying to stuff a bunch of small kittens down a swirly slide while a small parrot sits on your head and repeats the 10 Commandments at you.
YES REALLY THAT’S JUST WHAT IT’S LIKE.
But, back to singing.
I sing a lot. I have my Jesus music on all day, because if I don’t I start to listen to what’s going on in my head, and no one wants to do that. I sing along. I tend to think I could very well be a backup singer for Journey, if they needed one, you know. Don’t worry – I know very well I can’t actually be the headliner, but totally could nail backup, right?
There’s a band, Travis, from the 90’s that came out with a song called, (you guessed it) “Sing.” I love Travis. They’re all ironic lyrics and tousled British looks and jangly banjos. They were hipster before hipster was cool. And the lyrics tell us:
“But the love you bring, won’t mean a thing,
Unless you sing.”
It’s true. We need to sing at life. Every day has a soundtrack. Some lyrics are AC DC, some are Neil Diamond.
Some are ABBA and you KNOW those are gonna be good days.
My children have a propensity for singing, especially Red. He likes to sing in the bath, and often makes up his own lyrics. A few nights ago he was in there singing something about Luke Skywalker and I so wanted to video it, but artistic license, you know. They both have it in their contract (renewed when they turned six-ish, that no more videos of bathing time would occur. The lawyer had that instilled after one unfortunate incident involving some gospel, the cat, and a naked Red. Lawyers are such a pain.)
One night, while I was trying to scrape together dinner (literally because I had spilled the pasta and by God we were GOING to eat pasta, even floor pasta. Don’t judge.) it seemed that we were going to have a particularly musical evening.
Musical, not so much in an Andrew Lloyd Webber way, but more in a Bludgeoning You Upside the Head Way.
It involved a lot of noise from Red who was asking me, in operatic style, to build Tatooine with him in the living room. Because he NEEDED TATOOINE RIGHT NOW IN THE LIVING ROOM HOW CAN YOU, MOTHER, IGNORE MY PLEA (insert endlessly repeating chorus here).
On the radio, was the twanging of Johnny Cash. He goes with everything, as you know.
And then, Blonde decided to go upstairs and get his recorder. “Do you want to hear a song?” he asked and I looked at him, wide-eyed, because what? Like a song ON TOP of all the other songs going on right now? I mean, maybe some harmonies would be doable but really? MORE song?
If the dog had started howling the moment would have really defined itself as The One Time That She Ran from the House with the Dishtowel Over Her Head, Screaming.
I didn’t. The dog didn’t. We soldiered on and I think I did the most logical mom thing:
I snatched that blasted recorder right out of Blonde’s hands and hid it where the sun don’t shine.
There’s only so much music one can take, y’all. I’m not Julie Andrews.
We sing, because we have to. The soundtrack of my life is very Muppet Show with a little Les Miserables mixed in. As well it should be. I regularly sing Master of the House to the babies as their lullaby.
That explains a lot, actually.
So, also, is this little gem – it’s a part of our soundtrack on the repeat around here:
