The Truth in Music

Have you ever really listened to the words in some songs? Did something the artist sing really hit home with you? There are some artists whose songs speak truth to me. A few of them are Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, and Bonnie Raitt. I'll start with Bonnie Raitt.

In the 1990s, Bonnie Raitt had a song about how you can't make somebody love you. These lines from her song always got to me:

'Cuz I can't make you love me if you don't.
You can't make your heart feel something it won't'

Ain't that the truth. Goodness knows I tried to make people love me. I learned the hard, painful, heartbreaking way that it doesn't work.

Mary J. Blige songs really hit home. I think the truth in her songs, and of course her singing ability, make her such a powerful force of truth. When she first came on the scene, you could hear the pain and turmoil. Here are some lyrics from Mary J. that spoke to me:

'Life can be only what you make it,
When you're feeling down, you should never fake it.
Say what's on your mind,
And you'll find in time,
That all the negative energy - it will all just cease.
And you'll be at peace with yourself.
You won't really need no one else.'

Another truth telling Mary J. song talks about being happy:

'How can I love somebody else
if I can't love myself enough to know
when it's time, time to let go.
All I really want is to be happy.
To find a love that's mine,
It would be so free.'

I think these songs by Bonnie Raitt and Mary J. Blige won them Grammys. I believe that the truth and honesty that they express in their songs tap into others on a deeper level.

Now, Jill Scott and Alicia Keys songs really empower me. Both women are poets. Not only do I love their songs, but I feel stronger after listening to them. I don't like concerts or live performances, but I've seen them both in concert, and they were very positive. Jill Scott just radiated self-love, truth, and honesty with lyrics like 'living her life like it's golden'. Alicia Keys current song about being 'a superwoman with an S on her chest' makes me want to put on a cape (seriously).

There are other artists and songs that I'll talk about in future blogs. I wanted to start with the ones that have talked to me for a long time. Let me know who speaks the truth to you in their lyrics. We might have some in common...