One Good Thing About Music
Twenty-five years ago today, Bob Marley died.
I consider myself a pretty eclectic music fan, and I like reggae as much as I like any other kind of music. I would not, however, say that I am or was a real devotee of Bob Marley. So why bother to post?
Well, some years ago I had to deal with losing someone I loved, and there were two songs that helped me grieve and get to the other side. One was "Minute by Minute" by the Doobie Brothers, and the other was Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain".
To me, "Minute by Minute" gave an outlet for my anger, my sense of having been a sucker; "You think I'm you're fool, you may just be right" and all that. Singing it or listening to it pushed me way down into the blackness, made it impossible to avoid and forced me to swim in it until it was all gone. Very necessary. Not at all fun.
"Waiting in Vain," on the other hand, gave me a place to stand and hold onto hope. The lyric isn't angry, but it isn't resigned, either. To me, it said that my feelings were mine and I didn't have to surrender them if I didn't want to. If I wanted to cling to them, that was my choice, and when I sang it or listened to it I felt stronger, even in my loneliness. I needed "Minute by Minute" so I could cry, but I needed "Waiting in Vain" so I could heal.
Now I'm with Little Miss and happy at last. I think I might not have had the capacity for this joy if it wasn't for Bob Marley, who succumbed to cancer on May 11, 1981.
Benshlomo says, Don't kid yourself; your life needs music.
I consider myself a pretty eclectic music fan, and I like reggae as much as I like any other kind of music. I would not, however, say that I am or was a real devotee of Bob Marley. So why bother to post?
Well, some years ago I had to deal with losing someone I loved, and there were two songs that helped me grieve and get to the other side. One was "Minute by Minute" by the Doobie Brothers, and the other was Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain".
To me, "Minute by Minute" gave an outlet for my anger, my sense of having been a sucker; "You think I'm you're fool, you may just be right" and all that. Singing it or listening to it pushed me way down into the blackness, made it impossible to avoid and forced me to swim in it until it was all gone. Very necessary. Not at all fun.
"Waiting in Vain," on the other hand, gave me a place to stand and hold onto hope. The lyric isn't angry, but it isn't resigned, either. To me, it said that my feelings were mine and I didn't have to surrender them if I didn't want to. If I wanted to cling to them, that was my choice, and when I sang it or listened to it I felt stronger, even in my loneliness. I needed "Minute by Minute" so I could cry, but I needed "Waiting in Vain" so I could heal.
Now I'm with Little Miss and happy at last. I think I might not have had the capacity for this joy if it wasn't for Bob Marley, who succumbed to cancer on May 11, 1981.
Benshlomo says, Don't kid yourself; your life needs music.
posted by benshlomo at 11:59 PM
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