Musical Words

I love music. I love hearing sounds blended with words that create images in your mind. Throughout my life, music has had a strong influence on who I am and what I do. Many times, in casual converstation, someone will say something that often sets my thoughts wandering to another time...another situation...another life. I sometimes amaze myself that I can remember certain lyrics ( a lot of them) from years ago, but I can't remember where I last had my keys!

Although most people may not view lyrics the way I do, I believe today's musicians and lyricists are our modern poetry writers. Often times you will hear of literature teachers blending the words of songs into their lessons....probably more so to get the kids' attention, but for the most this validates my "modern poetry" thought.

One of my favorite lyricist today is Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. Here are some of his masterpieces:

"Step out the front door, like a ghost into a fog, where no one notices the contrast of white on white."

"If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts."

"The smell of hospitals in winter, and the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls."

"Waiting for the moon to come and light me up inside-waiting for the telephone to tell me I'm alive."

"I dream of Michelangelo when I'm lyin in my bed...little angels hang above my head and read me like a book."

"Start tearing the old man down...run past the heather and down to the old road. Starting turning the grain into the ground...roll a new leaf over."

"She buys a ticket 'cause it's cold where she comes from...she climbs aboard because she's scared of getting older in the snow...Love is a ghost train rumbling through the darkness...hold on to me darling...I've got no where else to go."

Oh, to write like Adam...to take my own images of life and lay them down in song. The coffee waits.....