When I listen to a sad song, or a poignant song, I'm not sure what reaction to take. Do I follow the mood or not let it affect me?  Should I fight the gut reaction? Am I giving into the spell to let it take me on the emotional ride the song promises?  Everyone has been in love to some degree, at least enough to connect with a love song. We've also lost loved ones and fallen out of love and wanted to be more independent, or wished to be a little less alone.  Songs resonate with us because the melody works on our subconscious while at the same time the lyrics trigger potent personal memories.  We can see the singer of the song, be the singer of the song and the orchestration seals the deal.  It is like magic.  It can get our toes tapping even without our noticing. It can increase heart rate or draw tears from our eyes.  It seems both foolish and dramatic to argue that to be strong we shouldn't let anything have that power over us, but it's just a song, just a couple of words put to a few notes on a guitar, or piano.  Hands move over an instrument caressing or tearing out a melody.  Wind instruments are breathed to life.

Music is CPR to a dead heart. 

Again, is it worth it to follow the music's path through emotion?  Are we being saps to sing bohemian rhapsody at the top of our lungs or croon some Sinatra tune?  Is it ok to purposefully use music to affect others?  Anyone ever heard of the words "mix tape?" Is it even legal to play Barry White around two people of the opposite sex?   Would you use an accordion as the accompaniment to a marriage proposal?  What harm is there to let a song get you in a better mood?  Every single one of us has a song that, upon hearing the first few chords, can elicit an instant smile.   

Do you ever hear music in a dream?  Not that dreams are silent, but one would think that music would be related to the state of dreaming.  REM is a band after all.

Movies would be nothing without music, without a score.  Heck, most TV shows are amped up emotionally at the end not necessarily by the climax, but by the song that accompanies it, that plays throughout the montage of final moments.  The now defunct WB was great at this and the current TV show Bones and Being Human also uses excellent and unexpected songs to give a little punch to the last few minutes of the show.  It is effective and powerful. 

What is your favorite song?  For me, it's "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2.  Followed closely by "All Along the Watchtower"  - the Jimmy Hendrix version.

The song currently playing is Pride by Syntax. It makes me want to paint, or write, draw or get in the car and, without direction, drive with the windows open letting the wind blow my hair into knots.  This song would come at the end of a movie.  The main character has finally made a change to her life and is driving away from the bad or towards the good yet-to-be realized.  Her smile is large and her car is red.  She lets the hand not on the steering wheel dance in the breeze.  She's alone, and that's ok.

What song did you last listen to?  Did it move you? 

Maybe music binds us because it doesn't even have to be in our own language to be enjoyed.  Beating drums seem to stir something inside of us we really can't explain. 

Music is a rhythm, a rhythm is a cycle, cycles are life, we are music.

"and i believe in reinvention
do you believe that life is holding the clue
take away all the lonely moments
give me full communication with you
your smile shine a little light, alright
don't hide, shine a little light
give up on your pride"