Have you ever listened to a song that was so life-changing
It began to creep into every essence of your being
And now you’re seeing that music has taken over your personality?
At least, that’s what happened to me
It provided that escape that I so desperately
Waited for – I adore its loudness,
Its ability to block out, mute the world
As I uncurl from the one-sided box that you crammed me into,
I begin to realize this life can be rewritten.
I don’t have the lyrical capacity to be a verse
As my words could not fit a rhyme scheme
And the stranger wouldn’t bother to listen to
A story too long, too bold, too much about me.
Yet I couldn’t be a chorus either
I would not want to repeat myself over and over
To hold some sort of memory of the most mundane,
Catchiest tune ever.
I see myself more as the bridge
Surrounded by support beams and arches of themes
That soar right over my head
As I focus on being the most unlike anything
In this musical composition.
Sometimes I wish I could go back to that first draft of verse #1
Where I see that little girl listening, without music
Where I hear that car radio blare out words, without meaning
Where I wonder how I was ever able to live with myself, without myself.
You see, it’s those striking chords of the intro that hooks you in
A whirlwind of not noise – sound
Sound is a tour guide that slips you a one-way ticket to ecstasy
And as you’re riding that train the bass keeps you awake
And life doesn’t seem so noisy anymore.
I implore you to listen, not to hear
An explanation of a feeling that is so freeing
A hidden emotion I am still seeking for
I compare it to a downpour, thick in the storm
Of dissonant melodies always circling
Clicking the keys of piano and strings screeching
I hear it now and want it to stop.
Author’s Note:
I wrote this piece to outline the impact music has had on my life. At first, it was an escape from the low moments, but over time, it evolved into something much more. Music inspired me to write poetry and song lyrics, ultimately helping me uncover a hidden passion and a vital piece of my identity.
Paige Nicholson | 17 | Ontario, Canada
