Saturday, June 19, 2010

Arguing with lyrics 2: We Belong

The thing about arguing with lyrics is that everyone can do it, because no song is going to agree with everyone and no one agrees with every song.  It's a far more important exercise to address those I connected with emotionally in a way I may need to finish letting go of, rather than the vast wealth of those that I simply disagree with.  This great song from Pat Benatar is one of the former, for me:


Many times I've tried to tell you 
Many times I've cried alone 
Always I'm surprised how well you 
Cut my feelings to the bone 
Don't want to leave you really 
I've invested too much time 
To give you up that easy 
To the doubts that complicate your mind 

CHORUS: 
We belong to the light 
We belong to the thunder 
We belong to the sound of the words 
We've both fallen under 
Whatever we deny or embrace 
For worse or for better 
We belong, we belong 
We belong together 

Maybe it's a sign of weakness 
When I don't know what to say 
Maybe I just wouldn't know 
What to do with my strength anyway 
Have we become a habit 
Do we distort the facts 
Now there's no looking forward 
Now there's no turning back 
When you say 

CHORUS 

Close your eyes and try to sleep now 
Close your eyes and try to dream 
Clear your mind and do your best 
To try and wash the palette clean 
We can't begin to know it 
How much we really care 
I hear your voice inside me 
I see your face everywhere 
Still you say 

CHORUS 


And about this I simply need to remind myself that, no, we never did belong together in the way I convinced myself we did.  Perhaps it's true that we belonged as friends, and there's no doubt that in the long run there was good that came into my life out of my inappropriate attachment, forgiveness that I was able to offer that has made all the difference in my life.  I'll always be grateful.  But even then, she belonged with him, and I with her, and the only reason I mention any of this is to finish letting go of the warm nostalgia that has filled me on hearing this song over the past 20 years.  

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