Well, let me tell you, the song “Learn to Be Still” (Eagles) was a song a dear friend played for me when I was going through a rough time in my life. To this day, that song is extremely calming.
Hehe, I’m Catholic and my favorite bands/artists are the Beatles, the Eagles, U2, Nickelback, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Bruce Springsteen, Ani Difranco, Shakira, and some others. Most of them, I was raised on (I love the movie “Almost Famous”, actually, because it’s a family favorite), as for the latter two, I love how Shakira blends both her Colombian culture and Lebanese heritage into this amazing fusion of sound and Ani, I find, adds a lot of depth, honesty, and reality to her music.
I love music, always have, always will, ever since I was three and, according to my parents, could identify the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the radio and would request Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’”. I’ve been playing one instrument or another since I was seven and have taken voice lessons.
Do I approve every lyric out there? No. But, as with books, I take it for what it is and can appreciate the skill and passion of an artist, whatever their beliefs. As for the Pope, a lot has to do with personal preference. In fact, classical composers were no more immune to immorality and temptation in their day than anyone else. Mozart was known to engage in debauchery and ended up leaving his family penniless. Yet no one denies the greatness of his works.
Another song lyric that I’ve always found comforting is, “The only pain is to feel nothing at all.” From U2’s “A Man and a Woman”, a song that reminds me of a modern day “Song of Solomon.”
