The lining is silver (6)
To begin, a quote from one of my new favorite songs:
'Cause if you close your eyes and listen close
You can hear the chapter close
And it's already bound in better clothes
And you like the way this story goes.(1)
Music has already been very important to me, but these past few years I have been in transition. Perhaps many of us know what it's like to find that treasured musical artist we feel speaks the words from our heart before we even knew we had them. They articulate our thoughts and feelings as we pass through life and each new album flows alongside the very chapter we too are writing. I feel both blessed and priveledged to have had this expereince in my life.
From the age of 17 to 25, that band was Skillet. To this day, I scream along to their lyrics with heartfelt passion and feel like the music and I are sole-mates. I finally was able to see Skillet live this past year, and it was an incredible experience to finally see in person the people who have impacted my life so strongly. I only wish I'd sprung for the VIP backstage pass so I could personally meet John Cooper, the lead singer and main songwriter. It's okay with me that I didn't because I found a large enough crush developing on this man already. Many sentimental feelings arose upon seeing this person who spoke into my life and encouraged me so many times over the past. The only downside was that I loathed their album from 2006 and was not a fan of the most recent one either. They fell off their pedestal and I was left alone to live my life without a soundtrack.
Until now.
I have always been a quiet fan of Relient K. Punk is in my soul and I've had my fair share of mosh pits both at concerts and in my living room. (Good memories Emily & Joelle!) Relient K never seems amazing to me. I had an album or two but stayed faithful to MxPx, Slick Shoes, and Value Pack when the urge for punk came. However, this past summer I saw them live at Cornerstone music festival and immediately feel in love with the charisma of lead singer and songwriter Matt Thiessen. (My husband likes to point out that the cute curly blond hair had something to do with it too.) My husband and I picked up a few more albums and they went from the band on the bottom of my list to the very top. Today I realized they are much more. They are to me my new "Skillet".
As I listen to Matt sing about struggling with depression,
Because on and off, / The clouds have fought /
Their control over the sky / And now I'm sunny with a High /
of 75 / Since You took my heavy heart / And made it light. (2)
or regret,
Stop right there. That's exactly where I lost it.
See that line. Well I never should have crossed it.
Stop right there. Well I never should have said
That it's the very moment that
I wish that I could take back (3)
and how to overcome them,
I'd rather forget and not slow down
Than gather regret for the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept
Resurrect the saint from within the wretch (4)
I realize I have found a new musical mentor, a spiritual guide through the speakers in my car, and a cheerleader playing in my head throughout my day.
Relient K has always had fun, upbeat songs, but these recent albums have the same optimistic outlook arising from a deep anguish that makes the hope he has seem unpenetrable from the troubles of this life. Matt Thiessen reminds me that life is passionate and beautiful and wonderful no matter what we going through at the time. Even death is not the end, for God overcomes even that and we allows us to start again:
It's been thirteen days and now I'm dying of thirst
as for the birds of prey I pray that someone else will get
here first / But I am not alone / I'll be alright
Just take these bones and breathe them back to life. (5)
So here I start a new chapter in my life, and indeed I like how the story goes.
Footnotes:
(1) "I Don't Need A Soul" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(2) "High Of 75" -MmHmm
(3) "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" -MmHmm
(4) "Forget And Not Slow Down" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(5) "Sahara" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(6) "The Lining is Silver" -The Bird and the Bee Sides
'Cause if you close your eyes and listen close
You can hear the chapter close
And it's already bound in better clothes
And you like the way this story goes.(1)
Music has already been very important to me, but these past few years I have been in transition. Perhaps many of us know what it's like to find that treasured musical artist we feel speaks the words from our heart before we even knew we had them. They articulate our thoughts and feelings as we pass through life and each new album flows alongside the very chapter we too are writing. I feel both blessed and priveledged to have had this expereince in my life.
From the age of 17 to 25, that band was Skillet. To this day, I scream along to their lyrics with heartfelt passion and feel like the music and I are sole-mates. I finally was able to see Skillet live this past year, and it was an incredible experience to finally see in person the people who have impacted my life so strongly. I only wish I'd sprung for the VIP backstage pass so I could personally meet John Cooper, the lead singer and main songwriter. It's okay with me that I didn't because I found a large enough crush developing on this man already. Many sentimental feelings arose upon seeing this person who spoke into my life and encouraged me so many times over the past. The only downside was that I loathed their album from 2006 and was not a fan of the most recent one either. They fell off their pedestal and I was left alone to live my life without a soundtrack.
Until now.
I have always been a quiet fan of Relient K. Punk is in my soul and I've had my fair share of mosh pits both at concerts and in my living room. (Good memories Emily & Joelle!) Relient K never seems amazing to me. I had an album or two but stayed faithful to MxPx, Slick Shoes, and Value Pack when the urge for punk came. However, this past summer I saw them live at Cornerstone music festival and immediately feel in love with the charisma of lead singer and songwriter Matt Thiessen. (My husband likes to point out that the cute curly blond hair had something to do with it too.) My husband and I picked up a few more albums and they went from the band on the bottom of my list to the very top. Today I realized they are much more. They are to me my new "Skillet".
As I listen to Matt sing about struggling with depression,
Because on and off, / The clouds have fought /
Their control over the sky / And now I'm sunny with a High /
of 75 / Since You took my heavy heart / And made it light. (2)
or regret,
Stop right there. That's exactly where I lost it.
See that line. Well I never should have crossed it.
Stop right there. Well I never should have said
That it's the very moment that
I wish that I could take back (3)
and how to overcome them,
I'd rather forget and not slow down
Than gather regret for the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept
Resurrect the saint from within the wretch (4)
I realize I have found a new musical mentor, a spiritual guide through the speakers in my car, and a cheerleader playing in my head throughout my day.
Relient K has always had fun, upbeat songs, but these recent albums have the same optimistic outlook arising from a deep anguish that makes the hope he has seem unpenetrable from the troubles of this life. Matt Thiessen reminds me that life is passionate and beautiful and wonderful no matter what we going through at the time. Even death is not the end, for God overcomes even that and we allows us to start again:
It's been thirteen days and now I'm dying of thirst
as for the birds of prey I pray that someone else will get
here first / But I am not alone / I'll be alright
Just take these bones and breathe them back to life. (5)
So here I start a new chapter in my life, and indeed I like how the story goes.
Footnotes:
(1) "I Don't Need A Soul" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(2) "High Of 75" -MmHmm
(3) "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" -MmHmm
(4) "Forget And Not Slow Down" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(5) "Sahara" -Forget and Not Slow Down
(6) "The Lining is Silver" -The Bird and the Bee Sides