Beautiful Boy

Listen here

So, today's song is "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" by John Lennon. I also have a Ben Harper cover song of this which is amazing, but of course it doesn't come close to Lennon's original version.

I chose this song today because this morning I had a few precious moments with my son Miles. Hayden was still sleeping, so I decided to have some good quality Miles and Mommy time which involves lots of smiles and baby talk. If you've ever sat with a baby for a while you realize that it can sometimes be hard to maintain baby talk. There's only so much you can say to a small baby! Some moms are good at baby talk. I'm not one of those moms, but I am a mom that realizes that language is super important for development, so I'm always trying to come up with ways to maintain baby talk. Plus, I'll go ahead and say it...I get really annoyed at people that exaggerate baby talk. The high pitched voice isn't what really kills me, it's the made up words that are repeated over and over. You know which ones I'm talking about...coochie coo, bubby wubbly, google woogle, blah, blah, blah. I have issues with these for actually a good reason. We are supposed to be encouraging language development with our babies, but how is using made up words good for that development? Let's use real language, people!

I've really gone off on a tangent...I digress...but it's my blog so that's okay! Back to Miles and Mommy time. So, I run out of things to talk about, so I decide to sing. Here's the funny thing about singing to your children. If you aren't talented at singing and you wouldn't dare sing in front of people, even singing to a baby makes you uncomfortable. I remember the very first time I sang to Hayden. I decided to sing Twinkle, Twinkle while he was fussy. I felt so odd and out of my element. I can't help but think they are judging me. I know...a small infant judging their mommy...I get it, it's silly of me to think that way. But, I can just imagine, years later, when they are older and we are reminiscing about the good 'ole days when they were babies, and then all the sudden, the good memories are interrupted by my children pointing and laughing at how awful my singing was! "She thought she was soothing us to sleep, but really we just fell asleep to escape her awful singing," they would say.

Despite my fears, I still sing to my children. The experts approve and it encourages language development. Plus, I've always promised myself that I would expose my children to all kinds of music and keep music very alive in my house. My parents really only liked country so that's what I had to listen to all the time. As I got older and saturated myself with all kinds of music and learned of all the greats, I kind of despised my parents for not exposing me to different kinds of music.

So, this morning I decided to sing "Beautiful Boy" to Miles. He seemed to like it. It's so neat how when babies hear you singing or hear music in general their whole body movement changes. You can almost see their minds switch gears. As I was singing this song to Miles, I started to tear up a little bit. The song gets me emotional. If I had to dedicate one song to my two sons, it would be this song. On a side note, the scene in Mr. Holland's Opus where he sings this to his son makes me cry like a little child. It was a very special moment though singing this song to Miles. It is a way for me to show him I love him and I know that despite my awful singing voice, he loves to simply hear my voice.

This song is obviously about John Lennon's love for his son, Sean Lennon. Of all of Lennon's song, this song is one of the most simplest. A parent's love for their child is simple in the way that nothing else compares to it. The love is a bond that is unbreakable for most. There's so many lines that I love in the song. The lines, "I can hardly wait to see you come of age but I guess we'll both just have to be patient," really make me sad. You can really hear the excitement and love in his voice when he sings these lines, but he ultimately didn't get to see his son all grown up. I can't imagine how special this song must be for his son to hold onto now that his father is passed away.

So, this is the song of the day and I dedicate to my beautiful boys, Hayden and Miles.

The Greatest

Listen here
Lyrics

Today's song is "The Greatest" by Cat Power. This track reflects my overall attitude of life, rather than just today. I thought it would be appropriate to start the blog off this way.

Don't we all want to be the greatest? I know I've had lofty aspirations, especially in my earlier, emotionally charged teenage years. I have found that maturity and life experience pushes those hopes down, making me feel silly for being such a dreamer. The reality of life and its hardships weigh down on those innocent hopes and dreams. Something remarkable happens when you are in that lofty stage of dreaming...you feel like nothing can knock you down. No one can tell you no. You are invincible. What happens to that bravery? My answer is age. Time. Maturity. Knowledge. Life. Does it depress me? Kind of, but I embrace it. The harsh reality keeps me grounded and almost comforts me. Being so lofty can be dangerous in this cruel world, however that part of me still lives somewhere. My hopes aren't completely buried six feet under the ground of reality.

This beautiful, soulful track, "The Greatest" represents this failed ambition. Chan Marshall, the woman behind the stage name, Cat Power, is honest and raw as she submits to life's circumstances and actuality. The song is humbling, just as life can humble us.

"Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust"

Not only do I love the meaning of this song, I love how raw Marshall's voice is. You can hear the experience and pain in her voice, like she's definitely been through the throws of life. Along with her voice and humbling lyrics, the piano in the background completes the equation of soulful perfection and a very infectious song.

The song might depress some, but I appreciate its honesty. I am okay with being grounded because it's safe. I work best here on the ground. However, I love this song because I can remember and recognize that once I wanted to be the greatest, and just maybe one day I might lift my feet of the ground....just a little.