Change, it comes eventually: songs for a new era

I've been super Obamemotional this week over the inauguration. I bought the New York Times yesterday (mostly for the fabulous photo of Mrs. Obama's outfit, complete with green Jimmy Choos), and rather than let Michael Graham give us his commentary and ruin the morning, I decided to read some of the stories aloud to the b.f. as we drove to work. My voice kept faltering as my eyes moved over the words, too quickly for my mouth to follow (this has always made it hard for me to read aloud), and my emotions seized on the ideas before my mind could cut them off. My throat tightened as I read the re-cap of Obama's inauguration speech:

The problems, he warned, “are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”

For the first time in eight years, we have a president who commands masterfully the power of words. And words are powerful. They can inspire us to make a change, shore up our defenses as we are about to surrender, bring us to tears. I had forgotten what it was like to be moved by words in this way. Most of the noble presidential speeches our generation has heard have come from the movies, not from the past administration.

In my family, we are all skilled communicators, but we sometimes struggle to say the hardest words. We've learned to bridge the gap between strong emotions and limited words with music. My mother will play me a country song to explain why she's proud to be my parent. My dad will play "dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup" on his guitar to remind me of when I was a little girl and not too shy to sing Neil Young songs with him around the fire. My little brother will send me a mix of indie dance music to tell me to loosen up and have fun, and I'll send mixes back to him to remind him as he studies that someone loves him and understands him and is proud of him. My best friend, when we are meeting after a long time apart, will play songs that remind us of driving through the desert together, late at night.

This week, as I've moved from work to play with my headphones on, my ears have been catching on the words of certain songs, words that seem to express the difficult but ultimately joyous feelings I've been experiencing over the dawn of this new era. Eventually I'd like to collect them all and send them to my loved ones. I thought I'd share a few of the lyrics here, just for fun.

Andrew Bird, "Tables and Chairs"

If we can call them friends we can call them on red telephones
And they won't pretend that they're too busy or they're not alone
If we can call them friends we can call
Holler at 'em down these hallowed halls
But we can't let the human factor fail to be a factor at all

Don't
Don't you worry
About the atmosphere
Or any sudden pressure change

'cause i know
That it's starting
To get warm in here
And things are
Starting to get strange

And did you
Did you see how
All our friends were there
Drinkin' roses from the can

How
How i wish i
I had talked to them
And wished they
Fit into my plan

And we were tired of being mild
Oh so tired of being mild
We were so tired

I know we're gonna meet someday in the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
Pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
'cause listen after the fall there'll be no more countries
No currencies at all
We're gonna live on our wits
Throw away survival kits
Trade butterfly knives for adderal
And that's not all
Woah!
There will be snacks, there will
There will be snacks!

The Shins, "Sleeping Lessons"

Go without
'Til the need seeps in
You're low, anymore
Collect your novel petals for the stem

And glow
Glow
Melt and flow
Eviscerate your fragile frame
And spill it out on the ragged floor
A thousand different versions of yourself

And if the old guard still offend
They got nothing left on which you depend
So enlist every ounce
Of your bright blood
And off with their heads
Jump from The hook
You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise
See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life

And they got no right
As sure as you have eyes
They got no right

Just put yourself in my new hooves
And see that I do what I do
Because the old guard still offend (their pudgy hearts and slimy hands)
They've got nothing left on which we depend
So enlist every ounce
Of your bright blood
And off with their heads
Jump from The hook
You're not obliged
To swallow anything you despise
That you despise

Lauryn Hill, "Everything is Everything"

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

I wrote these words for everyone
Who struggles in their youth
Who won't accept deception
Instead of what is truth
It seems we lose the game,
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules? We're so confused
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

I philosophy
Possibly speak tongues
Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist
Rap this in fine linen
From the beginning
My practice extending across the atlas
I begat this
Flippin' in the ghetto on a dirty mattress
You can't match this rapper slash actress
More powerful than two Cleopatras
Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti
MCs ain't ready to take it to the Serengeti
My rhymes is heavy like the mind of Sister Betty
L. Boogie spars with stars and constellations
Then came down for a little conversation
Adjacent to the king, fear no human being
Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum
Now hear this mixture
Where hip hop meets scripture
Develop a negative into a positive picture

Now, everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

Sometimes it seems
We'll touch that dream
But things come slow or not at all
And the ones on top, won't make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let's love ourselves then we can't fail
To make a better situation
Tomorrow, our seeds will grow
All we need is dedication

Let me tell ya that,
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually