Messages through music

 

Tonight when I normally would have been giving the boys a bath, I was instead grabbing towels for them while they took a shower with Dave.  He had the radio on and the song You Gotta Be was on.  I've never listened to it really, but the announcer said something about playing this song for mothers and daughters who are struggling right now, so that caught my ear.  The lyrics are below:

Listen as your day unfolds, challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears, stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry

You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

Herald what your mother said
Read the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view, my oh my, heh, hey

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

Don't ask no questions, it goes on without you
Leaving you behind if you can't stand the pace
The world keeps on spinning
You can't stop it, if you try to
This time it's danger staring you in the face

Remember, listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears, my oh my heh, hey, hey

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

It's funny because my post yesterday was about puzzles and putting the pieces back together.  And as I sit here, I have a pile of books that belonged to my dad that I have been planning to read.  I'm sure people could say it's all coincidence that this song happened to be on the radio and I randomly happened to hear it.  Although if you know much about me, you probably know what I think about coincidences!   

It wouldn't be the first time I felt like my dad was talking to me through music.  A few nights after he passed, I was rocking Sam to sleep.  The song he walked me down the aisle to at my wedding came on on Pandora.  I thought to myself, Ha! That's funny, Dad.  The next song was whatever song is playing in Lion King when Simba sees Mufasa in the stars.  The boys had just watched Lion King the week before dad died, and Dave explained his death to Henry by talking about Lion King.  Go figure.  Guess I'll keep working on that puzzle.