Sunday, March 21, 2010

My Theme Song to Life


Dear Reader

I have a song, well actually two songs that have been with me for most of my life. I have them on my iPhone, my iPod, my Macs, before the computer age, I had those songs on LPs. Whenever I was sad, those songs helped me through my trial and tribulations. When I needed inspiration those songs inspired me, when I had my radio on and was going through a tough day, just that long intro would put a smile on my face.

There are two versions of this song, the first version of this song came out in 1967 it peaked at 19. In 1970, a very different version of this song came out and went on to become a number one hit for this artist. I like the original version of this song because it is easy to sing to, and though my vocals do not come anywhere near the artists that originally sang the song, I have fun trying to sing it. The cover version of this song was more dramatic, with a spoken word passage; the artist would eventually be nominated for a Grammy. This version of the song with an orchestration that is beyond brilliant, it combines R & B, with Classical and Pop music. The vocals are strong, the background vocals moves the song to its final climax. When I hear the intro, my heart stops for a moment, a strange, yet serene look overtakes me. If I am by myself I start to say the spoken words.

The song, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, originally song by the late Marvin Gaye and the late Tammi Terrell and later covered by Diana Ross, written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson. If I produced a Hot 100 these two songs would always top my charts. I think anyone who likes music has a special song or songs, songs that inspire or make one feel happy when we one is sad, or make one want to dance or sing. This is what music is all about, unfortunately not all people have musical talent, but it does not take talent to enjoy music.

When the original version of this song came out, I had just lost my Dad, the snappy beat, the incredible vocals, the music, helped me through this difficult time. I was just six years old and I was learning the power of music. When the Diana Ross version came out, I was nine, I did not know anything about love, at least not the romantic type of love, but I thought as I still do, it was and is a great song. Some say it is a little over the top, but in essence I am a little over the top, so the song fits my character. My friends describe me as poetic and …”Mountain….” is poetic, the raw emotion of the song, a pivotal moment in ones life is escalated into a frenzy as the song reaches a high, then slowly fades away. This is why I like this song; it underscores life, the intro, the build-up, the peak, and then the slow fading emotion.

Today listen for your theme song, think about how that song describes you, how that song has helped you and both in good and bad times. If you do not have a theme song, find one.