Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Encouraging Music – Journey

October 10, 2014

I thought about this the other day – for me Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Journey are like the holy trinity of classic rock. :-) SO, obviously, it would be Journey today. I have two songs by Journey one because the encouragement is obvious, the other more of a coming of age theme, but there is a story around the song and I really want to get that in here because I think that will encourage as well (although you may need a kleenex – just sayin’).

The first song is Be Good To Yourself and I thought for sure I’d written about that on here but couldn’t find any evidence of that so now’s the time. I know I’d probably listened to this way back when, but several years ago when I got the Greatest Hits cd it felt like I was hearing it for the first time and I made it my own.

The song talks about when life becomes overwhelming because you’re doing too much, or maybe there’s too much to do, that is the time to step back a little and do something for yourself. It’s not a crime to have a piece of chocolate while putting your feet up when you have a few minutes to do so. It’s a good thing to get out of the house and go shopping, or read a book, or go for a walk in the park to recharge yourself. Or maybe be creative – drawing, knitting, sewing – whatever brings you peace and comfort. One of the things I like to do is light a candle, put some music on, and then fix dinner. It brings closure to the busyness of the day. Taking care of your needs will help you to refresh so you can be a better mother, father, friend, employee even and so on. You get the picture. So, let this piece inspire you to take better care of you so you can take better care of others.

Be Good To Yourself

Runnin’ out of self-control
Gettin’ close to an overload
Up against a no win situation
Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove
I’m hangin’ up my boxin’ gloves
I’m ready for a long vacation

Be good to yourself when, nobody else will
Oh be good to yourself
You’re walkin’ a high wire, caught in a cross fire
Oh be good to yourself

When you can’t give no more
They want it all but you gotta say no
I’m turnin’ off the noise that makes me crazy
Lookin’ back with no regrets
To forgive is to forget
I want a little piece of mind to turn to

Be good to yourself when, nobody else will
Oh be good to yourself
You’re walkin’ a high wire, caught in a cross fire
Oh be good to yourself

Be good to yourself when, nobody else will

All righty, the next Journey song is Only The Young and it’s for the upcoming generations as they seek their place in the world. Now, there is a story behind the song which I heard them tell on a Behind the Music several years ago. I found it back on the Wikipedia page for the song – yes, now is the time for Kleenex:

The first individual outside the band to hear the song was sixteen-year-old Kenny Sykaluk of Rocky River, Ohio, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. His mother wrote a letter to the band telling them about her son’s terminal condition, and how big a fan he was of Journey. The band flew to his hospital bedside in Cleveland, Ohio at the request of the Make a Wish Foundation. Along with a Walkman containing the new track, the band also brought Kenny a football helmet signed by the San Francisco 49ers and an autographed Journey platinum record award. The experience of playing the song for Kenny left Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain deeply affected. Perry said, “As soon as I walked out of the hospital room I lost it. Nurses had to take me to a room by myself.” On the band’s episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, Cain broke down in tears recalling the event, remarking that “children should not have to live with that kind of pain”. Kenny died the next day, with the Walkman still in his hand. The song brought life into perspective for the band and left them humbled. Neal Schon said that Kenny’s death affected Journey by making them re-evaluate the issues that were causing friction inside the band itself. In honor of Kenny Sykaluk, the band used the song as their opener for the Raised on Radio Tour.

That’s where the encouragement comes in – to have such a profound experience that it changes you afterwards. It’s amazing what doing something for someone else will do for you. It never fails. The receiver is not the only one blessed but the giver also. So, here’s the song:

Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time
They wonder why

In the shadows of a golden age
A generation waits for dawn
Brave carry on
Bold and the strong

Only the young can say
They’re free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burnin’ like wildfire

They’re seein’ through the promises
And all the lies they dare to tell
Is it heaven or hell?
They know very well

Only the young can say
They’re free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burnin’ like wildfire

Only the young can say
They’re free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burnin’ like wildfire

Only the young can say
Only the young can say
Only the young can say

I’ll try to fit in one or two more songs this weekend – I know I missed yesterday, but it’s just been so crazy busy around here lately that other stuff has to take a backseat. My blog tells about my life but it isn’t my life. Have a great day – encourage someone!

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» Encouraging Music – Journey » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Encouraging Music – Journey

October 10, 2014

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