Let's set the scene here: After 2 years with my girlfriend, the time has come for her to go home to Melbourne via Vegas. I'm looking to follow, as soon as I save up the AU$5000 it will cost me to get there. The problem is, in this town, saving is harder than you would think. Everybody has some party that they know of, some reason to have a beer, or some new adventure, which, while potentially cheap, still adds up to the big bite out of your paycheck. Basically, this means I likely won't be getting on a Qantas flight until maybe a year from now, and I really didn't think it would hit me as hard as it did. An entire year of phone calls on birthdays and anniversaries and Saturdays.
My point being: We shut the cable off yesterday, and rather than hear the sound of my own pathetic self in my apartment, I threw on some music. But what to play? Some punk for the angst? Some blues? Or do I go the other way and play Pet Sounds to cheer me up? In the end I decided on James Morrison's debut album 'Undiscovered'. It's pretty awesome in and of itself, and he being a good friend of my sister's I felt like I had some familiar company around.
What hit me next, amid my sorrow, is the sudden realisation of why I (and likely many people) dig music so much. Here I am feeling alone in the world, everything has been turned on its head, and Morrison's song 'Wonderful World' lines up, the chorus of which being:
I know that it's a wonderful world
But I can't feel it right now
I thought that I was doing well
But I just want to cry now...
That's the crux of it: No matter how upset or lonely you feel, someone has been there before you. Not only that, someone has had the decency to put it into words and add music, so that you feel empathy from the artist. It's like JM is saying "I'm right there with you. It sucks, but I get where you are in life."
You have no idea how comforting that can be.
Actually, chances are, you have every idea of how comforting it can be. We've all been there.
By The Way: If anyone wants to donate any money towards my cause, feel free to comment!
