Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wordplay Challenge 2: Behind the Music

Your current playlist reflects not just where you are right now in your life, but who you are right now in your life. Fight the temptation to just list those songs on a layout and proclaim your journaling finished. This week we're getting lyrical.

Spend the next few days listening to and collecting lyrics, focusing on the language in the songs that you love. Jot down the lyrics that speak to you, that stay with you, the ones that prevent you from hearing anything further in a song because you're still caught in that "wow" moment. Then, figure out why these lyrics have this effect on you. Work to find a way to capture in words why these lyrics resound long after the song is over.

Here are a few of the lyrics that have been in my head lately:

You're my favourite moment

You're my Saturday.
-- Goldfrapp, "Number 1"

Sure, there are so many compliments one can direct at one's beloved, but nothing says true love like being called someone's "Saturday". Every time I hear this lyric, I think of my husband with a silly grin on my face. Every single time.

our memories depend
On a faulty camera in our minds
-- Death Cab for Cute, "What Sarah Said"
The song always stops for me after these words. These lyrics not only contain an amazing metaphor, they also have a tendency to make me both wistful and hyperobservant.

If you're married to the idea of using a photo on your layout, then think about taking a pic of a radio or your iPod, or take a screen shot of your playlist on your computer. You could also -- eek! -- use a photo of yourself, since this is about you and your musical "identity."

No comments: