baD kARmA INk

Have you ever noticed that life has a funny way of bringing your thoughts into focus when you least expect it?

In light of recent events in my personal life, I have had the concept of fatherhood in my mind.   A lot.   Sometimes, it is welcomed.  Other times, it could be considered a nuisance.  When I sat down at the laptop, fully intent on writing an article on music, I simply could not get the thought becoming a potential father out of my head.  Then, my playlist came to my rescue.   While browsing through it, trying to find a song to clear my mind, I came across Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin.  I know a little divine intervention when I see it, and I wasn’t about to pass on the opportunity.

There are occasions where all the stars align, the world grows still and you hear that one song that strikes a chord deep within your psyche.  The song that mirrors your thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams you have at that exact moment in time.  It is rare, but it is a powerful thing when it happens.  It is something that stays with you.

I have had the pleasure, or regret, depending on my life at the time, of experiencing this type of resonance with certain songs.   When I first left my original hometown of Pardeeville, the radio was playing I Will Remember You, by Sarah McLachlan.  The sensation of nostalgia for a home that I didn’t know I would see again became encapsulated within that song.  To this day, when I hear it, I see the young man that I was, looking out the back window of the car as we pulled away, the bittersweet memories of childhood almost overwhelming me.  It was my first real heartbreak…not over some girl, but for a life I knew I would never have again.  Oh, trust me, the heartbreak over a woman came later, and there’s a song for that, too.

Tonight, it was the hope that I would be as good of a role model for my future child as my father was to me.  If you read the lyrics to Cat’s in the Cradle, it tells of a father’s love for his son and of his regret for missing out on his son’s life.  First and foremost, though, is the love for his child that shines through.   As his son grows, the son asks for time to spend with his father.  The father always seems busy, but for all the good reasons, to provide for his family as well as he can.   As his son matures and starts a family of his own, the roles are reversed, with the father asking to see more of his son, who is busy working hard for his own child.  As I read through the lyrics, I am reminded of my father.  I remember how he would work long hours, either as a mechanic or as an over-the-road semi truck driver, to provide a roof over our heads and food for the table.  He was always busy, yet he would find some time for me, whether it was to come to one of my basketball games when possible, or letting me help him work on the car in the garage.  I also realize that I am just like him.   It is more than the genetic legacy that we share.  I have the same morals, the same ethics.  We both are hopeless romantics, though he may never admit to that publicly.  And I wouldn’t want it any other way.   I hope that I can be there to care for my children, and hope they will forgive me if it means long hours to ensure everything can be provided for them.

Is there a song that moves you?  What is it?  Is it the lyrics that inspire you, the soft gentle refrain of the chorus, or is it a combination of emotion and melody that speaks to you?

Each song has a story.   What’s yours?