Litany

Recently, a friend of mine commented in passing that music is very important to me. Obviously that's true -- I have a fairly huge collection of music, a relatively large amount of popular music history knowledge, an interest in music theory, and very varied musical tastes (chamber music to death metal, and pretty much everything in between...). It's a rare time indeed when music doesn't accompany whatever activity I happen to be engaged in at any time.

It's not so much that I need noise around me as that I set my own moods, and perhaps also express my moods to others, by providing myself with a soundtrack. I have certain patterns: fast loud guitar rock when I'm driving in my Jeep during on sunny days, acoustic folk in the Jeep on rainy days, classical or new agey/celtic stuff when I'm driving at night, film scores or Dead Can Dance while I'm training in forms by myself, Tool/Rob Zombie or other fairly aggressive metal when I'm doing cardio, Ella Fitzgerald or Jane Monheit when I'm sipping coffee on a Sunday morning, etc.

Sometimes, though, I'll just throw on the satellite radio -- usually when I'm driving Christine's car -- and sort of "window shop," changing channels all over the place and seeing what's out there. And every now and then I stumble across a song that precisely defines how I'm feeling at a moment in time, and it's like magic. For a second I almost feel like I'm in a film and the soundtrack just kicked in. It may be something new, or something I haven't listened to or thought about in a very long time, but whatever it is when it happens it gives me chills.

The last few weeks have been an utter and complete blur. Lots going on -- nothing bad, happily, but just a lot of activity. And I' m not feeling stressed out, exactly: It's more like I just wish I had about 2 more hours in each day so I could get even more things stuffed into my schedule. I'm happy with all of the things I'm doing, and I just wish I could jam a couple of more things in as well. So when this song came on the radio the other day it was like I opened a fortune cookie and it told me something I knew in my heart was true:

Litany (I See Life) -- Guadalcanal Diary

I see life like a mirror
And I see life so much clearer

We move so quickly
Who knows where the time goes?
Where does this road lead?
No one knows, no one knows

Listen to the single heart beating
Rhythm for an ever-changing song

I see life with surprise
And I see life, oh, in your eyes

Take all your troubles
Put them in a common file
Light a fire with reason
Watch it rise, watch it rise

Listen to the single voice singing
Lifted in an ever-growing song

I see life without anger

I see life all together
I see life go on forever

Life goes on forever
Life goes on

Mood: Pretty damn peppy, all in all
Now Playing: Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy, "Immortal Memory"