Monday, December 16, 2013

Music as inspiration #3

Did somebody say Howard Jones?

This song was a big hit in 1985, so it's easy to not pay attention to the lyrics and just get caught up in the woah woahs.  However,  I am still a big fan of Things Can Only Get Better, all these years later and listen to it often.  Here's the video, (just the hair is fascinating, in itself):

Things Can Only Get Better video


You know how when a bunch of things go wrong and you think, nothing else could happen, things can only get better?  Well, that is a) totally not true (does anyone really think that, things can always be worse) and b) not what this song is talking about.  Oh and c) a really irritating thing for someone to say to you when things are going wrong and they are trying to "comfort" you.
So the song is interesting because it is really all about letting go of what holds you back and just going for it.  The best things in life are often hard to attain, full of risk, a scary path to walk down and not a sure thing.  Sometimes it is difficult to get to your goal but if you know your course, you can get there, as long as you keep your goal in mind.  Sometimes, however, you want something and you don't know if you can achieve it, even if you try your best.  It becomes tempting to not try because of the risk and your lack of control of outcomes.  Wouldn't it be easier to change your goals than to remain focused on something that is a "maybe"?  In the short term, not going for it may feel right but what about in the long run?  Regret is a hard pill to swallow and likely harder to swallow than trying and failing.  So regardless of outcome, sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind and go for it.  If it works, great and if it doesn't, there is comfort in knowing that you will never look back and say "I should have..."  "I was too afraid to...."  "I wish I had...." This is why I love the final paragraph of this song.  Sometimes when I don't know what to do, or am afraid to make a risky choice, I listen to this song and go for it.  Success or failure is out of my control but being afraid to take the chance, well, that is up to me.


Things Can Only Get Better

We're not scared to lose it all
Security throw through the wall
Future dreams we have to realize
A thousand skeptic hands
Won't keep us from the things we plan
Unless we're clinging to the things we prize

And do you feel scared - I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better
Whoa, whoa whoa whoa oh oh

Treating today as though it was
The last, the final show
Get to sixty and feel no regret
It may take a little time
A lonely path, an uphill climb
Success or failure will not alter it

And do you feel.....
Whoa whoa whoa whoah...

And do you feel...

PS This song has a recent remake (but without most of the great lyrics) but I guess this means there is a whole new generation dancing to this song!
Things Can Only Get Better Cedric Gervais and Howard Jones