Just listen.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said, and on which cannot be silenced.” In this quote, Victor Hugo is explaining the impact music can create. In just one single song, a person can express themselves in ways they never thought to be possible.
There are two key components in a song, the lyrics and the melody. By themselves, these two simple things can create an impact, but when brought together, the impact is greater than anyone could have imagined. When you listen to a song, you can listen to it, or you can actively listen to it. When you are actively listening to a song, you look for the message that the artist is trying to convey, and try to find the meaning behind the lyrics.
Often times, the message in a song is taken from a personal experience that happened to the artist. Eric Clapton’s song “Tears in Heaven” was written in response to his son’s death when falling from a fifty-third story window. These song lyrics, from my point of view, describe visiting someone in heaven, but knowing that you don’t belong there, and have to leave to resume normal life. The song “Those Were The Days of our Lives”, written by Freddie Mercury of the band Queen, talks about going back to happier times, when things were simpler and not so complex. When I listened to this song at first, I found the meaning. But, when I went back and researched the background of this song. I found that Freddie Mercury wrote this song when he was diagnosed with aids, and that the last line of the song, which say “I still love you.” were his last words on camera. If you listen to this song with the meaning in mind, and the reasoning behind it, the song can create an impact greater than expected. After I listened to this song for the second time, when it was all said and done, I felt something that is hard to describe. The words moved me that I felt the hairs on my arms stand up.
Listening to music is not just something you see everyone doing, and think, hey, that looks fun, and start doing it. It is something that you take time to do. Take the time to listen, really connect with the person singing, and discover the message they want to share. Don’t just listen to a song. Listen for a purpose, for the experience of discovering the meaning behind the words.