No, not Coke, though that helps, I mean pop music. No matter how late I’m running I’ll take the time to play some pop music videos on YouTube in the background to lift my spirits as I ready for a tour or class that starts the day.
Recently the 1990’s hit “Breathe Your Name” arbitrarily played as I scurried about and I’ve always liked the lead singer’s breathy voice of the group Sixpence None the Richer, named for the Shakespearian quote. However, I wasn’t a fan of this particular song until I actually listened to the chorus:
But you are in my heart
I can feel your beat
And you move my mind
From behind the wheel
When I lose control
I can only breathe your name
I thought, as trying to apply enough deodorant as to not stink up a room in the current heat wave, “Those are really romantic lyrics.”
Later that day, recalling the song was a hit, I searched for interviews with the singer to see what boyfriend/husband the song was about. Imagine my surprise to learn the song was about her relationship with God.
Early on in the song she sings about how she plans her day and makes her lists and her choices as “it’s nobody else’s but mine”. Later in the song she changes the pronouns to realize what she does is any given day is no one choice’s but God’s.
I was shocked to realize the depth of a 90’s era pop song. It made me learn more about another of the group’s hits called “Here She Comes Again”. Honestly, one of simplest love songs ever as when she comes again the girl gets in his veins and all he thinks of is her. Turns out the girl was heroin which put a new spin on the song.
I was reminded of Eric, a pal that lived in what was the Inquisitor’s Prison and a former rock musician himself. He adore listening to the bass of a song which did nothing for me. One day he asked what part of a song I admired most and without hesitating I replied “The words. I like the love story of a well written song.” He told me that made me a lyricist.
Which reminded me of Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again” that I used in teaching English classes as the follow on to Dolly’s “Here you come again” is “and here I go”. I’d query students on when Dolly goes, does she go back to the man, or go away from him? You’d be amazed the cultural implication behind where you think Dolly goes. (FYI – 99.5% of folks from the US think Dolly goes back to him. Who knew we were so romantically inclined?)
Thank God, Sixpence and None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” is still a pure love song I enjoy performing choreographies to each year around town. I adore the song and simply don’t think I could dance to “Kiss Me” if it took a darker, or more profound, turn than a romantic kiss here in the heart of Mexico!
Joseph Toone is the Historical Society’s short-story award winning author of the SMA Secrets book series. All books in the series are Amazon bestsellers in Mexican Travel and Holidays. Toone is SMA’s expert and TripAdvisor’s top ranked historical tour guide telling the stories behind what we do in today’s SMA. Visit HistoryAndCultureWalkin