Loose Holdings

How reinterpreting the music you hear can inspire.

The power of music is undeniable, so much so that it can oft catch us by surprise. While we know it is capable of altering our moods, when we connect with the energy therein it can even affect our very state of perception.

As an individual who grew up in the 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s, I was blessed with an abundance of such music. From ‘classic’ rock to country ballads to soulful blues, from punk to new-wave to disco (you cannot listen to The Bee Gees or Donna Summer and convince me that ALL disco ‘sucked’), from folk to metal to pop music that actually ‘popped’… a wonderful era.

The power of music [Photo by Alexandre St-Louis on Unsplash]

Of course, this was also a time when lyrics still mattered, when the songwriting had depth (mostly) without self-reverential piety. The profound song-sayers were not attempting to be deep… they simply were.

Then again - as the music industry at the time was absolutely dominated by men - there were also plenty of basic songs, meaning those that were about ‘chicks.’ Like, lots of them. Getting chicks and losing chicks, keeping and leaving and loving chicks… much of it was all about the chicks.

Even within those ‘love’ songs, however, deeper meanings can found. You just have to open the spirit, activate the mind, and allow yourself to be inspired.

Take, for example, the song Hold On Loosely, by the southern-rock band .38 Special; one of my favorites, it first spoke to me at a lovelorn time when keeping girls (well, one specific girl, anyhow) was of critical importance. Until it wasn’t, of course, because adolescent yearnings are just that; still, the song has stuck with me over the years.

As such, when it recently came on the radio while driving home from work I started singing along, briefly losing myself in a different time and vibe, until something hit me out of the blue: If you replace ‘love’ with ‘life’ in this song, it takes on a whole new meaning.

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Let us examine the lyrics, except when you read them replace the idea of ‘love’ with ‘life,’ ‘loving’ with ‘living;’ I have made a couple of minor alterations, to help with this effect…

First, the verses…

You see it all around you
Good livin' gone bad
And usually it's too late when you
Realize what you had

It's so damn easy
When your feelings are such
To overprotect it
To love it too much

And then, the chorus…

Just hold on loosely
But don't let it go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control

See what I mean? Esoteric tidbits regarding life, coming from a song about being casual in a romantic relationship.

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So what can we learn from this? Primarily, that we oft take life way too seriously. We get so possessive about the what in our lives, we lose sight of the why, and in the process end up suffocating the life out of life. We so obsessively fret over the things we could lose that we fail to appreciate what we actually have while we have it; we forget to love what life has given us, and forget to love it without longing or regret.

In other words, we forget to live in the moment.

In other other words? When it comes to living life we should hold on loosely, yes… but never just let it go.

Oh, and the other lesson here? For me, it is to appreciate how life can drop nuggets of wisdom or knowledge, even from sources unexpected. All we have to do is pay attention, stay aware, and - once understood - be grateful for that which is received.

So the next time you hear a song (be it recent or long-forgotten), or you get an annoying earworm, consider that maybe Providence is encouraging you to stop for a second and listen - really listen - with a fresh perspective. Let yourself be inspired in new ways, because maybe - just maybe - there is a vital message It wishes to convey.

But in order for you to hear it? Again… you have to listen.

Well, unless it’s Achy Breaky Heart; purge that nonsense immediately, for nothing good is to be found there…

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The tune in question…