1 Arnold
Bryan Arnold
Professor Thomas
ENC 1101.a1
27, May, 2015
Don't Hear but Listen
Throughout my life I have read many books of different styles. I have read the dark and
descriptive styles of Stephen King, the adventures and imaginative styles of Tolkien, and the
comedic relief of Bill Watterson. The stories I read were fun and interesting and beneficial to my
upbringing, but not why I enjoy reading and writing. The moment in my life that I truly realized
the importance of literacy was when I stopped just hearing music and started actually listening to
the words.
I remember the first concert I went to. My mother took me to a Garth Brooks show. I still
remember the excitement I had as I walked into the arena for the first time ever, seeing people in
the celebratory mood. We were all there for the same reason. To hear Garth Brooks play some of
the most exciting country music to date, or so i thought. As I sat there having the time of my life
loving every minute of the excitement he transitioned into a slow song he plays called “If
Tomorrow Never Comes”. As I looked around at the crowd while he played a song that I highly
enjoyed I saw some of the people crying. I couldn't fathom why people would by crying while at
a show this entertaining. I asked my mother why some people were so sad and she told me that
the meaning behind the lyrics can really touch people's heart and it gives them something or
someone in a sense to relate to about their problems in life. If Tomorrow Never Comes is a song
that questions you whether or not the people you love know how you truly feel about them. It
reminds you to make sure you tell your wife, mother, and every important person in your life
2 Arnold
how much you love them and to show them every day, because there is always a chance that you
or they will not wake in the morning.
After sitting on those thoughts instilled by that night I broke out the pages from my tape
and cd collections and I started to read the lyrics to my favorite songs. Then I started playing the
different styles and the different bands and different moods. As I played them I actually listened
to the lyrics and the message hidden in the story I was being told. I played In The Air Tonight by
Phil Collins my eyes started to well up as I began to understand the emotion he put into the song
and his level of vulnerability he laid out for us to listen to. He wrote his heart into this song not
only for our enjoyment but also for some people he gave a moment of understanding and
compassion for the troubles that they have in their life.
I grew up in a country, suburb mixed lifestyle. I experienced all of the genres of music
and the life styles to go with them. Just like in writing people connect with the characters and
live the kind of lifestyle imposed. Whether it be vampires and werewolves or a troubled kid in
highschool. People take the stories given to them by writers of all styles as a way to cope with
problems, as a guideline to live their life, or to just lighten to mood for the event at that moment.
I started to notice at events throughout life people would play the appropriate style of
music. When my parents would have people over for a cook out and bonfire in the back yard
they would play up beat country and rock that spoke a message of good times and good
company. But for the sad moments like funerals we would listen to gospel or inspirational songs
that had to do with passing and spoke of comfort and faith. When my wife's mother passed we
played a song called Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum. Before my mother in law passed
she explained to us what the lyrics meant to her and the memories the song brought to her heart.
We explained this to the crowd of mourners before the song started and as it played I looked
3 Arnold
around and saw a room full of sobbing souls intently listening to the lyrics. Almost one by one I
could see in the faces of the people as they listened when they connected with the song and with
my mother in law and what she meant to them by playing that song. As I sat there holding my
wife the lyric started that says “prepare yourself you know it's a must gotta have a friend in jesus
so you know that when you die he's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky”, and my wife
chuckled softly behind her tears and at that moment I saw her accept what had happened and she
knew her mother was happy and safe and she could go on with her life.
More recently I took my boys to see seether and papa roach together. This concert
worked in two parts for me. First seether hit the stage and I was emotional already because my
wife wasn't there to experience our kids first concert but by her own choice. When Shaun
Morgan started singing Words as Weapons, a song I have strongly connected to the relationship
between my wife and I, I started crying for the first time ever at a concert. His words made me
think about my life. Then I realised I'm not alone as others around me got emotional and I could
hear the cracks and heartbreak in Shaun’s voice I felt united with the crowd and I grabbed my
youngest son tight, smiled and loved the rest of the song. When Papa Roach came out to the
stage Jacoby played a few songs from my past that I finally got to share with my kids but I still
kept reverting to the sad feelings of their mother not being there with us. Then Jacoby broke out
his latest song simply titled ‘F.E.A.R.’. It stands for face everything and rise. I then realised that
we all face hard problems through our lives that we have to deal with. The strength we need to
go on is to realise what we can't change, so we face it, deal with it and learn.
I dont know a single person that doesn't like music. I do know some that don't understand
music. So I say whether you want to go on a journey through the twilight zone, or drink beers
while stomping through the woods or hanging by the fire with friends and family, or cruising
4 Arnold
down the street in your six four or you just need someone to relate to and tell you everything will
be ok and you are not alone. Remember don’t hear your music but sit back and listen to the story
being told.