'Survival Is My Victory'

I believe that music is the only true, universal language. More so than love. No matter where you go, which culture you’re immersed in or who you surround yourself with, music is there. During times when it seems like a situation is completely empty of any love, friendship or compassion, there can be music. Often times it’s in your head: a song you heard in the morning, something your parents used to sing to you when you were a child, or maybe a song that always reminds you of a memorable moment in your life.

Music has “been there for me” during times when comforting cliches and empty words have fallen short of their mark. When Keli and I had some big marital problems early on it was “I Am A Highway” by Audioslave and pretty much anything by AFI.

When we lived with someone who we considered a friend, only to find out he had us evicted so his girlfriend could move in, it was anything loud and angry by Linkin Park.

When I start feeling down about my folks moving away, the songs that lift my spirits are the ones I listened to growing up: The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, The Eagles, and Johnny Cash, among others.

When my sister and brother-in-law lost their baby, it was a lot of “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “You Wreck Me Baby” by Tom Petty.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there’s a lot going on right now between finances sucking in general (for everybody) combined with the home we were renting being foreclosed upon and trying to coordinate the move-in date on a new place with the date we have to be out of our current place (while working full time, trying to pack, etc), it all makes playing a game of Russian Roulette seem to hold better odds.

Years ago a co-worker and good friend, Randy, tried to get me to appreciate some of the industrial music he listened to. So he made me a mix-CD with some of his favorite songs from groups like Gary Numan, Killing Joke, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, etc. I listened to the CD and during our many relocations since then it got lost in our piles of CDs. The other evening, while on the phone with my sister and packing up books and things, I found that CD.

I put it on my computer the next day and found myself listening to the same two tracks over and over, without really realizing what the lyrics were. Those two songs were “You’ll Never Get To Me” by Killing Joke and “Prayer For The Unborn” by Gary Numan. The following lyrics are from the Killing Joke song, which I’ve been listening to the most and the lyrics seems oddly fitting for everything I’m feeling and for the pick-me-up I need each day.

Oh!
Sea of hurt, I feel the waves of pain
And now the tides come in again
I’m caught in a vicious cycle of despair
Give me the courage to face another day, oh!

Oh, sing a song of joy
Sweet childhood, never desert me
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of elation
I’ll never let you get to me
Survival is my victory
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of relation

I sat in silence, I was mourning
I said sorry a thousand times
I cried aloud to God from all my failings
But God seemed deaf as well as blind, oh!

Oh, sing a song of joy
Sweet childhood, never desert me
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of elation
I’ll never let you get to me
Survival is my victory
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of relation

We drank and smoked and talked until the dawn
We shared our problems and our food
Telling tales of courage and resolution
Through all the hardships we’d endured, oh!

Oh, sing a song of joy
Sweet childhood, never desert me
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of elation
I’ll never let you get to me
Survival is my victory
Time for celebration, oh!
Overcome with a sense of elation

This post isn’t meant as a pity-party or to make you all feel sorry for me, because I definitely know that compared to many, my tales of woe pale in comparison. I really intended this to be a post about how music can be sometimes the purest source of encouragement, motivation and healing.

I’m curious, though: What are your “go-to” songs when you need a pick-me-up to get you through the day?

Related posts:

1. Barack Obama's Victory Speech
2. LOTR Survival Guide