Only Love Is Real – Song and a Chat

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Episode #198: Only Love Is Real (Song starts at 4:29)

This one, Song #660, popped up in amongst a dozen or so songs I had a sing and play through, earlier today. I thought ‘Aha!’ this would be a good one to have a look at for the podcast.

It’s a seemingly simple song. A ‘big day’ was the topic of my blog this week. And it was a big day, the day I took the hand of the person who turned out to be my wife…

‘When you took my hand, helped me to understand

Worked out how I felt, The turning of the wheel, Only love is real ‘

At the time it felt momentous. Ii felt like everything that had seemed so important, everything that had a hold on me, just sort of fell away.

‘When you caught my eye, we gave this dance a try…’

I’ve been thinking a lot and reading a lot through the years. The title of this song is also about how: before the Big Bang, all the way through since, underlying all, is love.

We perceive only a fraction of whats going on. And that’s just fine. I think it’s good to keep your feet on the ground, have fun and enjoy yourself along the way.

I tell my piano students, having a laugh is a not a bad idea when we make a mistake – it keeps the door of creativity open, keeps the energy flowing. We’d be a grumpy old lot otherwise, wouldn’t we?

The great thing about a song is: it goes on. It comes through, on the ether (love) and as a song writer, you do your best to interpret and represent what is coming through, to the best of your ability. Then you arrange and record it and send it out into the world.

On this podcast you get the experience of listening to a song for the first time. I love doing that, I’m a real album person. The first thing I used to do was turn the album cover over and read the lyrics, while listening to the songs. I get lost in a song that way.

Sure you can have background music on, why not? But I’m talking about listening closely, here. It’s so good for us. I’m always doing it..

I’m also a painter. I enjoy painting in my studio and also I particularly like to paint ‘en plein air’ ( French for on the spot out in nature).

I get lost in the scene when I’m painting. I lose the sense of self. The separation to nature is no longer there and I’m part of the scene.

It happens when I go fly fishing on a river. And it happens when I write a song,

It can also happen when you hold the hand of someone …you realise the potential of what may be ahead, it can be a transformational moment And love is what can be expressed.

In this song, the lyrics are reflective, looking back, acknowledging how good it is, how amazing it is.

There is also the bridge….a chance for another view point, in this case it’s an acknowledgement that there may be a listener (in the future, perhaps) who isn’t exactly on top of the world and is not in love with someone, not in a relationship. So there’s a line there that basically is saying: ‘hang on… things will improve..The new dawn will come’.

This is the way I roll. I like to offer help – there’s an uplifting aspect to my lyrics and I’m very happy about that. And apparently my piano playing does the same thing, so I’m happy about that too.

I also happen to like talking, particularly ‘off the cuff’ – there’s no script & I have no idea what I’m about to say as I record these 30 minute episodes.

A bit of humour keeps it real. And only love is real.

Here we go. I hope you enjoy this episode…