This post is the first in a series I'll be doing on song lyrics. I've thought for a long time that it would be fun to examine lyrics- words combined with music can have such a profound effect on us- and I was musing recently on a Sunday Post about how music has changed and evolved. The response to that was pretty positive, so a post was born!
First up- a song that I think has a powerful message, both uplifting and inspiring, but at the same time loaded with angst. Feelin Stronger Every Day by Chicago is an amazing piece of music. I take it to be about recovering after a breakup- I mean those lyrics are loaded with pain, it seems to me, and yet at the same time the songwriter seems to be saying it's going to be alright. Both will move on and survive, and there's even a hint that they're still connected on some level- but at the same time it's clearly over.
I get chills sometimes when I listen to this. And when the horns kick in and the tempo increases around the two minute mark- it's like a whole different song. Danny Seraphine on drums takes it to the next level as well, and you can just feel the horn players feed off that energy. I can't say enough about it. Take a listen, but keep the lyrics in mind as you do- it makes a difference!
What do you think?
First up- a song that I think has a powerful message, both uplifting and inspiring, but at the same time loaded with angst. Feelin Stronger Every Day by Chicago is an amazing piece of music. I take it to be about recovering after a breakup- I mean those lyrics are loaded with pain, it seems to me, and yet at the same time the songwriter seems to be saying it's going to be alright. Both will move on and survive, and there's even a hint that they're still connected on some level- but at the same time it's clearly over.
I get chills sometimes when I listen to this. And when the horns kick in and the tempo increases around the two minute mark- it's like a whole different song. Danny Seraphine on drums takes it to the next level as well, and you can just feel the horn players feed off that energy. I can't say enough about it. Take a listen, but keep the lyrics in mind as you do- it makes a difference!
Lyrics
I do believe in you
And I know you believe in me
Oh yeah Oh yeah
And now we realize
Love's not all that it's supposed to be
Oh yeah oh yeah
And knowing that you would have wanted it this way
I do believe I'm feeling stronger every day
I know we really tried
Together we had love inside
Oh yeah oh yeah
So now the time has come
For both of us to live on the run
Oh yeah oh yeah
And knowing that you would have wanted it this way
I do believe I'm feeling stronger every day
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
After what you've meant to me
Ooh baby now
I can make it easily
Yeah yeah yeah
I know that we both agree
Best thing to happen to you
The best thing that happened to me
Yeah yeah yeah
Feeling stronger every day
Feeling stronger every day
Feeling stronger every day
What do you think?
What a fun post! I love Chicago. "You're the Inspiration" reminds me of my first love. I've never really payed attention to all of the lyrics for, Feelin' Stronger Every Day. I agree that they lyrics are loaded with pain and anguish, but we still get that message that everything will end up being ok. When I just read the lyrics without hearing them put to music, the song seems a lot sadder. However, the music and tempo are upbeat and add a lot more of a positive vibe to the lyrics. Also, I agree, that once the horns kick in, it seems almost like a different song. Great first song lyrics post Greg! I enjoyed reading your thoughts, the lyrics, and then listening to the song with the music.
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Thanks! And I love this song! It IS so uplifting- but I think you're right, it's the combination of the music and the lyrics that make it so. Even though there is hope in the lyrics, they are a lot sadder without the music!
DeleteGreat feature and I love this song. Yes, I love how the band took a negative thing such as a breakup and turned it into a positive. Sometimes going different ways really is the best thing that can happen. Chicago makes me think of my high school days and I'll be looking forward to more of these posts. Right now I'm on a Billie Eilish kick - that girl is twisted!
ReplyDeleteThanx! I agree. Sometimes relationships just run their course- and that may not be bad even though it's painful. I think this song encapsulates that quite well! And now I need to go find out more about Billie Eilish :)
DeleteI love this song and I will love these features by you!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! For the most part, I'll start to listen to the words in the song, but ultimately I get list in the music. Funny though, yesterday we had people over and were having our Echo video take requests for songs and while it plays the song it puts the lyrics on the screen. Well, I was sitting right next to it and was fascinated by what some of the lyrics were that I never paid any attention to!
ReplyDeleteI think that's the biggest thing for me with these posts- there are songs I've heard for years, or maybe even not that often, but listening to the lyrics (or just reading them) adds a whole new dimension!
DeleteI need to re listen to this song, I struggled so much during the winter and day by day I have had to fight my way back, feeling stronger each day. I think I could relate to the song.
ReplyDeleteI think songs like this sometimes can really help us, to see things in a new look or just to be positive. This song is particular has a really neat message, I think, in spite of the pain.
DeleteLove this new feature, Greg! For a relatively uptempo song, it is rather angsty while still uplifting. Now there’s a combination! I saw Chicago live in the early-mid 90’s but I can’t remember if they performed this one or not.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And you're right- it has that upbeat vibe while at the same time being super angsty! Not easy to pull off
DeleteThis is a great feature! And I love this song. :)
ReplyDeleteMusic really can be so empowering and so uplifting, of course it can do the opposite too LOL!
ReplyDeleteTrue!
DeleteThis is the first time I've heard of this artist. Great post :)
ReplyDeleteThey have some great stuff even though they're an older band...
DeleteI hadn't heard this song but it's definitely necessary right now for me!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope it helped in some small way. I find that music sometimes hits me at just the right time, and it can really help!
DeleteI love that you chose a song I actually know. It's sad, because something obviously came to end to inspire these lyrics, but it's upbeat, in that the person is moving on.
ReplyDeleteI was reading a thing where Peter cetera and another bandmember and how the song started- Cetera was going thru a divorce I think and the other guy was just messing around with the song beginning, or something, and they wrote the song after the tour- something like that
DeleteI love Chicago, and I LOVE this song! I was just jamming to it in my car a couple weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteHaha good timings!
DeleteLove how you broke the song apart to not only include the lyrics but the music itself and how it relates. Oh this is a fun post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm having fun w/ these :)
DeleteWow, I haven't heard this song in ages. I remembered the tune more than I did the actual lyrics but I agree that it's overall a pretty uplifting song about moving on. Man, now I need to go buy some Chicago songs on iTunes, lol.
ReplyDeleteI had never actually examined the lyrics until I sat down to do this post- it made the song even more powerful!!
DeleteI like this :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteLove Chicago, and most of their songs are perfect for when you are wallowing after a breakup.
ReplyDeleteHaha so true!
DeleteExcited you did this feature. I agree with you. Thanks for putting the Lyrics with the actual song. It really helped. Wow I have not heard Chicago in ages. But I do not know this song but liked it. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteI think having the lyrics there really helps, to get the full picture of the song. There are so many songs that I've amazingly never examined the lyrics!
DeleteI'd never heard this song, but I agree, it sounds like it's about moving on after a break up. A rather upbeat and positive song compared to most breakup songs! Cool feature!
ReplyDeleteI guess one of the songwriters was going through divorce. Doesn't seem like much of a stretch haha.
DeleteFinally I have time to read this post!!! Thank you for making me discover that song as I had never heard it! And what you are saying is right! Moving on.
ReplyDeleteI love song lyrics, and I think it's what I find a little harder with more modern (on the radio, at least) music. The lyrics don't really mean anything, you know? A good song with strong lyrics is like a poem that's enhanced by the surrounding music in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteChicago is awesome, and I didn't know this song, so thanks for the recommendation - I love it!
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
I have never really listened to Chicago lyrics. The only exposure I had to them was playing some of their songs in high school jazz band, and they were just instrumentals. I'll have to give this one a listen. 👍✨
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge Chicago fan on can say that I mostly like some of their well known stuff but I do like this song. Good pick. I like the idea to talk about lyrics. They have lots of meaning for all of us. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteMary