If music be the food of love, play on…* Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
Ah, yes, music is the very soundtrack of love, any love affair has the words to a song, the twist of a particular tune to color its shape, from old love: “Let’s Stay Together… Al Green, to new love: Just The Way You Are… Bruno Mars, lost love: Someone Like You… Adele, unrequited love: You’re Beautiful… James Blunt, disappointed love: Cowboy Romance… Natalie Merchant, not love: According To You… Orianthi. The all of love is ballad-ized, Top Fort-ied, jazzed, even classical-ed. But this marriage of music and love, is it all there is? No, no indeed.
Music, with its ubiquitous presence in our lives, playing in every store, the press of a button in cars, on iPhones plugged directly into our ears, is the very soundtrack of life. So much is this true I find songs play in my head like messages from my very soul.
Wrapped up in my daughter’s soccer game, the ref blows the whistle twice: “At halftime there was sweet perfume…” American Pie, Don McLean.
Considering a career shift at midlife: “Started from the bottom now we’re here…” Started From The Bottom, Drake.
Just a general feel good kind of day: “This has got to be the good life…” Good Life… One Republic. Just to name a few.
Music gives melody to the madness, understanding to the chaos in a way that softens the blow, amps up the joy, connecting soul to soul, reminding us we are not alone in our pain, our joy, our crazy lives.
So, yes, music be the food of love, but music, too then, be the food of life, and indeed, play on. But not so we may reach satiety like Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, but instead so we may nourish ourselves, our souls on this long journey of life.
***
Jessica Ciosek is currently working on a novel. Her work appears in the “Mothers” issue of Minerva Rising.
