album cover for Walk Around the Moon

Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim wants us to look for a song that makes you think about life. One of the things that makes me love listening to music is how it makes me think about life. Songs are narratives as much as any novel, story, or poem in that the lyricist expresses a point of view about life. It’s a perspective that you choose to take in as you listen; then maybe you roll it around in your mind with the other marbles and see if it clacks and clicks and/or dings with your world view. Maybe you decide to let it stay and maybe you say no, it doesn’t mesh.

All music lovers also have external containers, be they vinyl platters, compact discs, cassette tape, digital storage, or maybe saved playlists on a streaming channel. What makes a song or album a favorite? Maybe it’s just the beat or maybe it’s the arrangement. I’ve got plenty of those kinds. If you come across a song that has all of that *and* makes you think about life, you’ve got a real winner.

I thought about choosing Cat Stevens, “Longer Boats” but I’m not 100% on all of the lyrics. I thought of Pearl Jam’s, “Love Boat Captain,” but that was inspired by fans being crushed to death at one of their concerts, so no. If I could have picked a whole album of music that makes me dance in my chair, sing along, and think about life, it would be Dave Matthews Band’s, “Walk Around the Moon.” It talks about “life, the universe, and everything.”

I did a write up on the album back in 2023. Looking at it, I see it was my very first Friday Favorite Feature! Feel free to read about it HERE.

Today’s song talks about living in a gun culture, where might makes right, and if I have a bigger gun, you will do as I say and give me what I want or I will either throw you in prison or put a bullet between your eyes right then and there. (RIP Renee Goode and Alex Pretti.)

This line stands out for me:

In the dark, be the light

Madman’s Eyes

Oh, little Billy’s got a gun
Little Billy’s having fun
Shooting bottles on the wall
Dreams, the hero come home from war

Is this real?
Is this make believe?
We’d think we’d know how everything’s
Supposed to be
Like a train blowing full steam ahead
Can’t hear what you’re saying
With everybody screaming

I’m afraid, can’t lie
Momma said, “Baby, don’t you cry
In the night don’t let go baby hold on tight”
To believe is blind
Don’t sacrifice another child
It’s not black and white
Unless you’re looking through a madman’s eyes

The truth might not be crystal clear
But if might is right, there’s no room for love in here
We pray to God and hope He’s listening
A man with a gun brings the demons in

Oh, we live as if our hands are tied
Is it really so hard
To do what we know is right?
To protect the things that we hold dear
Must we do things that we should never forgive

I’m afraid, can’t lie
Momma said, “Baby, don’t you cry
In the dark, be the light
Don’t let go baby, hold on tight”
To believe is blind
Don’t sacrifice another child
It’s not black and white
Unless you’re looking through a madman’s eyes

Run and hide
Don’t ask why
Nobody wants to see the look in his eyes
When it’s too late to untwist the knife
How do we face hatred with the love inside us

I’m afraid, can’t lie
Momma said, “Baby, don’t you cry
In the dark be the light
Don’t let go baby, hold on tight”
To believe is blind
Don’t sacrifice another child
It’s not black and white
Unless you’re looking through a madman’s eyes

Written by: David John Matthews
Album: Walk Around The Moon
Released: 2023