The Song: Part II

In The Song, published earlier today, I noted:

Sometimes, if I know a song really well, I have an urge to move my hands as if I was going to play the song on piano. I feel like the music is part of me.

In the blog post, I didn't talk about what happens when I hear a song that captivates me. This has been the case when I have watched television shows, for example. A song is played -- to open a show, mark a significant scene, to end an episode -- and I stop and embrace the music. Thanks to the internet, I am able to search for the song in the scene, often starting with the episode in which I first heard the song. I listen, often replaying the tune many times.

No matter how unfocused I am, a song can change my mood. A song makes me feel.

Mr. Bojangles made me curious when I first heard it. The calm, soft voice of Sammy Davis Jr. signing the tale of Mr. Bojangles made me pause. Then the music got more intense, reaching a high point when the words "That was Mr. Bojangles" were uttered. You know that moment in a song that you can't stop thinking about? "That was Mr. Bojangles" echoes in my mind. It came to mind earlier this evening. My first impulse was to listen to the song again. I first heard this song on Billions.

I first heard Stand Up by The Revivalists on the Superstore television show. A few seconds in, I was hooked to the song. The song was played over a moment of passion between two of the main characters that was greatly anticipated as the series continued. I remember thinking about how amazing the song was. I listened to it many times over, and later songs by The Revialists formed some of the first I attempted to play by ear when I got back into playing piano.

Then there's Yo-Yo Ma's performance of "Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major." I often cry when I hear this song. It is true musical beauty. The song is intense while also elegant. It makes me feel a bit scared at times. At other times, hopeful. I recall the first time I heard the song, in The West Wing. The scene in which the music was played was distressing for one of the main characters. This song reminds me of how I felt when watching the show for the first time.

In each of the aforementioned scenarios, music made me feel something as soon as I heard a song. The melody, notes, and progression came together in a dance that was so inviting I could do nothing but resign to focusing solely on the song.