What this song is all about is that we must heed the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the first verse. He says basically that first sentence I just wrote, and then follows it with, "and recognize that there are ties between us, all men and women, living on the Earth. Ties of hope and love, of sister and brotherhood. That we are bound together, in our desire to see the world become, a place in which our children can grow free and strong. That we are bound together, by the task that stands before us, and the road that lies ahead. We are bound, and we are bound." It is sung with a beautiful harmony, and just a piano. It doesn't rhyme, but it speaks a very beautiful and a very powerful message, doesn't it.
Then the second verse adds some bass and some drums, then the lyrics go, "There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist. There is a hunger in the center of the chest. There is a passage through the darkness and the mist. And though the body sleeps, the heart will never rest!" Again, beautiful words. These lyrics speak that there is a satisfying feeling to wanting to make a fist and hurt someone, and a deep feeling in the gut to do so sometimes, but there is a passage through those feelings of hate, and that although the mind might be okay with those feelings, the heart and soul are not.
Then the chorus comes in with, "Shed a Little Light Oh Lord! (Shed a Little Light, Oh Lord!) So that we can see! (Oh now!) Just a Little Light Oh Lord! (Just A Little Light, Oh Lord!) Wanna stand it on up! (Stand on up, Oh Lord!) Stand it on up, Oh Lord! (Oh Now!) Wanna walk it on down! (Won't you Shed a Little Light!) Shed a Little Light Oh Lord!" It is a beautiful call and response chorus, between a harmony of men and women, and James Taylor.
That call and response feeling continues into the bridge section, in which its lyrics go, "Can't get no light from a dollar bill! Don't gimme no light from a TV Screen! (No, no, no, no, no!) When I open my eyes, I wanna drink my fill, from the well on the hill! (You know I know what I need!)" More lyrics that speak immensely, as what it is saying here, is that you can't buy this light, and you can't use the TV to get the job done, you need to open your eyes, and go make the change you want to see.
It then goes back to the chorus, almost exactly the same as before, then it repeats the second verse, with a beautiful harmony now behind it, and then the first lines from the first verse, and the song then ends.
This song is so powerful, and in a time when the new year of 2016 is going to come around, we need something to change our world, for the better. We need love. and hope, and security for our brothers and sisters, our husbands and wives, our aunts and uncles, our grandparents, our cousins, our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, our neighbors, our friends, our teachers, our colleagues, and our strangers as well.
We NEED this to happen this year, or we are in some deep, deep trouble. All of the teenagers around my age, and some of the younger generations bitch and moan all day long, all week long, all month long, all year long, and all life long about who's in charge in our country, and who is doing what, and that they are doing a bad job. We need to take action! Go out and vote! Go do something! It is in our hands! We need to go and we need do something! Like this song says "We are bound together by the task that stands before us, and the road that lies ahead. We are bound, and we are bound!" If you aren't happy about something, go change it! Please listen to this song and make change in the world! (Ok, I'll get down off my soapbox now, and I'll stop sounding like Shia LaBeouf, but I mean it, just do it, and go make something happen!)
I hope that you listen to this song, and love it like I do, and try to follow and take heed to the advice given in this song every day!
Did you like this song? Does this song make you want to change something in your life? Does it inspire you?
DGS
Quotes of the Day: "Some men see things as they are, and say why? Others see things that never were, and say why not?" - Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy
"A Journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step!" - President John F. Kennedy
"We must never negotiate out of fear, but also never, ever fear to negotiate." - President John F. Kennedy
(P.S., I know all these quotes were from the Kennedy Family. I like them, and they have good quotes! Shut Up! I'm just kidding, talk to you all tomorrow!)