Lyric of the Week - September 24, 2008

It's no secret that I dwell on the melancholy side of music. I find sad songs comforting and real.

One of my favorites is "Solace" by a-ha, from the 2002 album Lifelines.

The true beauty of the song is its utter simplicity. There are no metaphors or underlying notions. The tone is simply this: life is sad, and it is so for everyone. Hope is fleeting, and happiness is an illusion.

Regrets are the real basis of life. Nobody admits to having them, but the truth is, people aren't guided by plans or goals, but by the mistakes they've made and their fear of repeating them.

"Cold stars of the future burn bright in the past,
These moments of solace, they won't last,
They don't last."

People don't live life - they avoid it.

"Your wasting the moment, biding your time,
No one got ahead standing in line"

And finally, the fool's hope that someday it will all be better.

"You're hoping for solace,
Well, just look around,
Everyone here is standing in line."

I'm in line, probably all the way at the back, and I'm guessing you are too.

I'm out-

KWass