Thursday, December 31, 2009

Jason Mraz is a Curious Genius

I'm going through a bit of a Jason Mraz craze right now. I love all of Jason Mraz's songs, including "I'm Yours" and "Lucky". However, those two particular pieces are a little bit overplayed. So, instead of listening to them, I've been spending lots of time indulging in his other gorgeous creations.

What's so impressive about Jason Mraz is that he can write incredible lyrics. There's a beautiful simplicity in his work, and yet the lyrics are powerful and deep. You can never understand them just by reading them once. You have to read them over and over again while hearing his voice sing them. And the magic of it all is that the interpretations differ constantly.

Check out some of his songs if you're in the mood. They're absolutely beautiful. I'll post the lyrics to one of them here.

Here's the YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW_JMBWd-c4&feature=related
Enjoy!

"Mr. Curiosity" by Jason Mraz
Hey, Mr. Curiosity,
Is it true what they've been saying about you --
Are you killing me?
You took care of the cat already,
And for those who think it's heavy
Is it the truth,
Or is it only gossip?

Call it mystery or anything
Just as long as you'd call me
I sent the message on. Did you get it when I left it?
See, this catastrophic event?
It wasn't meant to mean no harm,
But to think there's nothing wrong is a problem.

I'm looking for love this time,
Sounding hopeful, but it's making me cry.
Love is a mystery.
Mr. Curious...

Come back to me
Mr. Waiting, ever patient can't you see
That I'm the same the way you left me
In a hurry to spell check me.
And I'm underlined already in envy green
And pencil red.
And I've forgotten what you've said.
Will you stop working for the dead and return?

Mr. Curious, well I need some inspiration.
It's my birthday, and I cannot find no cause for celebration.
The scenario is grave, but I'll be braver when you save me.
From this situation laden with hearsay.

I'm looking for love this time,
Sounding hopeful but it's making me cry.
And love is a mystery.
Mr. Curiosity...

Be Mr. Please.
Do come and find me, oh,
Find, find me, find me.

I'm looking for love this time,
Sounding hopeful but it's making me cry.
I'm trying not to ask why
'Cause love is a mystery.
Mr. Curiosity...

Be Mr. Please,
Do come and find me.
Love is blinding when the timing's never right.
Oh, who am I to beg for difference
Finding love in just an instant?
Well I dont mind, at least I've tried.
And I tried, I tried...

Music as a Religion

Today, I was talking with a friend about life, and somehow, we got on the topic of religion. From our conversation, I think that religion is something that is (or should be) very personal. If the purpose of religion is to fill in gaps of one's being, to answer questions, to provide hope, and to give life more meaning, it is absolutely impossible for two people to share exactly the same religion because those two people lead completely different lives.

That is not to say that it is impossible to find to people who share the same religion -- the number of people who pray in the same Church, or Synagogue, or Mosque, or whatever religious place could testify to that! However, I fully believe that no two people in that religious place interpret their religion in exactly the same way. Each individual makes his or her own personal connections to his or her faith. By making unique and personal connections, a person can serve his or her religion best and his or her religion can serve the person best. Religion becomes something special and helpful. It can better people's lives.

What does this all have to do with music? Well, let's continue. If every individual requires his or her own personal religion, then it's pretty much impossible to say that every individual's religion will fall into one of our formal categories (i.e. Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, etc.). Therefore, "religion" is a term that should be applicable to all forms of faith, whether that faith comes in the form of prayer, science, education, and more. If a person has faith in science, then that's wonderful because he or she has faith in something. If a person believes that education provides hope for the world, then that's wonderful because he or she has faith in something. Etc., etc.

This is where music comes in. My religion is music. I live and breathe sound, whether it's classical, jazz, pop, instrumental, a capella, or even just the wind blowing through the trees. Music helps me Live, Laugh, and Love.

And I can't help but share my love for music with the world.

Wouldn't you say the same for your faith?