December 19, 2020
Welcome back! As you may or may not already know, we are into the third week of the throw-back to my last album (“All Roads Lead Somewhere”) over the next few months. My current plan is to continue to present the lyric sheets to the songs, one track at a time. Last week was track two. Here we go, the lyrics to track three titled “Stop Running”, go a little like this…
STOP.RUNNING.
Verse 1
I'm scared when I'm strong, I'm right when I'm wrong,
I can give you the right words to say.
I'll shoot but might miss, I'll leave with a kiss,
I'd rather lose but still get to play.
Pre-Chorus
Oohhhhhh... Oohhhhhhh.......
Chorus
Then you say... stop running away, every time... you don't know what to say.
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day. And everything is going to be ok.
Verse 2
I run when I'm scared, of the ghosts that aren't there.
Or those that you just can't see.
Then I take a deep breath, clear the thoughts in my head.
And I run because it makes me feel free.
Pre-Chorus
Oohhhhhh... Oohhhhhhh.......
Chorus
Then you say... stop running away, every time... you don't know what to say.
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day. And everything is going to be ok.
Verse 3
Oh, let me be brave, as I face down my fears.
Don't leave our greatest story untold.
And these tears I might shed, only mean I'm not dead.
This is the year I start living bold.
Pre-Chorus
Oohhhhhh... Oohhhhhhh.......
Chorus
Then you say... stop running away, every time... you don't know what to say.
Because tomorrow is a brand-new day. And everything is going to be ok.
Ending
So, please… stop running away. Because we won’t always know what to say.
Every morning brings a brand-new day. And all we can do is hope that it’ll be ok.
What does that mean?
At time, my songs have recurring, cyclical theme. One of my regulars makes an appearance in this song, that concept of “running away”. I’ll be honest, I’ve had my fair share of urges to cast off my problems, run away, and start over. That is my free spirit and sometimes rebellious nature speaking. Luckily, the rational side of me gives me a gut-punch and reminds me why running away from problems never works. I suppose that is why humans are so interesting, yet complicated, to figure out. We each have many sides, with different ones revealed at the forefront for different moments of our lives.
I’ll digress for a bit. I’ve had definitive times in my life where running away from (and sometimes to) something literally led me to survival. There is an appropriate time and a place for everything. The trick is to know when to run and when to stay.
When I say “I’d rather lose but still get to play” that’s rather autobiographical. Those who know me well know I’ve taken some fairly big risks over the years, with some playing out far better than imagined – but others, not so much. Most often, I’ll put it out there into the universe and try rather than just always wondering. Note I say “most often”. My courage doesn’t always run as deeply as it probably should.
I do get scared, which sometimes prompts the running. Research suggests anxiety and depression play a role in feeling burnt out, “over it”, needing to escape. I don’t know if anyone gets too far into life without experiencing at least a brush with those emotions. This is why I’m a big advocate of self-care.
Sometimes we just need to stop and take a breath. It’s a phrase so overused it’s lost all meaning, but that doesn’t make it any less true. One deep, solitary breath may be the exact thing you need to gain some clarity. Because let me tell you, my friends, running away from problems will never work, However, running towards something that was meant for you will work. There’s the popular song that says listen to your heart. I like the song, but its theory is lacking. Instead, I propose listening to your gut.
Here is why:
- Don’t just listen to your heart. It’s fluffy and flighty – too strongly based upon subjective “feels”.
- Don’t just listen to your head. It’s sterile and clinical – too strongly based upon objective “evidence”.
- Listen to your gut. It takes what the heart and the head produce, mixes them up nicely as it digests, and then it produces a result that’s an ideal mix of both.
I wrote this song (and all of the songs on this album) during one of those times in my life when I had to “be brave” in order to not leave a “greatest story untold.” It was a chapter in my life that I capped off and celebrated by getting a tattoo of a wild, beautiful butterfly and the word Fearless.
No, I don’t always know what to say and I can’t tell you everything is going to be ok. But it’s time we live boldly and find out where this grand adventure takes us. I know I plan to, anyway. I hope that you are with me.
Until next time,
Crystal
