I happened to hear the Mary Poppins song “Feed the Birds” the other day and found myself getting a bit choked up. No real reason that I know of. The song never held any emotional attachment for me as a child… I have never even seen Mary Poppins, so the song has no context for me.
I don’t know what it is, but I think a lot of it has to do with the music, not the words. Even though the words have a deeper meaning than most children can grasp, the music itself seemed to affect me. I don’t honestly know all the words.
Anyone else have a song like this?
And is there any psychological reason why some songs hit us like this, and others don’t? I am not talking about songs with lyrics that speak to you personally… I am asking more about songs/melodies that affect us without necessarily knowing the lyrics of the song.
I know there might not be an answer for this, but for some reason, a song I don’t know the words to hit me in the throat. It is a beautiful, yet somewhat sad melody, and perhaps it is no more than that. But I found it interesting and thought I’d ask.
I’m a very lyric oriented person so it’s hard for me to separate. The first thing that comes to mind is *Memory *from Cats.
The Gin Blossoms’ Found Out About Youhas a very melancholy, evocative sound. The words are kind of sad- a broken hearted teenager whose girlfriend dumped him on account of her being the town slut - but there’s something about the overall sound , their harmonies, whatever, that always puts a little hurt on my heart.
I’ve mentioned it before on here, and I know a lot of folks take issue with John Lennon’s “Imagine,” but there’s just something about that song coupled with the fact that one of my favourite singer/songwriter/musicians was senselessly murdered that puts a lump in my throat every time I hear it.
So, the lyrics don’t speak to me personally; it’s the juxtaposition of imagining all the world living in peace and the way he died that gets me.
When my older son graduated from middle school, the principal read the lyrics to Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young”, dedicating them to the graduating class. It was particularly poignant as she had previously announced that she was stepping down at the end of the year due to having contracted cancer. She didn’t last long afterwards, maybe six months.
To this day I never hear that song that I don’t think about Shelley and tear up a bit. I’m getting a little misty just typing about it.
And for a more obvious choice; the theme from Titanic. Not so much the version with Celine’s vocals but the instrumentals themselves. It’s very possible that I’m reliving the hysteria I felt the first time I watched it - if you don’t cry when old Rose meets Jack on the stairway to heaven you’re just dead inside - but all joking aside, it is very beautiful, moving music IMO.
That reminds me of something that happened in high school. One day in our drama class, near the end of the school year, the teacher taught us the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game”…we were all singing it when one of the seniors just burst out crying and ran out of the room.
ETA: Not that she was dying, just emotional about graduation, you know…
“Feed the Birds” chokes me up every time I hear it, and has ever since I first saw the movie at a drive in theater when I was 12. I’ve never been able to understand why.
Celtic Thunder’s “Where You Are” never fails to make me cry. The singer is asking for one more look at a deceased loved one.
As a parent, “Forever Young” does it to me Every. Damn. Time. And I’m a Rod Stewart fan and we go to every concert we can manage when he’s around so I cry at his concerts.
At Christmas “Mary Did You Know” pretty much ensures I will have no eye make up left by the end of the song…
Yes. It always made me tear up! When they used it at the end of last season of American Horror Story (Jessica Lange singing it), absurd as it was, I was outright sobbing.
City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie.
The Circle Song (which was the ending of a Wonder Years episode with Kevin and Grandpa walking the dog).
- but all joking aside, it is very beautiful, moving music IMO.