Does listening to music have the potential to alter the world? Yes, it does. But the changes still have to start with you. If you learn how to listen to music very honestly, you can learn the secrets of the ages by .


“I’ve been cheated. Been mistreated. When will I be Loved?” This set of lyrics written by Linda Rondstadt years ago gave rise to my understanding of the tansformative power of listening to and writing song lyrics. I was in college, studying the book Beloved, by Toni Morrison. I had a paper due in one day;’ I was completely stressed out; and I had no clue what to write about.



I took a nap and woke to the lyrics of Ms. Rondstadts song. It was buzzing in my ears, and I had the sudden feeling that I should pay close attention. I intuitively felt that writing song lyrics were important.


They were.


Although I do not recall the precise details, the few lines from that song gave me all the insight I needed to write song lyric in a very short time. The line
“When will I be loved?” was a doorway into my understanding of the song Beloved. I realized that the central character just wanted to be loved, and that was all I needed to know to access enough creativity to write a terrific song lyric. From that moment on I never doubted the pure potentiality of song lyrics.


The above is just one illustration of the power of . Many more are possible. For instance, always pay close attention to any song lyrics that run through your head.


When lyrics run though your head, they stop being “out there.” For all practical purposes, if you are singing the song lyrics, then you might as well have written them in the first place. You are imbuing them with meaning, and they are now “in” you, so to speak.


So, how so you benefit from this knowledge? By understanding that what you are writing the song lyric about, is about you. You can gain great self-awreness and wisdom by looking carefully at what you are singing. Do not assume that these are just random song lyrics running though your mind. They are not random. You are choosing to write them and they have a message.


The message is usually about something you wish you had or about something you are fearful of. The song you are singing offers you clues as to what your deepest values and beliefs are. These deep attitudes are what you need to uncover in order to become more self-aware and powerful. So next time song lyrics run thourgh your head or come onto the radio at an odd time, pay very close attention. They just might change your life or give you an answer you needed.