Category Archives: life is hard

The greatest songs about how how life is hard, and hard times in life and being overwhelmed by life. Sometimes life sucks and it is hard not to give up.

#160 The Beauty Of The Rain- Dar Williams

the beauty of the rain/
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls.

For Dar Williams, “The Beauty of the Rain” is its constancy…you can always count on the rain doing what it does…it falls. Dar William’s world has changed rapidly, significantly for the worse due to a relationship ending. She feels overwhelmed. Wasn’t it just yesterday that they were falling in love with each other? She is looking to the heavens (figuratively and perhaps literally) for answers.

The Beauty Of The Rain Meaning
Dar Williams

She sees a familiar, recognizable pattern that is almost comforting. She sees the rain falling down. Just like it did throughout her relationship. At least she has that! She’s being sarcastic; this is not a celebration of the rain.

Dar William’s “The Beauty of the Rain” is a simple folk song with little more than the singer and a guitar. Sometimes those can be the most impactful songs. While the majority of the sound is just Dar Williams and her guitar, she does mix in a variety of other instruments in a very minute way to make the sound a little more voluminous.

Williams uses a standard but pleasant finger-picking pattern and uses minor percussion, keyboards, bass, a sax solo and a muted trumpet to fill out the mix of the underrated classic “The Beauty of the Rain”.

The Beauty of The Rain Lyrics

And you know the light is fading all too soon.
You’re just two umbrellas one late afternoon.
You don’t know the next thing you will say.
This is your favorite kind of day,
It has no walls, the beauty of the rain,
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls.

And there’s nothing wrong but there is something more,
And sometimes you wonder what you love her for.
She says you’ve known her deepest fears,
‘Cause she showed you a box of stained-glass tears;
It can’t be all, the truth about the rain,
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls.

But when she gave you more to find,
You let her think she’d lost her mind.
And that’s all on you.
Feeling helpless if she asked for help
Or scared you’d have to change yourself.

And you can’t deny this room will keep you warm.
You can look out of your window at the storm.
But you watch the phone and hope it rings,
You’ll take her any way she sings;
Or how she calls, the beauty of the rain,
Is how it falls, how it falls, how it falls.
How it falls, how it falls, how it falls.

written by Dar WIlliams

#130- If I Laugh- Cat Stevens

‘Cause if I laugh just a little bit/
Maybe I can recall the way/
That I used to be, before you/
And sleep at night.

“If I Laugh” is a great song about all the “what ifs” in life. How many times have we looked at someone from afar and admired them and imagined going up to them and asking them out? Hundreds of times? I know that when I was a young man it seemed so easy to imagine a life with the pretty girl in the classroom…but rarely would I actually make an effort to speak to her.

I didn’t have a chance to get to know her. If I joked around, perhaps life would be a little easier to cope with. Thinking about all the love I was (potentially) missing out on is almost too much to bear. It is easier to just laugh about. A lot of life is like that.

 

If I Laugh Song meaning
Stevens

“If I Laugh” has that quality that makes you think it is a cover; the first time you hear it it feels like you must have heard this song hundreds of times before. It feels like it is already in your consciousness. Another couple songs that have this quality is Teach Your Children or Tomorrow is a Long Time.

Cat Stevens does not spend a lot of time on production and he didn’t on “If I Laugh”. His sound is usually just him singing with an acoustic guitar or a piano. This leads a lot of people to believe that his songs sound the same. His greatness goes unrecognized because of this. For other reasons too, which I have discussed previously.

For more Cat Stevens.

If I Laugh Lyrics

Cause if I laugh just a little bit
Maybe I can forget the chance
That I didn’t have to know you
And live in peace, in peace

‘Cause if I laugh just a little bit
Maybe I can forget the plans that
I didn’t use to get you
At home, with me, alone

Oh yeah
‘Cause if I laugh just a little bit
Maybe I can recall the way
That I used to be, before you
And sleep at night, and dream
‘Cause if I laugh, baby if I laugh
Just a little bit
Oh yeah

written by Cat Stevens

#90 Elastic Heart (acoustic)- Sia

Well I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart/
But your blade it might be too sharp.

“Elastic Heart” may be Sia’s best song. The concept for the song—her heart is elastic, and it won’t be broken by the sharp blades of her broken relationships is fantastic. When she sings, “You won’t break me” it is as emotionally moving as any her anthems (and her anthems are great).

Elastic Heart Meaning
Sia

The simple acoustic piano in “Elastic Heart” is a great production decision. Most of the time both the piano and the non-piano version of Sia’s music are fantastic, but on “Elastic Heart”,  the piano version is truly exceptional. I like hearing Sia’s voice without all the drum tracks that mask her voice.

What is most amazing about Sia is not that she has five or so top 500 songs of all-time. (Even though that is amazing, and only topped by a couple bands and artists). It is that she is so prolific after the age of 35.  There are only two other artists who had their greatest songs after that age: Leonard Cohen and Bonnie Raitt.

There are so many artists who once they hit about that age they are done. There are so many in that category that I don’t even need to name them.  It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Sia’s next album was her best, but I can’t say that about any other artist over 30. Perhaps it is because she achieved fame relatively late in life. Perhaps Sia is just one of a kind.

You may also like Sia’s Bird Set Free.

Elastic Heart Lyrics

And another one bites the dust
But why can I not conquer love?
And I might’ve thought that we were one
Wanted to fight this war without weapons
And I want it and I wanted it bad
But there were so many red flags
Now another one bites the dust
Yeah let’s be clear, I trust no one

You did not break me
I’m still fighting for peace

Well I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart
But your blade it might be too sharp
I’m like a rubber band until you pull too hard
Yeah I may snap and I move fast
You won’t see me fall apart
‘Cause I’ve got an elastic heart

I’ve got an elastic heart
Yeah, I’ve got an elastic heart
And I will stay up through the night
Yeah let’s be clear, I won’t close my eyes
And I know that I can survive
I walked through fire to save my life
And I want it, I want my life so bad
And I’m doing everything I can
Then another one bites the dust
It’s hard to lose a chosen one

You did not break me
I’m still fighting for peace

Oh, I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart
But your blade it might be too sharp
I’m like a rubber band until you pull too hard
Yeah I may snap and I move fast
You won’t see me fall apart
‘Cause I’ve got an elastic heart

Oh, and I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart
But your blade it might be too sharp
I’m like a rubber band until you pull too hard
Yeah I may snap and I move fast
You won’t see me fall apart
No, ’cause I’ve got an elastic heart

And I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart
But your blade it might be too sharp
I’m like a rubber band until you pull too hard
Yeah I may snap and I move fast
You won’t see me fall apart
‘Cause I’ve got an elastic heart

I’ve got an elastic heart
Yeah, I’ve got an elastic heart

written by Sia