Therapeutic Music

Not long ago I spent about nine hours in the car...alone.  I absolutely love traveling in a car alone, second only to being in the passenger's seat reading magazines and dozing while someone else drives. 

One of the reasons I like traveling alone is that I can slip in any CD I want and listen to it...loudly...as many times as I want.  Depending on my mood I could be listening to anything from John Denver to Jean Michel Jarre. 

On this past trip I took I realized something interesting.  I really like music with an upbeat tune and a morose message.  An example of this can be found repeatedly on the Supertramp album Breakfast In America.  The Logical Song, Take The Long Way Home and Breakfast In America are my favorites. 

Of course I can't talk about music without mentioning my long-time favorite, Queen.  Queen also has a song with a really jolly tune, yet the song's message is pretty insightful, jaded, and downright sad depending on what period of life you're in.  That song is Good Company.  Brian May plays his magical mandolin banjo (or is it a banjo mandolin?) with an upbeat ting and the lyrics say things like "reward of all my efforts my own limited company," and one of my all time favorite quotes "all through the years in the end it appears there was never really anyone but me." 

Music is a powerful churn for emotions.  Strangely enough I am drawn to music that will make me tap my foot, bop my head, and feel melancholy all at the same time. 

For your enjoyment, Good Company by Queen...

Take good care of what you've got

My father said to me

As he puffed his pipe and baby B

He dandled on his knee

Don't fool with fools who'll turn away

Keep all good company oohoo oohoo

Take care of those you call your own and keep good company

Soon I grew and happy too

My very good friends and me

We'd play all day with Sally J

The girl from number four

And very soon I begged her

Won't you keep me company?

Oohoo oohoo oohoo oohoo

Come marry me for evermore

We'll be good company

Now marriage is an institution sure

My wife and I our needs and nothing more

All my friends by a year by and by disappeared

But we're safe enough behind our door

I flourished in my humble trade my reputation grew

The work devoured my waking hours but when my time was through

Reward of all my efforts my own limited company

I hardly noticed Sally as we parted company

All through the years in the end it appears

There was never really anyone but me

Now I'm old I puff my pipe but no one's there to see

I ponder on the lesson of my life's insanity

Take care of those you call your own

And keep good company