Saying It’s Possible
31 Days of Brannan – Day 10
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Today’s Playlist – Say It’s Possible (Terra Naomi Cover)
So here’s a cover from one of the artists who will be accompanying Jay when he pushes through San Francisco (my home base). I love this song and knew it was a cover so I thought I’d highlight some of Terra’s work here as well (her version of the piece will be at the end of this blog entry). Am looking forward to hearing more from her as an opening act. As a sidebar, I am bringing my granddaughter to the concert (she’s a big Jay-B fan too) and I am really looking forward to Keely hear a strong woman’s voice and perspective in music. So I think this little night out for the both of us will be hella good for the whole celebratory gang I am bringing along (we’re celebrating my b-day that night).
This song is quite an amazing tune – it’s definitely got a hook that grabs and won’t let go. A roller-coaster ride of a song, if you will. Melodically it is hypnotic and has a allure from just a musicality standpoint. Naomi’s edgier touch to the song (see below for comparison) when juxtaposed with Brannan’s more lyrical touch highlight the rainbow of colors that bring out subtleties in the piece. Like a nicely orchestrated symphony, the song has worded nuances that each singer that approaches it can put their emotive spin on it. Perhaps this is the song’s greatest quality. Like a siren song, it’s inviting to sing along, to wallow in the melodic turns of it, to swim in it’s lyrical waters, so to speak.
It’s truly an emotive and lovely piece, rich with pathos and contradictions that we all have to face in life. It’s the push/pull of all those voices (whether live or digitally expressed) that try to tell us what is best for us. When the harshest critic of all is often times ourselves.
This is Naomi’s masterful touch in the piece. The simple and evocative statements pushing us along –
Don’t wait, act now
This amazing offer won’t last long
It’s only a chance to pave the path we’re on
I know there are more exciting things to talk about
And in time we’ll sort it out
And in time we’ll sort it out
It’s the TV commercial pitch to soothe what ails you. Someone else always has the answer, right? Yeah, often, not so much. There’s always layers of moments in our lives that no one often knows anything about – but no matter, their opinion reigns supreme and if you just follow it NOW, don’t wait, time is of the essence, yada, yada, yada.
I love the push back the song brings – using the cyclic melody to rebel against the tide that says it knows what’s best. A masterful stroke of tune-smithing.
Probably my favorite passage is where the singer reveals that even as the voices who know best press in upon them, they have a card to play that no one realizes trumps everything (in bold below):
And the truth is such a funny thing
With all these people
Keep on telling me
They know what’s best
And what to be frightened of
And all the rest are wrong
They know nothing about us
They know nothing about us
Yet the plea for that special someone who grounds you, who holds steadfast while you spin out on your own shit is what you’ve come to count on and how you pray that they won’t fail you when you’re at your most vulnerable. Brilliant, brilliant and emotive stuff.
And though they say it’s possible
To me, I don’t see how it’s probable
I see the course we’re on spinning farther from what I know
I’ll hold on
Tell me that you won’t let go
Tell me that you won’t let go
And yet, the vulnerability lingers – intoning in the background, acknowledging that the self-doubt, the worry, the realization that you actually care about the outcome – cyclically resonating inside each of us – no matter how strong a face we put out to the world. Some small part of us knows how much this world has damaged us – with three little, but definitive words:
I’m not alright
I’m not alright
I’m not alright
Culminating in a defiant moment of resolve and lastly, at least to my way of thinking, hope.
This could be something beautiful
Combine our love into something wonderful
But times are tough I know
And the pull of what we can’t give up takes hold
I can’t wait to see these two performers on July 31st here in San Francisco. Everything points to one beautiful way to ring in a new year for me. Can’t wait.
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The Always, Then & Now Tour…
Please check out his site with links for his upcoming shows. I am definitely a late comer to the Brannan bandwagon whenever he pulls through my city. But now that I am going this year, I am making it a goal never to miss when he swings through town. I hope you take advantage of the opportunity as well. Also be sure to check out his web store at the following link.
- Jay’s Website – jaybrannan.com
