My sister gave me a song a few years ago. And I play it on my bike or in the car and yell it when I need to yell. And I don't know how many blogs compare an 80's chick punk band to Saint Augustine, but here goes.
Augustine once described the Bible as a document that grows with us; as children it's lessons and interesting stories, as young adults it's a moral compass, as adults it's something for us to study critically and question and discuss.
Well, music can be the same.
"Don't Be Mean" by the Raincoats is a breakup song. And it's a bleeding-heart woman asking why the person is ignoring her a year later. "Even when we're old grey, I think you'll see me and look the other way, just like you did, dear, only the other day." What a jerk. No breakup can be that bad, I thought.
Well…
As it turns out, I'm the jerk, so to speak. I went from being her in that song, to being the person she's singing to. See, I kept getting emails from my ex-boyfriend that I wouldn't respond to. I mean, if you can't say something nice… right? I told him to stop emailing.
Another lyric, "Now it's been well over a year and there's no more time for shedding a tear." Well, it has been about a year, and I'm still upset.
The point I'm trying to make is this. The Raincoats were wrong. The best thing I can see in my life between myself and this person is if I were to run into him, would be to turn around and walk the other way. Because God knows every fiber in my being would be begging me to scream or cry or light his shirt on fire.
So, the Raincoats are wrong. And frankly, I'm not to happy with Augustine right now either. I feel like he partially ruined this song too. Thanks a lot.
