Yesterday I received this link to a beautiful film based on the song
"Stand by Me".
The filmmakers took on-the-street performances of this inspiring classic from all over the world and combined them to make one larger performance, creating a visual metaphor for how popular music connects people of every race and circumstance.
Meanwhile, at an open mic I attend semi-regularly, the number of original songs has declined. Twenty years ago, many people sang their own material, but now they're more likely to sing standards by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Jimmy Webb and James Taylor. Speaking of James Taylor, he recently put out an album of covers.
In a troubled world that needs to bring people together, excellent songs loved by all are immensely valuable. Songs that are, um, not so excellent, aren't so important. Value Village bins are overflowing with independent recordings of original songs...songs that are often immensely valuable to the person who wrote them, but not worth much to others.
That is, not unless they contain the same stuff as "Stand by Me".
What stuff is that? What's in that song that makes it so valuable?
By now, its near-universal brand recognition adds to its value, for sure. But from the beginning, it contained some essential ingredients: a universal theme, an uplifting melody, a simple and clear message of truth, beauty and reassurance.
Like gold, that stuff holds its value in any economic climate. It's always in high demand. Old songs may contain them. New songs can too.
And when they do, they offer something else that's especially valuable today: empowerment.
We empower ourselves and our communities when we respond creatively to the world as it unfolds...when we bring to light new joy, new insight, new strength...and when we do it in real time.
It can happen in a song, in a blog, in a film, in a speech.
It's the creative response that brought "Stand by Me" to us in the first place.
Happy writing!
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