It always amazes me when we have those huge giant “waves” of realization in our lives..you know what I’m talking about. Those moments when you’re (usually or even hopefully) alone, have had a lot on your mind and going on in life, and everything just suddenly comes to a screeching HALT.
You may even find yourself a few minutes later staring at the same spot on the floor and asking yourself “How long was I like that?” or the like.
This post is going to have to have some musical video accompaniament and I hope you’ll not only play them but read the lyrics to each of these songs. For me personally, I’ve always said that I communicate better with music and these songs do it pretty well for me right now. But it’s all part of a story too. One that has an actual soundtrack to “all this”.
in 1997 I had to put to sleep a cat that I had named “Booter”. He was 16, and I was 32 so I’d had him half my life at that point. He was an awesome cat, set the Kenny’s Pet Standard for pet personality (haha) and was so good at it he had an inheritor of the name (and apparently personality and attitude) in my present feline companion Booter Two. I digress..
The day he passed, I was in a period where I was living with my best friend and had planned to move to Austin the previous December but my job fell through and I found myself in yet another period of transition – but I was lucky that my friend’s and my living situation was a good one and it was home for a few great years. We never fought. When I was dealing with the loss of my feline friend we decided to get out of the house and drive around – just for escape. It helped me get out of the immediate.
On the radio, a new song came on called “Takes A Little Time”, a new single release from Amy Grant for a new album called “Behind The Eyes”. Now, I was a fan of Amy’s pop music for sure and the more I got to know about her writing and saw just how talented she was, the more I liked her, and I was happy to see what her story had grown into because she had been given a tough ride to her place in music. The song caught my ear immediately for a few reasons: It was the “roughest” commercial cut I’d heard Amy do, there was also a remarkable difference in her voice, and the writing was really solid on this different kind of tune for her. I liked it immediately and the message was even MORE well received. – getting over something big or difficult IS difficult and not immediate.
Before I go further, for anyone reading this far who is going to immediately say anything like “Oh, Amy Grant,.. I see.” and not have listened to or know anything about her history, writing capabilities and what she does in the industry for others… you’re missing a great story. But this is all about the lyrics and these songs, and where they fit and do tell this story, so I hope you’ll use this as intended. It’s amazing.
Here’s a link to the song on YouTube, along with the lyrics.
Takes A Little Time – YouTube
akes a Little TimeIt takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you’re not going down
It takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it timeWhat’s this walking through’ my door
I know I’ve seen the look before
Sometimes in faces on the street
Sometimes in the mirror looking back at me
You can’t fix this pain with money
You can’t rush a weary soul
You can’t sweep it under the rug, now honey
It don’t take a lot to knowIt takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you’re not going down
It takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it timeNow it may not be over by morning
But Rome wasn’t built in a day
You can name this thing a thousand times
But it won’t make it go away
Let me put my arms around you
And hold you while you weep
We’ve been talking and talking
I’m sick of this talk
And it’s nothing that won’t keepIt takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you’re not going down
It takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it timeNo you can’t fix this pain with money
You can’t rush a weary soul
You can’t sweep it under the rug now honey
It don’t take a lot to knowIt takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you’re not going down
It takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it timeSongwriters: Matthew West / Cindy MizelleTakes a Little Time lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group
I went out and got the album it was on as soon as possible and what I found with “Behind The Eyes” was a collection of unexpectedly mature and well-crafted songs that were both catchy and melodic as well as unmistakably Grant. The major hits that she had produced with the “Heart In Motion” set were pop common radio. Her pop prior to that had been both straight-forward pop in duets with Peter Cetera (“Next Time I Fall”) to Contemporary Christian crossover (“”Love Will” Find A Way”) and fan faves like “Stay For Awhile.” However, the songs on THIS album showed a songwriter who’d gotten the pop part out of her system for a bit and was using what had happened in her life to guide her through, as the songs are highly introspective and revealing of pain, love, change and resolve – but there is always an underlying belief of hope in Amy’s music, and it is prevalent here in this set in a non-Baby-Baby way that is welcoming and warm.
This album changed my life.
After dealing with that loss, and explaining the relevance by event, today, 30 years later I find myself grieving the loss of the pet that knocked Booter off the “pet throne”, so to speak. Definite the canine Queen in that Fergie is now on the other side of whatever existence this is we live in (mine hasn’t settled into reality yet.. it’s been less than 2 weeks as of this writing.)
But today, I turn on my Google Play Music app (which I rarely use) and the album that comes up is “Behind The Eyes”, and it washes over me the relevance of this album in my life. I haven’t listened to it in a while, but needless to say I plucked the digital dust off it and hit ‘Play”.
As with all the music I treasure in this “level”, I was immediately swept away mentally to what medicine this brings. Almost a literal floating feeling. Yeah, for me anyway, it’s that good when it’s that way.
I know there’s time to grieve and it will happen on it’s own accord, but I’m so grateful for these reminders that come along that guide me in whatever way that happens. I can no more question the reason a particular album pops up than I can the reason a butterfly goes by unexpectedly on a warm summer afternoon. I *do* believe that everything happens for a reason, so as I said in a small video last week was “it’s what I choose to believe.”
After the “Takes A Little Time” song, this album has so many good songs it’s almost impossible to say/show why on each one, but I will show hopefully why this was so impactful, and again, I’d love if you listened to these too.
This song is so catchy that you can’t help tap your toes to it. It’s all about how freakin’ odd life can be; that it’s a curious thing and while the song is mainly about being judgmental on others and how you can be surprised, the overall message of “You know, life is a curious thing and that’s about all you can say about it. You just gotta say, “Huh, well would you look at that” and “Good for them.” sometimes”.
When you lose someone in your life to their passing – and yes I mean even a pet – you go through the stages of grieving. It’s natural and you should not deny yourself the ability to grieve that loss. That loss can also mean relationships but your mind tends to start lumping “things” together in categories as you age, at least I do and I think it helps deal with some things better as you get older. This song is aimed at the end of a relationship but it is also saying to them just a little bit of “I want you to feel a little bit of hurt too.” It’s somewhere along the lines of Faith Hill’s “Cry” – more subtle though musically. The intent of the song isn’t malice; it’s hey, we shared something special emotionally but you’re gonna have to shoulder some of the pain too. Made complete sense to me.
I had been going out with someone at that point for a few months and had very strong feelings for them but I knew it was not working out in the end for a variety of reasons. The relationship only lasted 6 months but it didn’t mean that the end of it hurt any less; again, an emotion surrounding “loss” and then the recovery from it… “Like I Love You”.. speaks of that statement of what you WANT to sing to someone, or when you’re wanting love in your life, what you’d want to be able to say to that person. I found later in life (not that relationship) that you have to learn how to love someone.
Additionally, this was one of the most “non-Amy Grant” beginnings I’d heard and was extremely intrigued.
This one just made me want to get in my car, roll everything down, take the top off (I drove a Geo Tracker) and go away. It’s a flawless pop song wtih a Sheryl Crow influence.
