[Lyrics about grief. Can they be used in music really?]

Such a good topic. I remember a while back that there was a discussion about how personal a song should be and the challenges of writing about your own life. I think grief is as personal as it gets but also can be very public when it changes how we approach life and interact with those around us--sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. If we are able to pass through the darkest moments, days, years, the clarity we get on the other side can result in powerful lyrics, music, and other art forms.  And some even find the strength to create art in the midst of the pain, which perhaps helps in the healing. Based on John's experience, the question that comes to mind for me is: Once you've created a song out of grief, for whatever purpose--to heal, to inspire, to help you remember--what is your responsibility to others that are touched by it?  In the most personal sense you are writing about your own loss, but also exposing and giving voice to their loss too. Some folks find comfort in that. Some take a while to get there and some never do.

 

Turning to Lisa's original question--My take on it is that  lyrics about grief can take on another form and serve another purpose when you no longer need them as a primary expression of grief. I've written lyrics out of grief and have been initially very protective about the original meaning, but over time have been able to recast them into a broader context that was less about my personal experience and more universal. Now the car commercial goes further than that, but I think it's the same general idea--being comfortable enough with the meaning/context changing that it doesn't feel like another loss to grieve. ~T