New Song Spotlight: Shift Happens
I began writing this song, Shift Happens, a few years ago. It was inspired by something Dena wrote on a Daily Napkin that used the phrase, “Shift Happens.” The title is a play on words and, yes, we all know how the original phrase goes. I did an online search to see who coined this new phrase and was unable to find the source (person or philosophy). I did discover a book written by Robert Holden titled, Shift Happens. He even edited a book titled, Holy Shift, a daily meditations book.
So, what does this phrase mean to me? I see it as a way to say that change happens, and that it’s a natural process. My experience of change is one of frequent resistance to it. It ain’t always easy for me. And, when I’m willing to be flexible and go with the change, I get to experience the shift happening. At times, the experience is in the moment. At other times, I experience it years later when I’m reflecting on what’s happened in my life since making a change. In other words, I’m not in control of the shift happening. I merely make a new choice and benefit some time later. As one of the lines in the song goes, “Shift happens, in the blink of an eye I’m free.” If you want to hear a rough demo of this song, click below:
Artist Spotlight: Leonard Cohen
While I appreciated his style and his heartfelt honesty and human vulnerability, I have struggled with his lyrics, off and on, for years. I have frequently had difficulty in reconciling Cohen’s use of sacred and profane language together in the same song. One of those songs, Hallelujah, has been overdone in the pop music world since Jeff Buckley had a hit with it in 2008. I spirit-sized the lyrics for it earlier this year and posted a rough demo of it via my Notes from the Meadow. So far, folks who have heard me sing it appreciate the new lyrics. Good journey to you, Leonard. Keep on singing, wherever you find yourself.
Mr. Cohen died last week at 82 years old after a long battle with cancer. Here’s a thoughtful last interview he gave from the September 2016 edition of The New Yorker.
