Verse Chorus Verse: Pearl Jam - "Given to Fly"

It's a shame I don't get invited more often to parties because I'm a party game wrapped in one rotund package.  I have the ability to turn just about any conversation into a musical or sexual reference.  I'm not saying my gift is unique, just that it exists.  Even when it fails to entertain others, I'm often able to entertain myself.  See?  I can turn that last line into a sexual reference and can even find a musical one for it, as well.  It may not be all that rare but it's a gift that has served me well over the years, even if I'm only talking to myself.

That's just it, though.  The music isn't something that just passes through my ears, soon to be forgotten- at least not the best of it.  It worms its way in my head and it stays there until its needed, for whatever purpose.  When a song becomes part of me, it joins with other songs and becomes part of an ongoing internal dialogue I'm having with myself.  Here's an example:

A couple years ago, TheWifeToWhomI'mMarried had just taken her literature final and was telling me about some of the short stories she liked best from the now-complete semester. One of those was "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As she was telling me about the story, I found myself humming Pearl Jam's "Given to Fly." It just seemed appropriate.  She really liked the story and I really like Pearl Jam, so I went and read the story on my own.  The connection really seemed, to me, to fit.

Some days later, I was listening to an old podcast of Tony Kornheiser's radio program and was moved by how moved the curmudgeonly host sounded when talking about watching physicist/author Stephen Hawking experience zero gravity.

Article Author: Josh Hathaway

Josh Hathaway is a Sr. Music Editor for Blogcritics. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster.

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