The title of today’s post comes from a Howard Jones tune called “New Song.”
I have loved this song since I was an 80’s chick, (yes, I was an 80’s chick, see?)
80’s Chick
But after Nico died it took on a whole new meaning. It was one of those familiar songs that suddenly sounded different, almost 3-D. The lyrics seemed laser focused on me, like a direct communication from the spirit world.
Additionally, the lyric “A new song for me to sing” is from P.O.D’s “Alive,” which I wrote about in the post “Songs and Signs.” Click here to read that post. “Alive” was playing as I drove away from the morgue, and it felt like my son joking around with me, the irony was ridiculous. But as I listened to the lyrics I realized that my son was saying he was okay, and in fact, felt alive for the very first time (in his spiritual form).
The song is significant because I believe it is a message from my son that death is not the ending we think it is. It is not final. I can’t say exactly what happens but I know the soul lives on. That seems to be the message of the song. Check out the lyrics:
“New Song” by Howard Jones
I’ve been waiting for so long To come here now and sing this song Don’t be fooled by what you see Don’t be fooled by what you hear
This is a song to all of my friends They take the challenge to their hearts Challenging preconceived ideas Saying goodbye to long standing fears
Don’t crack up Bend your brain See both sides Throw off your mental chains
I don’t wanna be hip and cool I don’t wanna play by the rules Not under the thumb of the cynical few Or laden down by the doom crew
Don’t crack up Bend your brain See both sides Throw off your mental chains
Don’t crack up Bend your brain See both sides Throw off your mental chains
I’ve been waiting for so long To come here now and sing this song Don’t be fooled by what you see Don’t be fooled by what you hear
This is a song to all of my friends They take the challenge to their hearts Challenging preconceived ideas Saying goodbye to long standing fears
Don’t crack up Bend your brain See both sides Throw off your mental chains
**************************
I’m going to take the song a few lines at a time to show the meaning it has to me.
I’ve been waiting for so long
To come here now and sing this song.
The first two lines seem to be saying my son has been waiting to go to the spiritual world, and tell me about what is happening to him.
“Don’t be fooled by what you see,”makes me think of the last time I saw him, at the funeral home, unable to leave his side. That is, until I heard a Nico’s voice in my head telling me he wasn’t in there (his body) anymore. In fact, he said he was “over here,” and I sensed his voice coming from the rear of the viewing room. “I’m not in there anymore, mom.” “Don’t be fooled by what you hear,”means don’t believe I’m dead and that’s the end of me.
“This is a song to all of my friends They take the challenge to their hearts Challenging preconceived ideas Saying goodbye to long standing fears”
These lines are about challenging my ideas about life and death, and believing that the soul lives on in the spiritual realm after death. It also tells me to let go of my fears about death and losing loved ones.
Don’t crack up Bend your brain See both sides Throw off your mental chains
These lines continue the idea of “challenging preconceived ideas,” by pushing my thoughts in a new direction, while also telling me everything is okay and not to be consumed with sorrow over Nico’s death. (“Don’t crack up”). “See both sides,” is about realizing there is a physical world here on earth and a spiritual realm, too. My favorite line is the last one, imploring me to unchain my mind from the limits I put on it so I can connect more fully with the spiritual world…to think outside the box.
I don’t wanna be hip and cool I don’t wanna play by the rules Not under the thumb of the cynical few Or laden down by the doom crew
The first two lines sound like my son, he didn’t care about what other people thought and he tended to live by his own rules, which wasn’t always a good thing. The last two lines are about not allowing myself to be brought down by cynical people who don’t believe in the spiritual realm or people overly focused on death and loss.
I wonder if any readers out there have had a similar experience, where a song took on new meaning or felt like a communication from a loved one. Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments section, I’d love to read them!
One thought on “Throw Off Your Mental Chains”
Hi Vicki,
I am with you. I truly believe that we receive messages from our deceased loved ones in many forms. I’m so glad that this give you some level of comfort or at least fills your heart for a time.
When my father died my entire nuclear family surrounded his body in the hospital bed but my sense was that his spirit was hovering and looking down at us from above. The spirit didn’t radiate sadness but was instead filled to the brim with love and pride. My emotional memory of that time was like a split screen. One part of me felt deep loss and the other felt supreme gratitude.
I’m also pretty sure I was visited by Phoebe’s spirit on the night she died. I was awakened from sleep by a bright light that appeared in my bedroom and then entered my body. It was like a rush of electrical adrenaline and I knew in an instant it was her. It especially made sense because my understanding is that Jews don’t necessarily believe in heaven or an afterlife in the ways that Christians do (at least this is what I have come to understand from Dick.) So maybe Phoebe’s spirit was roaming around here on earth. It made me so happy to think of it that way. The only other time that I had another strong feeling of a “visiting spirit” was on the night before my wedding. I told Dick the next day that I had a strong feeling it was one of his relatives.
Hi Vicki,
I am with you. I truly believe that we receive messages from our deceased loved ones in many forms. I’m so glad that this give you some level of comfort or at least fills your heart for a time.
When my father died my entire nuclear family surrounded his body in the hospital bed but my sense was that his spirit was hovering and looking down at us from above. The spirit didn’t radiate sadness but was instead filled to the brim with love and pride. My emotional memory of that time was like a split screen. One part of me felt deep loss and the other felt supreme gratitude.
I’m also pretty sure I was visited by Phoebe’s spirit on the night she died. I was awakened from sleep by a bright light that appeared in my bedroom and then entered my body. It was like a rush of electrical adrenaline and I knew in an instant it was her. It especially made sense because my understanding is that Jews don’t necessarily believe in heaven or an afterlife in the ways that Christians do (at least this is what I have come to understand from Dick.) So maybe Phoebe’s spirit was roaming around here on earth. It made me so happy to think of it that way. The only other time that I had another strong feeling of a “visiting spirit” was on the night before my wedding. I told Dick the next day that I had a strong feeling it was one of his relatives.