music with meaning

As earlier I mentioned, I like music that I can relate to my life, somehow.  (A friend told me once, it needs caution to try to relate someone else's art/poetry to one's own life, but I find it... comforting to see that others find similar challenges in their lives, and hear their stories.)  So this can be in terms of the music's energy (lately I've been powering myself around with KMFDM,) or lyrics.  When these two match for me, I'm REALLY pleased about it, and I'll tend to listen the 'shit' out of that piece.  Let me give you an example.  The poet's name is Bob Dylan.  (very exciting to share this with y'all... :)

"I married Isis on the 5th day o'May, but I could not hold on to her very long.  So I cut off my hair, and I rode straight away, to the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong.

I came to a high place of darkness and light, dividing line ran through the center o'town, I hitched up my pony to a post on the right; went into the laundry to wash my clothes down.

A man in the corner approached me for a match.  I knew right away he was not ordinary.  He said, are you lookin' for somethin' easy to catch?; I said I got no money, he said that ain't necessary.

We set out that night for the cold and the north; I gave him a blanket and he gave me his word.  I said where are we goin'?, he said we'd be back by the 4th; I said that's the best news that I've ever heard.

I was thinkin' about turquoise, I was thinkin' about gold, I was thinkin' about diamonds in the world's biggest necklace.  As we rode through the canyons in the devilish cold, I was thinkin' about Isis, how she thought I was so reckless.

How she told me that one day we would meet up again, and things would be different the next time we wed, if I only could hang on and just be her friend.  I still can remember all the best things she said.

We came to the pyramids, all embedded in ice; he said, there's a body I'm tryin' to find.  If I carry it out it'll bring a good price;  'twas then that I knew what he had on his mind.

The wind it was howlin' and the snow was outrageous; we chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn.  When he died I was hopin' that it wasn't contagious, but I made up my mind that I had to go on.

I broke into the tomb but the casket was empty; there was no jewels, no nothin'!; I felt I'd been had.
When I saw that my partner was just bein' friendly, when I took up his offer I musta been mad!

I picked up his body and I dragged him inside; threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover.  I said a quick prayer and I felt satisfied, then I rode back to find Isis, just to tell her I love her.

She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise, blinded by sleep and in need of a bed.  I came in from the east with the sun in my eyes; I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead.

She said, where ya been?; I said, no place special; she said, you look different, I said, well, I guess!; she said, you been gone, I said, that's only natural; She said, you gonna stay?; I said, if you want me to, yes.

Isis oh Isis, you mystical child, what drives me to you is what drives me insane,
I still can remember the way that you smiled, on the 5th day o'May in the drizzle in the rain."

I love this track!  Such a guy's story.  I really like the whole tale of the journey; I've even managed to memorize the tale and tell it to my classes in my own words.  As well, the way Dylan says the words, along with the simple (yet plaintively complex) music that goes with the song (titled "Isis", by the way) is great.  It gets me swaying, and all misty, and heartens me.

Something about it sure as hell works for me, so I am pleased to have rediscovered it.  Hope you find you can relate as well!