Most songs in my music collection have a rather sad or sombre undertone. It is not that I so much love to dwell in depressive feelings, but it seems that it is much more difficult to write optimistic or hopeful songs that feel honest and coming from the heart. While a lot of songs manage to express feelings of loss, sadness and despair with the most beautiful poetic words that you immediately recognise yourself in, it seems only a handful of artists manage to write songs about those moments of bliss and joy that you immediately recognise your own experiences in. Many songs trying to reflect the feelings of joy fall into clichés.
There are exceptions though. Such as this one: "Standing" by VNV Nation.
VNV Nation are an Irish-British band (though operating from Hamburg, Germany) that are usually classified in the "futurepop" or "EMB" style of music (but I am not a specialist when it comes to labels...). The VNV in the band name stands for Victory, Not Vengeance, resembling the band motto to look forward with hope and ambition rather than looking back in bitterness.
The song "Standing" is about those special moments of ultimate joy, when all good things seem to just come together. The sort of moment so intense that you remember it for years to come, remembering it as if it was yesterday. The sort of moment you want to remember for life to look back upon during troubled times. And this is the exact point of the song: treasure those special moments, remember them as intensely and clearly as you can, and use them as a piece of strength when you most need it.
One line in the song especially sums up the message of the song completely, it is one of the very few optimistic lines from a song that really moved me and that is written in a way beautiful enough to really express the feeling in an honest and true way:
"I let the wind run through my hands, before I turn to walk away
In distant days I long to sense it all so clear"
Also the message of the chorus pretty much sums up the feeling well: "fighting time so hard I pray that this moment lasts forever".
However, as optimistic the song may sound, there is some hidden gloom if you wish it to be there, because the song also clearly points at the fact that no such feeling lasts forever and that darker times will come. However, focus on the poetic beauty of these lyrics and maybe it can give you some hope or strength as well, as I believe this was the original message as it was intended by singer-lyricist Ronan Harris.
A fan tribute to VNV Nation featuring this song:
The full lyrics:
"Eyes betray the soul
And bear its thinking.
Beyond words they say
So many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured nothing's gained,
So I must seize the day.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever.
And will the world stay standing still
At least for me.
Through my eyes stare into me.
I bear my heart for all to see.
With my face turned to the sun
There ever standing still.
It wasn't you it wasn't me
It wasn't anything.
It was a day so long awaited
And a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I long to
Sense it all so clear.
And fighting time so much I ask.
I will this moment last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
Remain inside of me.
I had no faith before that time
In any vow or deed.
Days followed days and
Years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see
The wonders I'd seen.
The wonders I'd seen."
And bear its thinking.
Beyond words they say
So many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured nothing's gained,
So I must seize the day.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever.
And will the world stay standing still
At least for me.
Through my eyes stare into me.
I bear my heart for all to see.
With my face turned to the sun
There ever standing still.
It wasn't you it wasn't me
It wasn't anything.
It was a day so long awaited
And a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I long to
Sense it all so clear.
And fighting time so much I ask.
I will this moment last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
Remain inside of me.
I had no faith before that time
In any vow or deed.
Days followed days and
Years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see
The wonders I'd seen.
The wonders I'd seen."
Also, as much as those who know me are not used to me liking pop tunes, another hopeful and uplifting song you may wish to check out is "Run" by Northern Ireland's new musical pride Snow Patrol. The song was not intended as a lovesong though, as the lyricist wrote it to try to give himself courage when he had ended up in hospital with some bad injuries and a serious depression. However, no doubt the song has lifted up many people who used a slightly different interpretation to the lyrics.
The official video:
These few musical gems may keep you all busy while you really expected a football report from me probably. Well, I went to Tennis Borussia Berlin last Saturday, but upon arrival at the Mommsenstadion (one of Berlin's bigger and most famous arenas) I found the place desolate and the pitch water-soaked. The game was called off, while ironically the amateur team playing in the same street could have their game played due to their artificial grass pitch...
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