I heard a story awhile back that has stayed with me. The story goes something like this: a young white guy was visiting Hopi Land and was struck by all the songs he heard. He asked an old man what the songs were about. The old guy replied that they are mostly prayers for rain. They love the rain. It nourishes the corn that gives life to the people. They drink it, bathe in it and enjoy the feel of it on their cheeks. They love and need the rain and want it to visit that is why they sing to it.
Then he asked the young guy what he sings about.
I thought about that; about what we sing about in this culture. At the time it seemed like all the songs I heard (or sung) were about love and mostly the longing for love…well and the whole “get me some” genre of rock song too. I kinda felt weird about that. That the Hopi were singing about the rain that nourished them on so many levels and we were singing about the lack of love and the desire for sex. It seemed a little shallow and also kinda negative…singing about the “lack” of something instead of singing about the love you have for it.
As time went on and I learned more and more indigenous songs, I realized that the songs really shifted energy and there were basically two types of songs: songs that called something in and songs that moved something out (catharsis). It seems to me that songs were really healing…including rock songs.
That may seem odd if you’re used to thinking of healing songs as something you’d hear at a church, spa or meditation. But consider this, the
- lyrics are absorbed by the mind
- music is absorbed by the heart and
- groove…well the groove is absorbed (and moved around) by the hips!
So even a rock song can effect and heal the entire body. Maybe it’s the movement of the hips that starts moving stagnant energy in the body that can wind up motivating change in other areas. Maybe a culture that sings about love (and sex) does so to draw more in, because that’s what nourishes our souls. We’re good on the water thanks, now turn up the tap on that love thing!
Groove On,
Jenn
Posted by jflaa1 
