Tonight, thanks to my dear friend, Teresa, I had the pleasure of sitting under a full moon and bright stars on a beautiful summer evening and listening to that classic group of songbirds, the Shirelles. What an evening! the moon was bright, the air was soft and warm, and the music was divine. With a feast of sushi and chilled white wine, it was a heavenly evening, filled with sweet songs and sweeter memories.

“Soldier Boy,” “Baby It’s You,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” — these are just a few of the fabulous hits that the Shirelles recorded. I can still remember being bowled over by “Soldier Boy” while grabbing a pizza for lunch one afternoon at a local pizzeria. Ah, how can I forget the frizzon of longing and envy I felt listening to that song.

What is there about songs that tell stories that makes them so memorable? Like any good narrative, there’s a journey that we travel that’s immensely rewarding. We start in one place and end in another, either happier or sadder and wiser. The songs have an emotional arc — and this, too, is inherently satisfying. There’s something about the pressure of building to a climax and then the release as the song ebbs away that is just incredibly
soul satisfying.

Somehow, I can’t help but think that story songs — songs with a strong narrative thread and an emotional heartbeat, are going to make a comeback some time soon. This brand of song creates a little world that’s full and complete. It’s something that we’ve fallen away from in this age of fragmentation and distraction, but it offers what I believe we all crave more than ever: a sense of wholeness and fulfillment. Words and music weaving a story: perfect together!