Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Songs About Mom
I've been performing that slow acoustic version of "3 AM" by Matchbox Twenty. I was told later that Rob Thomas wrote it about his mother so I looked it up on Songfacts.com. I have no idea what the credibility rating of this site is as there are numerous comments by seemingly post adolescent crazies making harsh judgments or giving shallow praise. It's still useful to shed a little light on a lyric when I like the sound but I'm not sure how to interpret it. Good to know what the hell your singing about or at least think you know. When I'm not sure I keep certain images of my own interpretation in my head.But "3 AM" is supposed to be about Rob Thomas's mother when she was fighting cancer. That resonates powerfully for me. More so since I got the news last night that my mom broke her hip and after her surgery will be confined to a rehab for many more weeks than I know she can put up with. If a song comes out of this it will not be a My-Dear-Old-Mom, kind of thing. I like Thomas's approach much better. It is ever more personal if you're not so out front about the who and why of your story. I'll only talk about my the origins or meanings in my lyrics up to a point. Sometimes not at all. That used to annoy the hell out of me when songwriters were coy or refused to discuss their lyrics. It did create interest, however. There's something to be said for that but I think the reasons are deeper and more complicated than just wanting to create a buzz.
If I write a Mom song, nobody is gonna recognize it as such. It's way too personal. I'd want to perform it with a smile and a tear and hope others feel that way when they hear it without knowing who or why.
posted by Bud @ 7:31 AM
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