Do song lyrics tell us about us?

An empowerment story.

I am the sun & the air.

The beautiful spring day was vibrating with life, infusing my 45 minute commute to work with the scent of tree blossoms. Enjoying the drive with my Jeep’s rag top rolled down, I stopped at a traffic light and leaned my head back for a moment of calm, absorbing the moment:

• I thanked the sun for warming my face;

• I admired the bright blue sky and fluffy clouds; and

• I felt their energy becoming part of me: I am the sun and the air.

I quickly skipped ahead a few songs on the “mix tape” CD in the Jeep for my favorite song by the Smiths and sang aloud:

I am the sun and the air!

Ah, it felt so good to be in the sun and the air while belting out “How Soon Is Now?”¹ at the top of my lungs.

I am the sun and air.

The message was gorgeously life affirming and empowering and I felt every word like a mantra.

I needed more.

Quickly, I hit the back button to listen to the song again from the beginning as the mesmerizing guitar vibrato filled my bones with energy:

I am the suuuun and the airrrrr …

You shut your mouth / How can you say / I go about things the wrong way

I am human and I need to be loooooved / Just like everybody else does.

The sun and the air looked something like this … only I was too busy singing back then to snap a photo. Sky, February 2025. Photo by Lori Heinsman.

Do song lyrics tell us about us?

I think they do. I believe the lyrics we hear and sing are the lyrics we need in the moment … even if we’re making up the words as we go.

I am the sun & the air.

I learned later that morning (after texting my cousin the lyrics of my perfect moment) that I had rewritten the words a teeny bit. She cracked up laughing and replied with the correct lyrics² and … sure, the real words carry timeless meaning and depth, too.

My high school best friend recently reminded me that we often made up words to songs as teenagers in the early 1980s. It’s a talent.

Looking back, I see that my made up lyrics are often words that are meant for me. Perhaps my subconsciousness uses songs in this way to help me process and gain understanding.

I am STILL the sun & the air.

“How Soon Is Now?” came up in yesterday’s random playlist, bringing to mind the mantra on a day that I needed a pick-me-up. I had been feeling in a bit of a slump. The springtime sun was behind the clouds and the air was damp and drizzly.

I sang out loud and felt the power of this mantra that evokes two of the classical elements³ — fire and air.

The words I sang were the words I needed. Indeed, the mantra shifted the stuck energy that had been causing restlessness. I slept like a rock last night and I am grateful.

FYI

Writing this post inspired a change to Reiki Recharge™ messaging. The classical element of Fire and the mythical bird, 🐦‍🔥Phoenix, represent transformation and renewal, as well as action and resilience. Going forward, the 🐦‍🔥 emoji will draw attention to Reiki Recharge™ in the subtitle of posts that communicate included Reiki energy.

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1. My favorite version of How Soon Is Now?” is below / link to Spotify:

2. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/smiths/howsoonisnow.html

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element