There’s not a single person I’ve met who doesn’t like music. Not a single one. Their music of choice may be classical, or screamo, country, rap or some other genre or sub genre I’ve never heard of, but we all love music in some form or another.
I love when music is meaningful. Be it a love song. A rhythmic, rock anthem. The perfect soundtrack to a movie. Or even just the right song at just the right time in your life.
Personally, if the music is loud and has a strong message to it, I like it even more. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Foo Fighter’s1 fan. Recently, a good friend and I were talking about the power of music and the Foo Fighter’s song “Best of You” came up. She had never heard of the song before and said she’d listen to it when she got home. She did. And it brought tears to her eyes.
(Here’s a link to the video in case it doesn’t load in your browser.)
How and why could this song where a man is screaming at the top of his lungs bring tears to your eyes? Because of the message. We’ve all had someone in our life, current or past, who is getting the best of us. This song represents that moment when you decided enough was enough. When you’ve gathered the strength to stand up for yourself and stopped someone from getting the best of you.
Letting someone get the best of you can be anything. From physical abuse, to emotional manipulation, a poor business partnership or a million other relationships and situations that are possible. Take a second and read through the lyrics and think of a time when you could have easily applied these lyrics to your life:
I’ve got another confession to make
I’m your fool
Everyone’s got their chains to break
Holdin’ you 2Were you born to resist or be abused?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Are you gone and onto someone new?
I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn’t have
But had no use3
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can’t choose
I swear I’ll never give in
I refuseIs someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
You trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
The life, the love you’d die to heal
The hope that starts the broken heart4
You trust, you must
ConfessI’ve got another confession my friend
I’m no fool
I’m getting tired of starting again
Somewhere newWere you born to resist or be abused?
I swear I’ll never give in
I refuseIs someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
You trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Oh…
Taken at face value, this song could easily be seen as another aggressive rock song. But once you read the lyrics, I think you’ll agree, it’s very delicate. Take a second to sit back and think of people in your life who are getting the best of you. What are the changes you can make in order to reclaim some of that control, instill some hope in to your future and get the best of you for yourself?5
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I still remember the early morning I was stretching on my living room floor looking to get my predawn run in for the day. I happened to have MTV on (yeah, it was a while back) and they were all excited about a World Premiere Video for a new Foo Fighters song, “All My Life”. I’d heard of the Foo Fighters before this but something about that song, that morning and that moment in my life (that chord at the beginning!) hooked me. You should get hooked too. If you need a less aggressive Foo for your entrance, try “Wheels”. ↩
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We’ve all been someone’s fool and we’ve all felt bound to a relationship or a situation in which we felt there was no hope. The good news is you don’t have to give up. Any change, while it may be challenging at first, can be the impetus for more change. Start small with tiny actions. Even the most minuscule of actions will build strength and confidence for the larger change about to occur. ↩
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Think of the people in your life who’ve had a negative effect on you. The people who gave you something that continues to impact how you perceive life. Maybe it was a decrease in confidence, maybe it’s a lack of trust of others. Take inventory of your life after that relationship and realize if you have no use for what they gave you, dump it immediately. ↩
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This is the line that makes the song for me: “The hope that starts the broken heart.” Never let go of hope. Hope might be in the form of a friend who keeps asking how you’re doing. Hope can be a new opportunity at a different company. Hope can be graduating and going off to college to fulfill your own dreams. That’s the best thing about hope, it’s unending. Remember that and keep it with you. ↩