Music speaks to me on a gut level, and this song reflects several sharp pains from the relationship I left behind. I hear the lyrics as honest rather than angry, like much of Ani DiFranco’s work.
I’m grateful for the dear friend who introduced me to DiFranco’s music last year and took me to see her perform. I’ll be enjoying another live performance in November.
“I look up see
integrity
finally won over desire.”
I’ve been listening to a lot of classic vinyl, and this song has become a favorite. “Peaceful” was written and originally performed by songwriter Kenny Rankin. I think Helen Reddy brings a particular poignancy to the song, and her voice is just gorgeous.
A number of songs about personal agency and making peace with the past are appealing to me right now, so I hope to make a habit of sharing one per week.
I rediscovered this album today, Grammy-nominated loveliness from 1997. Loeb’s quirky, fierce style still appeals to me, containing a quiet strength, an insistence on being heard even when words can’t quite capture the emotions behind them. This particular track is one I’ve listened to repeatedly today, and it’s an anthem of sorts to one’s own inner compass, not an angry song, but an acceptance of things that can’t be changed. The delight of the track, for me, however, is in the yearning for something that is just out of reach and worth striving towards.