Sometimes the damndest thing happens. I can make no sense of it, except there must be some reason.
Or a message?
Perhaps a little note from the universe just for me?
Yesterday I was going to play some music from my phone… I was probably going to shower or clean my kitchen, I can’t remember – both activities are better with tunes.
I saw an album by U2. I’ve loved that band – Bono… oh, Bono – since the 80s. With most of their songs I have immediate memories flood into my mind.
But when I saw this particular album I thought, when did I ever buy that? What is that album? Why did I get it?
It didn’t bother me to have it – it’s U2 after all, but for some reason I wondered about how and why it’d entered my life. Why it was sitting in my not-very-impressively-long library of music.
That was it. Didn’t give it another thought until this morning, when I open an email that said this:
Hi Shannon, You remember a couple of years ago when there was a huge backlash against Apple / Tim Cook after they announced that every iTunes user received a copy of the new U2 album, available to download for free to their devices?
Whether you like U2 or not, I imagine you’d agree that they probably just wanted to create a win-win-win situation, not expecting that some people will be unhappy with the gift…
I for one don’t remember downloading the album – and just recently, it caught me by surprise when the playlist in my car shuffled through all the available songs and started blasting Volcano by U2 through the speakers on a long drive home from Los Angeles…
“Volcano, you don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know.
Volcano
Something in you wants to blow
Volcano
You don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know
You’re on a piece of ground above a volcano”
The song grew on me, and this verse got stuck in my head. During the following weeks, I’d remember bits and pieces of it as I’d go about my day – and I couldn’t place where it came from or who the artist was!
I’m not kidding. This email was in my inbox with those exact words.
I have no idea why my mind would wonder about this album one day, and the very next day I’d have an email regarding this same album and its reason for being in my playlist. (apparently I got it for free, complements of Bono and Tim Cook?!)
There must be some reason, or it’s only an odd coincidence. I tend to learn toward a reason, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is.
I guess I’ll just wonder, forget about it… or see what you think.
P.S. I just listened to the tune… not bad. First time I’ve heard it. Ever. Volcano… am I ready to blow or something?! Am I, Shannon Elhart, Rock and Roll?! LOL – so far from it. I don’t think I could strum an electric guitar to save my life.
Lyrics below:
“Volcano” by U2
The world is spinning fast tonight
You can hurt yourself tryin to hold on
To what you used to be
I’m so glad the past is all gone?
Been out in the wild
Been out in the night
Been out of your mind
Do you live here or is this a vacation?
Volcano, you don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know.
Volcano
Something in you wants to blow
Volcano
You don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know
Your eyes were like landing lights
They used to be the clearest blue
Now you don’t see so well
The future’s gonna land on you
Been out in the wild
Been out in the night
Been out of your mind
Do you live here or is this a vacation?
Volcano, you don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know.
Volcano
Something in you wants to blow
Volcano
You don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know
You’re on a piece of ground above a volcano
You were alone,
Now you’re not alone
You were alone
But now
YOU ARE ROCK N ROLL
YOU AND I ARE ROCK N ROLL
YOU ARE ROCK N ROLL
YOU AND I ARE ROCK N ROLL
Volcano, you don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know.
Volcano
Something in you wants to blow
Volcano
You don’t wanna, you don’t wanna know
You’re on a piece of ground above a volcano