Trigger Songs

Maybe it’s because I’m sick and stuck at home all day, a lot of songs seem to trigger me to tears lately. During Divorce Care Group, I mentioned that even after 13 years of divorce, sometimes a song, picture, or even smell remind me of something and often lead to tears. Dreams are especially bad since I have no control, and some of them are so vivid that I’m confused when I wake up, even looking for my ex-wife in bed next to me.

This is one of the songs that has been driving me crazy lately. I’m sure the lyrics are describing some idealized notion of love and marriage but it’s still a great song.

Come What May
Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Never knew I could feel like this
Like I’ve never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you, until the end of time
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn’t seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there’s no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song and I’ll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you
I love you
Until the end of time
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you, until my dying day
I will love you (Come what may)
Oh Yes I will love you (Come what may)
I will love you, until my dying day.

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Something else I can’t watch without crying is the final scene from My Sassy Girl, a Korean film from 2001. Especially when she realized who he is and the single tear rolls down her face. It probably doesn’t mean anything standalone; you have to watch the entire movie first.

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Another song that comes to mind in this “category” is Just Like Heaven by The Cure. At one point, I thought understood the lyrics but now, I’m not so sure. Here is a live performance in 2019; the song came out in 1987 (33 years ago!).

Hmm, Robert Smith (lead singer with the eye shadow) looks like he gained some weight. Also, bass player is using a pick! I didn’t know that was legit otherwise I would have used one too when I played bass.

Just Like Heaven
The Cure
Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick
The one that makes me scream she said
The one that makes me laugh she said
Threw her arms around my neck
Show me how you do it and I’ll promise you
I’ll promise that I’ll run away with you, I’ll run away with you
Spinning on that dizzy edge
Kissed her face and kissed her head
Dreamed of all the different ways, I had to make her glow
Why are you so far away she said
Why won’t you ever know that I’m in love with you?
That I’m in love with you?
You, soft and only, you lost and lonely
You, strange as angels
Dancing in the deepest oceans
Twisting in the water
You’re just like a dream
You’re just like a dream
Daylight licked me into shape
I must have been asleep for days
And moving lips to breathe her name
I opened up my eyes
And found myself alone, alone, alone above a raging sea
That stole the only girl I loved and drowned her deep inside of me
You soft and only
You lost and lonely
You just like heaven

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Sorry, one more song: A Whole New World from Disney’s Aladin. Marriage was actually kinda like this for me. I thought everything was going great and one big adventure until the carpet was figuratively pulled out from underneath me. Maybe I’m still in freefall…

A Whole New World
Lea Salonga, Brad Kane
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us, “no” or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here, it’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you
(Now I’m in a whole new world with you)
Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
A whole new world (don’t you dare close your eyes)
A hundred thousand things to see (hold your breath, it gets better)
I’m like a shooting star, I’ve come so far
I can’t go back to where I used to be
A whole new world (every turn a surprise)
With new horizons to pursue (every moment, red-letter)
I’ll chase them anywhere
There’s time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you
A whole new world (a whole new world)
That’s where we’ll be (that’s where we’ll be)
A thrilling chase (a wondrous place)
For you and me