Today's fortune: February 17, 2011

Today's fortune: An interesting musical opportunity is in your near future.

All of us have had the experience of being moved by a piece of music. A few years ago, I had a fight with my wife. I don't remember the fight, but I remember the setting: I was dropping her off at work. During the drive, we fought, and we never really got around to an apology before we arrived at her office. As I was driving home, the song "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Death Cab For Cutie came on the radio. I'd never heard the song before:

I was weeping by the time the song was finished. Even though we had had a fight, I love Jamie more than anything else in this world. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And if there is such a thing as an afterlife, I wanna spend that with her, too. This song made me realize that. I still tear up when I hear it to this day.

The band I've been obsessed with most recently is a British group called Mumford & Sons. I love their folksy, bluegrassy, alternative sound. The group is a modern-day Simon & Garfunkel, except in some ways they're even better (blasphemy!)

The first time I heard my favorite Mumford & Sons song, I had no idea what it was called "Timshel." If you're a fan of John Steinbeck, you know the word: it's a key element in the book "East of Eden," a word that means "Thou mayest." The book uses it beautifully, and this song makes the concept three-dimensional:

Music can have a surprising influence as well. One of my favorite new songs is "Sail" by the band AWOLNATION. On paper I shouldn't like this song. It's a little too techno for my tastes. There's too much screaming. And the lead singer kinda looks like a Nazi with a combover. But I freakin' love it:

This morning, on my way to work, I did not listen to my usual radio station. I hit the "scan" button, looking for a song to inspire me in a similar way. First, I landed on a hip-hop station. The song playing was "Fall For Your Type" by Jamie Foxx, featuring Drake. Jamie Foxx is a damn good actor whom I loved in "The Kingdom." All I know about Drake is he's the guy in that Sprite commercial they play at the movie theater. The song wasn't bad, but it's not my taste.

Then I found a country station. The song playing was an oldie (which is good, because modern country music blows) - Conway Twitty's "We're Not Exactly Strangers." Your typical mid '70s country standard. Ultimately, uninspiring.

Finally, as I approached the office, I stumbled upon a brand-new radio station which plays "gold-based adult album alternative," whatever the hell that means. The tune was about halfway finished, but the lyrics were instantly recognizable: 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up."

Listen to that song before you go to work tomorrow and just try to have a bad day.

That's the power of music. It guides our lives. I don't know if I'll have an "interesting musical opportunity" in the near future. But really, I have one every time I I turn on the radio.