Is It The Music That Connects Me To You?

Scissor Sisters “Paul McCartney”

I think of “Paul McCartney” as being the theme song of this site, as it gets closer to the heart of why I do this than anything else I’ve encountered. In the tune, Jake Shears sings about meeting Paul McCartney in a dream, and listening to his advice and waking up with a renewed sense of purpose. In other words, it’s about the love and inspiration we get from people we do not know, and how what we take away from art is often just as crucial to our lives as our relationships with the people we do know.

Above all other things, art is communication. For the artist, it is a way of expressing thoughts and sentiments that are not always best suited to the context of conversation, and for the audience, it is a way of understanding other people’s lives. Sometimes we relate, but that’s not always the point. When art is great, it clarifies our thoughts while bringing us closer to something outside ourselves. It enriches our experiences, and opens us up. It challenges us, it provides catharsis, and it reassures us when we’re lost and confused. It’s only natural for us to love the people who make the art that means so much to us — in just the same way that Jake is grateful to the positive influence of Paul McCartney on his life, I am intensely grateful to Jake for writing this song, and for so perfectly evoking the feeling of awakening from a long period of doubt and malaise. Thank you so much, Jake. I’m in love with YOUR sound.

The song also makes me think about you. If you’re reading this, the odds are good that I do not actually know you, but somehow still we have some kind of relationship, and in some cases, it’s quite dear and meaningful. Doing this every day, sharing this music and writing with you, has brought so much good into my life. Virtually everything good that has come my way in the past six years is a direct result of my work here, and it blows my mind. All these people I love, and who love me. All these opportunities, all of this goodwill. It does not always make sense to me, but I could not be more grateful for my good fortune. All I want to do is to create things that mean as much to other people as the art I love means to me. This site is not the only thing I want to do, but I owe so much to it. It’s the music that connects me to you.

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