Over the past two months, I have been obsessed with Mali Music’s newest album, Mali. His style of music is refreshing, speaking about issues with social, historical, and political reverence. I can personally connect to many of the problems that he talks about. In fact, this week, I will be paying tribute to some of my favorite songs on the album and discussing what they mean to me. The music that spoke the most to me was Johnny and Donna.
In the song, Mali speaks about Johnny and Donna’s relationship; I presume they are his parents. Johnny and Donna were young people who fell in love, and through their love affair, they conceived a child. They were young, immature, and had no idea what they were getting into. Mali points out that they wanted different things out of life; Donna wanted a family, while Johnny wanted freedom. Though their wants differed, they had to do what was best for the child. Life gave them both challenges, and they had to do their best with what they had. Mali describes what life means to individuals with challenges like Johnny and Donna. Mali spends much time explaining life and some challenges and triumphs people face. Mali’s definition of life is simplistic yet profound and speaks volumes to my own life.
How, how, how, how How do I when and where?
Are questions they both often asked God
Life is full of twist, twist
Life is full of twirl, twirl, ta-twirl, twirls
Twirls it’s the way of the world
It’s whirlwinds and girlfriends
Toys and boyfriend, friend, friends
and Frenchmen,
War, peace, impeachment, gentlemen
Ladies, Hunyadi’s , Mercedes, mistakes and peach rings
Blacks and bleach stains
Don’t forget wasps and beestings
The above lyrics are how I see Mali’s view of life. It is not as simple as life is full of sorrow, pain, rain, sunshine, joy, and happiness as most lyricists will try to make it seem. However, Mali’s definition is still simplistic when we think about life. “What is life?” is a complex philosophical question that man has debated since the beginning of man. Yet, Mali sums the essence of this question up in a verse in a song. This is all life is; it’s war, ladies Mercedes, mistakes, and stains, just to name a few. I am not criticizing Mali’s thoughts on life; quite the opposite.
I agree with him. I think that this is all that life is. He sums it up perfectly. It does make me question humankind. Are we, as humans, this one-dimensional? Do we just go through the motions of life? Is life really this predictable? In my own life, I know this is the case. I know that I will have some twists and twirls. I will have friends that come and go. I will fall in love and out of love. I will travel the world and experience life. I will have some hurts and pains. I will be lost and confused sometimes. These characteristics of life are predictable; however, time is not. I do not know when I will experience these things. I wish I had a crystal ball that would tell me, but I don’t. I will have to do like Johnny and Donna and do my best with what is given to me. I will have to take those resources and implement them into my life the best way I know how.
Until next time:
Let God’s Light shine within you and through you!
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