Sometimes the chorus of a song can be annoyingly trite. Just a way to make the title of a song sink in with the hopes that it makes it memorable. This is so not the case with “Every Morning Song”. The Avett Brothers buried a golden nugget of great advice in 3 little lines.
Even though I know there’s hope/In every morning song/I have to find that melody alone
At first glance it seems that Scott is singing about finding solace in a series of one night stands. The first stanza of the song is full of regret and an aching longing for someone who has left him. He admits he’s been “thinking about drinking again” which along with meaningless sex are just substitutes for coming to terms with his loss. I’m interpreting the “morning song” as a potential new relationship which will save him from himself. He not only accepts that the person who left him may have stopped caring about him but seems to welcome it because he knows that he must work out what’s wrong with himself on his own.
People with addictions have to either face this moment of truth or die. Some of the recovering addicts who I have known in my life each made a choice of either doing the work of recovery or going through the motions of it. It can be so painful to watch someone you love pretend that they have done “the work”, the self-reflection and often painful journey of looking inward to heal what is hurting them so much that they need to reach for the next pill, needle, or bottle. Relapse is often the consequence for not doing the steps for yourself. But once you witness someone actually do this work and rebuild his/her life, it literally is a miracle! It’s a miracle you wish that any addict you know could experience. But no amount of encouragement, love, or wishing will be the catalyst. That spark has to come from and follow through with the addict.
Addicts aren’t the only ones who struggle with finding the melody in life. This is a truth that we all have to accept one day. The joy and contentment of being loved by someone you adore will not fix any problem you have with yourself. The melody of being in balance in your heart and soul is essential if you want to find any peace in your life. The “perfect” relationship may whitewash a low self-image or self-loathing that you feel deep in your soul. But deep down you will still be broken and feel less than unless you too do the work and heal your inner wounds. And as much as our partners may want to help out (i.e. fix us) each person has to go through that dark night of the soul alone. It really is a paradox because until you can be happy without a romantic partner and totally love yourself you can’t find that kind of contentment in a relationship. There will always be something blocking you from hearing or feeling the melody in life.
The melody in life goes beyond a romantic relationship. It can be the harmony you feel when working with others who have the same goal as you. It can be the happiness you feel when you finally find the work/home life balance you’ve been seeking. It can be the satisfaction of reaching a long held goal. Whatever type of melody that you’re seeking to establish in your life, be sure to nurture yourself along the way. It can be easy to give up or feel pessimistic about your chances of harmony. People on whom you thought you could depend will let you down. Your self-made timeline may be stretched until you just feel like quitting. Seth sings about this particular obstacle:
Hurt so bad
More than I expected that it would
Worse than that
It seems to be lasting just a little
Longer than it should
I believe that the Universe or God has its own divine timing. Don’t lose hope because things aren’t unfolding as quickly or neatly as you would like. You can find melody in your life if you remain hopeful and committed to it. Despite the despairing tone of this song, it really can be a rallying call to remember that every day is a new opportunity to start over, to heal ourselves, and to love again. That’s a morning song I’d love to wake up to every day.
One Foot In, One Foot Back 