advent journal: cold comfort

I have offered music posts most every Advent that I have been writing, so I thought I would keep up the tradition here in the middle of the season. These are not Christmas songs, or specifically Advent songs, but they are songs that speak to me in these days, songs that offer cold comfort. Most of them are new to me, since I went looking for them rather than counting on old favorites. The one exception is the first one, “That Kind of Love” by Pierce Pettis.

love rejected and ignored held in chains, behind closed doors stuff of legend and of songs and deep down everybody longs for that kind of love oh, that kind of love

some people never know that kind of love though it only takes a child to show that kind of love widows smile and strong men weep, and little ones play at its feet the deaf can hear and the blind can see that kind of love

Most all of these songs talk about what love looks like, or what it takes to love. Any Gullahorn titled his song, “If You Want to Love Someone” and he says,

in every heart there is a hollow locked against the pain if there's a key the key is sorrow only a trusted hand can hold

if you wanna love someone search their soul for where it's broken find the cracks and pour your heart in if you wanna love someone

Ilse DeLange is a new name to me. She puts hands and feet to love in “I’ll Hold On,” her way of saying what love looks like.

on and on, I go down the beaten path with all the things I know and all the things I have

I'm walking, always walking back to you, my friend with a song inside and them tears to hide I'm on my way again I'll hold on I'll hold on

Glen Hansard has a habit of intertwining hope and heartache in his songs. “Cold Comfort” is a wonderful example; it also supplied the title for this collection.

the streets are quiet but for the sound of birdsong there's no rush upon us now well, it's slow going and it's slower still here but we'll get through if we pull together now

and it's little comfort, I know but it's raining down on everybody now and the worst is over and it's little comfort, I know but it's raining all over the world right now and it's little comfort, I know but the worst will soon be over

Tyrone Wells is going to close out the post with his song “And the Birds Sing,” a song that will worm its way into your heart and your ear, reminding you that love lifts us all.

the poor man and the millionaire both sharing the oak tree shade not stressing over money made

the preacher and the atheist both jumping in the ocean waves today they both feel saved

say what you gonna do when the clouds come you gonna hold your head high say what you gonna do when the storms come keep your eyes to the sky, and I'll tell you why

cause one day… the sunshine will shine again shine all over the world on every man, woman, boy and girl

These days are still growing shorter and colder, but listen for the birds and remember we’ll get through if we pull together.

Peace,
Milton