Reach Up
“As when the golden sun salutes the morn
And, having gilt the ocean with his beams,
Gallops the zodiac in his glistering coach
And overlooks the highest-peering hills”
This quote from William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is one of my favorite descriptions of the sunrise. Aaron described the gorgeous sunrise and likened it to his love, Tamora.
Here’s a little background as to why I was thinking about the sunrise.
Last weeks’ blog post was about one of my all-time favorite college bands, The Connells, and how they have released a new album this year. I’ve been enjoying the music, reading interviews with the band, and watching their live shows on youtube.
The Connells were not my first band crush, however.
That title belongs to Duran Duran, a band that I became obsessed with before MTV (via cable television) came to my town and I had to watch Friday Night Videos if I wanted to see Simon, Nick, John, Roger, and Andy. (Yes, we are on a first name basis and have been since the early 1980s - just ask my friends Terri, Preetika, and Debby - but only if you have a spare hour or two to chat about those boys from Birmingham, UK).
It’s hard to pick a favorite Duran Duran track (sort of like trying to pick a favorite sibling), but one track at the top of the list is called Reach Up for the Sunrise. Click on the video below to get a taste of Simon le Bon’s soaring vocals and the song’s inspirational lyrics.
And that’s why I was thinking of Shakespeare’s sunrise description from Titus Andronicus, Aaron’s expression of feeling for his radiant lover, Tamora.
Was it simply nostalgia that led me to one of my favorite Duran Duran tracks? No, its because the muses have been really busy lately. They sprinkled their pixie dust on Mike and David Connell, whose band released a new album this year, and then whispered in the ears of Duran Duran, who released a new EP last week, with four songs: Tonight United, Anniversary, Invisible, and More Joy.
The video for More Joy is below - click to enjoy More Joy!
I’m all about experiencing More Joy, and the music from my younger years that keeps re-appearing in modernized form is inspiring and uplifting. Check out these lyrics from Reach Up for the Sunrise:
“Now the time has come, the music’s between us
Though the night seems young, its at an end
Only change will bring you out of the darkness
In this moment everything is born again
Reach up for the sunrise
Put your hands into the big sky
You can touch the sunrise
Feel the new day enter your life
Now the fireball burns we go round together
As the planet turns into the light
Something more than dreams to watch out for each other
Coz we know what it means to be alive
Reach up for the sunrise
Put your hands into the big sky
You can touch the sunrise
Feel the new day enter your life”
This track is from Duran Duran’s 2004 album, Astronaut. I’m not sure what those British boys knew about the future, but it sure seems like they were giving us a prescription for living in the year 2021.
There has been so much talk lately about unity, following your heart, raising vibrations, releasing old paradigms, and moving into a new era of peace and harmony. I think Duran Duran knew it was coming before we did, and I am glad they did.
Their full album, Future Past (see what I mean), will be released on October 22, 2021.
What are your favorite song lyrics? Do you have a childhood band crush? Do you feel like a shift is happening as people release old negative beliefs? What are you looking forward to?
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