David Sylvian - For the Love of Life

I’m a pretty stressed out guy. I think about the little things that... probably most of you never consider. I put entirely too much effort into everything. I lay awake some nights restlessly trying to think up solutions to scenarios, sometimes real, sometimes fictional, just wanting very badly to make everything right. In the end, all I really accomplish is a little bit of understanding, and sometimes I notice things most of you miss, about each other, and about yourselves, and I don’t always have the words to explain such complicated little things; especially when nobody cares.

Then I remember to take a step back and refocus, rethink things, and slowly I come to realize, it’s all as it should be, I can only do so much. The world is a fairly simple place, full of simple people, composed mostly of simple thoughts and motivations. It’s only the sheer volume that makes things so confusing, well that and crazy people.

David Sylvian started his career back in the 1970’s in a group called “Japan” not too surprisingly they became very popular in, you guessed it, Japan; and also in England. “Japan” was very much a glam rock group at the time, not unlike T-Rex. I was never big into glam rock, and as such I never really noticed David Sylvian until; a) I was born, b) he started his solo career, and c) he wrote the closing theme for the suspense thriller TV show, “Monster,” which I’m sure none of you have seen. Apparently Mr. Sylvian has written a lot of songs for movies and television in the last twenty years, and while I cannot recall I believe the song “For the Love of Life,” has appeared in one other television show or movie.

“For The Love of Life,” is a very moody song, in a very positive way I believe. It draws you into a very relaxing state. I believe it is very much a thinking song, a song you play in the background while you study or meditate; that’s what I think anyway. It has become something of a mantra to me in recent years, a quiet phrase to remind me, that I’ve done enough.

“How can the right thing be so wrong?
I’ve found mistakes, where they don’t belong.”

I let myself feel horrible about a lot of stupid things, as if I had the omnipotence to fix everything, and I guess I remember not to feel that way whenever I hear, “For the Love of Life.” Makes me think that my life, has never been about dark themes, rather it has been about overcoming them, and in spite all my mistakes, stumbling forward, is still moving forward, and the slightest improvement is still an improvement. That’s how this song makes me feel anyway; feels pretty fucking good.

How does it make you feel?

Until next month, keep on rocking in the free world.

- Colin Kelly