The longing for an easier time that, in its moment, felt like a natural order, before falling away and revealing itself to be as ephemeral and precious as so many good and pure things in this life. Though it had been written a year or more before we found ourselves smack dab where we are, it summarized my innermost feelings perfectly. I managed to eke out “I know you miss the world / The one you knew / The one where everything made sense because you didn’t know the truth / That’s how it works / Till the bottom drops out / And you learn we’re all just hunters seeking solid ground” before dissolving into sloppy, sloppy quarantine tears. In true artist’s fashion, there was a period of despondence, followed by a bid to turn her hurting heart into some healing art.Ī couple of weeks ago I sat down at the piano and began to play (badly) with this song burning inside me. This album, from which I draw this Song of the Day was written in response to 2016, which, as many will agree, was a doozy.

Man alive, does she know how to write lyrics that resonate! She is so much more a poet than most people writing commercially at this minute in the industry, and in this case, cuts right to the quick – no frills, no preciousness, just a lyric with devastating truth.

A couple decades ahead in a brave new world called “the present”, lives Sara Bareilles, one of my favorite artists working today.

Sarah bareilles brave meaning