“The only constant in life is change,” attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (circa 530 BCE). He posited that everything is in a continuous state of flux, and nothing remains static.

At 81+, I’m here to tell you he had it right. My go-to when remembering, anticipating, dreading, or celebrating change is music. Songs validate me, challenge me, comfort me. A quick Google search for “saddest songs,” “happiest songs,” “most romantic songs,” or “protest songs” and then a deep dive into the lyrics illustrates how many ways there are to portray feelings, events, and settings. That’s reason enough to share just a few of my favorites.

Painting pictures with words and music – ahhh, is there anything more magical? Whether describing weather, relationships, history, or everyday life – look these up, have a listen with your mind’s movie reel engaged. Homage to change. Beats cursing it.

Stuck – Angel from Montgomery by John Prine (RIP). Hopeless much?

There’s flies in the kitchen
I can hear ’em they’re buzzin’
And I ain’t done nothin’ since I woke up today

How the hell can a person
Go to work in the mornin’
And come home in the evenin’
And have nothin’ to say

Weather – When Fall Comes to New England by Cheryl Wheeler. Feel it, see it, know it: change.

When Fall comes to New England
And the wind blows off the sea
Swallows fly in a perfect sky
And the world was meant to be.

When the acorns line the walkways
Then winter can’t be far
From yellow leaves a blue jay calls
Grandmothers walk out in their shawls
And chipmunks run the old stone walls
When Fall comes to New England.

Impulsive love – Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight, by Rodney Crowell, also recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys.

Lord, she never would’ve done it if she hadn’t got drunk
If she hadn’t started running with a travelin’ man
If she hadn’t started taking those crazy chances
She say, daughter, let me tell you ’bout the travelin’ kind
Everywhere he’s goin’ such a very short time
He’ll be long gone before you know it
He’ll be long gone before you know it

She say, never have I known it when it felt so good
Never have I knew it when I knew I could
Never have I done it when it looked so right
Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight

Lasting love – That’s The Deal, by Hugh Prestwood (RIP), recorded by Kathy Mattea.

There was a gentle man I knew
A stroke held his wife fast asleep
And his whole life had come down to
The vigil he would daily keep
I asked would he rather be free
And this is how he answered me

That’s the deal, that’s the bargain that you make
That’s the vow that two hearts take
That if better turns to worse you will abide
That’s the deal, if it were not for God’s grace
I might be there in her place and she’d be right by my side
That’s the deal

Parent/child love – Letting Go by Frank N. Wildhorn  & Leslie Bricusse, recorded by Suzy Bogguss

She’ll take the painting in the hallway,
The one she did in jr. high
And that old lamp up in the attic,
She’ll need some light to study by.

She’s had 18 years to get ready for this day
She should be past the tears, she cries some anyway

Oh oh letting go
There’s nothing in the way now,
Oh letting go, there’s room enough to fly
And even though, she’s spent her whole life waiting,
It’s never easy letting go.

Former love – Ain’t It Funny How Time Slips Away by Willie Nelson

How’s your new love?
I hope that he’s doing fine?
I heard you told him
That you’d love him ’til the end of time

Now that’s the same thing that you told me
It seems like just the other day
Gee, ain’t it funny how time slips away?

Getting even – Change by Taylor Swift

So we’ve been outnumbered
Raided and now cornered
It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair
We’re getting stronger now
Find things they never found
They might be bigger
But we’re faster and never scared
You can walk away, say we don’t need this
But there’s something in your eyes
Says we can beat this

Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It’s a revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we’ll sing hallelujah, we’ll sing hallelujah

Relationship shift – I Took Hold Of Your Hand by John Croizat

We had loved others
We’d seen those loves end
Our hearts had been broken
We needed to mend
It was too soon
To start something new
But I was so happy
Being with you

I took hold of your hand
And it was so right
Like stepping out of the darkness
And into the light

Strength – Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bob Marley, recorded by Bobby McFerrin

Here’s a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry
Be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don’t worry
Be happy, don’t worry, be happy now

[Chorus]

Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Don’t worry, be happy

Nostalgia – Chasing Rock & Roll by Bobbo Byrnes

Driving across the Canadian border
Five guys in a beat up van
Jon does the talking
We cruise by Niagara
Heading north just as fast as we can

Leaving the ghosts of the work day behind us
Anything can happen on the road ahead
Kris brought books to study for college
Add them to the list of things we never read.

I don’t know where the road is gonna take us
So many bars, so many Saturday nights
Amazing we kept our ship together
Chasing rock and roll for the rest of our lives
Chasing rock and roll for the rest of our lives

Noted: I’m all over the musical map with my examples. To quote Roz Larman (RIP), “If I like it, it’s folk music.” What “change” songs would you add that ground you, propel you, comfort you, or enrage you?

PS: as if we needed one more reminder of the imprints songs make on our souls, here’s The Song Remembers When, a nugget from the pen and guitar of Hugh Prestwood (RIP), recorded by Trisha Yearwood

I was standing at the counter
I was waitin’ for the change
When I heard that old familiar music start
It was like a lighted match
Had been tossed into my soul
It was like a dam had broken in my heart

After taking every detour
Gettin’ lost and losin’ track
So that even if I wanted I could not find my way back
After drivin’ out the memory of the way things might have been
After I’d forgotten all about us
The song remembers when