♥ Valentine's Day 2013 ♥

Yes, it's that time of the year again, when it seems the entire world has gone crazy in the name of LURVE (Seriously, it feels waaay too short to have been a year since the last one came around!)
But love it or hate it, you just have to go with it lol!

Flowers, chocolates, dinner specials for couples, proposals, gift cards- they're EVERYWHERE!
Enough already lol! I wanna talk about my thing, music, but more specifically, the "LOVE SONG" ;)

Love song
My first introduction to this eternal phenomenon came in Grade 1. I remember our primary school music teacher having this thick file filled with song lyrics. She'd play a track, and the whole class would have to learn a specific song by singing along from the lyrics projected on a wall. The girls absolutely loved it! The boys, on the other hand, produced a low droning noise at best, not wanting to be caught dead singing or looking as if they enjoyed it. Still, in this fashion, she lay the foundation for what was to become my career choice later in life. In any case, one of the first songs our reluctant class learned to sing was "The Rose". Ah, classic Bette Midler... And what a song! I don't think I could possibly have grasped the emotional meaning of the song at the age of 7, merely making pretty notes on words, but nowadays I regard it as one of the most simple and yet powerful love songs. I run the risk of disclosing my age here (a lady never tells, after all!) but here are the lyrics for those of you who might not know the song:

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose

There, didn't I tell you? Powerful. No explanation needed :)
I'd like to dedicate the song to my loved ones, and to my incredible group of friends, near and far.
This girl has never felt more loved, and your support means THE WORLD to me. Together, we've made it through it all, and we'll continue to kick ass, no matter how tough the fight!
You guys are my heart and my sanity.
And for that, I'll love you eternally.

Speaking of love songs: I'm a bundle of nervous excitement today. My good friend and brilliant young composer, Jean-Pierre Steyn and I recorded his new work "Liefdestog" (Love's journey) last night.  A gorgeous song cycle of 3 Afrikaans poems set to music, this project is close to my heart. The first song is actually set to MY favorite Afrikaans poem, so special... I cannot wait to be able to share it with you! So fitting actually, with love being celebrated today :)

Last words:
My wish for Valentine's day is that we all share a little more love with everybody that comes our way, learn to receive a little more love, and most importantly, that we may love ourselves enough to know when something is worth our best efforts.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!


Lynelle ♥


PS*
So, what was YOUR first love song???

In concert, singing a love song ;)