Finding the Rhythm

I’ve said in this blog on several occasions that I’m a sucker for pretty songs. I think I’ve mentioned that while I love dance music, I also love music, period. And what constitutes a “pretty song” can vary between things that are aesthetically pleasing in some way, to those that touch me on some level.

Last night, a good friend of mine sent me a link to a YouTube video with some lyrics to accompany the song being performed. No, it wasn’t Internet sensation Susan Boyle, it was, of all things, a video of Miley Cyrus’ latest song from the Hannah Montana movie. Honestly, I groaned for a moment or two. Just long enough for her to get the first line or so of lyric out of her mouth, and then I think I started tearing-up a little bit.

The song is titled The Climb, and the reason my good friend sent me the link is that he thought of me when he heard it, and sure enough, the lyrics absolutely speak to me.

The theme is practically universal; maintaining perspective in the pursuit of life, and trying to remember the point that it’s about the journey, not the destination. Suffice it to say that it’s a message I could use to hear right now, which is why it resonated so much for me.

It’s an extremely well-written song on pretty much every single level, and the fact that Cyrus performs it in a pop-friendly, semi-country style takes nothing away from it.

The song was written by veteran songwriters Jon Mabe and Jessi Alexander, both of whom have been very prolific, and while I don’t realize it, I’ve probably heard their respective material before. I didn’t bother to try and find out who wrote which part (music vs. lyrics), but that doesn’t matter either; it’s the whole that counts, and what an amazing job they did putting this one together.

I sort of resent being sucked-in by the Disney entertainment machine and all their factory-produced pap. But just like good food can come both from factories and from small one-man restaurants, Cyrus deserves credit for picking a great song from some great songwriters, performing it well, and touching someone. And isn’t that what music is supposed to be all about?

You can watch the official video on Hollywood Records YouTube channel.