My girls “anthem” sing Imagine Dragons Believer, at the top of their lungs, every time it comes on the radio. I know the chorus. It’s a catchy tune but I never paid attention to the lyrics. I never listened to the words, not like I did this morning.
The funny thing is as a tween/teen and even into my twenties, I lived and died by lyrics. I’m a writer, words mean everything to me. But somehow, as a result of my 13 years of living in a mom coma, from which I am just recently waking, those words have been reduced to just the choruses. But not today Satan. As I listened to Believer, it was as if I was hearing the song for the first time ever and now, I can never unhear it. Nor do I want to.
I’m glad my girls are singing it loud and fiercely because it deserves at least that. It’s a strong song of overcoming life and becoming who you are meant to be. It’s about persistence and growth and never giving up and it is beautiful.
I was struck because, when I actually paid attention to the lyrics, it’s so familiar. It is my life. It’s everything I feel, believe and lived. I’m fairly certain most of us can. I’ve told my girls from birth that beauty is pain and it’s true, just as you can’t hate without love; you cannot fully comprehend beauty in life without having survived the pain. That pain is what makes you appreciate the beauty or notice it at all.
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The pain in our lives that we survive, they make us stronger and make us fighters. We grow in our refusal to give up. We become better versions of ourselves, more sufficient; stronger. Not saying that I’d wish hard times on anyone but life is not for the soft and the pristine. In this world, you need to have experienced some pain in order to find the beauty to carry on because if there is nothing worth fighting for to lose then why bother?
I, honestly, think that pain and hardship makes us kinder more compassionate people. I know that it can harden some but, personally, it made me decide if I wanted to fight or be a victim. Giving up was never an option for me.
The simple fact is that life is hard and sure, it’s at varying degrees for each of us. We all have our strengths and breaking points. You’ve heard the saying, “God never gives you more than you can handle?” Well, I’ve had that saying thrown at me on many occasions in my life and many times I’ve wanted to say, “THIS IS my breaking point!” And yet, here I am. I bend. I don’t break that easily so I guess, he knows my breaking point. I can only guess.
Each tragedy has made me stronger, more understanding of others, more aware of my own limitations ( or my strengths) and they’ve left me with something to contribute on the subject. There is always a way to make your horrible experience a cautionary tale and save someone else from your same fate.
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When you’re living through the pain, it doesn’t feel like there could ever be such a purpose for such physical and mind shattering pain but in retrospect, each horror I have endured in my life; every tragedy and almost moment of complete brokenness has made me stronger and better. Not that I want any more pain in my life but I can see its purpose now and I try to hold on to that when life starts trying to kick the shit out of me.
Life is good. I am blessed, even in my pain because each hurt has helped me to help someone else. I share my pain and others know they are now alone. They leave comments and I can respond thoughtfully and honestly because I do understand. I don’t have to wonder what it feels like to be so beaten down. I’ve been there. I survived and that means they can too because I’m not special, by any stretch of the imagination, I’m just human.
Imagine Dragons Believer
First things first
I’ma say all the words inside my head
I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh ooh
The way that things have been, oh ooh
Second thing second
Don’t you tell me what you think that I can be
I’m the one at the sail, I’m the master of my sea, oh ooh
The master of my sea, oh oohI was broken from a young age
Taking my sulking to the masses
Write down my poems for the few
That looked at me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me
Singing from heartache from the pain
Taking my message from the veins
Speaking my lesson from the brain
Seeing the beauty through theYou made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
Oh let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believerThird things third
Send a prayer to the ones up above
All the hate that you’ve heard has turned your spirit to a dove, oh ooh
Your spirit up above, oh oohI was choking in the crowd
Building my rain up in the cloud
Falling like ashes to the ground
Hoping my feelings, they would drown
But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing
Inhibited, limited
‘Til it broke up and it rained down
It rained down, likeYou made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you built me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
I let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believerLast things last
By the grace of the fire and the flames
You’re the face of the future, the blood in my veins, oh ooh
The blood in my veins, oh ooh
But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing
Inhibited, limited
‘Til it broke up and it rained down
It rained down, likeYou made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you built me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
I let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believerI told you it was a powerful song, once you know the lyrics. What are your thoughts on Imagine Dragons Believer?