“Shine on me baby, ’cause it’s raining in my heart.”

Music is a haven for those who need an outlet in their life.  On days when life just seems to be kicking dirt in your face just for the fun of it, nothing brings more comfort than throwing on your favorite record from your favorite artist.  The music speaks to you.  The lyrics put an arm around you, and give you hope for the future.  Many people can tell the story, that music saved their life.  That when they were on the brink of giving in to the hardships of life, and simply giving up, the music was right there to catch them fall.  Quite simply, music is the ultimate source of help.

The fact of the matter is, music is eternal.  People can change, people can be irresponsible, but most of all, people are usually the problem.  And when the problem starts to weigh heavily upon your heart, music is there to help cope with the burden.  Day after day, the lyrics are the same, and the effect is reliable.  Your favorite music isn’t going to flake out on you.  The music isn’t going to hurt your feelings and make you cry.  It might be for that reason that so many people turn to music in their time of need.  Whether you’re listening to Elliot Smith to know that someone is going through the same thing as you, or Weezer to just have fun and forget about everything else, there is always an antidote to whatever poison you are feeling the effects of.  It’s that powerful effect that music has on people that makes it such a potent weapon against the everyday struggles that life presents.  No matter how downtrodden or sad you may be feeling, there is a huge comfort in knowing that as soon as you listen to your favorite record, you’ll feel better.  That comfort is what helps so many people get through their day, their year, their life.

Music helps people get through their lives on a daily basis, and will continue to do so for a very, very, very long time.  When track 1 comes on, for the next 40 minutes or so you can take shelter from the outside world.  For that brief amount of time, you are in your own little utopia, where you can connect with someone you’ve never met before, on a level that cannot be achieved in any other way.  But most important of all, you know that music is there for you.  Music is the most consistent and the most reliable source of help for anyone who needs it.  You just have to open your ears, and your heart.