08-31-2017
Audrey, a close friend who was my roommate and coworker in the library during the early 1990s, recently told me about Dimash, a 22 year old superstar with a beautiful voice. “You will definitely like him!” Audrey said.
I listened to a few songs sang by Dimash and liked the beauty of sadness flowing in “Late Autumn(秋意浓)”. Then I remembered the song both my son and I liked to listen to called “Crying in the Rain” and many popular songs written by Jonathan Lee (李宗盛), wrote this story.
Once upon a time, I went on a drive with my son and heard the stereo on the car playing a new song which I was unfamiliar with. I then asked my son: “Is this a new song being played on radio?”
My son answered: “No, this is a song from my iPhone. My iPhone is connected via Bluetooth with this car.”
I liked the new song very much, which had slow and simple lyrics sung with a clear voice. I asked my son to play it again. My son said: “This is a sad song, do you still want to listen to it again?”
I said: “I didn’t hear any sadness, I only heard a touching beautiful voice. ”
My son played the song one more time and this time I could hear the sadness from the song. I could feel the beauty of sorrow, being blue without crying.
This experience brought back memories about many popular songs written by Jonathan Lee: listening to them the first time, I just liked them; listening to them again I felt the sadness carried in the songs; repeatedly listening to them, the songs seemed to be releasing a tear gas to me and my eyes were always wet afterwards.
Crying while listening to sad songs is like going through a good mental therapy session. The tears washed out the heaviness and brought forth a lighter fresher more natural mindset.
Now the tear gas contained in Jonathan Lee’s songs are expired and listening to them will remind me of the beauty of sadness without any tears.
I told my son: “Sadness can be beautiful too, you should learn to enjoy it.”
Life is easier sometimes after one learns how to appreciate the beauty in sadness.
I’ll never let you see
The way my broken heart is hurtin’ me
I’ve got my pride and I know how to hide
All my sorrow and pain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain
If I wait for cloudy skies
You won’t know the rain from the tears in my eyes
You’ll never know that I still love you so
Though the heartaches remain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain
Rain drops fallin’ from heaven
Could never wash away my misery
But since we’re not together
I look for stormy weather
To hide these tears I hope you’ll never see
Some day when my cryin’s done
I’m gonna wear a smile and walk in the sun
I may be a fool but till then darling you’ll
Never see me complain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain
I’ll do my cryin’ in the rain