Brave Face
Brave Faces Are Optional…
Remembering 9/11…
I see so many posts on social media about 9/11, today being the anniversary of this direct strike of evil put upon our land that is still taking lives. First responder fire fighters and police. But also common citizens who stepped up to help not just that day, but for weeks and months later. Even now, some are dying early from the compounds they breathed or were exposed to in 2001.Some gave some and some gave all as they say. For that, I say thank you for all you did. And God bless the survivors and their families.
Today, we remember what happened 17 years ago. Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello wrote “My Brave Face” years before Paul lost his wife Linda. Many feel that even though the song may allude to a woman who “left” and did not die, the destruction and sadness of sudden loss is so apparent in an otherwise “upbeat” song Paul released, being one of the last of his songs to make the top 100.
But as I researched the lyric words for this blog entry, I was surprised to discover the words were different than what I had heard in my head over the years listening to the song in the album “Flowers in the Dirt”. Paul was singing “… I can't find my brave face,”. I always thought that the lyric was “I can find my brave face”. The reality makes the words of the song sink in further to show just how hard it is for humans to lose another human they love. And my pet loving clients and friends may also relate to the loss of a pet as being applicable to the words of this song as well.
So, I won’t play the actual music or link to it. Just think of who you have lost or what you have lost that caused grief and much pain and see if you can relate to what the words are saying. If you are still hurting, I hope you CAN FIND your brave face soon.
M.D. Anderson
My Brave Face
My brave, my brave, my brave face
I've been living in style,
Unaccustomed as I am
To the luxury life,
I've been hitting the town
And it didn't hit back
I've been doing the rounds
Unaccustomed as I am
To the time on my hands,
Now I don't have to tell anybody
When I'm going to get back
Ever since you went away
I've had this sentimental inclination
Not to change a single thing
As I pull the sheet back on the bed,
I want to go bury my head
In your pillow
Now that I'm alone again
I can't stop breaking down again
The simplest things set me off again
And take me to that place
Where I can't find my brave face,
Where I can't find my brave face,
My brave, my brave, my brave face
My brave face
I've been living a lie
Unaccustomed as I am
To the work of a housewife,
I've been breaking up
Dirty dishes and throwing them away
Ever since you left I have been trying to
Compose a 'baby will you please come home' note
Meant for you
As I clear away another
Untouched t.v. dinner
From the table, I laid for two
Now that I'm alone again
I can't stop breaking down again
The simplest things set me off again
And take me to that place
Where I can't find my brave face,
Where I can't find my brave face,
My brave, my brave, my brave face
My brave face
Songwriters: Elvis Costello / Paul Mccartney
My Brave Face lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group