Indiana/ Human - Jon McLaughlin

♫I'm glad I never lived next to the water
So I could never get used to the beach
And I'm glad I never grew up on a mountain
To figure out how high the world could reach
I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I'm glad she never fell in love with me

For some the world's a treasure to discover
And your scenery should never stay the same
And they're trading in their dreams for Explanations
All in an attempt to entertain
But I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I'm glad I'm only picturing the moment
I'm glad she never fell in love with me

The trick of love is to never let it find you
It's easy to get over missing out
I know the how's and when's, but now and then,
She's all I think about

I wonder how it feels to be famous
But wonder is as far as I will go
Because I'd probably lose myself in all the Pictures
And end up being someone I don't know.
So it's probably best I stay in Indiana
Just dreaming of the world as it should be
Where every day is a battle to convince myself
I'm glad she never fell in love with me♫

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I've posted a couple of McLaughlins songs before (he's a favorite!) A pianist and songwriter since childhood, influenced by Billy Joel, Elton John and Ben Folds, Jon's passion was sidelined when both wrists were shattered in an accident. He finally rediscovered his muse at the end of high school, and concentrated on honing his skills at Anderson University School of Music. His self-titled 10-song debut album was released in 2004, on the university's record label, Orangehaus – and Jon has been touring throughout the country ever since. Take the time to watch "Human" below. This guy really moves me.

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♫Can you tell me how we got in this situation
I can't seem to get you off my mind
All these ups and downs they
They trip up our good intentions
Nobody said this was an easy ride

After all, we're only human
Always fighting what we're feeling
Hurt instead of healing
After all we're only human
Is there any other reason
Why we stay instead of leaving
After all

Can we get back to the point in this conversation
Where we saw things through each other's eyes
Cause now all I see is ruin and devastation
We all need some place we can hide inside

After all, we're only human
Always fighting what we're feeling
Hurt instead of healing
After all we're only human
Is there any other reason
Why we stay instead of leaving

I'm smart enough to know that life goes by
And it leaves a trail of broken hearts behind
If you feel I'm letting go, just give me time
I'll come running to your side
Can you tell me how we got into this situation
I can't seem to get you off my mind

After all, we're only human
Always fighting what we're feeling
Hurt instead of healing
After all we're only human
Is there any other human♫

We All Need Saving - Jon McLaughlin

It used to be that the songs with deep emotion came from seasoned men of hard lives...women who were rough around the edges with four men of bad marriages behind them. But I listen to the lyrics of my son's songs, the songs of John McLaughlin, Justin Nozuka, James Morrison (maybe it's the J-names???) and they FEEL. They translate it. I feast on it. It's not the age of the body, but perhaps the soul.


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Industry - Jon McLaughlin

♫This is me on my knees singing take it all from me, take it all
Speak to my needs, my needs, take it all, just take it all
This is me.

So the crowd gets quiet and I start to play
And I think they're buying what I've got to say
But to my defiance the music fades
And we all sit silent and I crawl back inside
Because it wasn't supposed go this bad.

When you fall silent I start to fall.♫


(We strike out to conquer, to do a thing, our thing, our desire and design. Hell if we don't f*ck it up most of the time. We turn around, begin again, sighing out...."i want i want i want" and the universe does not concur. We turn around, begin again, dizzy now with the whipping of our heads, the ping pong of want and reality, of need and purpose. Finally to say, "Take it. Everything I wanted. I'm tired. TAKE IT", and then perhaps, to find our hands full and our mouths overflowing with the unexpected.)
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