Songs That Make Believing Possible
From Younger & Present Kay Who Loves a Good Musical
After writing the methodology for the Assemblage: Baby’s Breath publication, specifically the revision section, I’m thinking about believing. What makes this world I’m currently inhabiting worth believing my presence is needed? What makes my desires something worthy of believing in? How can I continue to believe in myself while charting an unruly wayward creative life? What do I gather to energetically charge me to participate in the act of believing a new world is just a blink away? The first thing I did was write down a list of songs I turned to time & time again. Below, you will find an Assemblage Playlist of songs that make believing possible for me. Many songs are from musicals & soundtracks that have informed my life.
Such falder-all-and-fiddley-dee-of-courses
Coming in strong, we are starting with the vocal bibles that are the late Whitney Houston & living legend Brandy! The song “Impossible” is from the 1997 film Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. I love the transition in the song when the dictions shift from impossible to it’s possible. When I listen to this song it reminds me of the fact that people are making things up every day, & I have a right to center my desires in the same way. This song is very much aligned with Dear unruly, rogue, wild, wayward, & vernacular folk. Additionally, I love to see Black folk & magic in films. Plus, I adore how Whitney flits about in the scene waving her arms to showcase the draping of her gold fairy godmother costume. That’s what I call cinema 💅🏾!
Lyrics That Move Me
💙 But the world is full of zanies and fools
Who don't believe in sensible rules
And won't believe what sensible people say
And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes
Keep building up impossible hopes
Impossible, things are happening every day
Who knows what miracles you can achieve?
Yes, Whitney is featured again because she’s Whitney Houston & that requires no further explanation. This time, she is joined by the iconic Mariah Carey on the song “When You Believe” from the soundtrack of the film Prince of Egypt. These two powerful divas sing affirmations of belief blast through my speakers at least once a week. Some of my favorite lyrics from the song that move me are below.
Lyrics That Move Me
💙 “We were moving mountains long before we knew we could.”
💙 “There can be miracles when you believe, though hope is frail…it’s hard to kill.”
💙 “Yet now I’m standing here, my heart so full I can’t explain, speaking faith & speaking words I never thought I’d say.”
It's a voice that comes from deep within
This next song included in the Assemblage playlist I have gathered for you is from the 2007 remake of Hairspray. The Renaissance woman Queen Latifah played the character commonly referred to as Motormouth Maybelle. In the film, while marching Queen Latifah sings the song “I Know Where I’ve Been.” Similar to the other two songs previously mentioned, I remember watching this film religiously growing up. While I had new perspectives about the film as an adult, this song has nourished me as I came of age. Despite the fact that the film is based in Baltimore, & I was rooted in the deep south, I believe what moved me about this song is that it affirmed that I came from a place, a people, a lineage that no one could divorce me from. This song affirmed that I come from a rich Southern Black tradition that gave us the likes of Fannie Lou Hammer, Angela Davis, Maroon societies, & Harriet Tubman that birthed the modern-day civil rights movement. I know where I’m going & I know where I’ve been.
Lyrics That Move Me
💙 There's a road we've been travellin'
Lost so many on the way
But the riches will be plenty
Worth the price, the price we had to pay
There's a dream (dream) with the future
There's a struggle that we have yet to win
And there's pride in my heart
'Cause I know where I'm going, yes I do
And I know where I've been, yeah
If we know ourselves, we are always home anywhere
I’ve never seen The Wizard of Oz & I don’t feel the need to because I grew up watching The Wiz. The late legendary Lena Horne sings the song “If You Believe” & it was always one of my favorite scenes. It could be because of my younger self's fascination with glitter, much like Whitney’s glittery gold dress, but I think it was also because I recognized a fervor of affirmative support reminiscent of how my loved ones encouraged me. This expression of support is in the eyes, the tremor of Lena’s voice, & the clinched hands. It’s true passion derived from wanting to instill lessons in you before the world tries to force societal expectations on you. While re-watching this scene, I realized that amongst the stars were actually little babies & it made me think of Lena singing this to the inner child in all of us (click here to view the specific time stamp of an adorable child). This song is what younger Kay needed to hear then & what she needs to hear sometimes even now.
Lyrics That Move Me
💙 If you believe
Within your heart
You'll know that no one can change
The path that you must go
💙 If you believe
Then you'll be there
That's why I want you to
Believe in yourself
Right from the start
Believe in the magic
Right there in your heart
I believe I have inside of me everything that I need to live a bountiful life.
This last song is more contemporary, hailing from the adaptation of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple novel to Broadway, but it found me at the perfect moment. Cynthia Erivo played the main character Ceile in the 2015 Broadway revival earning her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Cynthia has one of my favorite voices to listen to across many projects such as The Color Purple, the soundtrack to Harriet (2019), & individual solo projects. It was difficult to choose only a few quotes from this song but I managed to do so. In the video below, Cynthia performs “I’m Here” from the musical. Truly, the entire song is a sweeping ballad that marks the characters Ceile’s becoming.
Lyrics That Move Me
💙 “I believe I have inside of me everything that I need to live a bountiful life.”
💙 “I’ll stand as tall as the tallest tree.”
💙 “But most of all, I’m thankful for loving who I really am…I’m Beautiful. Yes, I’m beautiful & I’m here.”
As I’m becoming, making myself available to the task of believing, I believe in the affirmations woven throughout the poetry of these songs. There is a bounty inside of me desiring to be sung out loud. I will see to it that my voice carries across seas & landscapes I have only seen in dreams but whose people desire the work I make possible through these words.
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