Why "With My Headphones On"?

So, I struggled to pick a title for the blog. I'm still not 100% sold on it, but it relates to my semester and really you could say that it relates to how I write-- with music, nearly always. Music ends up in my poetry. Lyrics spur thoughts and questions and suddenly I can't find paper and pen quick enough. Or, words start as etchings on a sheet and it's not long before I realize that they must be sung.

Headphones is a song by Jars of Clay. Here are the lyrics:

I don't have to hear it,
if I don't want to.
I can drown this out,
pull the curtains down on you.
It's a heavy world;
it's too much for me to care.
If I close my eyes
it's not there.
With my headphones on (x5)
We watch television
but the sound is something else,
just a song played against
the drama
so the hurt is never felt.
I take in the war fires
and I'm chilled by the current events.
It's so helpless,
but there's a pop song in my head--
phones on
in my headphones on (x2)
with my headphones on (x5)

At the tube stop,
you sit down across from me

(she sings over him) I can see you looking back at me.

I think I know you
by the sad eyes that I see.
I want to tell you

It's a heavy world,

everything will be okay.
You wouldn't hear it

I didn't want to half to hear it.

so we go our separate ways

with our headphones on.

With our headphones on.

(they sing together) I don't want to be the one
With our headphones on.
to try to figure it out.
With our headphones on.
I don't even know the reason why
With our headphones on
I should care about you,
With our headphones on
you don't want to know my story,
With our headphones on
you don't want to own my pain.
Livin' in a heavy heavy world.
With our headphones on
When there's a pop song in my head
I don't have to hear it
With our headphones on
It's a heavy world
I don't want to half to hear it
With our headphones on
Heavy world
I don't want to half to hear it
I don't want to half to hear it
I don't want to half to hear it
I don't want to half to hear it
I don't want to half to hear it.



I don't think I need to explain much there. Music is different with headphones on. You are pulled into the lyrics. Suddenly the base becomes known. The guitar jumps out at you and harmony surrounds your heart, making you beg for more. It's not just 'something in the background' but your world for the few moments you take make it your concern. It allows you to let nothing else matter.


Now. pair this with where the group name "Jars of Clay" comes from:
2 Corinthians 4: 1-12
¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"^a]">[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Have you ever noticed that music is timeless? The bible speaks repeatedly of worshiping God by song. Even in heaven there's continual worship through song.

Music gives us a piece of heaven. Music brings us to God. Well, a lot of it does but maybe not all of it. What do you listen to? Why do you listen to it? How does it make you feel? What does it do for you? What does the music you listen to tell you about yourself?

Music (and writing) give me moments which I treasure. They bring me back to what is important in life: God, the little things (or so I like to call them), the people I love, the people I deeply miss but love to remember, the people I need to forgive so that I may love them again, who I am and who I want to continue to be. Music and writing show me the treasures I want to keep in my 'jars of clay'. I want to keep them in 'jars of clay' because I recognizes that they're gifts which are not of me but are of God.

THIS is why I've named my blog "With My Headphones On".