Full disclaimer: I missed a day yesterday. Life just got too busy and writing a post just got away from me. So to the like, seven people who read this consistently, so sorry. Let’s pick up where we left of, shall we?
Let’s pick up on depression.
Depression is weird. Depression is alienating. It’s been almost ten years since I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. The worst thing is you can’t turn it off. It just kind of runs in the background like some kind of brain software. And it can leave you feeling lonely.
Some people disassociate when they’re depressed. They become almost detached from the world, from feeling, from reality. It can almost feel like you’re looking at everything through a TV screen or something – like it’s not actually happening.
What’s nice is when, in the middle of that, someone reminds you that they care. Even if it’s a complete stranger.
Day 19: Satellite Call – Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles is a powerhouse singer-songwriter. I absolutely love her music, her lyrics, her sound. She blows me away every time. Her 2013 album, The Blessed Unrest, includes a sweet song called “Satellite Call.” And Bareilles herself calls it a “love song for the lonely.”
This is a good song to drive to at night. It has a very cosmic feel, opening with a simple drum beat leading into Sara’s signature keys. Her vocals are highly-produced, giving it a very spacey aesthetic. It’s a good song to “think” to. It’s also a very simple song. Two verses and a hook. That’s about it.
This ones for the lonely child
Broken-hearted, running wild
This was written for the ones to blame
One who believes they are the cause of chaos and everything
Bareilles wrote this specifically for children who are in distress and come from rough home lives, but it can be applicable to anyone who feels like they are the “cause of chaos” in their lives. Oftentimes, depressive episodes can stem from moments of trauma – or, rather, chaos.
You may find yourself in the dead of night
Lost somewhere up in the great big beautiful sky
You were all just perfect little satellites
Spinning round and round this broken earthly life
The imagery of this verse is two fold. These lonely children are floating above, detached from life. That’s not a great place to be, where you feel so alienated that you almost feel like you’re watching the world from space. However, it has good connotations as well. you have risen above the brokenness of the world, almost as an escape.
This is so you know the sound
Someone who loves you from the ground
Tonight you’re not alone at all
This is me sending out my satellite call
And that’s it. That’s the song. It’s a simple lullaby to children who feel lost. And sometimes, grownups are children who feel lost. The world can get big and crazy. It can get frickin lonely. But sometimes there are songs like these to remind us that we’re not alone.
Audrey D. DeBoer 