I am the champion of the underdog. Just look at the track record of my life, and you’ll find that I believe in people long before they can see what I see – that there is an amazing human being amidst all those circumstances. Maybe you did make a mess of things when you were a teenager, maybe you’re an adult going back to finish high school and then on to undergrad long after your classmates were working in the professional world. Maybe you’re one of the millions dealing with joblessness, or recently having changed something major in your life. Don’t give up, fellow soldiers. I can tell you from experience, life has a way of working out. All those things that you think you need to pray to God to remove from your life? Those are the mountains to overcome.
I am firm believer that all the dots that make up your life connect to make an incredible, beautiful neo-impressionistic painting just like the art of Camille Pissaro. It is beautiful from a distance, but up close there is a bit of chaos. So what do you do with all these emotions and thoughts that make you feel like you’re imprisoned in your own life? I use music and meditation. I’m still in the half life phase, mourning the loss of someone that I adored more than my own life, realizing that my family needs me here among the living, contributing to the bright future that is our world. Book. Florida. Verona. Worthy goals.
Part of what “Jar of Hearts” speaks to me isn’t toward another person, but to myself. It encourages me not to be that half alive person, the one that settled, but instead to let go and go on with my life, even if a few of my dreams have hit the sidelines permanently. That’s okay….there is so much life to be lived. I don’t want to be defined by my past, by money or even by fame. I want to know that I am remembered by what I am able to contribute to love and life in my future.
Singer/Songwriter Christina Perri
I loved the story behind this artist: she achieved her dream of becoming a recording artist when this single became an in demand download from iTunes…and it was self published. Having achieved recognition through staying positive and capable in the tough times, the single “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri, is fundamentally a song for those in relationship recovery. According to Perri’s website bio:
In July 2010, a struggling singer-songwriter and musician named Christina Perri had a life-changing moment when she was asked to perform a song she had written, a defiant break-up anthem called “Jar of Hearts,” on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance. The raw, emotional quality of her performance connected with viewers and catapulted the 24-year-old Philadelphia native into the public eye. “Jar of Hearts” went on to sell a million downloads and land Perri, who was then supporting herself as a café manager in Beverly Hills, a deal with Atlantic Records.
“Jar of Hearts” is just one of 12 brutally honest gems that Perri unveils on her debut album”Lovestrong,” a title she says reflects how her heart feels today. “I looked at the album as a whole piece and the two themes that stood out were love and strength,” she says. “It really titled itself. Writing about love is just who I am. I’ve tried to write about other things, but ultimately this is what comes out of me.”
Perri reflects that spirit of a true musician, unwilling to give up on the dream that leads her to an honest, authentic musical compilation. I was introduced to Perri’s “Jar of Hearts” in my writing time this weekend, and just in case you haven’t heard of her yet, here is your chance.
Christina Perri – Jar of Hearts
Lyrics:
I know I can’t take one more step towards you
Cause all that’s waiting is regret
And don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore?
You lost the love I loved the mostI learned to live, half-alive
And now you want me one more timeAnd who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apartYou’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are?I hear you’re asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your armsI’ve learned to live, half-alive
Now you want me one more timeWho do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apartYou’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Who do you think you are?Dear, it took so long
Just to feel alright
Remember how to put back
The light in my eyesI wish I had missed
The first time that we kissed
‘Cause you broke all your promises
And now you’re back you don’t get to get me backWho do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apartYou’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at allAnd who do you think you are?
Runnin’ ’round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apartYou’re gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don’t come back for me
Don’t come back at allWho do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?