I’ve been on a Taylor Berrett bend for a few weeks now. As a writer I’ve always felt a special pull towards singer-songwriters. There’s depth in the lyrics that you just can’t find in other songs.
One of Taylor’s songs “Whole Heart” already inspired one personal essay on Too Damn Young, but the focus of this next song is a little different. The lyrics behind “The Village, The Wolf and The Boy” tell the story of what it’s like to live with anxiety.
Here are a couple of lyrics off of the song from Great Falls that you’ll be able to hold on to when things get tough:
“I want to see the world/And find out what the truth is/And chase after a girl/But I can’t bear the newness/It’s who I am”
One of the most upsetting parts about having anxiety for me is that while I want to try all these new things, or be somewhere I’m currently not, I can’t. It gives me anxiety to push myself too far outside of my comfort zone. This was especially true the weeks following my grandma’s death.
“So if you got an anxious heart/ You’re not the only one”
In the same way that Too Damn Young is a reminder that you’re not alone in your loss, there are other sites that do the same thing for anyone living with anxiety, depression, etc. One of our favorites is It Gets Brighter. While we cover anxiety and other mental health issues from time to time, IGB focuses solely on this.
“And I won’t let you fall apart/ If you don’t let me run”
This is probably my favorite line from the entire song. I love how it’s a promise to whoever is standing by your side through the hard parts. Anxiety makes me want to run (both literally and figuratively), but there’s comfort in knowing that when I do there are people who will either run with me, or hold on tight so I don’t get too far.
“And the boy says something’s wrong/ But the people don’t believe/ And the wolf comes in the night while your mind is trying to sleep/ And I make up ways to steal my joy/ Then when it’s real I don’t believe it/ I swear it’s just like being the village, the wolf and the boy.”
I have a tendency to ignore my triggers or pretend they’re just not there. There are times when my mind or my body is letting me know that a major anxiety attack is about to get here, basically my version of “the boy,” and I know I should listen or believe him, but sometimes he cries wolf.
“‘Cause no matter how it breaks me/ I can’t bring myself to hate this world.”
This captures Taylor’s message in a nutshell — you’re not alone, this does suck, it’s sometimes manageable but sometimes creeps up on you — at the end of the day though, it’s hard to bring yourself to hate the world.
If you’re looking for resources check out It Gets Brighter or Crisis Text Line.
(Images: Taylor Berrett Facebook 1, 2)
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