"It's Your World Now": It's Just About... Life

Sometimes there is nothing quite like art. When something created in the mind, in the heart, in the soul, suddenly, in the blink of an eye takes on even more significance. Everything can change, as Don Henley sings in his classic song, New York Minute.

Maybe an even more appropriate lyric from that song is the following:“You better take a fool’s advice and take care of your own, cause one day they’re here, the next day they’re gone…”

And there’s a reason to mention Don Henley here – because his good buddy, Glenn Frey, a man he considered his brother, and one of the founding members of The Eagles, passed on this week.

Now I know it’s been a crazy two-week period of celebrities leaving this world, with one of them being David Bowie, arguably a bigger contributor and influence on the music scene than Glenn Frey – but for what it’s worth I was never a huge Bowie fan. Respect him, just never listened to a ton of his music. The meaning of music and artists is all a matter of perspective, personal taste and personal experience, but for me it’s impossible to turn away from the soundtrack of your life. (I’ve got a blog post inside me, soon to come, about the true meaning of music in all of our lives, but I am allowing it to marinate in my mind and heart first, because I want to do it justice, to make it interactive and now is not yet the time.)

But it is the time, at least for a moment, to recognize a piece of my past and maybe more importantly be blown away by a work of art which in a New York Minute became one of the most perfect ways I have ever seen to say goodbye, coming from someone who got to do what he was born to do and made music his life.

Whether you are an Eagles fan or not, I still have to believe you can appreciate the irony when art, time and life experience combine to create the perfect synergy. For me The Eagles were a big deal because of the time period when I “grew up”, my formative years in the 70’s. In fact ten years ago it was The Eagles Hell Freezes Over Tour DVD, that I sat down to watch with my then 6-year-old daughter Sophie and explain to her how this was real music, she should watch how they all sing in perfect harmony, how the entire band can play different instruments and sing songs which have meaning.

But before I digress into a sea of memories and my personal preferences, lets stop here. Because it’s not the point.

But here is the point. The Eagles final studio album, The Long Road Out of Eden, came out in 2007. I wasn’t really even paying much attention to the new Eagles music, and certainly no longer living Life in The Fast Lane ;). But apparently there was a song on this album, an album I never bought, nor downloaded called, It’s Your World Now.

The song is written by Glenn Frey. Frey died this past Monday, January 18th, 2016. But nine years earlier he had written a song, which after I read the lyrics this week, and then listened to the song, definitely struck a chord. This is where art meets heart. How do you pen the perfect song about passing on nearly a decade before it happens?

I don’t know, and maybe it doesn’t bring about the same meaning for you. But again, I think it’s tough whatever your musical taste or preference, to ignore the magic in the lyrics and the moment on Monday when Frey moved on.

Maybe Frey is just lucky to be able to leave a legacy like that, a love letter to his family, to everyone who ever turned on a radio, picked up a record, bought a CD, or decided to download a song. But then again, at least in my perspective, you make your own luck, this guy got to do what he was born to do. Apparently long before he died, whether he thought it might be imminent or not, he decided to write his own eulogy and turn it into a song.

Permanent art that comes from the heart. The lyrics are below, a link to the song is at the bottom of the blog.

I’ll just leave it at that and let Glenn Frey do the writing from here on out…

It’s Your World Now

A perfect day, the sun is sinkin’ low
As evening falls, the gentle breezes blow
The time we shared went by so fast
Just like a dream, we knew it couldn’t last
But I’d do it all again
If I could, somehow
But I must be leavin’ soon
It’s your world now

It’s your world now
My race is run
I’m moving on
Like the setting sun
No sad goodbyes
No tears allowed
You’ll be alright
It’s your world now

Even when we are apart
You’ll always be in my heart
When dark clouds appear in the sky
Remember true love never dies

But first a kiss, one glass of wine
Just one more dance while there’s still time
My one last wish: someday, you’ll see
How hard I tried and how much you meant to me

It’s your world now
Use well your time
Be part of something good
Leave something good behind
The curtain falls
I take my bow
That’s how it’s meant to be
It’s your world now