Music as Magic: Part III

One of my favorite bands, Mae. Even though
they are technically a Christian band, I still
love their music. It's simply fabulous.

Whenyou’re my boomerang
And I tried so hard to make you stay
But without a doubt I see
This time, you won’t come back to me
~ Mae, “Boomerang”

I’ve mentioned a few times on here how important music is to my life. I really do walk around with a constant soundtrack playing in my head, whether it’s screaming metal after a bout of combatives practice or some mellow Harry Connick, Jr. as I grab dinner. If I could remember flux equations half as well as I could remember song lyrics, I’d be unstoppable in my Nuclear Engineering courses. If I could retain historical dates and names and battles with just a fraction of the accuracy that I can with melodies and harmonies and chords, I would be the History departments beloved brainchild. Alas, as it is, I remain mediocre in my memory capacity for anything other than images (I can paint, sculpt, sketch, or otherwise recreate what I’ve seen nearly perfectly long after the original was removed from my sight…with the caveat that it was pretty enough to make an impact) and music.

The song currently running on repeat in my personal soundtrack is Mae’s “Boomerang.” Mae is one of my favorite bands, and has been since I first discovered them years ago when I was in middle school. Their name is actually an acronym for “Multisensory Aesthetic Experience,” and it’s a very fitting title for the band. They hail from my home state, which accounts for only part of my preference, promise. I bought their original CD, Destination: Beautiful, when it first came out. I did the same for The Everglow and then for Singularity. You can access the band’s website and any merchandise/music here. About a year ago, I discovered their (M)orning EP and bought that off iTunes. “Boomerang” is from that EP. For some reason, the song has been speaking to me recently in a way that makes me wonder what I have to learn from it. It doesn’t hurt that the lyrics express very much the way I’ve felt for the past week or so.

Funny how those rotten oranges never seem to truly go away, long after you’ve thrown them to the trash. Oh well.

I could write paragraph upon paragraph about how the metaphor of a boomerang on the wind cleverly compares the songwriter’s repetitive relationship. I could discuss at length how the upbeat musical accompaniment both contrasts the sadness of the words and emphasizes the positive feelings that can result from finally learning to let go. However, I’d rather just link you to the song, so you can determine for yourself what it means to you. Thus, without further ado, here it is: