A Fiddler, a Charmer, and a Dreamer
One night recently, after turning out my bedroom light and cuddling with my pillow, my mind started humming “If I Were a Rich Man” from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. No, I didn’t fall asleep wishing I were wealthy, but I did, as I do many times when a random song pops into my head, ponder why that particular tune appeared out of nowhere. More precisely, why a tune from Fiddler and why that specific solo from Tevye, the main character?
Why not “Sabbath Prayer” instead, a song that calls upon God to keep and protect loved ones from harm? Or “Sunrise, Sunset,” a parental wedding duet since my son’s and future daughter-in-law’s nuptial announcement recently arrived in the mail? Then again, rather than counting sheep, maybe I was meant to count how many times Tevye sang “dibba” while he mused with his Maker.
Years ago, I remember sitting in a courthouse gathering room with dozens of others after arriving there for jury duty. While waiting for instructions, most of us alternated between reading, thumbing cell phones, or chatting with someone sitting near us. Enjoying a quiet moment of thought and observation, “Billy Boy” suddenly began playing in my brain.
Amidst crime and possible punishment, why would this traditional folk song and nursery rhyme interrupt my people-watching? “Seriously?” I wondered, “Where did this come from?” A charming boy named Billy is lamenting about the girl he loves who is a young thing and cannot leave her mother…?
Being a victim of involuntary “song-popping” is not as irritating as having an earworm stuck in your head. It may sometimes be annoying, but more often it is entertaining and intriguing and occasionally triggers a happy memory. Yet, I still question, “Why this song?” each time an impromptu tune injects itself into my thoughts.
I understand why I imitate Doris Day singing “Tea for Two” when I set the table with colorful, plastic matching cups and saucers for my young granddaughter and me. It makes sense that I bellow John Denver’s “Sunshine on My Shoulders” when I step outside and feel the rays of a beautiful day. But last week when I was working on my laptop in the middle of the afternoon and Stephen Foster’s “Beautiful Dreamer” took over, I had cause to be confused.
Here is what I concluded: God created a brain for me that bears a tendency to recall all kinds of tunes. Maybe He authored this phenomenon for the purpose of communicating with me. Songs, therefore, may be His splendid and chosen way to speak to me.
The closing lyrics of Tevye’s daydream ballad include, “Lord, who made the lion and the lamb, You decreed I should be what I am…” Keeping the above explanation in mind, was God nudging me to be content with my weaknesses, with the thorns in my side, as was the apostle Paul? Does He want me to remember my suffering brothers and sisters and stop complaining?
Someone insisted on incessantly asking Billy Boy about the girl he chose for his wife. Billy responds with enthusiasm, praising her talents despite her inability to leave her mother. I know it is a stretch, but perhaps God used this tune to suggest fairness and an open mind if I were to judge anyone in a courtroom.
As for Foster’s lullaby, the gentle lyrics express a longing for a place of peace, beauty, and respite from troubles. They suggest a sense of security and comfort and if God was speaking to me, I love that He addressed me as “Beautiful.” During this Easter season, God sent me a midday love song to remind me that his suffering was for me and that I should awaken unto Him each morning calmly assured that He has called me by name to dwell with Him forever.
“Behold you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful!”
Song of Solomon 4:1