Music to the Rescue!

Have you heard about crying in the car tunes?

I dunno if the trend became popular because of the hit Maren Morris song, “Cry in the Car” or if it’s a reflection of the challenging times we’re in, but the topic – stolen moments to collect oneself – surfaced in conversations recently with younger women.

I’ve been asked, “Hey Vicki – do you have one – a crying in the car song?”

Hmmm…I’ve got a few but the iconic 1973 tune – “We May Never Pass This Way Again” from Jim Seals and Dan Crofts was the first thing that came to mind. The lyrics hit differently than they did in my carefree youth…today I hear a message of urgency conveyed in familiar refrains. And the strings…in the chorus? Oh my goodness. “We May Never Pass This Way Again” hits my soul and psyche as a make haste message, with a side order of use your time wisely, Vicki. Melodic message received.

Take a listen here if you’re unfamiliar. These words speak to me:

Dreams
So they say
Are for the fools and they let ’em drift away
Peace
Like the silent dove
Should be flyin’
But it’s only just begun

I ask you, dear friends. Do you have an emotionally provocative, tear-inducing song? I’m a believer in cathartic tears and there are a plenty of tunes capable of conjuring a catch in my throat.

Just for fun?

My debut novel, “Slivers” (coming soon!) contains tunes from 1973. Nope. No Seals and Crofts, but a touch of The Carpenters, Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel and Deep Purple, adding mood and melancholy. Here’s the “Slivers” synopsis:

In a single week in the summer of 1973, a quiet suburban neighborhood implodes when generations of mystical deceit become too much to bear. Drawn to the web of secrets and lies, the other worldly slivers refuse to be ignored, pushing one family to the brink.

Even better? Music matters in wellness. Some of my favorite resources:

The benefits of music therapy – Mayo Clinic Press

The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease – PMC

Music to the rescue? Yah, I think so. Giving me a moment to breathe and reset. Cry a little, bounce a little – simply because it’s good for me and sometimes…music provides writing inspiration, too. Let me know what works for you!

Vicki 💝


Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press

Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.

Click here for Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcasts. Listen and subscribe. Thank you! Click here for videos of our podcasts.



61 responses to “Music to the Rescue!”

  1. This was so fun! I don’t have a crying in the car song but I feel.i need a crying in the subway song…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ah! Yes! So perfect…let me know what you come up with, LA! ❤️😎❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Excellent post, Vicki! I remember that Seals & Croft song; it is indeed moving — more so as one grows older, as you note.

    One of my “crying in the car” tunes would be Rush’s 2012-released “The Garden,” the last song on the band’s final studio album. (Drummer/lyricist Neil Peart died in 2020.)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wow, Dave — thank you so much! I just listened — really listened to the lyrics for the first time and I absolutely understand the appeal of “The Garden”. Powerful. I’m gonna give it another listen now. Many thanks! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  3. You’re welcome, Vicki! Definitely a song that may require tissues. 🙂 😦 Again, you came up with a great idea for a post!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your wonderful sharing! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome again, Vicki! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. I love all of this, Vicki! I hadn’t heard of a “cry in the car song”, but mine is probably Iron & Wine’s ‘The Trapeze Swinger’. It drags lofty religious imagery down into the raw, human reality of flawed people at heaven’s gate, leaving desperate graffiti‑like messages for loved ones they may never see again… it gets me every time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt7O8gDy0DA&list=RDyt7O8gDy0DA&start_radio=1

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love learning from you — thanks for sharing, Erin! I’m off to listen! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ☺️❤️

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I’d never heard of cry in the car songs. What a fascinating question!

    And I love seeing the synopsis of Slivers. “generations of mystical deceit become too much to bear” — whoa!!! Can’t wait for its release. Amazing work, my dear friend!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, right?!! Always learning!
      Thank you so much, dear Wynne…love your “Slivers” support and enthusiasm! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  6. You asked for a crying song and I am here to meet the challenge, Vicki! Gustav Mahler’s “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen.” In English, “I am lost to the world.” I can’t say I have wept for a long while when hearing it, but it always bring a few tears.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20YsQ2-B7sM&list=RD20YsQ2-B7sM&start_radio=1

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much! I’ve learned about Mahler through you, my friend. Grateful, grateful! ❤️❤️❤️

      Like

  7. I don’t think I have one particular song. It depends on the moment.

    There is a French Quebec group called Les Cowboys Fringants – The Frisky Cowboys. Their lead singer passed away and before then, they wrote a song called Sur mon épaule – On my shoulder. It gets me in the feels. The English translation of the chorus is:

    Put your head on my shoulder, so that my love can brush against you; You who needs it so much. It’s been ten years and a smidge, that we face the winter wind; Together we are not afraid of anything. Tell yourself that tonight my girlfriend, You are not alone in the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaUdyuOfwa4&list=RDXaUdyuOfwa4&start_radio=1

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Dale! Thank you so much for the introduction…the video, the song, the message. Allllll the feels – yes! So uplifting and bittersweet at the same time. And the addition of the accordion? I love it. It adds so much…truly special. Appreciate you oodles for sharing.
      ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. So glad you enjoyed, Victoria. Worth it to read the lyrics for the whole song.
        https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sur-mon-epaule-my-shoulder.html
        💞

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Thank you! Such a treat for this Francophile! 😉❤️😉

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          1. You are? How wonderful! I can supply on the regular. 😉

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Yay!!! 😉❤️😉

              Liked by 1 person

  8. I have not heard of a cry in the car song. I would get teary eyed at Cat’s in the Cradle.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh my…yes. A perfect example. Thank you, Elizabeth! ❤️😉❤️

      Like

      1. I always felt so badly for the dad.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Same…oh my goodness. Yes. 💔

          Liked by 1 person

  9. I am enjoying the George Winston solo piano works along with Diana Krall’s wonderful jazz. Yes, to tears of joy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ohhhh! Diana Krall…thank you for that, Mary! I love her rendition of “The Look of Love”! So good! Xo! 😘

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      1. Yes, it’s so lush and romantic!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Yes!!! Perfect description! ❤️😉❤️

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  10. Oh thanks for bringing back a few memories Vicki. I’ve had some cry in the car songs over the years. I tend to keep my emotions inside, under control, longer than I should. A great song — whether happy or sad — has a way of getting to the heart of things and being a catharsis. One of the songs that I’ve loved for that has always been Johnny Cash remake of the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt.” The opening lyrics “I hurt myself today” set the stage. Another one for me has always been Elton John’s “The Greatest Discovery” on his Live in Australia album. It’s about a young boy encountering his baby brother for the first time. It’s happy but has always touched me. Funny side story. I liked Elton John, but wasn’t a particularly big fan. Remember Columbia House. When the album came out in 85/86, they sent me the album by mistake. I was going to send it back . . . but ended up loving it. A fun post.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Whoa my gosh! I love these examples…and I need to go listen bc I don’t think I’m familiar.
      I’ll need to get over the reveal that you were once Elton ambivalent?!? No, no!
      😜❤️😜

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ha, ha, yea, my musical tastes can be pretty strange. Ha, ha. I liked Elton John but that album opened my eyes to a bunch of his stuff that I hadn’t heard before. Shocking, right? Ha, ha.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I love the connecting threads between us…so fun! Sending big Sunday hugs! ❤️😉❤️

          Liked by 1 person

  11. Oh Vicki, it makes me so excited to hear a sliver of news – pun intended – about your debut novel. I am very intrigued! 😊

    I love a good cry, whether it’s a tv show, movie or a good song. So cathartic and economically therapeutic! 🤣

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You are sooooo good! “Economically therapeutic” — indeed!!! 😜❤️😜
      And thanks so much for the giggle…appreciate you for sticking with me about Slivers. “Sliver of news…” you are soooo on a roll, Ab! 😂❤️😂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I’ve definitely heard of Maren Morris, but I was not aware of her “crying in the car” song. I’m sure I’ve done it, but it’s hard to pick; artists know well how to pull the heart strings with beautiful melodies. A few crossed my mind, but I’m going with Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.” He was such a good storyteller, and the song has such a haunting feel. It’s hard NOT to make an emotional connection to it. I also believe in cathartic tears. Music is incredibly powerful. 🎶💝

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oof! Good one, Melanie! Gordon Lightfoot was so gifted. Pulling heartstrings — yes! Hugs and love to you! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’ve got me thinking on this one. I may have a parallel song story to share. Thanks for the inspiration, Vicki!😊❤️🥰

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Yay! I love vibing with you! ❤️😉❤️

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Oooo, love that word vibing! Yes! Love and hugs ❤️🥰❤️

            Liked by 1 person

  13. Hi Vicki, I can’t think of a son.
    Though I am a music lover, I need eace to write.
    I went to see Wuthering Heights this week and cried at the end.
    It is a good cleanse to do so I think !
    Tots of jellies and big hugs ❤️🥰❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ooh! You’re the third girlfriend to give Wuthering Heights a big thumbs up. Thanks for that…and I hear you. Peace and quiet to write — yes. Sending love — and thanks much for the jelly tots!
      ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I loved it Vicki, but have never read the book, so I have ordered it now.
    Heathcliff I would not kick out of bed on a cold night 😄
    Thank you for the tots dear Vicki ❤️🥰❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Can you hear me laughing?!? With you, dear Maggie! With you! Xo! 😘

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Vicki 😄😄
    ❤️xo❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Love ya back! ❤️😉❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Btw Vicki
    The score for Wuthering Heights I liked too, but maybe not your taste.
    Give Outlander score a listen too.
    Especially the one callèd Dance of the Druids ❤️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ohhh…I love the Outlander music! I’ll check out the Wuthering Heights score…haunting and enchanting? Just guessing?? 🥰

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Vicki I only just started watching Outlander 🙃
        I found seasons 1-3 in a thrift shop.
        But Jamie, no thanks !
        Oops sorry, we were discussing music right 😄
        Yes, and the costumes are ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

        1. LOL! I love the opening theme song and I’m with you about Jamie! 😉

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          1. Over the sea to sky 🤗 yes.
            I will take Dougal Mackenzie any day 😉
            No man here looks like Jamie and no one wears kilts unless they are getting married!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Yes — that’s it. Straight to the heart!! And I’m laughing about Jamie vs. Dougal. ❤️😉❤️
              Love you, Maggie!

              Liked by 1 person

  17. Yes, it is a beautiful song.
    Love you too dear Vicki.
    🌹❤️🌹
    Glad I made you 😄 it is good medicine xo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. !!!❤️😉❤️!!!

      Like

  18. Oh! 1973! Now that brings back memories. But I don’t have a crying in the car song that comes to mind, which is strange because you know how much music touches me.

    Two songs that always bring tears to my eyes, though, are Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” and “These are the Days of Our Lives”. In fact, the whole “Innuendo” album makes me emotional because I always think of Freddie, who knew he was dying, powering through the pain and leaving one last gift for his fans.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love that we share affection for music from the early 70s, Michelle! And I’m with you — “The Show Must Go On” is stunning…perfect. And you, dear one know how to sing and bring it to life. Amazing!!! Xo! ❤️

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  19. The first one that popped into my mind was Tears in Heaven, a tune Eric Clapton wrote following the passing of his young son.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh my. Yes. What a beautiful, painful song. Thank you, Pete. ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

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