“You’re not alone” – an uplifting song by Owl City

“You smile when you hear my prayer”…

I discovered Owl City over a decade ago. Back at my home country, in Spain, I listened to one of his early successes, “Fireflies”, and I liked it, but didn’t think much more of it. However, soon after I discovered the world of Spotify, and the amazing ability to find most of the music that I had listened to when I was growing up, it was a matter of time before I decided to look up Owl City. 

And what a beautiful surprise awaited me when I started to learn more about the singer, especially when I listened to some songs that were so inspiring and with a Christian flavour. So my joy deepened when I came across songs like this one that I’m bringing to you today. 

This song is an ode to hope. When I first heard it I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but the more I listened to it, the more it sunk in me, how hopeful it is. According to Adam Young, the singer, he wrote it for those moments when we feel we are standing in a crowd, among people, and yet we feel distant, separated, alienated from them. Who hasn’t felt like that?

You come to my aid, and strengthen my soul.

The song starts where many of us may well be right now, in this time of pandemic: recognising that it’s hard work to carry on, that life drags us down, that “some days I barely hold on”. 

Sometimes we can feel quite alone even when we are surrounded by other people.

But actually, “when my spirit is weak, You come to my aid and strengthen my soul”. We may feel that other people do not understand us, but the beauty of this song is that it reminds us God, Christ, is still right there, beside you and me, ready to speak to us, to comfort us and help us realise we are not alone. 

We are in the middle of a pandemic, about to go into a second lockdown. Maybe some of us have been lucky not to feel too overburdened by the situation, and maybe others have struggled very hard to keep going.

I would like to encourage you to take a moment to pray now. Picture yourself in the middle of your struggles. Maybe you are worried about living in shared accommodation with other students. Or about how well you are performing at university. Perhaps you are worried about a loved one who has got Covid-19, or are suffering bereavement for someone you knew who is no longer with us. And maybe, you are filled with anxiety because your job is at risk, and has been for quite some time. 

How difficult it is, in these particular times, to express all of these feelings and emotions, to grieve, to say what we need. Like wanting to shout so loud everyone will hear it, but not finding the right words. I certainly have struggled with worries about work, and about family relatives with poor health. I have felt alone and overburdened, even though I really have all I could desire, with my wife by my side. 

Now, put God in the picture. Revisit those images in your mind, and see if anything changes. Isn’t it comforting to think that you are not alone? What do you want to say to Jesus now? Would you like to share your burden with Him? Tell Him so.

Finally, think about how you could apply this to your daily life. If you have found this time meaningful, if it has helped you in any way, think in what other ways you can continue to see God near you. I would venture saying that God is more tangible in those places where you find peace and joy. Is it whilst studying? At work? Whilst preparing a meal for the family? Is it in practising some sport, or reading, or speaking to your friends (from a safe distance)? Can you think of ways to remember that God is with you at those times?

For me, I find great peace and joy at listening to music like this song. Music helps me so much, it can change my mood, it can bring a new way of looking at a problem. If that is the case for you, come back to this song, and stimulate your curiosity. And remember, at all times, that you are not alone. 

PS. If you liked this post, please leave a comment, and make any suggestions of themes you would like to see more of in the blog of St Joseph the Worker. 

The lyrics