Go Your Own Way > Listen on BandCamp
The universe gave me a nudge, steering me toward a music video last night. It was Dolores O’Riordan singing a cover of “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac.
She sang it with an acoustic accompaniment in the studio. It was a beautiful rendition that took me away, tears forming. I remembered listening to the Cranberries in their day and how much I loved their voice (hers).
The song noted above created a bridge, and I pulled up more live versions of their songs, watching them one by one. One thing was clear, regardless of the timeframe, O’Riordan had magic in her voice. And what seemed apparent was her love of singing for her fans. There was joy in her eyes while onstage.
I listened to three or four more songs, and she sang them like they belonged to her. She poured in passion, torment, that sense of carrying a weight far greater than one person should.
O’Riordan is from Ireland. Having just been there myself, I know how heavy the ground feels there and how jagged the energy can be, especially at the time when those songs were written.
I visited and could leave. She had to grow up in it, live through that heartache, and that weight comes through in every note.
After listening to Linger, Zombie, Dreams, and more, I could certainly feel their origins, and tears came often.
When I finally stepped back to take our dog Tucker for a walk, the songs didn’t leave me. They came with me into the night air, into an almost-full moon, into the quiet streets. They were still in my chest, walking beside me.
What I knew was that everybody carries some of what Dolores carried: pain, sadness, and joy, woven together. Not everyone gets the stage she had. Not everyone gets to turn sound into something that moves strangers to tears decades later. But everyone has the chance to try.
We can take something messy, something hard, and put a bow on it. Challenge ourselves to shape it into something that shines. Not to cover it up, but to let it be seen in a way that transforms. To brighten the world by turning what weighs heavily into something that can lift.
TK
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