life in lockdown 6 - the joke

Lockdown has forced many of us to live more insular lives. We've been confined to our homes, and been unable to socialise with others, unless it's been remotely, online. We've been unable to venture out into the wider world, and so that world, at least for me, has shrunk to the size of a laptop screen. That screen is now the window through which I look to find my entertainment, my inspiration, and my news. But a lot of that news has been very troubling and downright disturbing. The virus is still lurking and waiting to spike again, despite government reassurances. Images of police brutality against another black man fill my screen, and despite an outpouring of righteous anger in cities across the globe, our leaders don't appear to be listening to the people, or perhaps they just don't care, and think they can ride it out because anger will always burn back down to a simmer. It's hard to be saturated with this news and not roil with frustration, resentment, and fury. But it's impossible to live in a lockdown bubble for any length of time with such negative feelings as my sole bedfellows, because they won't be the ones to lose sleep, or reach for the medication. Anger is a very useful tool to keep in your armoury, until such time as it can be used to best affect but meanwhile, I have to try to find some balance, find some positivity to even the scales.

So, on the lookout for something positive, and uplifting I discovered a song by Brandi Carlile, called The Joke. I first heard it covered by Ben Platt on his Netflix special Live From Radio City Music Hall. The soaring melody and his vocal pyrotechnics lifted the hairs on the nape of my neck. From there I traced the song back to this Youtube video of Carlile singing her version of the Grammy winning track, which she co-wrote. I was really curious to see how much of the power of Platt's version lives in the original, and I wasn't disappointed to find that it's all in in there, and then some, in Carlile's vocals, her delivery, and the emotion on display. Much of the song's power derives from its lyrics. Like all good lyrics they support different readings by many different people, and everyone can probably find their own story in them. But for me, the message they carry is simple. Hate and ignorance will never win. The bullies and the oppressors can't ever steal someone's shine, or diminish someone's spirit, permanently - 'Let them laugh while they can.' - because they have pitched their stalls on the wrong side of history. The sentiment is glorious, and incredibly timely. This song is an anthem for oppressed people everywhere. A song about resilience and keeping true to oneself. It's my new go-to listen when I'm feeling low, because it's guaranteed to lift my spirits.