For My Weary Heart

There is so much BIG stuff going on right now.  In the world at large.  And even in my tiny little world.  It feels like this enormous weight and pressure.  Do you feel it, too?

Last week, at the end of Grey's Anatomy, they had a song playing softly in the background, underscoring the dialogue.  It was a remake of Tom Petty's song "I Won't Back Down."  Man, I have always loved that song.  It was on his Full Moon Fever album back in the 80s.  I think that was one of those cassettes that I had that I played until it didn't play right anymore.  You know how that goes.  It kind of squeals in places because the tape has become too thin from over usage.  I loved that entire tape.  I could sing the whole thing side one and two.  I even liked all the b-songs.  Great album.

So, you can imagine that I would expect to HATE a remake of this song.  Just like I groan whenever they remake an 80s movie, and I start cursing at the trailer.  And then I stomp around the room for about ten minutes, and do a full-on rant that if they can't come up with any new ideas, they shouldn't mess with greatness.  And that leads to if they ever remake The Breakfast Club I will seriously hurt someone.  As in seriously.

I think I have digressed.

Anyway, I was stunned.  Awed.  In thrall.  I love this song.  I spent the next day trolling youtube in order to find the artist who remade the song.  It actually didn't take that long.  What I like about this song is that it isn't just a copy.  Ryan Star took this song and made it his own.  Instead of rocking it out Tom Petty-style (which I still love), he broke it down and laid it bare.  It is just him, a piano, and his guitar.  So, the words are that much more powerful.  Everything I loved about the song before, I love one hundred times more in this version. Why?  Because I feel it in my soul.  It makes me cry.  This song is a like a gift to my weary heart.