My Gen X Playlist : Brave – Sara Bareilles

I wouldn’t call myself a worry wart, but I’ve done my share of worrying. It doesn’t come from a single source. Sometimes it’s spawned by my need to be in control, when I’m not. Other times it’s being overwhelmed with an overload of responsibility, wondering how I’m going to carry the world on my shoulders. The most difficult trigger is from being self-critical about my actions or words.

Then one day I said Fuck it and decided to live by the mantra:

Control what you can control.

I’ve realized that I don’t have control over the world and how it reacts. The only thing I can control are my actions, my words and my attitude. And at the end of the day, isn’t that enough to carry? I don’t always abide by my new game plan, but I at least try and it helps. All I can do is my best and let the chips fall where they may.

Sara Bareilles released Brave in 2012. It was inspired by the challenges in her own life.

The record was inspired by her own life and addressed some of the demons she was battling. “I have never felt more open and more raw in my entire life,” said Bareilles. “2012 was a year of deconstruction for me personally. I have been confronting some of my greatest fears in the last handful of months and have been amazed at how empowered I can feel when I muster up the courage to turn and growl back at those monsters under the bed.”

– Songfacts

I’m not going to put words in Bareilles’ mouth, but it sounds like she said Fuck it, too. OK, maybe not those exact words. She seems too nice of a person to use trucker language like me.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love
Or you can start speaking up

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do
When they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody's been there
Everybody's been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don't run, stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

And since your history of silence
Won't do you any good
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don't you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
See you be brave

I just wanna see you (yeah)
I just wanna see you (oh o)
I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you