KJLS-FM 103.3 10am Sundays
May 24, 2026
“Straightening Out Right Now”
Part 1
Hello, Central Kansas and around the world! Welcome to “Message at the Top” your top 10 show on Mix 103, and I hope your second last Sunday of the great month of May is a good one for you. Happy Memorial Day weekend to you. Thank you to all who have served our country in one capacity or another. Right now, you have your dial set to a show that gives you the messages of the top 10 of today and yesterday, and, surprisingly enough, the songs enable us to see exactly what can help our lives be a bit better than they are already. I’m your host, Fr. Mike; thanks for being part of our show this morning. This morning we will celebrate Lenny Kravitz’s birthday which is Tuesday when he will be 62 years old. Quite a performer and writer.
He had a song in 2005 that seems like a love song to a lady friend of his, saying things like: “I’m weak and I’ve gone hazy,” he says, “I’m crazy for that lady. She’s chic but she’s not shady. Sophisticated lady, and she makes me feel good, she’s so fine.” But as he sings about this sophisticated lady, he makes a statement that is intriguing to me. He sings: “Never knew there was such a lady that would make me want to straighten out my life at this time.” I like that idea. The lady is making him want to straighten out his life at the present time, and in that, I think I see a theme that we can use on our show this morning.
As I was thinking about that and as I was searching “The Book of Virtues” by William J. Bennett, I discovered a poem called: “What Have We Done Today?” by Nixon Waterman:
We shall do much in the years to come,
But what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
But what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear,
We shall plant a hope in the place of fear,
We shall speak the words of love and cheer,
But what did we speak today?
We shall be so kind in the after while,
But have we been today?
We shall bring to each lonely life a smile,
But what have we brought today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth,
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
But whom have we fed today?
We shall reap such joys in the by and by,
But what have we sown today?
We shall build us mansions in the sky,
But what have we built today?
‘Tis sweet in the idle dreams to bask;
But here and now, do we our task?
Yet, this is the thing our souls must ask,
What have we done today?
It is a great thought about straightening out our lives today, and not leaving it to the future. And so, let’s call our show “What Does It Take To Straighten Out Our Lives Today?”, and to start us off, this is Lenny Kravitz, from his album “Baptism,” and his song, “Lady” on MATT.
(double) LADY / Lenny Kravitz
AGAIN / Lenny Kravitz
Part 2
The second half of a double play from him, Lenny Kravitz, and his song “Again” also from 2004 and his album “Baptism” on MATT. “All of my life,” he sings, “where have you been? I wonder if I’ll ever see you again. And if that day comes, I know we could win. I wonder if I’ll ever see you again.” He may have seen her at one time, or she may simply have been in his dreams, but he wants to see her now in the worst way. This is love of someone, but the someone is not there—not a good situation at all for the man in the relationship. The power of love probably makes these thoughts active in his mind, and if they are about one particular person, chances are that she may not be around, and he should keep looking. Tying it into a theme that Lenny Kravitz supplied for us, it may take the power of love to straighten out our lives, and we should foster that love in everything we do.
Right now, let’s begin our countdown for this week that ends today, May 24, 2026, and give us the final 3 songs in triple play of that top 10. At number 10 is a song from the soundtrack of the best animated feature of this year according to the Academy Awards, “KPop Demon Hunters” the name of it, It is sung by the group Huntr/X, three talented Korean ladies and their song is the theme of a Netflix film that follows them who lead double lives facing off against a rival boys band, the Saja boys whose members are secretly demons. The words recall that story. “We’re going up, it’s our moment. You know together we’re glowin, gonna be golden. I’m done hidin’ now, I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be, oh, our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we’re born to be.” It is a song of determination to do the right thing, and in terms of our theme, the right thing in life is to attempt to continually straighten out our lives. This is the song at number 10 this week, former number 1, “Golden” on MATT.
(triple) 10 GOLDEN / Huntr/X
9 AMERICAN GIRLS / Harry Styles
8 ELIZABETH TAYLOR / Taylor Swift
Part 3
Taylor Swift there for the first time on our show this morning, from her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and her song written with the thought of a person who is thought to be similar to Taylor Swift herself, namely Elizabeth Taylor who died in 2011, and the song named “Elizabeth Taylor” at number 9 this morning. The song has all kinds of references to Elizabeth Taylor’s movies, and the video has the same. The words reflect the similarities of the two stars. They say how fame and public perception affect personal relationships. “I’d cry my eyes violet.” she sings, “Elizabeth Taylor, tell me for real: do you think it’s forever. You’re only as hot as your last hit. And I can’t have fun if I can’t have you.” The study of the lyrics leads to a study of the life of both Elizabeth Taylor and Taylor Swift. In many ways, they were both trying to do what our theme suggests—to straighten out their lives, certainly in the sense of pursuing their music abilities.
Before her, we heard our theme last week when we spoke about dating. The reason is Harry Styles’s latest song in the top 10, from his album “Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally,” his song “American Girls” number 8 this morning from Harry Styles for the first time on our show this morning. I call it a philosophical thought about dating. He said that the song gave him the opportunity to look at his own dating patterns. “Right at home with perfect timing,” he begins his song, “A face that knows her perfect lighting ‘cause time will show that you should try it, those American girls you spend your life with. I’ve known you for ages, it’s all that I’ve heard. My friends are in love with American girls; I’ve seen it in stages all over the world. Her sweet eyes, your temptations don’t deny her frustrations. Just spend your life with those American girls.” He sees that his friends are all getting married as he continues his dating process. In terms of our theme this week, understanding our dating pattern is certainly a way of straightening out our lives.
Our theme this week is what the songs suggest about straightening out our lives right now, that thought having come from birthday person Lenny Kravitz’s song “Lady.” Let me take you to break with this thought from philosopher Andy Rooney-- well, somewhat of a philosopher anyway: “It's paradoxical, that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone.” Why don’t we know that? Your dial is set for Mix 103 and you are listening to “Message at the Top”.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 4
You are in tune with “Message at the Top,” your top 10 show on Mix 103.3. Thank you for joining us this Memorial Day weekend. We welcome you back to the songs that have been the most popular in this area during this past week. We take the top 10 and study their messages, and then call our show MATT. I am your host Fr. Mike. It’s great to have you here. We began our show with a 2004 song from Lenny Kravitz called “Lady,” and the theme that comes from it is how to straighten out our lives at the present time.
Let’s stay in the early 2000’s and 2004 in particular and listen to one of John Mayer’s songs and an excellent song about family. “I know a girl,” he begins his song, “she puts the color inside of my world, but she’s just like a maze,” he says. So, he has some problems with her, thinks that he could possibly be the reason, but then sings: “Now I’m starting to see, maybe it’s got nothing to do with me.” He then goes into a directive to parents: “Fathers, be good to your daughters; daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers, so mothers, be good to your daughters too. You see that skin? It’s the same she’s been standing in. Since the day she saw him walking away, now she’s left cleaning up the mess he made. Boys would be gone without the warmth from a woman’s good heart. On behalf of every man, looking out for every girl, you are the god and the weight of her world.” Her father left, and that has affected her forever. What a magnificent song. I’ve said with this song before, parents, here is a song to remember. As we work with our theme today, the best way to straighten out a young person’s life is for the parents to be good ones. A 10+ category song, the highest I get, from his album “Heavier Things,” this is John Mayer, and his song “Daughters” on MATT.
(double) DAUGHTERS / John Mayer
7 HOMEWRECKER / Sombr
Part 5
A song of desire for the girlfriend of someone else. It is the first song for sombr on our countdown this morning, “Homewrecker” at number 7 on MATT. “You leave me filled with regret,” he sings, “at the end of the night. I always find myself wondering why. Do you got plans for life? ‘Cause I don’t wanna just romance tonight. I wanna see you in another light—with rhythm, there is rhyme. With you, there always can be I. I don’t wanna talk down on your lover, I don’t wanna be a homewrecker. I just know I can be better, I don’t wanna be a broken record. We lay and contemplate—just one more round of love before you go home to another one.” The love that he wants just may come to be, as the video shows, but before it happens, there will have to be some compromise to work things out, not to mention that he has to make a decision of which one to pursue in a relationship. One of the most impotant decisions that we make in our lives is whether to marry, and who to marry, and you can bet that we have to straighten out our lives, our theme today, before we make such a decision.
Yet another triple play right now as we stay in our countdown and go to number 6. It is a song that is certainly the longest on our countdown right now since it has been in the top 10 for a complete year plus. It is a song about the opposite of its title. The title of it is “Ordinary” and it is about what is not ordinary. It is a song which talks of an “ordinary” love relationship and says that what he has for a friend of his is not part of “the ordinary.” He begins with the thought that everything is pretty much ordinary: “They say ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually.” But he has a solution; he continues: “So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece.” Right there is a great description of how to make life a little better—try to make the mundane happenings so special that they become masterpieces, and in order to do that, we’ll have to straighten out our lives, our theme this morning, in order to accomplish it. From his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” this is Alexander Warren Hughes or simply Alex Warren, and his song “Ordinary”, number 6 on our countdown this week on MATT.
(triple) 6 ORDINARY / Alex Warren
BETTER DAYS / Goo Goo Dolls
GIVE A LITTLE BIT / Goo Goo Dolls
Part 6
The close of double play from the group Goo Goo Dolls and their album “Live From Buffalo,” and their song “Give A Little Bit,” a former number 1 from the songs of meaning of 2oo4 again on MATT. “Give a little bit,” they sing, “give a little bit of your love to me; I’ll give a little bit of my love to you. There’s so much that we need to share, so send a smile and show you care. I’ll give a little bit of my life for you. Give a little bit of your time to me. Now’s the time that we need to share, so find yourself, we’re on our way back home.” The person in the song is quite anxious to get into love, but you’re not sure about the partner. That idea of giving is so absolutely important in a relationship, in fact, if both people of the couple are into giving, the relationship will always work out in some way, our theme today.
Before that song, the beginning of the Goo Goo Dolls double play and another 10+ category song named “Better Days” from their album “Let Love In.” It can be considered to be a Christmas song, actually. They sing: “And you ask me what I want this year?” Their answer: “Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days 'cause I don’t need boxes wrapped in strings, and desire and love empty things. So take these words and sing out loud ‘cause everyone is forgiven now, 'cause tonight’s the night the world begins again.” They go on to say what will happen as the world begins again—it will be a world of faith and trust and peace and concern for children, suggesting that we stop and say a prayer for them. They sing that one poor child has saved this world, and that if everyone was loved, somehow we would stop all fighting. In terms of our theme today, how about this thought: the way to straighten out our lives right away is to want the better days that will come with faith and trust. Good song.
Ah, we always do a lot of thinking with the songs that we play here, I believe. We have past top 10 music from Kelly Clarkson, Max McNown, Harry Styles and Demi Lovato as well as top 10 music now from Taylor Swift again and Sombr again up. Before that, however, let’s take a little break. To lead you to it, here is a quote from author Spencer Johnson: “Honesty is telling other people the truth, and integrity is telling myself the truth.” Good quote, and integrity and honesty are some of the virtues that we must have as we straighten out our lives. You’ve got MATT this morning of the second last Sunday of May on Memorial Day weekend 2026 on Mix 103.3. We’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 7
Every song has a message and most of the time thinking about that message can help us live a little better. Such is our belief. My name is Fr. Mike and we are back for “Message at the Top” on Mix 103.3. I’m ready to begin with you the second hour of our show this morning. Our motto continues to be to enjoy the music and at the same time, listen to the message as we find in that music some thoughts to help us live better in this complicated world of ours. Happy Memorial Day weekend. And we are celebrating that Memorial Day with a theme of straightening out our lives right now from a song by birthday person on Tuesday, Mr. Lenny Kravitz and his song “Lady”.
We begin our second hour together with a song from 2004 again. The person in the song “grew up in a small town,” she sings, “and the rain would fall down, I just stared out my window, dreaming of what could be, and if I’d end up happy I would pray. Trying hard to reach out, but when I’d try to speak out, felt like no one could hear me. Wanted to belong here, so I pray I could breakaway. I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly. I’ll do what it takes till I touch the sky. I’ll make a wish, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway.” She wants to get out of the place where she grew up, and move on with her life, “travel on a jet plane, far away” she sings. As we think of ways to straighten out our lives, many people think that it is necessary to breakaway from where they live in the small town. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that, but that is my opinion. From her album named after the song “Breakaway”, Kelly Clarkson on MATT.
(triple) BREAKAWAY / Kelly Clarkson
BETTER ME FOR YOU / Max McNown
5 THE FATE OF OPHELIA / Taylor Swift
Part 8
Still in the top 10, in fact the top 5 at number 5 this morning from Taylor Swift again and her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and the song “The Fate of Ophelia” on MATT. As we have said over the months it has been in the top 10, it cleverly involves a study of one of the plays of William Shakespeare, namely his play “Hamlet” and Hamlet’s once-upon-a-time presumed future wife Ophelia. The play is a tragedy, but the song is a powerful anthem about being rescued from the brink of psychological collapse by an all-consuming lover. He brings about a true resurrection for her. “Late one night,” she sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” It is exactly what is supposed to happen if there is a deep love of each other. Perhaps we should learn from Taylor Swift’s song more than Mr. Shakespeare’s play, and do everything to straighten out our lives, our theme today, so that we can live well.
Before her, we heard from Max McNown from his album “Night Diving”, and “Better Me For You” from last year. It is a song that says that when we fall in love with someone who is a better person that we are, it is good for us. The man in the relationship was not a very good person before he met her. “Love was a game I played,” he begins his song, and he went off the deep end because of too much drinking, but then he met his girlfriend like an angel waiting. “I didn’t know you’d have brown eyes, like to pray to Jesus, spending Friday nights at home. Didn’t know you’d be the strong kind, deeper than a coal mine lovin’ with a heart of gold. You’re everything that I’m not, everything that I want. There’s a God and you’re proof in those brown eyes. I know that I got to find a better me for you.” And the presumption is that he changes for the better. In terms of our theme this week, one of the ways to straighten up our lives is to fall in love with better people than ourselves.
At number 4 in our countdown is a song about the fact that the couple have given themselves completely to each other physically, and now one of them just wants to be friends, and that, he concludes, is a contradiction. He sings, “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met?” It seems as though the lady in the relationship wants to have a breakup or at least a temporary time apart, but the two have already made it clear that they are committed to each other. As I have mentioned, it is unfortunately a common enough experience. In terms of our theme, if either one of them are trying to straighten themselves out, they will do their best to be honest in their physical relationship. This is the second song on our show this morning for Sombr, that is Shane Michael Boose in the top 10, at number 4 from his album “I Barely Know Her” and his song “Back to Friends” on MATT.
(triple) 4 BACK TO FRIENDS / Sombr
AS IT WAS / Harry Styles
COOL FOR THE SUMMER / Demi Lovato
Part 9
Demetria Devonne Lovato from Albuquerque, New Mexico or simply Demi Lovato an American singer, songwriter, and actress who began as a child actress in Barney & Friends, then into Disney Channel Television. Her song came from her album “Confident,” and her song “Cool for the Summer” from 2015. It is a song of seeking pleasure, especially physical pleasure, it would seem. “Tell me what you want,” the lady in the relationship sings, “What you like. It's okay. I'm a little curious too. Tell me if it's wrong, if it's right. I don't care. I can keep a secret. Can you? Got my mind on your body, and your body on my mind. Don't tell your mother. We're cool for the summer. Don't be scared ‘cause I'm your body type; we’re cool for the summer.” The lady in the song is pretty much interested only in the pleasure of the moment, and she should be more interested in what will happen in the future because when people act out only in pleasure, it is no basis for any real relationship and will eventually only lead to stress. The way to straighten it out, our theme today, is to begin working on a better understanding of love.
Before her, we heard from Harry Styles again, and his song from his album “Harry’s House,” and his song nominated for both Record and Song of the Year, “As It Was” from 2023. The commentators on the song said it was about the artist’s relationship with fame and how his life is not the same as it once was since he has entered the public eye. I look at it as a statement of the need for change. “Holdin’ me back, gravity’s holdin’ me back,” he sings, “I want you to hold out the palm of your hand. Why don’t we leave it at that? Nothin’ to say when everything gets in the way. Seems you cannot be replaced and I’m the one who will stay. In this world, it’s just us. You know it’s not the same as it was.” He has had a relationship with someone in the past, and it is over, and he must let it go in order to have a happier life. As we think about how to straighten out a life, one of the thoughts must be that we are willing to move on when one love relationship doesn’t work out.
Important words being said here for love relationships and other situations, coming from these popular songs. Up next, we will continue some thinking associated with the thought of how to straighten out our lives right now. On the way out of this segment, let me give you a thought from James Dean, American movie star and symbol of rebellion who died in 1955: “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” Good stuff, and it is a thought that will lead to actions that will help straighten out a life. I’m Fr. Mike, this show is “Message at the Top”, this radio station is Mix 103.3, and we’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 10
We are back for MATT on Mix 103. I am Fr. Mike, your host for the show that is the top 10 show of Mix 103, giving you the top 10 songs of today and yesterday along with their meanings. Our motto over the years has been a simple one—enjoy the music and listen to the message, and we can work with that message to make our lives better. It’s great to have you with us again, as we pursue a theme this morning of straightening out our lives right now. It came from the 2004 song from Lenny Kravitz—his song “Lady.”
Mr. Thomas DeCarlo Callaway or as we know him Cee Lo Green has a birthday this Saturday. He will be 51. His song here is a song of anger because the person in the song’s girlfriend has chosen to go out with someone else. “I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love and I'm like; forget you. I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough; I'm like, forget you! And forget her too! I said, ‘if I was richer, I'd still be with ya’. And although there's pain in my chest, I'm sorry, I can't afford a Ferrari, but that don't mean I can't get you there. I pity the fool that falls in love with you.” He is very upset about what has happened. And it could very easily lead him to be revengeful, and that is no way to solve any problem. If we stay away from revenge, we will be a lot better person and it is definitely a way of straightening things out, our theme today. This is rather straightforward song “Forget You” from his album “The Lady Killer”, Cee Lo Green, from the songs of meaning from 2011 on MATT.
(triple) FORGET YOU / Cee Lo Green
DIG IN / Lenny Kravitz
WHERE ARE WE RUNNIN’ / Lenny Kravitz
Part 11
We are continuing to celebrate his birthday, that is Lenny Kravitz on MATT and his song “Where Are We Runnin’” from the year 2004 from his album “Mad Hatter’s Daughter.” It is a good song in my opinion, a 10+ category of meaning song, the highest I get. "Fast lane," he sings, "high speed, on the grind, 24/7, no time, always running here and there, chasin' the money, so much jibber jabbers, clogging up the soul. Where are we runnin, we need some time to clear our heads, where are we runnin, keep on working till we're dead, where are we running now." And at the end of the song, he addressed the young lady who was running too fast as well, saying she needs to slow down a little. What a great message. We all need to slow down a little, and a perfect way to straighten out our lives, our theme today.
We played another of his songs before that one, his song “Dig In” from his album “Lenny” from the year 2001. “Wake up and shake it,” he sings, “you didn’t make your contribution. There ain’t no time for you to spare. If you ain’t part of the game, then how can you find a solution? Nobody said that it would be fair. When the mountain is high, just look up to the sky. Ask God to teach you, then persevere.” Great message, I believe. You have to dig in—the name of his song—for life to happen, and the way you do it, is to put forth a lot of effort by yourself, and then ask God to help. “Once you dig in,” he sings, “you’ll find it coming out the other side.” And once you dig in, you’ll find that you’ll have yourself a good time. It will be a good time because you will feel good about yourself, you will have accepted the responsibility that goes with life. You’ll find that you are part of the game, and therefore someone who can help with a solution. And we will be able to straighten out ourselves and others, our theme today.
And we are up to our top 3 right now. Number 3 begins a double play in the top 3 for Olivia Dean, and the first one is a song about what I call the virtue which is most needed in any relationship, namely, communication. “Talk to me,” she begins her song, “looks like we’re making up for lost time; need you to spell it out for me. Don’t be shy, just come be the man I need. Tell me you got something to give. I want it. I kinda like when you call me wonderful, whatever the type of talk it is. Come on then, I gotta know you’re meant to be the man I need. Talk to me. I’d like to think you feel the same way, but I can’t tell with you sometimes. So, let’s get on the same page. Stop making me read between the lines.” So, communication,...and the one thing that we must have is a desire to straighten out ourselves in the sense of who we are and why we are—communication with ourselves, so to speak. Beginning a double play from her, Olivia Dean, from the album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “Man I Need”, number 3 this week, former number 1, on MATT.
(double) 3 MAN I NEED / Olivia Dean
2 SO EASY / Olivia Dean
Part 12
Falling from the number 1 position which she held for three weeks in a row, is the second song in the top 3 from her, London born Olivia Dean, also from her album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “So Easy” now at number 2 on MATT. It is a song of the desire for love of one particular person. “I could be the twist, the one to make you stop,” she begins the song, “The icing on the cake, the cherry on the top. It’s heaven in my heart, and we could find you some space. I could be the world to you, the missing piece, that extra kind of chemistry. Some people make it hard; with me, that isn’t the case ‘cause I make it so easy to fall in love. So, come give me a call, and we’ll fall into us. I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life. Anyone with a heart would agree: it’s so easy to fall in love with me.” So, a rather straightforward statement to someone looking for love of a particular person. In terms of our theme, she is in the process of straightening out her life in order to date well, it seems.
And back at number 1 for seven weeks altogether is the song “I Just Might” from his album “The Romantic”, Bruno Mars, that is Peter Gene Hernandez. It is a song of wanting another to show her love for him by good dancing. “It would break my heart,” he sings, “if I find out you can’t move. You better show me now ‘cause when I take you to the floor, you gotta get down. Hey, Mr. DJ, play a song for this pretty little lady ‘cause if she dance as good as she look right now, I just might make her my baby.” It is a rather selfish song in the sense that the man is really only thinking of himself, but some general thoughts on dancing might be in order as we think of the song. As usual with him—Bruno Mars—the song has quite a good dance video. In terms of our theme this week, if someone wants to dance well, they will no doubt have to make an effort which could mean that they will straighten out their lives a littl—a little stretch there, but close to the truth.
Our theme today has been that idea of finding ways to straighten out ourselves and others right now. It came from the song “Lady” from 2004 from Lenny Kravitz. My prayer for you and me today is that if we need straightened out, we will work at it right away. Thank you for your time today. I hope the rest of your Memorial Day weekend is a good and safe one. My thanks to Jeff Leiker and the production staff here at Mix 103, and to our sponsors, especially Hays Car and Truck Alignment, Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays and Auto World in Hays. If you would like to request a song to be studied or want to comment on any of my comments, feel free to write me here at KJLS, Hays, KS 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website for meditations on some Gospel passages, songs and movies is www.frmikescully.com. We invite you to join us on the web if you happen to be away from our area—by choosing www.hayspost.com and clicking on KJLS or Mix 103.3. One final thought comes from one of my favorite people, Mr. Abraham Lincoln who had some amazing quotes, and a pretty amazing president: “And in the end,” Mr. Lincoln writes, “it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” That’s very good. Part of that life deals with straightening out our lives right away. As you listen to the number 1 song from Bruno Mars and his song “I Just Might”, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103, and our advice to you among the other things that we have said to you today—hold a good thought. From West Virginia, through Lawrence and Hays, my name is Fr. Mike Scully. Stay safe, peace to you, and be good.
1 I JUST MIGHT / Bruno Mars
May 17, 2026
“If You are Dating…”
Part 1
Good morning, Central Kansas and around the world! I am Fr. Mike, and this is MATT on Mix 103.3. Thank you for being with us this morning. And a special hello to all of the graduates both college and high school as they are happening around this time of the year. Welcome to the future, as the saying goes! And welcome to our top 10 show on Mix 103. I hope you are enjoying this interesting month of May as much as you can. You have on your radio dial the show that gives you the top 10 as of this week ending May 17, 2026, the middle Sunday of the Spring month of May. We have the songs and also the messages of the top 10, and, always we find that the messages enable us to see exactly what can help our lives be a bit better than they are already, and so we urge you to listen to the messge. Get ready for songs of the present and past on our show today and in particular music from Olivia Rodrigo and the band DNCE from the past as well as birthday persons Cher, Sam Smith and Marshmello and from our top 10 including Alex Warren and Sombr among others.
We’ll take a theme this week which I know very little about practically, but because of these songs and my job as youth worker, I have a very good idea about—the subject of dating, that is, the time when two people are thinking seriously of spending their lives together. The reason is Harry Styles’s latest song in the top 10. I call it a philosophical thought about dating. He said that the song gave him the opportunity to look at his own dating patterns. “Right at home with perfect timing,” he begins his song, “A face that knows her perfect lighting ‘cause time will show that you should try it, those American girls you spend your life with. I’ve known you for ages, it’s all that I’ve heard. My friends are in love with American girls; I’ve seen it in stages all over the world. Her sweet eyes, your temptations don’t deny her frustrations. Just spend your life with those American girls.” He sees that his friends are all getting married as he continues his dating process, I believe.
So, as he sees his song to be a time to think about his dating patterns, maybe his song allows us to talk about dating patterns which our world is involved in—the good things, the bad things, things we can learn from, and entitle our show the leading phrase “If you are dating…” and see what the songs of our show give us as an answer. So, our theme here from his latest album “Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally,” his song “American Girls” number 7 this morning from Harry Styles on MATT.
(double) 7 AMERICAN GIRLS / Harry Styles
LATE NIGHT TALKING / Harry Styles
Part 2
Double Harry Styles there, that last one, his song from 2022, from his album “Harry’s House,” and his song “Late Night Talking” on MATT. It states a fact, I believe, and here is the fact: if you spend time talking, you will get to know each other well. “Things haven’t been quite the same,” he sings, “there’s a haze on the horizon. It’s only been a couple of days and I miss you. When nothing really goes to plan—you stub your toe or break your camera—I’ll do everything I can to help you through. If you’re feeling down, I just wanna make you happier. Wish I was around. We’ve been doing all this late night talking ‘bout anything you want until the morning. Now you’re in my life. I can’t get you off my mind.” That, of course, is the value of communication—it leads you to really know the other, and therefore really important for relationships. And so, our theme—If you are dating, spend serious time talking to the other.
Our first triple play of the day begins with an interesting song about dancing by a group who call themselves DNCE. It is a catchy dance song that I interpret as seeking too much pleasure. Looking at it only from its lyrics, it is a song of pleasure, or in the video's words, having your cake and eating it too. "Oh no, see you walking 'round like it's a funeral. Not so serious, girl. You're a real life fantasy, but you're moving so carefully; let's start living dangerously. Let's lose our minds and go crazy. I keep on hoping we'll eat cake by the ocean. See you licking frosting from your own hands, want another taste, I'm begging, 'Yes, ma'am."' As I say, a song of seeking pleasure. In terms of our theme, if you are dating, it stands to reason that you want to have fun. It becomes a problem when you are into pleasure too much. This is from the band DNCE who went on hiatus in 2019, their song "Cake by the Ocean", 2016, on MATT.
(triple) CAKE BY THE OCEAN / DNCE
ENEMY / Imagine Dragons f/ JID
4 GOLDEN / Huntr/X
Part 3
That was Huntr/X from the soundtrack of the best animated feature of this year according to the Academy Awards, “KPop Demon Hunters” the name of it, and their song at number 4 this week, former number 1, “Golden” on MATT. The group Huntr/X is three talented Korean ladies and their song is the theme of a Netflix film that follows them who lead double lives facing off against a rival boys band, the Saja boys whose members are secretly demons. The words recall that story. “We’re going up, it’s our moment. You know together we’re glowin, gonna be golden. I’m done hidin’ now, I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be, oh, our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we’re born to be.” It is a song of determination to do the right thing, and in terms of our theme, the right thing in a dating relationship is to keep it honest even as we enjoy ourselves.
Before them, we heard from the soundtrack of the animated streaming television series “Arcane”, the band Imagine Dragons and American rapper JID and the song from 2022, “Enemy”. It is a song about a problem. “I’m searching to behold the stories that are told when my back is to the world that was smiling when I turned; tell you you’re the greatest, but once you turn they hate us. Oh, the misery: everybody wants to be my enemy, spare the sympathy. Look out for yourself, but I’m ready. Your words up on the wall as you are praying for my fall, and the laughter in the halls and the names that I’ve been called. I stack it in my mind and I’m waiting for the time when I show you what it’s like to be words spit in a mic.” They sing of a person who has made enemies, and the animated video shows the results of that fact. The fact is that we will make enemies, but we have to be willing to accept that fact and live with it. It will happen throughout our lives, but especially when there is jealousy involved as in dating another. As we develop as a couple in relationships, whether we are just having fun or dating seriously, there will be other people who might want what we have, and in the process consider us enemies. It shouldn’t be, but it’s the way it is—unfortunately.
Our theme this week is the answer to the phrase “If you are dating”, that theme having come from Harry Styles’s song “American Girls”. After a short break, we will continue our presentation of the current top 10 and more—with music by Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift among others. May I lead you to break with this thought from the famous Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it is over; smile because it happened.” Pretty good, even after dating relationships that did not work out. Your dial is set for Mix 103.3 and you are listening to the “Message at the Top” music network.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
If a song is in the top 10, you will hear it here—and you will hear its message explained. You are in tune with “Message at the Top,” your top 10 show on Mix 103.3. Thank you for joining us this morning, this middle Sunday in the Spring month of May. We welcome you back to the songs that have been most popular in this area during this past week. We take only the top 10 and songs from past top 10’s, and study their messages, and then call our show MATT. I am your host Fr. Mike. It’s great to have you here. We began our show with a theme from Harry Styles and his song “American Girls” and we are playing our way through the top 10 of the present and the past, looking for thoughts about the thought of dating.
Back to our top 10 right now, and at number 8 is a song about the fact that the couple have given themselves completely to each other physically, and now one of them just wants to be friends, and that, he concludes, is a contradiction. He sings, “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met?” It seems as though the lady in the relationship wants to have a breakup or at least a temporary time apart, but the two have already made it clear that they are committed to each other. As I have mentioned, it is unfortunately a common enough experience. In terms of our theme, “If you are dating,” and have made a permanent commitment of sorts, it should be your desire to keep it forever. This is the first song on our show this morning for Sombr, that is Shane Michael Boose in the top 10, at number 8 from his album “I Barely Know Her” and his song “Back to Friends” on MATT.
(double) 8 BACK TO FRIENDS / Sombr
HEATHENS / Twenty-One Pilots
Part 5
A song inspired by the movie “Suicide Squad” and part of the soundtrack of the movie, Twenty One Pilots and their song “Heathens” on MATT. It speaks of the fact that there are people in the world who are mixed up for some reason, and that all of us have to be careful as we deal with people. “All my friends are heathens. Take it slow,” they sing. Then they sing of people who were loved and now are criminals, and you don’t really know who people around you are. Their advice is to never forget and watch it. Perhaps it is a positive spin that we should take from the song, and say that we should be aware of the pain of all people and realize where they are coming from. In terms of our theme this week, when one is dating, he/she should be able to help the other in their living.
Another triple play is in store for us now and we begin it with a song that gives us some real feelings of hatred. She said of the song, “Writing this song helped me sort through lots of feelings of regret, anger and heartache.” And so, she sings, “Hate to give you the satisfaction of asking how you’re doing now; how’s the castle built off people you pretend to care about. Just what you wanted. I loved you truly, you gotta laugh at the stupidity ‘cause I’ve made some real big mistakes. I should’ve known it was strange. You only come out at night; I used to think I was smart, but you made me look so naïve, the way you sold me for parts, as you sunk your teeth into me, oh, bloodsucker, dream crusher, bleeding me dry like a vampire.” As I say, hatred of the person that hurt her. Often a breakup of a dating partner will cause hatred, but for a good life, it should be controlled. This is 23 year old Olivia Rodrigo, and her song from the year 2023, from her album “Guts”, “Vampire” on MATT.
(triple) VAMPIRE / Olivia Rodrigo
SORRY I’M HERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE / Benson Boone
10 ELIZABETH TAYLOR / Taylor Swift
Part 6
Taylor Swift there for the first time on our show this morning, from her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and her song written with the thought of a person who is thought to be similar to Taylor Swift herself, namely Elizabeth Taylor who died in 2011, and the song named “Elizabeth Taylor” at number 10 this morning. The song has all kinds of references to Elizabeth Taylor’s movies, and the video has the same. The words reflect the similarities of the two stars. They say how fame and public perception affect personal relationships. “I’d cry my eyes violet.” she sings, “Elizabeth Taylor, tell me for real: do you think it’s forever. You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. And I can’t have fun if I can’t have you.” The study of the lyrics leads to a study of the life of both Elizabeth Taylor and Taylor Swift. As one studies both their songs, they often refer to dating, and you can usually learn some type of behavior from them.
Before her, we heard my number 7 song from Benson Boone in the top 10 of 2025. It is from his album “American Heart,” and the name of it, “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else”. It is a song whose story is told for all practical purposes by its title. The man in the relationship is waiting for his current fiancee, meets an old flame, realizes that the old flame is the one that he currently likes, and breaks up with the one he is waiting for. He is not completely in love with either of them, it seems. And it is perfectly okay to be searching for the right one, but he should do it in a little less hurtful way, I think. In terms of our theme, if you are dating someone, you should be honest about who you really like.
We will continue MATT in just a few moments and hear current top 10 music from Olivia Dean, Sombr again and Taylor Swift again. We also have music from Luke Combs, The Weeknd and Alanis Morissette. Let me take you to a break with this quote from author Dwight L. Moody: “Few people have enough virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” Now think about that. That is, too many of us like to be praised too much, and we give into pride—and thinking with pride may be selfish, and we should do it less. I’m Fr. Mike, this show is “Message at the Top,” this radio station is Mix 103, and we’ll be right back.
We are back for “Message at the Top” on Mix 103, and we welcome you back to the top 10 songs of our area as determined by our research here at that station. We call our show MATT because we take those top 10 songs and analyze their meanings and messages in the light of how we can live better in this complicated world. As we say it here all the time, we hope you enjoy the music AND listen to the message. I am Fr. Mike, your host for the top 10 show of Mix 103.3, and we are pursuing a theme from Harry Styles and his song “American Girls.” We are using the theme of the “if” statement with answer from the song, “If you are dating, then what.”
Our second hour begins right now with this triple play and number 5 begins the triple play. It is a song of what I call the virtue which is most needed in any relationship, namely, communication. “Talk to me,” she begins her song, “looks like we’re making up for lost time; need you to spell it out for me. Don’t be shy, just come be the man I need. Tell me you got something to give. I want it. I kinda like when you call me wonderful, whatever the type of talk it is. Come on then, I gotta know you’re meant to be the man I need. Talk to me. I’d like to think you feel the same way, but I can’t tell with you sometimes. So, let’s get on the same page. Stop making me read between the lines.” So, communication,...and no doubt about this statement, “If you are dating,” you should be talking. This is the first song from her on our show in the top 5 this morning, Olivia Dean, from the album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “Man I Need”, number 5 this week, former number 1, on MATT.
(triple) 5 MAN I NEED / Olivia Dean
FAST CAR / Luke Combs
9 THE FATE OF OPEHLIA / Taylor Swift
Part 8
Still hanging around the top 10, at number 9 this morning from Taylor Swift again and her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and the song “The Fate of Ophelia” on MATT. As we have said over the months it has been in the top 10, it cleverly involves a study of one of the plays of William Shakespeare, namely his play “Hamlet” and Hamlet’s once-upon-a-time presumed future wife Ophelia. The play is a tragedy, but the song is a powerful anthem about being rescued from the brink of psychological collapse by an all-consuming lover. He brings about a true resurrection for her. “Late one night,” she sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” It is exactly what is supposed to happen if there is a deep love of each other. Shakespeare’s play doesn’t show such good dating with regard to relationships, but the song shows a relationship that will work well if there is love on both parts.
Before her, we heard from his album “Gettin Old”, Mr. Luke Combs, former number 1 and his song, “Fast Car” number 12 in 2024, on MATT. It had previously been a top 10 from the 80’s for Tracy Chapman. It is quite a story in song without a happy ending and its title is the symbol of what many believe to be the answer to happiness, a fast car. Ultimately, it is a song about a life that didn’t work out the way the person wanted. In the story, she wants to have “a feeling that I belonged” as she says. And so, she sets out to fulfill that ambition. She believes the feeling of “being someone” can be accomplished by the fast car. But she changed her mind when she discovered that her family needed her; a good ideal that didn’t last. And the song closes without her having accomplished her goals, and still looking to be someone. So, the story of someone who never quite made it for her to “be someone.” As I study the song in light of our theme today, sometimes dating and the fast car go together, which can be fun, but requires a little ability to be careful.
Right now, let’s go back to 2004, and a song from Alanis Morissette. In her song, the woman realizes that her boyfriend has truly been a friend because he has managed to overlook all of her faults and remain with her. “You see everything,” she sings, “you see every part, you see all my light and you love my dark. You dig everything of which I’m ashamed. There’s not anything to which you can’t relate—and you’re still here.” He was still there, because he was a true friend of hers. The thought from the song: be a good friend, and expect it from others. Tying the thought into our theme, If you are dating, it certainly helps to be good friends with one another. From her album “So Called Chaos,” this is Alanis Morissette, and her song “Everything”, one of the songs of meaning of 2004 on MATT.
(triple) Everything / Alanis Morissette
Blinding Lights / The Weeknd
6 HOMEWRECKER / Sombr
Part 9
A song of desire for the girlfriend of someone else, our theme last week when we talked about the things that can wreck a home or relationship. It is the second song for sombr on our countdown this morning, “Homewrecker” at number 6 on MATT. “You leave me filled with regret,” he sings, “at the end of the night. I always find myself wondering why. Do you got plans for life? ‘Cause I don’t wanna just romance tonight. I wanna see you in another light—with rhythm, there is rhyme. With you, there always can be I. I don’t wanna talk down on your lover, I don’t wanna be a homewrecker. I just know I can be better, I don’t wanna be a broken record. We lay and contemplate—just one more round of love before you go home to another one.” The love that he wants just may come to be, as the video shows, but before it happens, there will have to be some compromise to work things out, not to mention that he has to make a decision of which one to pursue in a relationship. If you are dating, our theme today, you must decide on who to date and whether it is serious or not.
Before him, we heard from Abel Makkonen Testfaye, that is Canadian singer The Weeknd, and his song from his album “After Hours,” from 2022, “Blinding Lights”. It is the story of someone who made a mistake and let a relationship go, and he’s begging her to come back. “I’ve been tryna call, I’ve been on my own for long enough. Maybe you can show me how to love. I’m going through withdrawals. You don’t even have to do too much; you can turn me on with just a touch. I said, I’m blinded by the lights, I can’t sleep until I feel your touch. I will never let you go this time.” Now, you don’t know whether she came back or not, and it is a tough situation he is in. In terms of our theme, the man in the relationship wants to get serious and all they have had in the past is just a little fun together, and it is exactly the pattern that many have as they date. It is a situation that must be resolved before any progress can be made.
I love it when these songs give us a lot to talk about, and we have some great ones on our show today. “The process of dating” is our theme today, that thought coming from Harry Styles and his song “American Girls”. Our next set of music and message will explore that theme with the music of—in order of appearance: birthday people Cher, Marshmello and Sam Smith, and then our top 3. May I take you to break with this thought from Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous: “They say money doesn't bring happiness, but everyone still wants to prove it for themselves”. I’m Fr. Mike, listen to these words of wisdom, and then I hope you come back for more…wisdom.
This is “Message at the Top”, on Mix 103. Thank you for joining us this middle Sunday of May. I am Fr. Mike, and our show gives you the top 10 songs of our area, as well as some great top 10 songs of the past. And what is amazing about all of our songs is that with a little bit of help, they can actually teach us something about ourselves and about our behavior. We invite you to enjoy the music AND to listen to the message. The topic of our show today concerns the response of the song to the phrase “If you are dating, then what?”
As promised, let’s celebrate some birthdays. First, Cherilyn Sarkisian who will be 80 years old this Wednesday. We will play one of her more interesting songs. She sings: “You think you’ll knock me off my feet till I’m flat on the floor. So, come on. If you can give it, I can take it, ‘cause if this heart is gonna break it’s gonna take a lot to break it. I know tonight somebody’s gonna win the fight. So if you’re so tough, come on and prove it. Your heart is down for the count and you know you’re gonna lose it. Tonight you’re gonna go down in flames, just like Jesse James.” Sounds like both she and boyfriend are into saying that each of them is the better lover or better fighter, as the case may be. In terms of our theme, our home or relationship may involve some disagreement, and we have to be prepared for that, especially if we are dating We go back to the 80’s, 1988 to be exact, from her album “Heart of Stone,” Cher—happy birthday to her and her song “Just Like Jesse James” on MATT.
(triple) JUST LIKE JESSE JAMES / Cher
MILES ON IT / Kane Brown f/ Marshmallo
TOO GOOD AT GOODBYES / Sam Smith
Part 11
British singer/songwriter Sam Smith from his album “The Thrill of It All”, and his song from 2017, “Too Good at Goodbyes” on MATT. Samuel Frederick Smith, or simply Sam Smith will be 34 on Tuesday. The person in his song has let a past pain affect his present state of mind. He has been hurt in the past, and he doesn’t want to be hurt again. “I’m never gonna let you close to me”, he sings, “even though you mean the most to me. ‘Cause every time I open up, it hurts. Every time you hurt me, the less that I cry, and every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry. I’m way too good at goodbyes.” Learning from the song, we might say this: if you are dating, you must remember to allow for some hurting things and learn from them.
Before him, we wished happy birthday to Mr. Christopher Comstock, that is Marshmello, who will be 34 on Tuesday. He was singing with Mr. Kane Brown and their song “Miles on It” from 2024. It is from Kane Brown’s album “The High Road.” It is a song of love as the couple break in a new vehicle. “New truck,” they sing, “big lift, old roads we've been tearing up since way back when. But these wheels are innocent. New hitch, new seats, no history and you just can't fake that, so, let's change that. Girl, let's go put some miles on it, back of the Chevy with the engine running, just you and me in a truck bed wide like a California King. We could break it in if you know what I mean. Put some miles on it.” So, a fun song about happy young love, and if you are dating, our theme today, you have to remember that love is more than fun and happy moments.
Our top 3 is next. It begins with a song that has been in our top 10 every week for a whole year, and number 1 for 19 weeks. It is a song about the opposite of its title. The title of it is “Ordinary” and it is about what is not ordinary. It is a song which talks of an “ordinary” love relationship and says that what he has for a friend of his is not part of “the ordinary.” He begins with the thought that everything is pretty much ordinary: “They say ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually.” But he has a solution; he continues: “So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece.” Right there is a great description of how to make life a little better—try to make the mundane happenings so special that they become masterpieces, and if we do that well, any dating experience, our theme today, will be what it should be. From his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” this is Alexander Warren Hughes or simply Alex Warren, and his song “Ordinary”, number 3 on our countdown this week on MATT.
(double) 3 ORDINARY / Alex Warren
2 I JUST MIGHT / Bruno Mars
Part 12
It was number 1 for 6 weeks, now at number 2, the song “I Just Might” from his album “The Romantic”, Bruno Mars, that is Peter Gene Hernandez on MATT. It is another song of wanting another to show her love for a man by good dancing. “It would break my heart,” he sings, “if I find out you can’t move. You better show me now ‘cause when I take you to the floor, you gotta get down. Hey, Mr. DJ, play a song for this pretty little lady ‘cause if she dance as good as she look right now, I just might make her my baby.” It is a rather selfish song in the sense that the man is really only thinking of himself, but some general thoughts on dancing might be in order as we think of the song. As usual with him—Bruno Mars—the song has quite a good dance video. In terms of our theme this week, if you are dating, you’d better know how to dance fairly well.
And the number 1 song for three weeks in a row is the second song in the top 10 for her, London born Olivia Dean, also from her album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “So Easy”. It is a song of the desire for love of one particular person. “I could be the twist, the one to make you stop,” she begins the song, “The icing on the cake, the cherry on the top. It’s heaven in my heart, and we could find you some space. I could be the world to you, the missing piece, that extra kind of chemistry. Some people make it hard; with me, that isn’t the case ‘cause I make it so easy to fall in love. So, come give me a call, and we’ll fall into us. I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life. Anyone with a heart would agree: it’s so easy to fall in love with me.” So, a rather straightforward statement to someone looking for love of a particular person. In terms of our theme, the dating they are involved in should be pretty good since they both have given themselves to the relationship.
We have looked at our songs in light of that idea, namely the close of the sentence, “if you are dating...” My prayer for you and for me is that we will always try to be as best as we can be, whether we are dating or not. My thanks to the staff here at Mix 103, especially Mr. Jeff Leiker, and to our sponsors, Hays Car and Truck Alignment, TMP-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays and Auto World in Hays. If you have some song suggestions, or if you want to comment on anything I have said, feel free to write me here at KJLS-FM, Hays, KS 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website address is www.frmikescully.com where you will find a transcript of the show and some meditations on the Gospels, these songs and some great movies. Today’s meditation is on the song “Blinding Lights” which we played earlier. The way to get us on the world wide web every Sunday morning at 10 am CDT is to go to www.hayspost.com and then click on Mix 103.3 or KJLS. One final quote before we go from Mark Twain: “We do not deal much in fact when we are contemplating ourselves.” That’s pretty honest, I think, unfortunately. As we close with the number 1 song from Olivia Dean and her song “So Easy”, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103 and among the other things we have said, we advise you to hold a good thought. Again congrats to all of our graduates, especially throughout our immediate listening area. Thank you for your time today. My name is Fr. Mike Scully, and from West Virginia through Lawrence and Hays, my adivce: Be safe. Peace to you, and be good!
1 SO EASY / Olivia Dean
May 10, 2026
“Some Things That Wreck a Home”
Part 1
Hello, Central Kansas and around the world and welcome to Mix 103.3’s top 10 show, “Message at the Top”. Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers who may be listening this morning as we celebrate Mother’s Day in the Heartland of America. I am Fr. Mike your host; and get ready for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by your requests and our own research here at Mix 103 with Mediabase 24-7. We continue to give you only the very best in radio entertainment, / and that includes not only the songs that we play, but their messages as well. This morning as usual, we have some top 10’s both from today and yesterday all lined up for you. This morning, we’ll talk about home and in particular, what causes a home to be messed up.
That idea of “home” is a good one to think about. Many look at “home” as a negative thing and want to get away from it as soon as possible. But many think of “home” as something very positive, as something that has good characteristics and actually can help us in our living if we let them. Sometimes “home” is actually where we grew up; sometimes it is another special place. But, that’s a pretty good theme, I believe, and let’s talk about in particular the things that hurt a home.
The thought comes from the latest top 10 song from Sombr. It is a song of desire for the girlfriend of someone else. “You leave me filled with regret,” he sings, “at the end of the night. I always find myself wondering why. Do you got plans for life? ‘Cause I don’t wanna just romance tonight. I wanna see you in another light—with rhythm, there is rhyme. With you, there always can be I. I don’t wanna talk down on your lover, I don’t wanna be a homewrecker. I just know I can be better, I don’t wanna be a broken record. We lay and contemplate—just one more round of love before you go home to another one.”
He says that he doesn’t want to be a homewrecker, but if he accomplishes what he wants, he will be just that, and so one of the things that can wreck a home is for either the man or woman in that home relationship to be “shopping around” for someone else. That’s our theme today—what are some things that could wreck a home or relationship? This is the first song for Sombr today, not present on an album yet, Shane Michael Boose, better known as Sombr, “Homewrecker”, number 7 this week on MATT.
(double) 7 HOMEWRECKER / Sombr
10 BACK TO FRIENDS / Sombr
Part 2
A second song for Sombr in the top 10, at number 10 from his album “I Barely Know Her” and his song “Back to Friends” on MATT. It is a song about the fact that the couple have given themselves completely to each other physically, and now one of them just wants to be friends, and that is a contradiction. He sings, “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met?” It seems as though the lady in the relationship wants to have a breakup or at least a temporary time apart, but the two have already made it clear that they are committed to each other. It is unfortunately a common enough experience. In terms of our theme, one of the things that would wreck a relationship or home would be backing out of a permanent commitment that is already made.
There is only one other song on our playlist of top 10’s since 1980 with the word “wreck” as part of it and it comes from the year 2013. “We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain” she sings. “We jumped, never asking why. I fell under your spell, a love no one could deny. Don’t you ever say I just walked away, I will always want you. I can’t live a lie, running for my life. I came in like a wrecking ball, I never hit so hard in love. All I wanted was to break your walls. All you ever did was wreck me. You let me burn, and now, we’re ashes on the ground. Instead of using force, I guess I should’ve let you win.” I think that that is a very good insight. When people are moving into romantic love, they can’t be bulldozers or wrecking balls. They have to be people who want the other person to win. I don’t agree that the other has to win in all of the situations that occur—we still have our own integrity to uphold—but there has to be a lot of give and take, and more often than not, giving is much more important than the taking. In terms of our theme, what can easily wreck a home or relationship is using too much force to get what we want. This is from her album “Bangerz,” Miley Cyrus and “Wrecking Ball” on MATT.
(triple) WRECKING BALL / Miles Cyrus
HOME / Phillip Phillips
HOME / Goo Goo Dolls
Part 3
There are 9 songs on our playlist of all the top 10 songs since 1980 that have the word “home” in their title and one that has a “castle” and we have all of them on our show today. That last one that we heard was from the band Goo Goo Dolls from their album “Something For the Rest of Us” and a song from 2010, simply named “Home” on MATT. It is a song of missing someone and the desire to be with that someone, in a place the man in the relationship calls “home”. “Crowded rooms full of empty faces,” they begin their song, “our deepest conversation full of lies, another night with all my friends, the kind you’ll never see again. I wonder if they’ll see through my disguise. And I want to say that I can’t hold back, and it might be wrong, but it’s all I have. Come take me home tonight. Oh, I need you now. I’m lost without you. A million miles but I will find you, so take me home.” The person in the song is opening up to another, and, you really don’t know whether the other person responds or not. But whether she responds or not, the man in the relationship is doing exactly what he needs to do—direct communication, and put negatively—if they don’t communicate, they will wreck the relationship, our theme today.
There are three songs on our playlist that are named with the one word of “home”—we just heard the second one. Before them, we heard the first one from 2012 and American Idol Phillip Phillips. It is a song of assurance to the other in the relationship that she can be at home with him. “Hold on to me as we go,” he begins the song, “As we roll down this unfamiliar road and although this wave is stringing us along, just know you’re not alone ‘cause I’m going to make this place your home. Settle down, it’ll all be clear. Don’t pay no mind to the demons. They fill you with fear. The trouble: it might drag you down. If you get lost, you can always be found. Just know you’re not alone, ‘cause I’m going to make this place your home.” Tying it into our theme this morning, that which could destroy a home or relationship is not assuring the other the fact of his/her love often enough.
We have some more great music in our next segment. In fact, get ready for Harry Styles, Bon Jovi, Drake and others. Popular music always seems to have an approach to life about it, and popular songs always contain something to talk about and something to think seriously about. Let me take you to break with this thought. A writer by the name of Paul Boese says this and it could well describe a characteristic of a good home or relationship: "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." You bet, I'm Fr. Mike, inviting you to keep your dial right there as we continue shortly on MATT on Mix 103.3.
Part 4
We continue with the only show of its kind in this area as we celebrate Spring in the heartland. It is great to have you with us on the station that plays the very best in popular music, and the show we have labeled as MATT, the show that takes the top 10 songs of today and yesterday, and discovers just what their approach to life is, often giving us some thoughts with which we can guide our lives toward the good, the show where our motto is to enjoy the music and listen to the message so that the message can help our future. My name is Fr. Mike, your host, and we began with an interesting song from Sombr. And we are studying some songs in the light of some things that hurt a relationship or home.
Let’s go to another “home” song. Country singer Jennifer Nettles is singing with Bon Jovi here, she is part of the duo Sugarland in the country world. They sing: “Who says you can’t go home. “There’s only one place they call me one of their own,” they sing, “just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can’t go home. Who says you can’t go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact, there’s only one place left I want to go, who says you can’t go home. It’s alright. I been there, done that, I ain’t lookin’ back. Who says you can’t go home.” Going back to the roots, the person in the song sings, is really a way to enjoy your life. That’s not a bad thought, and tying it into our theme, all too often we don’t enjoy going back to our home because someone of the family has wrecked the memories, something we don’t want to accuse ourselves of. The song has a great video by the way and a good tribute to Habitat for Humanity. It is from Bon Jovi’s album “Have a Nice Day” and their song from 2006 “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” on MATT.
(double) WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME / Bon Jovi
6 AMERICAN GIRLS / Harry Styles
Part 5
Our theme next week from his latest album “Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally,” that was “American Girls” number 6 this morning from Harry Styles on MATT. It is a song about thinking of dating in a philosophical way. Harry Styles comments that the song gives him the opportunity to look at his own dating patterns even as he sees his friends getting married. “I’ve known you for ages,” he sings, “it’s all that I’ve heard. My friends are in love with American girls; I’ve seen it in stages all over the world. Her sweet eyes, your temptations don’t deny her frustrations. Just spend your life with those American girls.” So, in a sense, a song studying one’s dating patterns. And one of the things that should be studied in those patterns is whether the person could spend one’s life with the other because if they couldn’t, it would wreck a home relationship, our theme today.
Now, let’s continue our triple plays and begin this next set with a song that is saying to a friend, “I won’t go home without you.” They sing: “I may not make it through the night”. It is a song of pain and speaks of a relationship that just didn’t work out, but the man in the relationship is determined to get it to work again. “I asked her to stay but she wouldn't listen. She left before I had the chance to say the words that would mend the things that were broken. But now it's far too late, she's gone away. Every night you cry yourself to sleep, thinking: ‘Why does this happen to me? Why does every moment have to be so hard?’ Just give me one more chance to make it right.” In the video to the song, he has to go home without her, and the video points out how difficult it is to work out the love relationship after something has happened—in this case, after something was said. Often we are reminded of those tough times that may have wrecked the home, our theme today, and maybe it is good to be reminded. This is Maroon 5 from 2007 from their album “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” and the song “Won’t Go Home Without You” on MATT.
(triple) WON’T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU / Maroon 5
HOLD ON WE’RE GOING HOME / Drake
ISSUES / Julia Michaels
Part 6
A great song of meaning there from Julia Michaels and her song “Issues,” from her album “Nervous Systems” from 2017 on MATT. Julia Carin Cavazos better known as Julia Michaels is a 32 year old young lady from Davenport, Iowa, and her song is a song about the issues that every person has. “You don’t judge me,” she sings, “’cause if you did, I would judge you too. ‘Cause I got issues, but you got them too. So give them all to me, and I’ll give mine to you. Bask in the glory of all our problems ‘cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve them. Yeah, I got issues, and one of them is how bad I need you.” I believe it is a great song because of its truthfulness. We do all have issues, and if we want a relationship, what must happen is that we work out the problems, or as she sings, “bask in the glory of all our problems ‘cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve them.” If we don’t, and we are in a relationship or building a home, things will not go so well, our theme today.
Before her, we heard from Aubrey Drake Graham, better known simply as Drake born in Toronto, Canada from his album “Nothing Was the Same,” and his song “Hold On We’re Going Home” from 2013. It is a song of intense emotion of the man in the relationship for the woman. “I got my eyes on you,” he sings, “you’re everything that I see. I want your hot love and emotion endlessly. I can’t get over you. You left your mark on me. ‘Cause you’re a good girl and you know it. You act so different around me. I know exactly who you could be. Just hold on, we’re going home. It’s hard to do these things alone.” There is nothing wrong with emotion, of course, but when we are all caught up in that emotion, we may miss what a relationship is all about. Unfortunately, too much emotion can wreck a home or relationship, our theme today.
And we have played our way to another break right now, having spent one hour together on this second Sunday in May with you. Again, happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers that are listening. We still have another hour of great popular music to go. In order of appearance, directly in front of us, we have right here in our studio, or at least in our computers of the studio: in this order: Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, Raye, Olivia Dean, Elle King and Ed Sheeran. How's that for a great combination of artists. I hope you remain with us. Another thought before we go to break. It comes from one of my anonymous authors in my quotebook and speaks of the newspaper: "Those who don't read the paper are uninformed; those who do read the paper are misinformed!” Well, maybe not every paper, but we have to be very careful when it comes to believing what we read. Perhaps we have to subscribe to the three source theory—get it from three sources, and it MAY be true. I'm Fr. Mike, and this is the MATT music network on Mix 103.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 7
Every song has a message and that message can usually help us in one way or another. Such is our belief. Welcome back to MATT and the top 10 songs of today and the past 46 years. My name is Fr. Mike, and we are beginning hour number 2 of our show, a show that is talking about things that can wreck a home or relationship. Again, we remind you of our task which is to enjoy the music that we play here on Mix 103.3 and in particular here on MATT, and at the same time listen to the message in the hopes of improving our lives.
We begin this hour with yet another triple play, and it begins with a song about Elizabeth Taylor. The song has all kinds of references to Elizabeth Taylor’s movies, and the video has the same. The words reflect the similarities of the two stars. They say how fame and public perception affect personal relationships. “I’d cry my eyes violet.” she sings, “Elizabeth Taylor, tell me for real: do you think it’s forever. You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. And I can’t have fun if I can’t have you.” The study of the lyrics leads to a study of the life of both Elizabeth Taylor and Taylor Swift. As one studies the song, one of the things that I think about is that everyone of us is unique and we can do good or not so good, that is, we can build or we can wreck, our theme today. Taylor Swift here, from her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and her song written with the thought of a person who is thought to be similar to Taylor Swift herself, namely Elizabeth Taylor who died in 2011, and the song named “Elizabeth Taylor” on MATT.
(triple) 8 ELIZABETH TAYLOR / Taylor Swift
NOBODY’S HOME / Avril Lavigne
9 WHERE IS MY HUSBAND / Raye
Part 8
From her album “This Music May Contain Hope,” her song at number 9 this morning, “Where is My Husband” on MATT. The artist is Raye, a British singer/songwriter whose real name is Rachel Agatha Keen. It is a song about the desire for a partner in her life, or as she says in a traditional way, a husband. To me, it is a tongue-in-cheek desire to find where love is, the desire of a lady to find a person who truly loves her, a statement, I believe, of someone’s need for romantic love. “Where is my husband,” the lady sings, “Why is this beautiful man waiting for me to get old? Why he already testing my patience? I only fear he taking time with other women that ain’t me / while I’ve been reviewing applications. Wait til I get my hands on him. I’ma tell him off too for how long he kept me waiting, anticipating, praying to the Lord to give him to my loving arms. Help me, Lord. I need you to tell me.” In terms of our theme this week, the man she is with right now and her have some communication to do, and if they don’t, it will wreck their relationship, our theme today.
Before her, we went back to 2000 and another song with “Home” in its title, this time from Avril Lavigne from her album “Under My Skin,” and her song “Nobody’s Home”. “Well, I couldn’t tell you,” she sings, “why she felt that way. She felt it every day and I couldn’t help her. I just watched her make the same mistakes again. What’s wrong—too many problems, don’t know where she belongs. She wants to go home, but nobody’s home. That’s where she lies, broken inside with no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes, broken inside. She’s lost inside.” Wow, what a description of someone who is very close to despair. You really want to reach out to such a person and help. The problem is that all too often they don’t want help. But she needs it, no doubt about it. To me, it is the perfect description of the way many teenagers feel at times. And an attitude like it, if it is not addressed, could easily wreck a relationship, our theme today.
Yet another triple play now and we begin it again with a song in our current playlist at number 5. And a song of what I call the virtue which is most needed in any relationship, namely, communication. “Talk to me,” she begins her song, “looks like we’re making up for lost time; need you to spell it out for me. Don’t be shy, just come be the man I need. Tell me you got something to give. I want it. I kinda like when you call me wonderful, whatever the type of talk it is. Come on then, I gotta know you’re meant to be the man I need. Talk to me. I’d like to think you feel the same way, but I can’t tell with you sometimes. So, let’s get on the same page. Stop making me read between the lines.” So, communication, something that if we don’t have, will wreck any home or relationship, our theme today. This is the first song from her in the top 5 this morning, Olivia Dean, from the album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “Man I Need”, number 5 this week, former number 1, on MATT.
(triple) 5 MAN I NEED / Olivia Dean
DRUNK (AND I DON’T WANNA GO HOME) / Elle King & Miranda Lambert
CASTLE ON THE HILL / Ed Sheeran
Part 9
With the understanding that a castle is a home, that song is yet another song with the idea of “home” in its title in a sense, “Castle on the Hill”, Ed Sheeran from his album which is a division sign, former number 1, from 2017 on MATT. It is a reminiscent song as the person thinks back to what life was like in younger years, and it seems to have been a happy one. He sings, “I’ve not seen the roaring fields in so long. I know I’ve grown, but I can’t wait to go home. I’m on my way driving at 90 down those country lanes. I miss the way you make me feel and it’s real when we watched the sunset over the castle on the hill.” He speaks of some teenage activities which I consider to be dangerous, but he seems to have survived them, and now he’s anxious to get home. In terms of our theme, there was nothing that wrecked his home, and so he was happy to go back.
Before him, we heard a drinking song from Elle King and Miranda Lambert who is usually on the country charts, and their song with the ominous title of “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”, another song with “home” in its title. The song is about drinking as well as cheating on one’s spouse. “I’ve got some money in my pocket, got some trouble on my tail. Guess I’m heading off the rails, singing I’m talking about you. I’ve got some new best friends forever; see, I met them at the bar. Well, the whiskey goes down better when they don’t know who you are. Gonna feel this in the morning ‘cause I’m going hard tonight. So, bartender, take my keys, what do you want from me. I’m drunk and I don’t wanna go home.” And he doesn’t want to go home because he’s got his “missus” there and that would cause a lot of problems. This man’s life is already messed up and he is well on his way to wrecking his life, let alone his home, our theme today. He is in need of help.
Our subject this morning is that idea of a wrecked relationship and what causes it. We will have some more thoughts along that line after this break. In fact, we have the top 4 to go yet and 2 others, one our final “home” song, the other a birthday wish. First, leading us to break, let’s hear from Mr. Charles Schultz of Peanuts fame: “Sometimes I lie awake at night, and ask, 'Where have I gone wrong? Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'” Ah, yes. This is the top 10, this show is MATT, this radio station is Mix 103, and we'll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 10
We welcome you back to the only show that gives you the music and meanings of the top 10 of today and yesterday in our area, maybe in the whole world. We call it MATT on Mix 103.3. My name is Fr. Mike, and we are studying the songs of our show today in light of the thought of the idea of our homes and what can wreck them or build them up. It's great to have you with us on this second Sunday of the wonderful month of May, as we celebrate Mother’s Day today. We are playing the music and listening to the messages of our top 10 and 12 others.
As promised, our final top 10 song with “home” in its title will begin this triple play. It is a song that I have looked at as an interesting song with a double meaning. The lady in the relationship is talking of a love relationship that she sees as the “only thing that’s good” as she sings. But she’s also talking about the problems of the world it seems. Her refrain is: “Walk me home in the dead of night. I can’t be alone with all that’s on my mind. So say you’ll stay with me tonight ‘cause there is so much wrong going on outside.” So, the solution for her mind to her situation is him; and she needs him to overcome her loneliness and her despair about what’s happening in the world. My way of looking at it anyway. Such despair can wreck a home and relationship, our theme today. This is Ms. Alecia Beth Moore Hart better known as Pink and a song from 2019, “Walk Me Home” from her album “Hurts 2B Human” on MATT.
(triple) WALK ME HOME / Pink
LOVE SOMEBODY / Morgan Wallen bd
4 GOLDEN / Huntr/X
Part 11
That was Huntr/X from the soundtrack of the best animated feature of this year according to the Academy Awards, “KPop Demon Hunters” the name of it, and their song at number 4 this week, former number 1, “Golden” on MATT. The group Huntr/X is three talented Korean ladies and their song is the theme of a Netflix film that follows them who lead double lives facing off against a rival boys band, the Saja boys whose members are secretly demons. The words recall that story. “We’re going up, it’s our moment. You know together we’re glowin, gonna be golden. I’m done hidin’ now, I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be, oh, our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we’re born to be.” It is a song of determination to do the right thing, and in terms of our theme, the right thing in a relationship or at home is to bring about true love and then that relationship cannot be wrecked, our theme today.
Before them, we heard from Morgan Wallen whose birthday we celebrate on Wednesday when he will be 33 years old. We heard from his song “Love Somebody” from his album “I’m the Problem.” It is a song that criticizes former friends, but at the same time gives us an understanding of what true love should be: “Rumors goin' all over town,” he sings, “Can't keep my name out of their mouth these days. They say I live too fast to settle down. Truth is, I just ain't about these games they all play; Wanna find somethin' stronger than the whiskey, And I've tried, but every time I feel her kiss me, I keep comin' up empty. I just wanna love somebody who won't leave a hole in my heart; I just wanna love somebody that don't want me fallin' apart. And I'll be lucky if I ever find somethin' more than just a crazy night, who ain't hypnotized by dollar signs and blindin' lights like they tend to; I need someone that I'd be proud to take on back to my hometown, honest eyes that just ain't gonna lead to lonely nights, even when she's up against me. And I'm still empty; I just wanna love somebody.” In terms of our theme this week, it sounds like he wants true love and that will never wreck a home or relationship.
Our top 3 is next. It begins with a song that has been in our top 10 every week for a whole year, and number 1 for 19 weeks. It is a song about the opposite of its title. The title of it is “Ordinary” and it is about what is not ordinary. It is a song which talks of an “ordinary” love relationship and says that what he has for a friend of his is not part of “the ordinary.” He begins with the thought that everything is pretty much ordinary: “They say ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually.” But he has a solution; he continues: “So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece.” Right there is a great description of how to make life a little better—try to make the mundane happenings so special that they become masterpieces, and if we do that well, we will never wreck our home or a relationship, our theme today. From his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid” this is Alexander Warren Hughes or simply Alex Warren, and his song “Ordinary”, number 3 on our countdown this week on MATT.
(double) 3 ORDINARY / Alex Warren
2 I JUST MIGHT / Bruno Mars
Part 12
It was number 1 for 6 weeks, now at number 2, the song “I Just Might” from his album “The Romantic”, Bruno Mars, that is Peter Gene Hernandez on MATT. It is another song of wanting another to show her love for a man by good dancing. “It would break my heart,” he sings, “if I find out you can’t move. You better show me now ‘cause when I take you to the floor, you gotta get down. Hey, Mr. DJ, play a song for this pretty little lady ‘cause if she dance as good as she look right now, I just might make her my baby.” It is a rather selfish song in the sense that the man is really only thinking of himself, but some general thoughts on dancing might be in order as we think of the song. As usual with him—Bruno Mars—the song has quite a good dance video. In terms of our theme this week, we will never be wrecking home or any relationship if we work at dancing well together.
And the number 1 song for two weeks in a row is the second song in the top 10 for her, London born Olivia Dean, also from her album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “So Easy”. It is a song of the desire for love of one particular person. “I could be the twist, the one to make you stop,” she begins the song, “The icing on the cake, the cherry on the top. It’s heaven in my heart, and we could find you some space. I could be the world to you, the missing piece, that extra kind of chemistry. Some people make it hard; with me, that isn’t the case ‘cause I make it so easy to fall in love. So, come give me a call, and we’ll fall into us. I’m the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life. Anyone with a heart would agree: it’s so easy to fall in love with me.” So, a rather straightforward statement to someone looking for love of a particular person. In terms of our theme, if they intend to be together for life, that love had better work well or else they will wreck their relationship or future home .
Our thought today has revolved around that thought of what wrecks a home or relationship. My prayer for you and for me is that we will be able to make our homes and every relationship truly healthy and loveable. Thank you for your time today. My thanks also to the producers of “Message at the Top,” especially Jeff and to the staff here at Mix 103.3, and to our sponsors, Hays Car and Truck Alignment, my friends at TMP-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, and at Holy Family Elementary School in Hays and Auto World in Hays. If you have any suggestions for me, or if you want to comment on anything I have said, feel free to write me here at KJLS-FM, Hays, America, KS 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find meditations on the Gospels, on these songs and some great movies and a transcript of the show. Remember that you can catch us on the web every Sunday morning at www.hayspost.com at 10 CDT and choosing Mix 103.3. One final thought before we leave. It comes from Andy Rooney: “The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.” Ah, yes. As Olivia Dean and her song “So Easy” leads us out, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music, Mix 103 and our advice to you, among all the other things we have said is to hold a good thought. Be safe out there. My name is Fr. Mike Scully. From West Virginia through Lawrence, KS and finally Hays, KS, peace to you, and be good!
1 SO EASY / Olivia Dean