KJLS-FM 103.3 10am Sundays

November 3, 2024

“What Will Make Us Stronger”

Part 1

Hello, Central Kansas and around the world! Thank you for joining us this first Sunday of the beautiful Fall month of November 2024. I hope you had the time right this morning. Happy normal time, everyone. Welcome to MATT. Get set for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by the research from your requests, as well as the research of Mediabase 24-7 for the reporting date of today and get ready for some top 10 songs of the past as well. I am Fr. Mike, and you have your dial set to Mix 103, the number one popular music station in Central Kansas. Get ready now for a show dedicated to the thought of understanding the popular music of our day and helping our lives by means of it. Today we will talk a little about ways to be stronger.

And the reason we will do that is our lead song today which happens to be the media presentation for today on my website at www.frmikescully,com . It is a song that is initiating a break-up and the lady in the song feels good about it. “I should’ve said it before,” she sings, “I can’t pretend anymore. I only wanna die alive, never by the hands of a broken heart. Don’t wanna hear you lie tonight, now that I’ve become who I really are. This is the part when I say I don’t want ya. I’m stronger than I’ve been before. This is the part when I break free ‘cause I can’t resist it no more.” The video is very interesting but goes another direction. In the song, she is determining the way to go after a bad relationship.

Studying some people’s lives, one can conclude that somehow all of the negatives that happened in their lives became a means by which they could grow. Usually with a little bit of help from friends, they are finally able to do it, becoming a stronger person in the process. As Ariana Grande sings, “I’m stronger than I’ve been before.”

Ultimately, if we want to grow well, every one of us must conclude at some time in our lives that we want things to be better. We know the negatives that have been part of our lives, even to the point of completely overpowering us, and taking complete control. There are indeed such negatives, but the psychology behind those negatives is that they can actually be aids to help us grow. They can make us stronger. We will realize that we have been hurt, and how we have been hurt, and be able to learn from the experiences.

We’ll use that very positive thought as a theme-setter this morning. Let’s call our show “What Will Make Us Stronger,” and find out some suggestions that come from the top 10 songs of our land right now and some of the top songs of the past 44 years.

Starting us off, this is a song from 2014 with producer Anton Zaslavski better known as Zedd, Ms. Ariana Grande from her album “My Everything” and their song “Break Free” on MATT.

(double) BREAK FREE / Ariana Grande f/ Zedd

ONE LAST TIME / Ariana Grande

Part 2

That was Ariana Grande Butera again who began her singing career with children’s television shows and now is one of the premier female performers in America and Britain. That last song was from her album “My Everything” again and her song from 2015 “One Last Time” on MATT. It is a song of admitting fault, and then begging a former boyfriend to come back to the lady in the song. “I was a liar,” she sings, “I gave in to the fire. I know I should've fought it. At least I'm being honest; feel like a failure ‘cause I know that I failed you. I should've done you better ‘cause you don't want a liar. And I know, she gives you everything. But, boy, I couldn't give it to you, and I know, you got everything. But I got nothing here without you. So one last time, I need to be the one who takes you home. One more time I promise; after that I'll let you go. I don't care if you got her in your heart, all I really care is you wake up in my arms. One last time I need to be the one who takes you home.” The lady is in very bad straits because she knows she has caused the problems. But since he has moved on, it just may be better for her to do the same instead of begging him. What can make her stronger, our theme today? Stop holding on to that relationship and move on in life.

Now, let’s go to a triple that begins with a happy song of love, a song of how love has affected the woman in the relationship. “I swear you hit me like a vision,” she sings the thoughts of the lady, “I wasn’t expecting, but who am I to tell fate where it’s supposed to go with it. Oh, this is how it starts, lightning strikes the heart. It goes off like a gun, brighter than the sun. Oh, we could be the stars, falling from the sky, shining how we want, brighter than the sun.” As one studies the song, there are good feelings of love there. And those feelings are making the love stronger, our theme today. And it will be true love. This is a former number 1 for a long time from Ms. Colbie Caillat, from 2011, from her album “All of You” and her song “Brighter Than the Sun” on MATT.

(triple) BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN / Colbie Caillat

BLACK VELVET / Alannah Myles

10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS / Benson Boone

Part 3

We have our top 10 in countdown fashion throughout the show today and that one is number 10 right now from his album “Fireworks and Rollerblades,” his song “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone, former number 1 on MATT. It is a song about a man in a relationship who has discovered a person that he really likes and he wants to keep it that way. “For a while there, it was rough,” he sings, “but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall. And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love. She’ll come and stay the night, and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way. But I know the things He gives me, He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to. But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you. I hope I don’t lose you. Please stay. I want you, I need you. God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.” I’ve mentioned before that it is evident that the person is tuned into God, and from my point of view anyway, as you would expect from a clergy person, being tuned into God will make him and his relationship a lot stronger, our theme today.

Before him, we heard from Canadian singer Alannah Myles from 1990 and Elvis Presley was the subject of the song, and her song “Black Velvet.” It is a personification of Elvis in the refrain: “Black velvet and that little boy’s smile, a new religion that’ll bring you to your knees, black velvet if you please.” In terms of our theme this morning, Elvis had a rather difficult life. The encouraging thing is that he managed to put up with a lot of it. And the lesson from our theme today—that difficult life probably helped him be a lot stronger.

We are asking the songs of our show about that thought of what makes us stronger. Let me take you to break with a thought from George Carlin: “No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you’re screwed because it’s all fixed and rigged. There is a club and you ain’t in it.” Now, that describes how we feel sometimes to say the least. But, if we are choosing the good, we will withstand that feeling and say that I WILL join the club, and you will be stronger. Coming up for us in order of appearance are: the Goo Goo Dolls, KT Tunstall, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars together, Teddy Swims and Dasha. I’m Fr. Mike inviting you to stay with us. Your dial is set for Mix 103 and you are listening to “Message at the Top”.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 4

You are in tune, my friends, with MATT, your top 10 show on Mix 103. Thank you for joining us this morning. We welcome you back to the songs that have been the most popular in this area during this past week that ends today. We take the top 10 of the present and past and study their messages, and then call our show MATT. I’m your host Fr. Mike. It’s great to have you here. We began our show with Ariana Grande along with Zedd and their song “Break Free.” Our theme is revolving around the thought of what can make us stronger.

Let’s go to two other “black” songs—songs that have “black” in their titles, and both of them very different from other popular music. This first one has this refrain: “Coming down, the world turned over and angels fall without you there. And I go on as you get colder, or are you someone’s prayer.” It begins with perhaps the true meaning of the song: “Baby’s black balloon makes her fly. I almost fell into that hole in your life. And you’re not thinking ‘bout tomorrow ‘cause you were the same as me, but on your knees.” According to an interview with the group at the time, they said that the song is an appeal to a young lady who is messing up her life by using heroin. The use of that drug and any drug gives us a false feeling of being stronger, our theme today, and the only way to be stronger is to stay away from the drugs. Tough thoughts here, and something to remember. MATT presenting from their album “Dizzy Up the Girl,” the Goo Goo Dolls, and their song “Black Balloon” from 1999 on MATT.

(double) BLACK BALLOON / Goo Goo Dolls

BLACK HORSE & THE CHERRY TREE / KT Tunstall

Part 5

Another song with the word “black” in its title, from British singer KT Tunstall and “Black Horse & the Cherry Tree” from her album “Eye to the Telescope” from 2005 on MATT. The song is the story of a love given to someone, then it did not work out, and now she’s not enjoying life very much. She had met the man, the big black horse image in the song, who surprises her and says, ‘Will you marry me?’ She says ‘No.’ But then her heart had a problem, and she changed her mind. She went back to the man, but he had gone on in life, and now, she has ‘a hole’ where her heart should have been. It is a song about the complexities of romantic life, and when those complexities do not work out the way the person wants, the only way to act is to accept the problems, and then vow to be stronger, our theme today, as one faces their future lives. Tough song.

Let’s go back to our countdown and give us three top 10’s in a row beginning with number 9. It is a song from two superstars who usually have totally different styles. It is a love song and strong commitment to each other. “I just woke up from a dream,” they sing, “Where you and I had to say goodbye; and I don't know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized wherever you go, that's where I'll follow. Nobody's promised tomorrow, so I'ma love you every night like it's the last night. If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you. If the party was over and our time on Earth was through, I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.” So, words of strong commitment, but there had been struggles, it seems. They sing, “Lost in the words that we scream, I don't even wanna do this anymore 'cause you already know what you mean to me. And our love's the only war worth fighting for.” Fitting into our theme, this week, they were screaming at one another at one time, but it finally worked out, and this finally made them stronger, because adversity helps a relationship to be stronger--usually. This is that interesting duo--Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga and Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars and their number 9 song, “Die with a Smile” on MATT.

(triple) 9 DIE WITH A SMILE / Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

8 LOSE CONTROL / Teddy Swims

7 AUSTIN / Dasha

Part 6

Ms. Anna Dasha Novotny there, better known simply as Dasha from her debut album “Dirty Blonde,” at number 7 this morning and “Austin” on MATT. It is a song about justifiable anger. The lady in the relationship sings: “We had a plan, move out of this town, West to the sand, it's all we talked about lately. I'd pack the car, bring your guitar, first thing at dawn, you'd queue the songs and we'd get goin'. But you weren't home, waited on the porch for ya, sat there alone, all throughout the morn' 'til I got a hunch down in my gut and snuck around the back. Empty cans and I'll be damned, your stuff was never packed. Did your boots stop workin'? Did you burn through money? Was the whiskey flowin'? Were you in a fight?” And consequently, she sings, “I made my way back to LA, and that's where you'll be forgotten. In forty years, you'll still be here, drunk, washed up in Austin.” In terms of our theme this week, it is clear that the lady in the relationship would never find that relationship to be stronger, and so she left—exactly what she should have done, I believe.

Before her, we heard what happens when a person is lonely, the statement of the song from his album with the title of “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1”, Jaten Collin Dimsdale better known as Teddy Swims, and his song “Lose Control”. He sings “Something’s got a hold of me lately. No, I don’t know myself anymore, feels like the walls are all closing in and the devil’s knocking at my door. Outta my mind, how many times did I tell you I’m no good at being alone? It’s taking a toll on me, trying my best to keep from tearing the skin off my bones. Don’t you know I lose control when you’re not next to me. I’m falling apart right in front of you. You’re breaking my heart. You make a mess of me.” So it is loneliness, but it is loneliness because one special person is no longer there for him. One of the problems of early relationships and sometimes with later ones, is that we get too serious too soon and fail to try to make the relationship stronger because we are too caught up with feelings.

Good stuff being talked about here this morning, even if we have to offer some rather strong opinions. These songs make us really think about life and love. Our topic this morning is the thought of what can make us stronger. We will continue to search with that thought in mind on MATT in just a few moments with artists like Christina Aguilera and Hozier. Let me take you to break with this thought. It is a challenge from author Charles Allen: “Remember that you are truly needed. There is at least one important work to be done that will not be done unless YOU do it.” And my comment: take the time to figure out what we can do today that only we can do. Now, that can make your day stronger. Stay with us; we’ll be right back. You’ve got MATT on Mix 103.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 7

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 and your requests. 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 and complex world. I am Fr. Mike, your host for the top 10 show of today’s best music, and we are pursuing a theme from Ariana Grande and Zedd and their 2014 song “Break Free.”

Another triple begins this second hour of regular time today, and it begins as we advance in our countdown with number 6. The message is one of feeling badly because a relationship is not working out. The lady in the relationship is swearing that she will get over it, although you wonder whether she ever will. “I can read your mind, ‘she’s having the time of her life,’” the lady in the relationship sings, “There in her glittering prime, I can show you lies ‘cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my stuff. They said, ‘Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it’. And I did: Lights, camera, smile even when you want to die. He said he'd love me all his life, but that life was too short. Breaking down, I hit the floor, all the pieces of me shattered. I was grinning like I'm winning. I was hitting my marks 'cause I can do it with a broken heart. I'm so depressed, I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague. You know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.” I changed some of the words. The lady in the song is only acting like everything is alright, and that will never make a relationship stronger, our theme today. From her album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”, Ms. Taylor Swift at number 6 on our playlist this morning on MATT.

(triple) 6 I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART / Taylor Swift

BEAUTIFUL / Christina Aguilera

5 STARGAZING / Myles Smith

Part 8

Our theme last week when we spoke about coming alive in life. I said that many people define that coming alive in light of another person whom they love in a romantic way, and such is that song from newcomer British singer Myles Smith and his song “Stargazing”, number 5 this week on MATT. “Time stood still,” he begins his song, “just like a photograph; you made me feel like this would last forever. Lookin' in your eyes, I see my whole life. They say you know it when you know it and I know. Promise that you'll hold me close, don't let me go. Take my heart, don't break it; love me to my bones. All this time I've wasted; you were right there all along, You and I stargazin', intertwinin' souls. We were never strangers; I lose my mind when I'm around you; how I come alive. When I'm without you I can't help but feel so lost. I wanna give you all I've got.” He says that when you know that you are in love, then you know, and he knows. And for him, that’s how he comes alive, and it will make his love stronger, one would presume, our theme today.

Before him, MATT presented a great song of meaning from 2003, and her song “Beautiful”, her being Christina Aguilera from her album “Stripped”. “Everyday is so wonderful, then suddenly, it’s hard to breathe,” she sings. “Now and then I get insecure, from all the pain, I’m so ashamed. I am beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down. I am beautiful in every single way. Yes, words can’t bring me down, so don’t you bring me down today.” The problem is that words can bring us down, and often do. I think that this is a high song of meaning because it implies that words should not bring us down, and indeed they should not—because we are all beautiful in our own way. And if we really believe that—and we should—then our lives will be stronger and better.

Let’s begin this final triple of this half-hour with a song called “Unholy.” It is named that because the holy thing to do is to keep a permanent commitment. The song speaks of a scenario in which that did not happen, and consequently they will have a failure in the relationship. The song is named “Unholy” which implies that making a firm commitment to love each other in marriage is a holy thing to do, and I think it is. So, it is a song about cheating on a commitment. “Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot at the body shop,” they sing, “Doing something unholy. A lucky girl she got married to a boy like you. She’d kick you out if she ever knew. Dirty boy, you know everyone is talkin’ on the scene. I hear them whisperin’ ‘bout the places that you’ve been and how you don’t know how to keep your business clean. He left the kids at home so he can get that.” The song seems to be describing what some young couples do if their commitment is weak. In terms of the overall effect it has on the young family, it is certainly not good, and in general will cause real chaos all through their lives. And the only way they can be stronger, our theme today, is to face what they are doing, and change. MATT presenting here a song about lack of commitment, English singer/songwriter Samuel Frederick Smith better known simply as Sam Smith and German singer/songwriter Kim Petras based now in Los Angeles, and their song from Sam Smith’s album “Gloria”, “Unholy” on MATT.

(triple) UNHOLY / Sam Smith f/ Kim Petras

WHAT LOVERS DO / Maroon 5 f/ SZA

4 I HAD SOME HELP / Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

Part 9

Austin Richard Post, that is Post Malone there from his album “F-1 Trillion”, along with Morgan Wallen and their song “I Had Some Help” number 4 on MATT. It is a song about blame. “I had some help,” they sing, “It ain’t like I can make this kind of mess all by myself. Don’t act like you ain’t help[ing] me pull that bottle off the shelf. Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell. They say teamwork makes the dream work. You think that you’re so innocent. After all the stuff you did, I ain’t an angel; you ain’t heaven-sent, can’t wash our hands off this. It takes two to break a heart in two, you blame me, and I blame you.” Of course, as I have said, that is what it is from his point of view. The lady in the relationship probably has her own version. Whatever the case, they will both have to get rid of their desire to blame the other before their relationship will get stronger, our theme today.

Before them, MATT presented Maroon 5 featuring rap singer birthday person Solana Imani Rowe, better known as SZA, and their song from Maroon 5’s album, “Red Pill Blues”. SZA will be 35 years old on Friday. The song says what lovers have to do is to make up their minds about each other which is exactly what must happen, of course. “Tell me if you love me or not. I bet the house on you. Am I lucky or not? Been wishin’ for you. Are we too grown for games? Are we too grown to play around, young enough to chase, but old enough to know better? I can’t wait forever. Both of us should know better.” What lovers must do is study their relationship and determine whether it will last or not, and if they think it will, to go for it, and if they keep it and keep working at it, their lives will be much stronger, our theme today.

Ah, isn’t it interesting what these songs of popular music bring into our thought. “What will make us stronger” is our thought this morning. We are asking our music to explore that idea which we will continue to do with our final segment in just one minute. Before that happens, we will have a break, and before that break, let me say this along with St. Sir Thomas More, the patron saint of one of our sponsors: “What you cannot turn to good, you must at least / make as little bad as you can.” What a great statement and it is a way to choose good, no matter what time in life you are. I’m Fr. Mike, this radio station is Mix 103, this show is MATT, and we’ll be right back.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 10

Hi again, everyone! This is “Message at the Top” on Mix 103. Thank you for joining us this morning. I am Fr. Mike, and our show gives you the top 10 songs of our area, as well as some top 10’s 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. The topic of our show today concerns the thought of finding what makes us stronger and we are asking the songs of our show to fit into that thought.

And let’s go back to the year 2008, a tough year with American economy, but the top 3 songs were quite good, all 10+ songs in my opinion and during our segment 10 presentation, let’s listen and study them. Number 1 that year was from 3 Doors Down. “Looking back at the beginning of this,” they begin the song, “and how life was, just you and me and love and all of our friends, living life like an ocean. Now the current’s slowly pulling me down. It’s getting harder to breathe; it won’t be too long and I’ll be going under. Can you save me from this? It’s not my time, I’m not going. All this time I’ve just been too blind to understand what should matter to me. My friend, this life we live is not what we have, it’s what we believe.” Determination to stay alive, and in the video, to prevent a death, is the topic of the song, even though life is tough and things don’t seem to be going the way we want. The song is a plea for help as the man in the song tries to stay alive, as he sings, and he sings a very important line for a believer—“This life we live is not what we have, it’s what we believe.” That which will make us stronger, our theme today, will be believing that we can have a good life, and then living it. This is the group 3 Doors Down and their album simply named “3 Doors Down”, a great song with a great video “It’s Not My Time” on MATT.

(triple) IT’S NOT MY TIME / 3 Doors Down

STOP AND STARE / OneRepublic

REALIZE / Colbie Caillat

Part 11

At number 3 of all the songs of meaning of 2008, a song of high meaning because it is a song of understanding why the relationship between the couple is good for both of them, Colbie Caillat from her album “Coco”, and her song “Realize” on MATT. “Take time to realize,” she begins her song, “that I am on your side. If you just realize what I just realized, then we’d be perfect for each other, and will never find another, we’d never have to wonder if we missed out on each other now. If you meet me halfway, it could be the same for you.” It is a pleasant love song in my opinion with a happy ending, as one judges that both of them will finally realize that they were meant for each other, as the video concludes. The word I concentrated on with the song over the years is the word “realize.” To me, it is one of the most important words in any relationship and in any leadership experience. And, in light of our theme today, if we truly realize what makes life good, we will be a lot stronger as we deal with that life.

Before her, coming in at number 2 of all the songs of meaning of 2008, another great song of meaning from OneRepublic’s album “Dreaming Out Loud”, and “Stop and Stare”. “It’s time to make our move,” they sing, “I’m shakin’ off the rust, I’ve got my heart set on anywhere but here. I’m staring down myself. Time to make one last appeal for the life I lead. Stop and stare, I think I’m moving but I go nowhere. Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared, but I’ve become what I can’t be. Stop and stare, you start to wonder why you’re ‘here’ not ‘there.’ Can you see what I see?” It is a song of wonder about what has happened in life, and if we are into wondering about what we have done in life, the chances are that we may want to make a change for the better, and that will make us stronger as we live our lives, to be sure.

Moving from 2008, we come to today, November 3, 2024, and the top 3 songs of this week. At number 3 is a song about a man in a relationship talking of the lifestyle of each of the partners. His own is a late-night one along with a little too much relaxation / and the partner is an early bird with a cautious lifestyle. “It can’t be said I’m an early bird, it’s ten o’clock before I say a word. I can never tell how you sleep so well. You keep telling me to live right, to go to bed before the daylight, but then you wake up for the sunrise. But while in this world, I think I’ll take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three. You’re too sweet for me.” We have mentioned before that opposites sometimes attract when people are discovering love, but not often, and people like this who find themselves attracted to one another in love, will have to make some decision to compromise or else their relationship will never become stronger, our theme today. This is Irish singer/songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, and his song “Too Sweet”, former number 1 now at number 3 on MATT.

(double) 3 TOO SWEET / Hozier

2 BIRDS OF A FEATHER / Billie Eilish

Part 12

Falling from the number 1 position, now at number 2, Billie Eilish, a song about falling in love with a person that she wants to "stick together" with. It is her latest from her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, and her song “Birds of a Feather”. The love to her significant other brings her to tears and begs the lover to never end their relationship. “I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave”, she begins, “'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry. If you go, I'm goin' too / 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me. Nothin' left to lose without my baby. Birds of a feather we should stick together. And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more. It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.” So, the lady in the relationship is truly committed to the other and presuming that the other in the relationship feels the same way, that commitment will stay there, and no doubt will get stronger, our theme today.

At going back into the number 1 position, now altogether 4 weeks at number 1, Collins Obinna Chibueze, known as Shaboozey, American musician /singer/ songwriter/ filmmaker and producer, and his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. And as one would guess from its title, a song about drinking. He begins his song by telling us that he works hard and has problems that he won’t have when he’s gone. And then presumably, he wants to relax from his work and problems by drinking alcohol. “Someone, pour me up a double shot of whiskey. They know me and Jack Daniel's got a history. There's a party downtown, near 5th Street. Everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy. I've been boozey since I left, I ain't changin' for a check. Woke up drunk at 10 am, we gon'[na] do this stuff again. Tell your girl to bring a friend.” I changed a word in the song. In terms of our theme today, it may seem like he is a lot stronger, our theme today, as he drinks the alcohol, but he will find out quickly that too much of a good thing will actually hurt him in the long run.

Today we have considered some thoughts about that theme of what will make us stronger. We took the theme from the song that is featured on my website today, “Break Free” from Ariana Grande and Zedd. My prayer for you and me is that we will always choose things in life that will make us stronger people. My thanks to our producers and to our sponsors, some of whom include Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, TMP-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, and Hays Car and Truck Alignment. If you would like to comment on any of my comments, feel free to write me at KJLS-FM, Hays, America 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find a transcript of the show and some meditations on these songs and some great movies as well. You can join us on the web also every Sunday morning at 10 regular Central Time now by clicking on www.hayspost.com and choosing Mix 103. One final thought before we go from humorist Arnold Glasow who died in 1998: “Success is not a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” And when we do, we are working to be stronger in the way we live. As you listen to the number 1 song from Shaboozey may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103 and MATT’s advice to you, among the things that we have said already, is to hold a good thought. From beautiful downtown Lawrence KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully. Be safe, peace to you, and be good.

1 A BAR SONG / Shaboozey

October 27, 2024

“Come Alive”

Part 1

       Good morning, Central Kansas and around the world!  Welcome to “Message at the Top,” and happy Halloween in a couple days to all of you.  May Halloween be full of treats, with no tricks at all for you.  Welcome to Mix 103’s unique top 10 show, “Message at the Top”.  I am Fr. Mike, your host and get ready for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by our own research and Mediabase 24-7 as of today, October 27, 2024.  We here at Mix 103 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, we have top 10 songs from today and yesterday, concentrating on the current top 10 and top 10 songs of the recent past. 

       How do we come alive?  That’s a nice general question that our lead song will lead us to this morning.  What are the things in life that make us come alive?  It leads to a great meditation.  Many people say that the only way to come alive is to have all the latest gadgetry and technological marvels that make our lives so interesting.  Those people become so wrapped up in these material things that they forget about the really important things in life, things like the type of character we have, the type of person we should be.

       Many people define that coming alive in light of another person whom they love in a romantic way, and such is our lead song today. “Time stood still,” he begins his song, “just like a photograph; you made me feel like this would last forever.  Lookin' in your eyes, I see my whole life.  They say you know it when you know it and I know.  Promise that you'll hold me close, don't let me go. Take my heart, don't break it; love me to my bones.  All this time I've wasted; you were right there all along, You and I stargazin', intertwinin' souls. We were never strangers; I lose my mind when I'm around you; how I come alive. When I'm without you I can't help but feel so lost.  I wanna give you all I've got.”  He says that when you know that you are in love, then you know, and he knows.  And for him, that’s how he comes alive.

       What about you?  What are the things that make you come alive?  That will be our question today as we study the meanings of the songs we play.  And to start us off, this is our lead song from 26 year old Myles Smith from Luton, England, and his song “Stargazing”, number 5 this week on MATT.

(double)  5 STARGAZING / Myles Smith      

                    STARS / Switchfoot

Part 2     

       There are four songs on our playlist of top 10’s since 1980 that have “stars” in their titles.  Our lead song from Myles Smith was one of them.  We have the other three on our show today.  That last one was one of them        from the talents of the originally Christian group Switchfoot from their album, “Nothing Is Sound,” and a great message, the name of their song being “Stars”.  I think that it is a very high category song of meaning, close to a 10+.  “Maybe I’ve been the problem,” they begin their song, “maybe I’m the one to blame.  But even when I turn it off and play myself, the outcome feels the same.  Maybe I’m overcast, and maybe all my luck’s washed down the drain.  I’ve been thinking ‘bout everyone— / everyone, you look so lonely.  But when I look at the stars, I see someone else.  When I look at the stars, I feel like myself.”  That is to say, I think, that when he feels so badly, and lonely—and everyone feels lonely—all he has to do is to look at God’s creation, and he is renewed.  For the person in the song, he/she comes alive when the person finally realizes the beauty of the world he/she lives in, is one created by God.

       We stay in the “stars” category for the next two songs here.  The first one comes from the British super-band Coldplay.  It is a love song, and very clever in its composition.  The video is clever also, but does not act out the words.  “’Cause you’re a sky full of stars,” they sing, “I’m gonna give you my heart, ‘cause you light up the path.  I don’t care, go on and tear me part, I don’t care if you do, ‘cause in a sky full of stars I think I saw you.  I wanna die in your arms.”  It is a dangerous thing to do—to give yourself completely to someone and give them the opportunity to tear you apart, as they sing.  This type of commitment should be made only when the two are ready to be with each other forever.  And when they are, and the commitment is made, it is the way for them to come alive, our theme today.  Coldplay was formed in 1996, and this song is from their album “Ghost Stories” and their song “A Sky Full of Stars” from the year 2014 on MATT. 

(triple)     A SKY FULL OF STARS / Coldplay   

                    COUNTING STARS / OneRepublic

                    4 I HAD SOME HELP / Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

Part 3

       Austin Richard Post, that is Post Malone there and his album “F-1 Trillion”,  along with Morgan Wallen and their song “I Had Some Help” number 4 on MATT.  It is a song about blame.  “I had some  help,” they sing, “It ain’t like I can make this kind of mess all by myself.  Don’t act like you ain’t help[ing] me pull that bottle off the shelf.  Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell.  They say teamwork makes the dream work.  You think that you’re so innocent.  After all the stuff you did, I ain’t an angel; you ain’t heaven-sent, can’t wash our hands off this.  It takes two to break a heart in two, you blame me, and I blame you.”  Of course, as I have said, that is what it is from his point of view.  The lady in the relationship probably has her own version.  Whatever the case, they will both have to get rid of their desire to blame the other before their relationship will come alive, our theme today.

       Before them, we heard the fourth of our four songs with “Stars” in their titles on our playlist since 1980.  It came from the band OneRepublic from their album “Native” and their song “Counting Stars”.  It is a song of hoping that a relationship will blossom.  “Lately I been losing sleep,” they sing, “dreaming about the things that we could be.  But I been prayin’ hard, said no more counting dollars, we’ll be counting stars.  I see this life like a swinging vine.  Swing my heart across the line.  In my face is flashing signs—seek it out and ye shall find.”  It seems that the relationship had been based on money.  “Take that money,” they sing, “watch it burn, sink it in the river—the lessons I learned.”  A really good lesson, it seems to me.  Most of us are not people who have money to burn or sink in the river, but if we really want to come alive, our theme today, a way to make it happen in our personal worlds is to understand that money must have its place, and although important, it is not the most important thing.  My opinion, of course.  The song has a great video to study as well.

       Important words being said here, not because I said them, but because if people would know them, we’d be able to understand our life a little more, I believe.  What great messages these songs have.  Let me take you to break with a thought from Bonnie Prudden, a physical fitness pioneer who died in 2011: “You can’t turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again.”  That is, we can work to make some more time for ourselves and some time to work out good plans to help ourselves and others come alive.  Our show is called MATT; I am Fr. Mike, and I hope your Sunday of the weekend before Halloween is a good one for you.  Don’t go way; “Message at the Top” on Mix 103 will be right back.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 4

       This is MATT and it is so good to have you back with us.  We welcome you back to the top 10 songs of our area as of the week ending today, and we welcome you back to some top 10 songs of the past as well.  And with our music, we always give the meanings of the songs.  I’m Fr. Mike, your host for the only top 10 show of its kind in this area, maybe in the world, the show that takes the top songs and explains their messages, and then we call the show “Message at the Top.”  The topic of our show this morning was given to us by newcomer Myles Smith and his song “Stargazing”, and that topic is “Coming Alive.”

       Let’s go to number 6 on our playlist and a song about justifiable anger.  The lady in the relationship sings: “We had a plan, move out of this town, West to the sand, it's all we talked about lately. I'd pack the car, bring your guitar, first thing at dawn, you'd queue the songs and we'd get goin'. But you weren't home, waited on the porch for ya, sat there alone, all throughout the morn' 'til I got a hunch down in my gut and snuck around the back.  Empty cans and I'll be damned, your stuff was never packed. Did your boots stop workin'? Did you burn through money? Was the whiskey flowin'? Were you in a fight?” And consequently, she sings, “I made my way back to LA, and that's where you'll be forgotten. In forty years, you'll still be here, drunk, washed up in Austin.”  In terms of our theme this week, it is clear that the lady in the relationship could not come alive with that present relationship. Ms. Anna Dasha Novotny here, better known simply as Dasha from her debut album “Dirty Blonde,” at number 6 this morning and “Austin” on MATT.  

(double)  6 AUSTIN / Dasha         

                    TALKING BODY / Tove Lo  

Part 5

       It’s Swedish singer Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson’s birthday, that is Tove Lo’s birthday on Tuesday when she will be 37 years old.  Happy birthday to her, and in her honor we heard her song “Talking Body” from 2015.  It comes from her album “Queen of the Clouds” and a song of begging another to stay with her.  “Bed,” she begins her song, “stay in bed.  The feeling of your skin locked in my head.  Smoke, smoke me broke, I don't care: I'm down for what you want.  Day drunk into the night, wanna keep you here ‘cause you dry my tears.  Yeah, summer lovin' and fights.  How it is for us, and it's all because now if we're talking body, you got a perfect one, swear it won't take you long.  If you love me right, we act for life on and on and on.”  I cleaned up the words there a little.  If one finds his or herself begging another to be part of a relationship, as in the song, that is usually a sign of mediocrity, and is no way to really come alive, our theme today.

       Our closing triple play this first hour of our music begins right here with a song about a man in a relationship who has discovered a person that he really likes and he wants to keep it that way.  “For a while there, it was rough,” he sings, “but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall.  And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love.  She’ll come and stay the night and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way.  But I know the things He gives me, He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to.  But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you.  I hope I don’t lose you.  Please stay.  I want you, I need you.  God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.”  The person is tuned into God, it would seem, and from my point of view anyway, being tuned into God will make him and his relationship come alive, our theme today.  From his album “Fireworks and Rollerblades,” his song “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone, former number 1 now at number 8 on MATT.

(triple)     8 BEAUTIFUL THINGS / Benson Boone 

                      STAY / The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber (NOT Loeb, Rihanna, Safetysuit or Zedd)

                    9 LOSE CONTROL / Teddy Swims

Part 6     

       What happens when a person is lonely, the statement of that song.  It comes from his album with the title of “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1” that was Jaten Collin Dimsdale better known as Teddy Swims, and his song “Lose Control” on MATT.  He sings “Something’s got a hold of me lately.  No, I don’t know myself anymore, feels like the walls are all closing in and the devil’s knocking at my door.  Outta my mind, how many times did I tell you I’m no good at being alone?  It’s taking a toll on me, trying my best to keep from tearing the skin off my bones.  Don’t you know I lose control when you’re not next to me.  I’m falling apart right in front of you.  You’re breaking my heart.  You make a mess of me.”  So it is loneliness, but it is loneliness because one special person is no longer there for him.  One of the problems of early relationships and sometimes with later ones, is that we get too serious too soon and we lose the feeling of coming alive with the relationship, and then they give up on that relationship, coming alive being our theme today.

       Before him, we heard the number 1 song of 2022.  It came from The Kid Laroi or Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard along with Justin Bieber, and their song “Stay”.  The song is about the man in a relationship who no longer has the lady in the relationship around, it seems, and it is probably his fault, and therefore he will have to face the truth sometime.  “I do the same thing that I told you that I never would,” they sing, “I told you I’d change, even when I knew I never could.  I know that I can’t find nobody else as good as you; I need you to stay.  I get drunk, wake up, I’m wasted still. I realize the time that I wasted here.  I feel like you can’t feel the way I feel.  I’ll be messed up if you can’t be right here.”  I cleaned up the language a bit.  The man in the relationship has to work on getting his life back in order before he can come alive, our theme today.

       And, we have played our way to a brief hiatus, as we close off our first hour together.  In the second hour, get ready for music from Taylor Swift and the Goo Goo Dolls among others.  We began our show with a song from Myles Smith, and we are speaking of ways to come alive during our show today.  Leading us into our break, here is a thought from Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous:  "Happiness is like jam.  You can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself.”.  And happiness certainly leads to the ability to come alive. Don’t go way.  I’m Fr. Mike, and this is the “Message at the Top” music network.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 7

       Hi again, everybody.  I am Fr. Mike and this is “Message at the Top” on 100,000 watts of power, today’s best music, Mix 103, our only top 10 show which gives you not only the current top 10 but top 10 music of the 2000’s and some of the 90’s and even some 80’s and we give you the meanings of the songs at the same time.  The title of our show this morning is “Come Alive” and we are studying all the songs of our show asking them to shed some light on that topic.

       Let’s begin this hour with our number 10 song from two superstars with totally different styles usually.  It  is a love song and strong commitment to each other.  “I just woke up from a dream,” they sing, “Where you and I had to say goodbye; and I don't know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized wherever you go, that's where I'll follow.  Nobody's promised tomorrow, so I'ma love you every night like it's the last night. If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you. If the party was over and our time on Earth was through, I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.”  So, words of strong commitment, but there had been struggles, it seems.  They sing, “Lost in the words that we scream, I don't even wanna do this anymore 'cause you already know what you mean to me. And our love's the only war worth fighting for.”  Fitting into our theme, this week, they were screaming at one another at one time, but it finally worked out, and they were ready to come alive.  This is that interesting duo--Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga and Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars and their number 10 song, “Die with a Smile” on MATT.

(triple)     10 DIE WITH A SMILE / Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

                    STAY WITH ME / Sam Smith

                    STAY WITH YOU / Goo Goo Dolls

Part 8 

       Two “Stay With” songs there, the last one from the Goo Goo Dolls was the song “Stay with You” from 2006 from their album “Let Love In” on MATT.  “These streets turn me inside out,” they sing, “Everything shines, but leaves me empty still, and I’ll burn this lonely house down if you run with me.  I’ll stay with you, the walls will fall before we do, take my hand now, we’ll run forever, I can feel the storm inside you.  I’ll stay with you.  Fooled by my own desires, I twist my fate just to feel you.  But you turn me toward the light, and you’re one with me—will you run with me?  I’ll stay with you.”  So, a song of commitment—the person in the song saying that he’ll run forever with her.  As we think about coming alive, our theme, certainly a true commitment of romantic love will make both of them feel alive.

       Before that “Stay With” song, we heard “Stay With Me” from Sam Smith’s album “In the Lonely Hour,” from 2014.  He sings, “Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand.  These nights never seem to go to plan.  I don’t want you to leave, will you hold my hand?  Won’t you stay with me?  ‘Cause you’re all I need.  This ain’t love, it’s clear to see, but, stay with me.”  Interesting—he admits that it is not love, and all he wants is someone to stay with him so that he doesn’t hurt, as he sings later in the song: “But you can lay with me so it doesn’t hurt,” he sings.  It is the situation of someone begging another.  And one can only guess the outcome.  It may very well be that she ignores his pleas, and the sadness will be there for a long time.  It’s not a happy thing to think about, to be sure, but it can lead to some pretty good soul-searching, I believe.  And deeper thoughts into your situation usually will make us come alive more, our theme today.

       Another triple right now, and let’s begin it with our current number 7 song.    The message is one of feeling badly because a relationship is not working out.   The lady in the relationship is swearing that she will get over it, although you wonder whether she ever will.  “I can read your mind, ‘she’s having the time of her life,’” the lady in the relationship sings, “There in her glittering prime, I can show you lies ‘cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my stuff. They said, ‘Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it’.  And I did: Lights, camera, smile even when you want to die.  He said he'd love me all his life, but that life was too short. Breaking down, I hit the floor, all the pieces of me shattered. I was grinning like I'm winning.  I was hitting my marks 'cause I can do it with a broken heart. I'm so depressed, I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague.   You know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.”  I changed some of the words.  The lady in the song is only acting like everything is alright, and anyone who does this will never be able to come alive, our theme today.  From her album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”, Ms. Taylor Swift at number 7 on our playlist this morning on MATT.

(triple)     7 I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART / Taylor Swift 

                    STAY THE NIGHT / Zedd f/ Hayley Williams

                    STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART / Bryan Adams

Part 9                 

       Back to the 80’s for that one, in fact 1983, his break-through song, Mr. Bryan Adams, and “Straight from The Heart” from his album “Cuts Like a Knife”, a great song about the importance of communication.  “Give it to me straight from the heart,” he sings, “Tell me we can make another start.  You know I’ll never go, as long as I know it’s coming straight from the heart.”  Because if words are coming straight from the heart, then you know that the words are sincere, and in order to have good communication, there must be the qualities of openness and sincerity in words.  A love relationship that has good communication, where each of the parties can address one another straight from the heart is certainly a way for the couple to come alive, our theme today.

       Before him, we heard from German producer and DJ Anton Zaslavski better known as Zedd and here featuring Hayley Nichole Williams, the lead singer of the rock group Paramore.  It came from Zedd’s album “Clarity”, and their song “Stay the Night”from 2012.  The song is an invitation for another to stay the night, and because the relationship is in such a mess, he should not stay the night unless they are trying to work it out, IMHO.  In the song, they are not trying to work it out—they only want the feeling.  “I know that we are upside down,” she sings, “so hold your tongue and hear me out.  I know that we were made to break.  So what, I don’t mind.  Are you gonna stay the night, doesn’t mean we’re bound for life.”  Like I say, it seems that they have some work to do on their relationship.  And the only way their relationship will come alive, our theme today, is for them to do that work.

       Our theme today is that idea of coming alive, and how to do it.  Our next set of music and message will explore that theme with the top 3 songs of our land as we speak, and a triple play fro-m the group Train.  Let me go to break with this thought from the creator of Peanuts, Mr. Charles Schulz: “Life is like a ten speed bicycle: most of us have gears we never use.”  Oh, so true.  We learn to use just a couple of them and our world will get a lot better because we would probably learn the true meaning of coming alive.  I’m Fr. Mike, listen to these words of wisdom, and then I hope you come back for more.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 10

       Hi, everyone!  Happy Halloween in a couple of days and welcome back to “Message at the Top”, our top 10 show on Mix 103.  I am Fr. Mike, and our show gives you the top 10 songs of today and the past 44 years.  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.  The topic of our show today concerns the ways of coming alive in the situation of the song.  The thought came from the Myles Smith’s first top 10 song “Stargazing.”

       Let’s go to a super group who have sold over 10 million albums.  They have been nominated for 43 different awards from various recording lists and won 12 of them.  They have been around since 1993, and maybe the best known band in the United States and certainly in the San Francisco area.  One great band—Train.  Three songs here during our segment 10 presentation.  The first one is my favorite happy song.  It takes off on a melody that everyone learns when they begin to play piano.  It is actually a love song, imploring someone to play the song that reminds him of a lady in his life.  “Play that song,” they sing, “the one that makes me want to go out all night long, the one that makes me want to think of you.  That’s all you got to do.  Hey Mr. DJ, play my baby’s favorite song.”  He wants the relationship to continue to be a happy one.  Like I say, a happy song and video by the way.  Just listening to it and watching the video makes me want to come alive; maybe it will do the same for you.  From their album “A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat”, this is from 2016 “Play That Song”, former number 1, Pat Monihan and the band Train on MATT. 

(triple)     PLAY THAT SONG / Train                  

                    CAB / Train

                    50 WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE / Train

Part 11

       Closing off our segment 10 presentation of the band Train on MATT.  It is also the song of meditation for today on www.frmikescully.com from Train again from their album “California 37,” and their song “50 Ways To Say Goodbye” from the year 2012, and a former number 1.  It is a song of how to deal with pain, and specifically how to deal with someone who has left the relationship with the person in the song: “My heart is paralyzed,” the group Train sings the thoughts of the man in the relationship, “My head was oversized.  I’ll take the high road like I should.  You said it’s meant to be, that it’s not you, it’s me.  You’re leaving now for my own good.  That’s cool, but if my friends ask where you are, I’m gonna say,”—and he goes on to make up all kinds of things to say about her leaving—things like she fell into a cement mixer full of quicksand, met a shark underwater—and always ending with the words “help me, help me, I’m no good at goodbyes, I’m all out of lies, and ways to say you died.”  Although it almost sounds like a happy song, it is a song of dishonesty since he will not face the truth about his situation.  In terms of our theme, that is not a way to come alive.  The video is quite clever, I think.

       Before them, them again, Train, and their song simply entitled “Cab” from 2005 from their “For Me, It’s You” album.  It is a song about a car that is called a “cab” in our slang.  It is actually a song of a breakup, and a little poetic in its approach, but it is the familiar idea of “things are not so good.”  But I like the idea that some progress is being made: “New York snow this time of year,” the man in the relationship begins, “there’s nothing more beautiful to me except for you.  Making my way on the town and down, seeing familiar places, faces in my pile of coffee grounds.  The days are better, the nights are still so lonely.  Sometimes I think I’m the only cab on the road.  I’m still looking for a place; no one said that it was fair to be alone.”  So, a difficult thing—and it sounds like he had better work on self-confidence a little.  In fact, one of the ways to come alive in life is to build up our self-confidence after a difficult time.

       From 2003 to October 27, 2024 and the top 3 songs in our land as of this moment.  At number 3 is a man in a relationship talking of the lifestyle of each of the partners.  His own is a late-night one along with a little too much relaxation / and the partner is an early bird with a cautious lifestyle.  “It can’t be said I’m an early bird, it’s ten o’clock before I say a word.  I can never tell how you sleep so well.  You keep telling me to live right, to go to bed before the daylight, but then you wake up for the sunrise.  But while in this world, I think I’ll take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three.  You’re too sweet for me.”  We have mentioned before that opposites sometimes attract when people are discovering love, but not often, and often, people like this who find themselves attracted to one another in love, will have to make some decision to compromise or else their relationship will not work out, and then they won’t be able to come alive with that relationship, our theme today. This is Irish singer/songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, and his song “Too Sweet”, former number 1 now at number 3 on MATT. 

(double)  3 TOO SWEET / Hozier  

                     2  A BAR SONG / Shaboozey

Part 12

       At number 2 former number 1, Collins Obinna Chibueze, known as Shaboozey, American musician /singer/ songwriter/ filmmaker and producer, and his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” on MATT.  And as one would guess from its title, a song about drinking. He begins his song by telling us that he works hard and has problems that he won’t have when he’s gone.  And then presumably, he wants to relax from his work and problems by drinking alcohol. “Someone, pour me up a double shot of whiskey. They know me and Jack Daniel's got a history. There's a party downtown, near 5th Street. Everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy. I've been boozey since I left, I ain't changin' for a check. Woke up drunk at 10 am, we gon'[na] do this stuff again. Tell your girl to bring a friend.”  I changed a word in the song.  In terms of our theme today, it may seem like he has come alive because alcohol can do that, but there will come a time when he will see that you can’t really come alive until you feel it with no artificial help.

       And the number 1 song for two weeks in a row is from Billie Eilish, a song about falling in love with a person that she wants to "stick together" with.  It is her latest from her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, and her song “Birds of a Feather”.  The love to her significant other brings her to tears and begs the lover to never end their relationship.  “I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave”, she begins, “'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry.  If you go, I'm goin' too / 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me.  Nothin' left to lose without my baby.  Birds of a feather we should stick together.  And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more.  It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.”  So, the lady in the relationship is truly committed to the other and presuming that the other in the relationship feels the same way, that commitment will stay there.  And with it will be the feeling of truly coming alive, our theme today.

       That theme of coming alive was taken from Myles Smith’s song “Stargazing.”  My prayer for you and me is that we will learn the art of coming alive every day that we live.  My thanks to our producers and sponsors, especially our sponsors at Hays Car and Truck Alignment, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays.  If you want to contact me by mail, I hope you do so at KJLS radio, Hays, KS, 67601 or my e-mail address is frmikescully@yahoo.com.  My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find some meditations on the Gospels, these songs and some great movies and a transcript of this show.  The meditation for today, as I mentioned is on Train’s “50 Ways to Say Goodbye.”  If you want to join us on the web, go to www.hayspost.com and click on Mix 103 at 10 am CDT.  A final quote from Voltaire, a French philosopher who died in 1778 speaking of someone who had a lot of answers: “He must be very ignorant / for he answers every question he is asked.”  Well said, Mr. Voltaire.  Good stuff there.  As we close with Billie Eilish’s song, “Birds of a Feather”, may I remind you to hold a good thought.  Speaking to you from beautiful downtown Lawrence KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Be safe, peace to you, and be good.

1 BIRDS OF A FEATHER / Billie Eilish

October 20, 2024

“Communication”

Part 1

       Hello, Central Kansas and around the world!  Welcome to “Message at the Top,” and happy Fall again—such a beautiful time of year.  Welcome to Mix 103’s unique top 10 show, “Message at the Top”.  I am Fr. Mike Scully, your host; get ready for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by our own research and Mediabase 24-7.  We here at Mix 103 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, we have top 10 songs from today and yesterday, concentrating on the current top 10 and songs of the past top 10’s that include music from birthday people Doja Cat, Dean Lewis, Drake and Katy Perry.

       One of my older friends was talking about the show here and mentioned to me that I hadn’t played any of Madonna’s songs for a while.  I thought I had, but he was right, and so I will make up for that mistake this morning and begin with a theme setting song from her as well as another of my favorite songs of hers.  The theme setter is a controversial one—always good to have controversy since it makes you think.

       The song was controversial because it speaks rather explicitly of human love and seems to use “God-like” words to explain it.  I have always thought that it was a great song because it uses love of God for us as the perfect love to compare to human love.  Once the comparison is made, then her communication with that lover is “Like A Prayer”.  She begins her song: “Life is a mystery.  Everyone must stand alone. I hear you call my name, and it feels like home.”  The comparison is clear—love of a friend and love of God.

       It is really a great song in my opinion, although a number of people do not agree with me.  It expresses the sincere devotion to a fiancé, and when people are truly in love, it is a perfect comparison to say that that love is just like the love of God for us.  It gives us a chance to speak of communication, so important for people in order to live well and especially love well, and so important when it comes to the spiritual life of prayer.

       This is Madonna Louise Ciccone better known simply as Madonna, sometimes called the “Queen of Pop,” a song from 1989 from her album after the name of the song “Like a Prayer” on MATT. 

(double)  LIKE A PRAYER / Madonna      

                    PAPA DON’T PREACH / Madonna

Part 2     

       One of my favorite teaching songs from Madonna.  It too was a bit controversial  at the time and her song from 1986, “Papa Don’t Preach” from her album “True Blue” on MATT.  It is a very important statement to the parents of our audience.  There are a couple of the 80’s songs that I would rank in my own top 10 of all the songs of meaning that I have ever studied, and that is one of them.  It is a song sung by a daughter calling for understanding from her father.  The girl is pregnant before marriage, and they want to get married.  So, she is begging her father to listen to her, don’t preach to her, and give her some advice, exactly what he should do, of course, but far too many fathers do not.  She and her boyfriend have allowed the emotions of love to overcome them, and one thing led to another.  Emotions do that, and that is a lesson in itself.  But the song is about the emotions of the girl as she struggles with wanting her dad to understand.  Would that he would.  Every father in the world, every parent for that matter, should listen to this song.  I feel that strongly about it.  It calls for true communication, our theme today, in a family.

       Let’s stay in the category of excellent songs as we give you the number 1 song of the whole year of 2016.  It is a song that talks about the importance of Moms and Dads, and it should be required listening for everyone who decides to have a family in my humble opinion.   “Hold on,” the young person sings because he/she is a little unsteady.  “Mama,” the child sings, “come here.  Daddy, I’m alone ‘cause this house don’t feel like home.  If you love me, don’t let go.  Hold on to me.”  This song makes the case that if every Mom and Dad knew how strong their role was, the lives of this world would be so much better.  Again, in terms of our theme, it calls for excellent communication in the family.  Certainly, in my top 10 songs of meaning since 1980, from the group X Ambassadors, an inspiring group themselves, from their album “VHS”, and their song “Unsteady” on MATT.  Listen to the words!

(triple)     UNSTEADY / X Ambassadors

                    HOLD ON WE’RE GOING HOME / Drake  

                    WILDEST DREAMS / Taylor Swift

Part 3

       Ms. Taylor Alison Swift, the first of two songs on our show today from her, this time from her album “1989”, “Wildest Dreams” from 2014 on MATT.  The lady in the relationship has broken up with the man, and she talks about how he is going to feel about her.  “He said, ‘Let's get out of this town,’” she sings, “’drive out of the city, away from the crowds.’  I thought heaven can't help me now.  Nothing lasts forever, but this is gonna take me down.  He's so tall and handsome.  I can see the end as it begins.  My one condition is: say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, red lips and rosy cheeks.  Say you'll see me again, even if it's just in your wildest dreams.”  The breakup has occurred, and she is feeling the pain.  In terms of our theme, she is certainly communicating with her ex-boyfriend it seems, and one hopes such communication will occur in her next relationship.

       Before her, we wished a happy birthday to Aubrey Drake Graham, better known simply as Drake born in Toronto, Canada who will be 38 next Thursday.  It is from his album “Nothing Was the Same,” and his song “Hold On We’re Going Home”.  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 on that emotion, we may miss what a relationship is all about, that is, giving of oneself.  Unfortunately, too much emotion can block the one thing that is absolutely necessary in a relationship, namely our theme today, communication.

       We have taken that theme of communication from Madonna and her number 1 song 35 years ago “Like a Prayer” and we will pursue some more thinking about it in just a couple of minutes with music in order of appearance from Doja Cat, Sheryl Crow, the band The Verve Pipe, Dean Lewis and Katy Perry, all past top 10 songs.  First, a thought from Vince Lombardi who knew something about football and life: “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”  One of the things that we will never want to quit is good communication.  I’m Fr. Mike, this show is “Message at the Top”, this radio station is Mix 103, and we’ll be right back.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 4

       We are back for “Message at the Top” and we welcome you back to the top 10 songs of today and yesterday as determined by our research and your requests.  We call our show MATT because we take those top 10 songs and analyze their meanings in the light of how we can live better in this complicated world.  We will get to our present top 10 during our second hour together.  I am Fr. Mike, your host for the top 10 show of today’s best music, Mix 103, and we are asking each song of our show what it has to say about the art of communication.

       Let’s wish happy birthday to Doja Cat, and I would mess up her real name, so I won’t try it.  She will be 29 years old tomorrow.  She sings with Post Malone here in the song.  The words signify some type of friendship, a song of feeling good about someone else.  “I like you, I do,” they begin the song, “I wanna be your friend, go shoppin’ in the Benz, I like you, I do.  I’ll hit you when I land, can you fit me in your plans?  I need a good girl, I need someone to ground me, so please be true, don’t mess around with me.  I need someone to share this heart with me.”  I cleaned up the words a little; it is a statement of feeling love toward another.  Again, in order to be love, besides the good feeling, there must be sincere communication between the two.   Happy birthday, Doja Cat who is singing with Post Malone from Post Malone’s album, “Twelve Carat Toothache” and their song “I Like You” and in parenthesis (“A Happier Song”) on MATT.

(double)  I LIKE YOU / Post Malone & Doja Cat

                    THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST / Sheryl Crow

Part 5

       A statement of pain from Sheryl Crow, and her song “The First Cut Is the Deepest” from her album “The Very Best of Sheryl Crow,” from the year 2003 on MATT.   The singer is an excellent songwriter, although she did not write this song—Cat Stevens, another really good songwriter did.  She sings a commentary on one of the most difficult things to do in life—go back to loving someone after you have been hurt by someone else.  “I would have given you all of my heart,” she sings, “but there’s someone who has torn it apart, but, if you want, I’ll try to love again.  The first cut is the deepest.  If you want I’ll try to love again, but I know the first cut is the deepest.”  The person in the song has been in pain, but she is going to try again: “I want you by my side,” she sings.  That idea of trying again is so important for life.  And, as she does it here in the song, she is communicating exactly how she feels, communication being our  theme today.

       Let’s go back to the year 1997 from a rock group formed in East Lansing, Michigan in 1992.  The name of the band is The Verve Pipe, and they are still on the music scene.  The person in the song does not want to face the responsibility of actions that have happened in his past.  Understanding that he had done some things when he was a young lover, he says, I “can’t be held responsible, I won’t be held responsible.”  Rather than accept the responsibility, he first of all blames his one-time friend: “She fell in love in the first place.”  Then, to make himself feel even better, he blames the situation: “We were merely freshmen.”   If there is a primary characteristic of maturity, it may very well be the accepting of responsibility for one’s actions.  By the time we reach the high school and college years, we should understand that if we do something, we should be able to admit it, communication being our theme today.  This is the band The Verve Pipe from their album “Villains,” and the song from the year 1997 “The Freshmen” on MATT. 

(triple)     THE FRESHMEN / The Verve Pipe

                    HOW DO I SAY GOODBYE / Dean Lewis

                    THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY / Katy Perry

Part 6     

       The first of two from her on our show today, happy birthday to her as she will be 40 on Friday, from her immensely popular album “Teenage Dream,” Katherine Elizabeth Hudson better known as Katy Perry from the songs of meaning of 2012, “The One That Got Away” on MATT.  It is the lady in a relationship recalling what an early romance was all about and how she misses it now.  “In another life,” she sings, “I would be your girl.  We’d keep all our promises, be us against the world.  In another life, I would make you stay so I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.  All this money can’t buy me a time machine.  It can’t replace you with a million rings.  I shoulda told you what you meant to me, ‘cause now I paid the price.”  She has lost him forever, and the video shows that in a striking way.  She is saying exactly what our theme is today—"I shoulda told you.”  It may not get rid of all the pain in one’s life, but being able to communicate well can certainly help a life.

       Before her, we wished happy birthday to Dean Lewis Grant Loaney better known simply as Dean Lewis who will be 37 years old tomorrow.  The song is from his album “The Hardest Love”, and the name of the song, “How Do I Say Goodbye” from 2022.  The song was written for his father suffering from cancer and a beautiful tribute to his Dad.  His Dad’s disease later went into remission.  “Early morning,” he sings, “There’s a message on my phone.  It’s my mother saying, ‘please come home’.  I fear the worst, how could you leave us all behind?  There’s so much to say but there’s so little time.  So how do I say goodbye to someone who’s been with me for my whole life?  You gave me my name and the color of your eyes.  I see your face when I look at mine.  When I couldn’t, you always saw the best in me.  So, how do I say goodbye.”  And he adds a comment about his mother: “And I saw the way she looked into your eyes, and I promise if you go, I will make sure she’s alright.”  In terms of our theme, the song is sincere communication with his Dad, a tremendous lesson for all of us.  The video is well done, by the way.

       We will continue with that thought of communication as spoken by our songs today.  Get ready for a second hour which after a couple of songs will give you the top 10 songs of our land as of today.  Let me take you to that second hour with this thought from Mr. or Mrs. Google, and really the problem with communication.  “The biggest communication problem is that we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”  Amen.  Your dial is set for “Message at the Top”; may I implore you to keep it there.  Like MacArthur, we will return.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 7

       Every song has a message, and most of the time that message can make us do some serious thinking about life.  Such is our thinking here.  Hi again, everyone.  You are in tune with “Message at the Top,” on Mix 103, your top 10 show that plays the top 10 songs in our land right now, and we also play great songs of meaning from past top 10’s.  We take the top 10 of the present and the past, study their messages, and then call our show MATT.  I’m your host, Fr. Mike.  It’s great to have you here.  We’re concentrating on the idea of communication this morning.

       We will get to our current top 10 momentarily beginning with the final song of this triple play.  First of all, a song that is a rather explicit song speaking of physical involvement.  Of course, I always feel that such involvement should be relegated to the marriage state, but that is my opinion, of course.  In the song, they are very close, and have moved from the thought of “friendship” to the other side, namely “true love.”  “Tonight,” the man in the relationship sings, “take me to the other side.  Sparks fly like the Fourth of July.  Just take me to the other side.  I see that look in your eyes.  And I know we ain’t friends anymore.  If we walk down this road, we’ll be lovers for sure.  Take me to the other side.”  Like I say, if the two involved are strong into a permanent commitment as they seem to say, then they have made the commitment to always communicate with each other.  MATT presents here Miami Florida born Jason Derulo and his song “The Other Side” from 2013 from his self-named album on MATT.

(triple)     THE OTHER SIDE / Jason Derulo    

                    UNCONDITIONALLY / Katy Perry

                    10 LOSE CONTROL / Teddy Swims

Part 8    

       Beginning our current countdown at number 10, and coming back into our top 10, a number 1 song on some charts, a song of loneliness, and what happens when a person is lonely.  It comes from his album with the title of “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1” that was Jaten Collin Dimsdale better known as Teddy Swims, and his song “Lose Control” on MATT.  We’ll have another of his songs in the top 10 as well.  Here, he sings “Something’s got a hold of me lately.  No, I don’t know myself anymore, feels like the walls are all closing in and the devil’s knocking at my door.  Outta my mind, how many times did I tell you I’m no good at being alone?  It’s taking a toll on me, trying my best to keep from tearing the skin off my bones.  Don’t you know I lose control when you’re not next to me.  I’m falling apart right in front of you.  You’re breaking my heart.  You make a mess of me.”  So it is loneliness, but it is loneliness because one special person is no longer there for him.  One of the problems of early relationships and sometimes with later ones, is that we get too serious too soon and we lose the desire to communicate with the other, our theme today, and that causes loneliness, and blocks the possibility of a relationship with anyone else. 

       Before him, we heard another song from Katy Perry as we celebrate her 40^th birthday on Friday, another song about giving oneself completely to another, as was Jason Derulo’s song earlier and exactly what it means in real life from her album “Prism” and a 10+ song “Unconditionally.” “Did I get too close?” she sings, “did I almost see what’s really on the inside?  All your insecurities, all the dirty laundry never made me blink one time.  Unconditional, unconditionally, I will love you unconditionally.  There is no fear now.  Let go and just be free.  I’ll take your bad days with your good, walk through the storm I would.  I do it all because I love you unconditionally.  Open up your heart and just let it begin.”  This should be the theme song of every marriage relationship, and in that marriage which the song seems to be singing about, the two are getting what they want, and hopefully that means that they will be communicating completely with one another, our theme today.

       Let’s continue our countdown right now, and we will go all the way to number 1 with the rest of our music today.  At number 9 is a song about a man in a relationship who has discovered a person that he really likes.  “For a while there, it was rough,” he sings, “but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall.  And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love.  She’ll come and stay the night and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way.  But I know the things He gives me, He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to.  But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you.  I hope I don’t lose you.  Please stay.  I want you, I need you.  God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.”  The person is tuned into God, it would seem, and is communicating quite honestly with his Higher Power, and usually when a person can be this way with God, we will be very close to it to the ones we love, communication being our theme today.  From his album “Fireworks and Rollerblades,” his song “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone, former number 1 now at number 9 on MATT.

(triple)     9 BEAUTIFUL THINGS / Benson Boone

                    8 DIE WITH A SMILE / Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

                    7 I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART / Taylor Swift

Part 9        

       From her album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”, this is the world’s most popular artist right now, Ms. Taylor Swift at number 7 on our playlist this morning on MATT.   A digression for one second here—Madonna was “Queen of Pop” back in 1989; Taylor Swift would have that title today.  IMHO, f course.  Her song is the message of feeling badly because a relationship is not working out.   The lady in the relationship is swearing that she will get over it, although you wonder whether she ever will.  “I can read your mind, ‘she’s having the time of her life,’” the lady in the relationship sings, “There in her glittering prime, I can show you lies ‘cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my stuff. They said, ‘Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it’.  And I did: Lights, camera, smile even when you want to die.  He said he'd love me all his life, but that life was too short. Breaking down, I hit the floor, all the pieces of me shattered. I was grinning like I'm winning.  I was hitting my marks 'cause I can do it with a broken heart. I'm so depressed, I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague.   You know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.”  I changed some of the words.  The lady in the song is only acting like everything is alright, and the problem was no communication probably on both of their parts, and therefore the relationship is over, communication being our theme today.

       Before her, we heard from Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga and Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars and their number 8 song, “Die with a Smile”.  It  is a love song, what I call a strong song because of its sound, but also because of its message which is strong commitment to another.  “I just woke up from a dream,” they sing, “Where you and I had to say goodbye; and I don't know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized wherever you go, that's where I'll follow.  Nobody's promised tomorrow, so I'ma love you every night like it's the last night. If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you. If the party was over and our time on Earth was through, I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.”  So, strong words of commitment, but there had been struggles, it seems.  They sing, “Lost in the words that we scream, I don't even wanna do this anymore 'cause you already know what you mean to me. And our love's the only war worth fighting for.”  Fitting into our theme, this week, they were screaming at one another at one time, but it finally became good communication, our theme today, since they are so close now.

       Which brings us to our final break of the day.  Our final session will include the songs and meanings of the top 6 songs on our countdown.   To break with a quote from author Marthe Troly-Curtin: “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”  Now that is encouraging and a statement that some wasting time might be necessary for a good life.  Our show is MATT, and we’ll be right back.  I invite you to stay right where you are.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 10

       We welcome you back to MATT as we celebrate the third Sunday of October together.  We get closer to Halloween as all the stores around us keep reminding us.  This show plays the top 10 songs of America, as well as some of the top 10 of the past, and we talk about their meanings, and how they can make us be a little better than we are already.  I’m Fr. Mike, and we are ready to pursue our final portion of MATT together as we consider one of the most important things that we do as human beings, namely communicate well.

       We are up to number 6 in our countdown, and it is the second one from Teddy Swims in our top 10 right now.  It is a song about how to save one’s own life and walk out of an abusive relationship, and therefore an extremely good song.  “I took a page out of your favorite book,” he begins his song. “You sold me lies just by the way you look, taught me a language that I’ve never speak. That ain’t for me. You took me higher than I ever flew, too many times, gave you a second chance. I’m just a man. No more thinkin’ about you late night, no more runnin’ around with your friends now, done pickin’ up pieces of my soul up off the floor. I said I would die for you, but I can’t take this pain no more. I thought I was willin’ but tonight I save my life when I showed you the door.  I can’t play this game no more.”  In terms of our theme this week as he speaks of lies and a language he does not use, he is saying to the other in the relationship that their communication, our theme today, was not what it should have been, and therefore the only thing to do is break up.   Jaten Collins Dimsdale, that is Teddy Swims here again from his album “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1,” and a 10+ song, former number 1 now at number 6, “The Door” on MATT.  Listen to the words! 

(triple)     6 THE DOOR / Teddy Swims            

                    5 STARGAZING / Myles Smith

                    4 AUSTIN / Dasha

Part 11

       Ms. Anna Dasha Novotny there, better known simply as Dasha from her debut album “Dirty Blonde,” at number 4 this morning and “Austin” on MATT.  It is a song whose message is justifiable anger of someone in a particular place.  The lady in the relationship sings: “We had a plan, move out of this town, West to the sand, it's all we talked about lately. I'd pack the car, bring your guitar, first thing at dawn, you'd queue the songs and we'd get goin'. But you weren't home, waited on the porch for ya, sat there alone, all throughout the morn' 'til I got a hunch down in my gut and snuck around the back.  Empty cans and I'll be damned, your stuff was never packed. Did your boots stop workin'? Did you burn through money? Was the whiskey flowin'? Were you in a fight?” And consequently, she sings, “I made my way back to LA, and that's where you'll be forgotten. In forty years, you'll still be here, drunk, washed up in Austin.”  In terms of our theme this week, it is clear that the problem was no communication, and therefore she left.

       Before her, we heard our number 5 song this week, new in our countdown, our theme next week, and a song about when you know you are in love.  “Time stood still,” he begins his song, “just like a photograph; you made me feel like this would last forever.  Lookin' in your eyes, I see my whole life.  They say you know it when you know it and I know.  Promise that you'll hold me close, don't let me go. Take my heart, don't break it; love me to my bones.  All this time I've wasted; you were right there all along, You and I stargazin', intertwinin' souls. We were never strangers; I lose my mind when I'm around you; how I come alive. When I'm without you I can't help but feel so lost.  I wanna give you all I've got.”  He says that when you know that you are in love, then you know, and he knows.  And one of the indications that a person knows he is in love with someone else is that they are both communicating well, our theme today.

       Continuing our countdown, we move to the top 3, and at number 3 is a song about blame.  “I had some  help,” they sing, “It ain’t like I can make this kind of mess all by myself.  Don’t act like you ain’t help[ing] me pull that bottle off the shelf.  Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell.  They say teamwork makes the dream work.  You think that you’re so innocent.  After all the stuff you did, I ain’t an angel; you ain’t heaven-sent, can’t wash our hands off this.  It takes two to break a heart in two, you blame me, and I blame you.”  Of course, as I have said, that is what it is from his point of view.  The lady in the relationship probably has her own version.  Whatever the case, in terms of our theme, blaming your partner is very poor communication with him or her.  In fact, blaming is usually a sign of little communication.  The is from Austin Richard Post, that is Post Malone and his album “F-1 Trillion”, Post Malone along with Morgan Wallen and their song “I Had Some Help” number 3 on MATT. 

 (double) 3 I HAD SOME HELP / Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

                     2 A BAR SONG / Shaboozey

Part 12

       At number 2 former number 1, Collins Obinna Chibueze, known as Shaboozey, American musician /singer/ songwriter/ filmmaker and producer, and his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” on MATT.  And as one would guess from its title, a song about drinking. He begins his song by telling us that he works hard and has problems that he won’t have when he’s gone.  And then presumably, he wants to relax from his work and problems by drinking alcohol. “Someone, pour me up a double shot of whiskey. They know me and Jack Daniel's got a history. There's a party downtown, near 5th Street. Everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy. I've been boozey since I left, I ain't changin' for a check. Woke up drunk at 10 am, we gon'[na] do this stuff again. Tell your girl to bring a friend.”  I changed a word in the song.  In terms of our theme today, one could probably say that the more one partakes in alcohol, the less good communication there is.

       And the new number 1 song is from Billie Eilish, a song about falling in love with a person that she wants to "stick together" with.  It is her latest from her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, and her song “Birds of a Feather”.  The love to her significant other brings her to tears and begs the lover to never end their relationship.  “I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave”, she begins, “'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry.  If you go, I'm goin' too / 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me.  Nothin' left to lose without my baby.  Birds of a feather we should stick together.  And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more.  It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.”  So, the lady in the relationship is truly committed to the other and presuming that the other in the relationship feels the same way, that commitment will stay there.  And you can bet that if the commitment is there, there is good communication, our theme today.

       And that has been our theme today, what do the songs of our show suggest about the art of sincere talking to one another.  It came from Madonna’s song, one of her excellent songs, I believe, “Like a Prayer.”  My prayer—pun intended—for  you and for me is that we will always be able to communicate well with one another and with our Creator.  Thanks for the privilege of your time today and to our producers and to our sponsors, especially Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, Hays Car and Truck Alignment, and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School 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-FM, Hays, KS 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com.  My website 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.  Our media meditation today is some thoughts on the final session of the inspiring movie “The Miracle Season”.  A reminder that you can join us on the web every Sunday morning at 10 wherever you are: simply choose www.hayspost.com on your internet provider and click on Mix 103 at 10 am CDT for another couple weeks anyway.  Before we take our leave, one final thought from Wayne Gretzky of hockey fame: “You miss 100 percent of shots you never take.”  Yes, indeed.  As you listen to the number 1 song in our area, from Billie Eilish and her song “Birds of a Feather,” and as we lead into it, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103 and our advice to you is, among the other things we have said, hold a good thought.  From beautiful downtown Lawrence, KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Be safe, peace to you, and be good!

1 BIRDS OF A FEATHER / Billie Eilish

October 13, 2024

“What Should Be Taught”

Part 1

       Good morning, Central Kansas and around the world!  Welcome to “Message at the Top,” and happy Fall again, as we are aware of the beautiful about-to-turn landscape around us.  Welcome to Mix 103’s unique top 10 show, “Message at the Top”.  I am Fr. Mike, your host; get ready for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by our own research and Mediabase 24-7.  We here at Mix 103 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 we have top 10 songs from among others, Billie Eilish, Teddy Swims and Sabrina Carpenter; and we have past top 10’s as well from people like Nickelback and birthday person Paul Simon.

       It is also John Mayer’s birthday on Wednesday when he will be 47 years old.  He had a song in the top 10 in 2004 that is an amazing song; it brings out the importance of parenting, what children learn and why they learn it, and I’d like to call it to our minds today.  By way of preparation before we get to the song, here is a prose statement from a lady by the name of Dorothy Law Nolte as found in her book: Children Learn What They Live: Parenting To Inspire Values.  Here is her analysis which is the foundation of her book:

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Now, that is one great reading and so very true.  I shortened it, and you can find the complete reading in her book.  It ought to be on the wall of every family dwelling in the world.

       John Mayer’s song may not be as erudite as Dorothy Law Nolte’s reading, but it says basically the same thing.  “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.  “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.”  Her father left, and that has affected her forever.

       He inspires the title of our show this morning with the theme “What Should Be Taught”.  This is a 10+ song from his album “Heavier Things” from the year 2004, John Mayer and his song “Daughters,” “Song of the Year” in the 2005 Grammys on MATT.

(double)  DAUGHTERS / John Mayer

                    NEW LIGHT / John Mayer

Part 2        

       Double John Mayer there and his song from 2018 from his album “Sob Rock”, his song “New Light” on MATT.  It is a song of longing for the love of a friend.  “I’m the boy in your other phone lighting up inside your drawer at home all alone.  We talk and then you walk away every day.  You don’t think twice ‘bout me. But if you give me just one night, you’re gonna see me in a new light.  I want a take two, I want to break through; I wanna know the real thing so I can see you in a new light.”  He wants their love to be real, but he seems more interested than his friend is, and in terms of our theme which he gave us with his song “Daughters,” one of the things that should be taught is that sometimes we have to say goodbye to a relationship even when we don’t want to.

       Our first triple play of the day begins with an interesting song that seems to be saying that it’s okay to be second.  The person in the song is second in a relationship and someone else is first.  “All the right friends in all the right places,” they sing, “We’re goin’ down.  They’ve got all the right moves in all the right faces.  We’re goin’ down.  Let’s paint the picture of the perfect place.  They’ve got it better than when anyone’s told you.  I know we’ve got it good, but they’ve got it made, and the grass is getting greener each day.  I know things are looking up, but soon they’ll take us down before anybody’s knowing our name.”  So, a song about losing out on something.  The video seems to be about a formal dance contest, and maybe the song is the story of a couple losing out to another couple.  When it comes to our theme this week, “What Should Be Taught” perhaps learning that we don’t have to always be the best but we always have to do the best that we can / is something that really should be taught.  Good message, I believe.  MATT presenting here the group OneRepublic from their album “Waking Up”, and their song from 2009, “All the Right Moves” on MATT.

(triple)     ALL THE RIGHT MOVES / OneRepublic

                    FEEL IT STILL / Portugal.The Man

                    10 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE / Sabrina Carpenter

Part 3

    Our top 10 songs will come in countdown fashion this morning, and that one is at number 10 and a song that we used last week as our theme when we spoke about when a breakup should happen.  It is from her album “Short ‘n Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter and “Please Please Please”.  It is a song by the lady in the relationship to her boyfriend who is acting out in a negative way.  “I know I have good judgment; I know I have good taste;” she sings, “It's funny and it's ironic that only I feel that way.  I promise 'em that you're different and everyone makes mistakes. I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy; whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight. I tell them it's just your culture and everyone rolls their eye.  Please, please, please, don't prove I'm right and please, please, please, don't bring me to tears when I just did my makeup so nice; heartbreak is one thing, my ego's another, I beg you, don't embarrass me.”  And you’re led to believe from the rest of the song and video, that he doesn’t heed her advice.  When we talk of romantic love, it obviously takes both to want it.  And in terms of our theme this week, every dating couple should be taught that sometimes you just have to let a relationship cease.

       Before her, we heard a song from 2017 from the band Portugal.The Man and their song “Feel It Still”.  “Can’t keep my hands to myself,” they sing, “think I’ll dust ‘em off, put ‘em back up on the shelf in case my little baby girl is in need.  Am I coming out of left field?  I’m a rebel just for kicks, now I been feeling it since 1966, now might be over now, but I feel it still.  Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now might be over now, but I feel it still.  Is it coming?”  It seems to be a song in which the person is remembering what it was like before and now it’s over, but he would like the feeling again.  In terms of our theme today, one of the things that should be taught to all of us is to realize that the past was good, even if there was some adversity because you learn from it, and then you can be thankful that you did learn.

       Important words being said there, not because I said them, but coming from these songs and if people would know them, we’d be able to understand our lives a little more, I believe.  What great messages these songs have.  We will continue our countdown and extras after our first break of the day.  Let me take you to that break with a thought.  It comes from Tullulah Bankhead from a number of years ago, and a really good statement of fact: “If I had my life to live again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”  Now, that is one true statement and the advice that should be taught: make it a point to try to stay away from the mistakes.  Our show is called MATT; I am Fr. Mike, and I hope your Sunday is a good one.  Don’t go way; “Message at the Top” on today’s best music Mix 103 will be right back.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 4

       This is MATT and it is so good to have you back with us.  We welcome you back to the top 10 songs of our area as of the week ending today, and we welcome you back to some top 10 songs of the past as well.  And with our music, we always give the meanings of the songs.  I’m Fr. Mike, your host for the only top 10 show of its kind in this area, maybe in the world, the show that takes the top songs and explains their messages, and then we call the show “Message at the Top.”  The topic of our show this morning was given to us by birthday person John Mayer and his excellent teaching song, “Daughters.”

       Speaking of birthdays, let’s go to one of the greatest living songwriters of all time, I believe, Paul Frederic Simon, that is Paul Simon.  His birthday is this coming Friday when he will be 83 years old.  The song says learning is important, and hopefully, those of you who are into education at this time can see that.  He does it in a clever way saying that some of the things he learned were learned away from school—kodachrome and what he learned in school was only black and white. In terms of our theme, I believe every one of us should be taught to learn from any experience.  I know the song is a little out of our usual fare of songs, but he sings it every time he has a concert in our modern day.  How’s that for rationalization.  The song is from 1973 from his album “There Goes Rhymin’ Simon,” his song “Kodachrome”, the great Paul Simon on MATT. 

(double)  KODACHROME / Paul Simon

                    9 BEAUTIFUL THINGS / Benson Boone

Part 5

       From his album “Fireworks and Rollerblades,” that was Benson Boone at number 9, “Beautiful Things” on MATT, a song about a man in a relationship who has discovered a person that he really likes.  “For a while there, it was rough,” he sings, “but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall.  And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love.  She’ll come and stay the night and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way.  But I know the things He gives me, He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to.  But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you.  I hope I don’t lose you.  Please stay.  I want you, I need you.  God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.”  The person is tuned into God, it would seem, and for me anyway, it is one of the things that should be taught to our world, our theme today. 

       Another triple play is directly in front of us right now, and it continues our countdown at number 8 and a song whose message is one of feeling badly because a relationship is not working out.   The lady in the relationship is swearing that she will get over it, although you wonder whether she ever will.  “I can read your mind, ‘she’s having the time of her life,’” the lady in the relationship sings, “There in her glittering prime, I can show you lies ‘cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my stuff. They said, ‘Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it’.  And I did: Lights, camera, smile even when you want to die.  He said he'd love me all his life, but that life was too short. Breaking down, I hit the floor, all the pieces of me shattered. I was grinning like I'm winning.  I was hitting my marks 'cause I can do it with a broken heart. I'm so depressed, I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague.   You know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.”  I changed some of the words.  The lady in the song is only acting like everything is alright, and so such an attitude is a problem, and in terms of our theme, we must be taught that one of the tough things in life is learning to live through problem times.  From her album “The Tortured Poets Department,” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart”, this is the world’s most popular artist right now, Ms. Taylor Swift at number 8 on our playlist this morning, and we follow this one with another one of her songs, on MATT.       

(triple)     8 I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART / Taylor Swift

                    WILLOW / Taylor Swift

                    7 DIE WITH A SMILE / Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

Part 6     

       The unique duo, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga and Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars, number 7 and “Die With a Smile” on MATT.  It  is a love song, what I call a strong song because of its sound, but also because of its message which is strong commitment to another.  “I just woke up from a dream,” they sing, “Where you and I had to say goodbye; and I don't know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized wherever you go, that's where I'll follow.  Nobody's promised tomorrow, so I'ma love you every night like it's the last night. If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you. If the party was over and our time on Earth was through, I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.”  So, strong words of commitment, but there had been struggles, it seems.  They sing, “Lost in the words that we scream, I don't even wanna do this anymore 'cause you already know what you mean to me. And our love's the only war worth fighting for.”  Fitting into our theme, this week, something that should be taught to all of us is that a strong commitment can come even though there are difficulties discovering it.

       Before them, we heard from her album “Evermore,” Time’s Person of the Year last year, Ms. Taylor Swift and her song at number 3 of all the songs of 2021, “Willow”.  It is a song about wanting to be in love.  She said in an interview: the song is about intrigue, desire and the complexity that goes into wanting someone.  I think it sounds like casting a spell to make somebody fall in love with a person.  “I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night,” she sings, “rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife and it was an open/shut case, I never would’ve known from that look on your face, lost in your current like a priceless wine.  The more that you say, the less I know.  Wherever you stray, I follow.  I’m beggin’ for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that’s my man.  Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind, head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in as if you were a mythical thing.”  So, a love song which is hoping that the other pays attention to her.  In terms of our theme today, one of the things that should be taught is how to love well, and who should teach it?  Lots of people, but especially parents, I believe.  My opinion, of course.

       As always, we have some interesting thoughts about some very real love and life situations in these songs.  The theme of MATT this morning is “What Should Be Taught”.  Our next session of music and message will explore that theme with top 10 music at the present time and from the past as well.  In fact, get ready for music from the top 10 present in the persons of Teddy Swims, Dasha and Post Malone and also music from Kid Rock, the band lovelytheband, and Shawn Mendes.  Let me take you to break with this thought.  It comes from Pearl S. Buck, the famous early advocate for women’s rights, born in Hillsboro, West Virginia by the way, not far from my home town: “Every great mistake has a half-way moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.”  Now that is encouraging—mistakes made about life have some time when we can re-think what we’re going to do.  Advice to remember.  You bet.  I’m Fr. Mike for “Message at the Top” on today’s best music Mix 103.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 7

This is “Message at the Top” on today’s best music Mix 103, and what we often call the MATT music network.  Thank you for being here this morning.  I am Fr. Mike, ready to lead you through the second hour of our show, and songs that talk about life subjects that range from leaving a bad relationship to blaming others.  We are pursuing a theme that is discovering what the songs of our show say in the form of advice concerning what should be taught.  It came from a song from birthday person on Wednesday John Mayer and his excellent song “Daughters.”

       To begin our second hour together, let’s go back to the year of 2008 and what I call a happy immoral song.  "It was 1989," he begins his song, "my thoughts were short, my hair was long.  She was seventeen. And we were trying different things, we were smoking funny things, making love out by the lake, sipping whiskey out of the bottle, not thinking about tomorrow, singing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ all summer long."  What interests me about the song is how he closes it.  To me, he uses thoughts that can bring about some deep thinking.  He sings: "Now, nothing seems as strange as when the leaves began to change or how we thought those days would never end."  The song says, I believe, that we can think about the past and enjoy it, but the fact is that the leaves will change—time will march on.  The past was a time when "thoughts were short," and now his thoughts must turn to maturity.  In terms of our theme, that is what should be taught—we must move on to greater maturity in our lives if we are to live well.  This is Robert James Ritchie, better known as Kid Rock, and his song from his album with the ominous name of “Rock ‘N Roll Jesus,” from 2008, “All Summer Long” on MATT. 

(triple)     ALL SUMMER LONG / Kid Rock    

                    BROKEN / lovelytheband

                    6 THE DOOR / Teddy Swims

Part 8    

       We have a new number 1 song since that one was number 1 last week and is number 6 right now in our countdown.  It is a song is from Jaten Collins Dimsdale, that is Teddy Swims, who was 32 years old a couple weeks ago, and a song about how people play games in love relationships, from his album “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1,” and a 10+ song “The Door”.  It is a  song about how to save one’s own life and walk out of an abusive relationship, and therefore an extremely good song.  “I took a page out of your favorite book,” he begins his song. “You sold me lies just by the way you look, taught me a language that I’ve never speak. That ain’t for me. You took me higher than I ever flew, too many times, gave you a second chance. I’m just a man. No more thinkin’ about you late night, no more runnin’ around with your friends now, done pickin’ up pieces of my soul up off the floor. I said I would die for you, but I can’t take this pain no more. I thought I was willin’ but tonight I save my life when I showed you the door.  I can’t play this game no more.”  In terms of our theme this week, and I said this before with Sabrina Carpenter’s song, one of the things that must be taught and learned in life is when to let a relationship cease.

Before him, we heard from the band lovelytheband, all one word, formed in Los Angeles a couple years ago, and their song “Broken” from their album “Finding It Hard to Smile”.  It is a song about loneliness and the couple is trying to get over the loneliness by spending time together.  “I like that you’re broken,” they sing , “broken like me.  Maybe that makes me a fool.  I like that you’re lonely, lonely like me, I could be lonely with you.”  They met at a party, and they sing “These aren’t my people, these aren’t my friends.  She grabbed my face and said I like that you’re broken, broken like me, lonely like me.”  So, both of them lonely and broken, but you get the feeling that they will not remain that way very long since they are getting to know each other, and that is exactly what should be taught, our theme today, especially as a couple begins dating.

       Let’s stay in the top 10 right now, and listen to the song at number 5, and a song about a place—at least the title is, but it is a message about justifiable anger of someone in that place at one time.  The lady in the relationship sings: “We had a plan, move out of this town, West to the sand, it's all we talked about lately. I'd pack the car, bring your guitar, first thing at dawn, you'd queue the songs and we'd get goin'. But you weren't home, waited on the porch for ya, sat there alone, all throughout the morn' 'til I got a hunch down in my gut and snuck around the back.  Empty cans and I'll be damned, your stuff was never packed. Did your boots stop workin'? Did you burn through money? Was the whiskey flowin'? Were you in a fight?” And consequently, she sings, “I made my way back to LA, and that's where you'll be forgotten. In forty years, you'll still be here, drunk, washed up in Austin.”  In terms of our theme this week, there are some things that can be taught only by the hard way—living through them, and the lady in that relationship did exactly that.  Ms. Anna Dasha Novotny here, better known simply as Dasha from her debut album “Dirty Blonde,” at number 5 this morning and “Austin” on MATT.  

(triple)     5 AUSTIN / Dasha      

                    TREAT YOU BETTER / Shawn Mendes

                    4 I HAD SOME HELP / Post Malone & Morgan Wallen

Part 9        

       From Post Malone’s album “F-1 Trillion”, Post Malone along with Morgan Wallen and their song “I Had Some Help” number 4 on MATT.  It is a song about blame.  “I had some  help,” they sing, “It ain’t like I can make this kind of mess all by myself.  Don’t act like you ain’t help[ing] me pull that bottle off the shelf.  Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell.  They say teamwork makes the dream work.  You think that you’re so innocent.  After all the stuff you did, I ain’t an angel; you ain’t heaven-sent, can’t wash our hands off this.  It takes two to break a heart in two, you blame me, and I blame you.”  Of course, as I have said, that is what it is from his point of view.  The lady in the relationship probably has her own version.  Whatever the case, what should be taught here, our theme today, is that the ”blame game” ruins relationships.

       Before them, we heard the song which is our meditation for today on my website www.frmikescully.com from Shawn Mendes, from his album “Illuminate” and his song “Treat You Better”.  It is a very interesting song that shows some domestic violence in the video, and at the end of the video, the domestic violence hotline is listed.  It is the story of a young man who knows that the girlfriend that he would like / is dating someone else, but that someone else is not treating her correctly.  The video points out the problem very well.  He sings that he knows the other guy is not right for her, and he senses that she knows it also.  “I know I can treat you better than he can,” he sings, “And any girl like you deserves a gentleman.”  He asks her why she’s spending time with that guy and begs her to come over to him.  In fact, he sings, “I’ll stop time for you the second you say you’d like me to; I promise I’ll never let you down.”  He’s correct not necessarily that she should come to him, but in terms of our theme, what should be taught in life?  Whenever there is any physical hitting or the like, you need to get out of that relationship right away.

       We are talking of what should be taught to all of us, the thought having come from John Mayer’s song “Daughters” the Song of the Year in 2005.  We have another half hour to go yet as we listen to some more music and messages.  A thought to take us out of this segment: it was attributed to Benjamin Franklin, and I just love this one.  “He that waits upon fortune / is never sure of a dinner.”  Think about that.  My comment: we can’t just wait for life to happen—we have to work at it.  Now that is something that should be taught.  Don’t go way—we’ll be right back with MATT on Mix 103.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Part 10

       You, my friends, are in tune with “Message at the Top,” your top 10 show on today’s best music Mix 103.  Welcome back to the songs that have been most popular in this area during this week which ends today, the second Sunday in October 2024.  Our show takes the top 10 from today and yesterday and studies their messages, and then, we call our show MATT.  I’m your host Fr. Mike.  It’s great to have you here.  We have taken our theme from the song “Daughters” from John Mayer and we are in the process of giving you all of the songs our show with the theme of “what should be taught to us.”

       During this segment, let’s go back to the year 2007 and review the excellent top 3 songs of that whole year.  All 3 of them could have been number 1 as far as I am concerned.  They are all 10+ songs.  At number 1 that year is a song whose setting is a man in the relationship who is sharing real love with his friend, and having that love inspires him to think about the complicated world he is in.  The words of the refrain are: “If everyone cared and nobody cried, if everyone loved and nobody lied, if everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we’d see the day when nobody died.  And I’m singing, amen, I’m alive.”  And they sing: “As we lie beneath the stars, we realize how small we are.  If they could love like you and me, imagine what the world could be.”  That is, we will have eternal life when we learn to love each other.  That is great theology and it gives rise to great thinking.  What should be taught, our theme today, could cure our world—care about others, care about everyone.  Great song.   It is from their album “All The Right Reasons,” Nickelback and  number 1 in 2007 “If Everyone Cared” on MATT.

(triple)     IF EVERYONE CARED / Nickelback          

                    WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE / John Mayer

                    HOW FAR WE’VE COME / Matchbox Twenty

Part 11

       A song about the idea of studying ourselves again, From their album, “Exile on Mainstream,” Matchbox Twenty and the number 3 song of meaning of 2007, “How Far We’ve Come” on MATT.  “Waking up at the start of the end of the world,” they begin their song, “but it’s feeling just like every morning before; now, I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s gone.  The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour if that, I started staring at the passengers waving goodbye.  Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time.  But I believe the world is burning to the ground, oh well, I guess we’re gonna find out.  Let’s see how far we’ve come.  I sat down on the street and took a look at myself.  Let’s see how far we’ve come.”  The song is saying that we have to study what we’re doing because the world could be ending at any moment, with the implicit thought that maybe we should do something about our lives.  What should be taught, our theme today?  Maybe we should sit down with ourselves sometime this week and ask just how far we’ve come at being a good person. 

       And the song at number 2 that year—2007—was before them, from his album “Continuum,” and the song “Waiting On The World To Change,” birthday person Wednesday John Mayer again.  It places blame on people who are responsible for some evil in our world.  “Me and my friends,” he sings, “we’re all misunderstood.  They say we stand for nothing and there’s no way we ever could.  Now we see everything that’s going wrong with the world, and those who lead it.  We just feel like we don’t have the means to rise above and beat it.  So we keep waiting, waiting for the world to change.  It’s hard to beat the system, when we’re standing at a distance.  Now if we had the power to bring our neighbors home from war, they would have never missed a Christmas, no more ribbons on their door.”  And he says that his generation is going to change some things: “One day our generation is gonna rule the population,” he sings, and the implicit statement is that—then, things will change.  He is singing with confidence that he and his generation can change the future, and it is something that everyone of us should be taught, our theme today.

       From 2007, let’s go to today, October 13, 2024 and listen to the top 3 songs as of this week according to your requests and Mediabase 24-7.  At number 3 is a song about drinking. He begins his song by telling us that he works hard and has problems that he won’t have when he’s gone.  And then presumably, he wants to relax from his work and problems by drinking alcohol. “Someone, pour me up a double shot of whiskey. They know me and Jack Daniel's got a history. There's a party downtown, near 5th Street. Everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy. I've been boozey since I left, I ain't changin' for a check. Woke up drunk at 10 am, we gon'[na] do this stuff again. Tell your girl to bring a friend.”  I changed a word in the song.  He is looking for relaxation to be sure, and probably too much relaxation and that which should be taught, our theme?  Easy—it’s okay to relax, but with moderation.   At number 3 former number 1, Collins Obinna Chibueze, known as Shaboozey, American musician /singer/ songwriter/ filmmaker and producer, and his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” on MATT.

(double)  3 A BAR SONG / Shaboozey

                     2 BIRDS OF A FEATHER / Billie Eilish

Part 12

       Moving up to number 2 in our countdown, a song from Billie Eilish about falling in love with a person that she wants to "stick together" with.  It is her latest from her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, and her song “Birds of a Feather” on MATT.  The love to her significant other brings her to tears and begs the lover to never end their relationship.  “I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave”, she begins, “'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry.  If you go, I'm goin' too / 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me.  Nothin' left to lose without my baby.  Birds of a feather we should stick together.  And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more.  It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.”  So, the lady in the relationship is truly committed to the other and presuming that the other in the relationship feels the same way, that commitment will stay there.  And what should be taught from the song, our theme today?  A great lesson: some things really do work out!

       And moving back into number 1, a song that has been there before, Irish singer/songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, and his song “Too Sweet”.  In the song, the man in the relationship talks of the lifestyle of each of the partners.  His own is a late-night one along with a little too much relaxation / and the partner is an early bird with a cautious lifestyle.  “It can’t be said I’m an early bird, it’s ten o’clock before I say a word.  I can never tell how you sleep so well.  You keep telling me to live right, to go to bed before the daylight, but then you wake up for the sunrise.  But while in this world, I think I’ll take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three.  You’re too sweet for me.”  Sometimes opposites attract when people are discovering love, but what must be taught, our theme today, is that in order for such relationships to work, they will have to make some decisions to compromise.

       That theme of “what should be taught” was taken from birthday person Wednesday John Mayer and his excellent song “Daughters.”  And we have given you all the songs on our playlist in countdown fashion, interspersed with songs from our extensive playlist.  My prayer for you and me is that we will determine what should be taught in our world, and then take the time to learn it.  My thanks to our producers and sponsors, especially our sponsors at Hays Car and Truck Alignment, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays.  If you want to contact me by mail, I hope you do so at KJLS radio, Hays, KS, 67601 or my e-mail address is frmikescully@yahoo.com.  My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find some meditations on the Gospels, these songs and some great movies and a transcript of this show.  On that website today is a meditation on the song “Treat You Better” which we played earlier.  If you want to join us on the web, go to www.hayspost.com and click on Mix 103 at 10am Sunday morning.  A final thought from leadership specialist Elbert Hubbard: “The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one.”  We have to be cautious about our living, but we still have to live, and sometimes we will make mistakes, but we have to lift ourselves right up and go at life again as best as we can.  As we close with Hozier’s song “Too Sweet”, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103, and among the other things that we have said today, our advice is to hold a good thought.  From beautiful downtown Lawrence, KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Be safe, peace to you, and be good.

1 TOO SWEET / Hozier