We all Bleed Red

I recently listened to Ronnie Dunn's new song, We All Bleed Red, and it left me with some mixed emotions. Most of my friends will tell you that I have a real passion for music and that I've always found a meaning and connection in lyrics. I regularly use music as means of decoding and explaining my feelings to my husband and friends. This is probably why I have such an affinity for country music; each song tells a story, and sometimes, as with Dunn’s new song, the lyrics really strike a chord.

Before I go on, here are the lyrics to this poignant song:

Let's say were sorry, before it's too late, give forgiveness a chance
Turn the anger into water; let it slip through our hands
We all bleed red, we all taste rain, all fall down, Lose our way,
We all say words we regret, we all cry tears, we all bleed red

If we're fighting, we're both losing; we're just wasting our time
Because my scars, they are your scars and your world is mine
You and I, we all bleed red, we all taste rain, all fall down, lose our way
We all say words, we regret, well cry tears, we all bleed red
Sometimes we're strong, sometimes we're weak, sometimes we're hurt and it cuts deep
We live this life, breath to breath, we're all the same; we all bleed red

Let's say we're sorry' before its too late

This song touched me in a way that I didn’t really like, because it essentially called me out on my deep feelings of resentment and betrayal for someone I thought was a close friend. I have harbored a deep and robust hated for her for some time now, and I truly blame her for inciting the stress that I feel caused me to suffer from pre-eclampsia which ultimately led to the premature birth (and consequent suffering) of my child.

I don’t like for my music, the means of my solace, to tell me I’m wrong, or that I should behave differently. To tell you the truth, I don’t even like Ronnie Dunn- I won’t even learn the boot scootin’ boogie.  But somehow this song hit a nerve and I can’t really come to terms with why it makes me feel how it makes me feel. A song has never made me feel guilty for hating someone. Usually it’s the opposite!

Today, as we were driving, We All Bleed Red came on the radio and I quickly changed it. Prompted by the funny look on my husband’s face, I told him about the reaction I had to this song and how conflicted it made me feel. He basically laughed at me and asked if my solution to this “problem” that I had was to change the channel when the song came on. I nodded and smiled.

I think for now that’s exactly my solution. Some feelings are just too deep to be washed clean, even by an admittedly touching song. Like Sara Evans says, I just want to be mad for awhile.