I recently posted “Bootcamp for the Broken Hearted” by the magical master of music and metaphor, Mary Cigarettes. And I was delighted to see that one little post from a couple of weeks ago got 40 Facebook shares. That’s wonderful! But not nearly enough, because frankly the world needs more Mary. It really does, especially as we plummet into our 2014th year since the birth of Jesus.

I don’t think that there is a topic this artist is afraid to mention, and that’s a very good thing because there seems to be a lack of corporate funding for art that brave. And there isn’t enough brave art that also happens to be humble. Check out Mary’s YouTube Channel as well as his SoundCloud. You might hear a thing or two that makes you uncomfortable, but that’s not a bad thing. I confess there are lines of Ginsberg and even Uncle Walt Whitman that make me squirm in my seat, but that’s what happens we “unscrew the locks from the doors,” and “unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs,” and artists feel free to address all things, not just what the Big Cats with the money want them to.

The clarity of this man’s voice, the poetry of his lyrics and the beauty of his soul, make him one of my favorite musicians on the planet. I’ve been inspired by various songs of his over the last several years, including. . .

And. . . 

And I like that the simplicity of these recordings is matched by their obvious class and quality so that they don’t detract from the sound of the songs.

If you are looking for some inspiration to be a better you in the new year these songs are a fabulous place to start. And if you don’t want to be named “The Windbag of the Year,” stop complaining, and start singing. Start shining. The world needs you.

(Oh, and read Mary’s description below the video of this one on YouTube. Maybe you too will find it helpful like I did.)

Related articles

• The First of May (marycigarettes.wordpress.com)
• New Year’s Resolution?! Screw that… Maybe (brookespov.wordpress.com)