Like the Sun

Wouldn't you like to be like the sun,
shining your warm light
down on everyone?
Wouldn't you like to feel
like the sun,
It's not just in some of us
but in everyone.
What do you say?

– "Like the Sun"
Wendy Matthews, Bruce Reid,
and Michael Szumowski

Every now and then here at The Wild Reed, Friday evening's are 'music night.' And, yes, tonight is one of those evenings!

Anyone who visits here on a regular basis will probably know that I greatly admire and enjoy the musical talents of Wendy Matthews. And it's not just her music I appreciate, but Wendy as a person. From everything I've heard and read, she's a very wise, compassionate, and beautiful soul. For instance, she does a lot of advocating for animal rights, including campaigning against 'puppy mills' and similar cruel and exploitative practices.

As well as being a gifted vocalist, Wendy is also a talented songwriter. The song I share this evening was co-written by Wendy, Bruce Reid, and Michael Szumowski. It's from her 2001 album Beautiful View.

I particularly like and resonate with this song as I believe it speaks powerfully of a basic spiritual truth: that the sacred, often described in metaphors of light, dwells deep within each and every one of us! Our great calling is to seek out this presence and embody it through our loving actions of body, speech and mind. Such actions have the power to transform us and the world. The great challenge in responding to this call is to reject those voices, both within and without, that tell us we're not worthy of such wondrous union; that we are incapable of making a difference, either in our own life or in the world. "What do you say?", indeed!

Wendy Matthew's "Like the Sun" is a rare gift: an enjoyable, catchy pop song that invites us to think about and respond to some profoundly human (and thus spiritual) concerns and questions.

"Like the Sun" was the third (and final) track released as a single from Beautiful View. Following is the video that was made to accompany it. Enjoy!

As a matter of fact I don't want to feel this way.
At the end of the day I just can't stop looking back.
In my wildest heart I was afraid of the light, not the dark.
In the darkness I could hide.
I closed my heart, I closed my mind
to the call of freedom close behind,
the voice inside that says . . .

Wouldn't you like to be like the sun,
shining your warm light down on everyone?
Wouldn't you like to feel like the sun,
shining your golden light down on everyone?
What do you say?

And in the end what doesn't kill you makes you strong.
When it goes wrong, you just might crack if you can't bend.
In my wildest heart I was afraid of the light not the dark.
In the darkness I could hide.
I closed my heart, I closed my mind
to the call of freedom close behind,
the voice inside that says . . .

Wouldn't you like to be like the sun,
shining your warm light down on everyone?
Wouldn't you like to feel like the sun,
shining your golden light down on everyone?
What do you say?

I see with more than just my eyes.
I hear with more than just my ears.
I feel with more than just my hands.

Wouldn't you like to be like sun,
shining your warm light down on everyone?
Wouldn't you like to feel like the sun?
It's not just in some of us but in everyone.
What do you say?
What do you say?

For more of Wendy Matthews at The Wild Reed, see:
• Wendy Matthews
• Beautiful View
• Nobody But You
• Standing Strong

Recommended Off-site Links:
Wendy Matthews' Official Website
Path of a Free Spirit – Steve Dow (Sydney Morning Herald, November 22, 2010).
The AU Interview: Wendy Matthews – Sosefina Fuamoli (The AU Review, January 31, 2013).
Wendy Matthews Interview – Undercover (May 13, 2011).
Wendy Matthews – Leigh Salter (Beat Magazine, December 9, 2010).
Wendy Matthews – Peter Thompson (Talking Heads, May 30, 2005).
The Gospel According to Matthews – Cream Magazine (1998).