Alex now has a favorite album: Peaceful, the World Lays me Down by Noah and the Whale. It’s full of catchy and upbeat tunes. He started absorbing the music by osmosis as I piped the music through our Sonos player. It’s one of my favorite albums.
But here’s the thing: When I listen to music, I hardly pay attention to lyrics at all. Not so with Alex. He’s now learning and singing the lyrics that I’ve been ignoring, like the opening verses of Jocasta:
_When the baby's born Let's turn it to the snow So that ice will surely grow Over weak and brittle bonesLet’s leave it to the wolves
So their teeth turn it to food.
Its flesh keeps them alive
As death helps life surviveThe world can be kind in its own way…_
It’s really an excellent song, on many levels… but it’s a little disturbing to hear a five year old sing it. (Alas, much of the album pairs catchy music with dark lyrics. Nothing’s safe.)