Marvin Gaye Schools the Writer…

Last night, I stumbled onto this video of Marvin Gaye singing the vocal track for “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. I’ve been madly in love with this song since it first hit the radio in the autumn of my freshman year in high school. Now that I’ve heard it this particular way, I’m not sure if I want to hear it orchestrated, harmonized and produced ever again. It is perfect, exactly like this.

Hearing a song this way is like reading a short poem that rips away the protective rib cage of logical thinking and puts its burning hand right onto your exposed and fragile heart. Single singer A cappella is to perfectly written Haiku poetry, as a symphony is to a great novel.

We hear the original pain and the hard truth of the writer’s drunken 3:00 A.M. confession in each carefully chosen word and musical note. If the singer has embraced the zeitgeist of the creation of the piece, they can breathe life into the song. They can take us with them on our own Ghost of Christmas Past journey to the moments in our  lives when the words hit home with a vengeance.

This should be my goal in every poem and every story that I write; that whatever comes out of my pen will be better than the silence of the blank page.

I have my work cut out for me.

Author: Mimi DiFrancesca

Former columnist for the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel covering metaphysics, she got to interview the likes of Brian Weiss, The Amazing Kreskin and Apollo 14 astronaut, Edgar Mitchell. Mimi’s love of words became obvious to her parent’s at age four during high mass as she stood on the pew seat to rally the congregation- “Hey! Let’s everybody sit down!” She’s been a tour guide out west and has *too many* years of tourism marketing consulting, designing promo collateral, commercial scripts for TV/Radio, freelance writing, resume and bio coaching and large event planning. A poet, artist, world traveler, mom of two phenomenal kids; in the wee hours she has three finished fiction manuscripts, a published book of erotica, and two blogs and is a self-confessed Pinterest addict. Owner of a fabulous destination wedding and event venue in northern Michigan and a board member of the Northport Chamber of Commerce and Leelanau UnCaged Music & Art Street Festival planning committee. Currently writing a non-fiction book of unusual blessings that her friend/agent is kicking her rear to finish. Member of RWA, MMRWA, CCWA and former CCWA Board. www.wordninjagirl.com View all posts by Mimi DiFrancesca