Let It Go

Song: Let It Go
Artist: Blue October
Album: Foiled
Released: April 2006

Ah, sadness why does it sound so good? Probably because Blue October is singing it. Let it go is, to me anyway, a song about regret. It might be the only way I have seen regret portrayed beautifully. This is the first song on this list that I have changed. I originally had "Hate Me" (also by Blue October) in this spot, but I think I had it there mainly because I overplay "Let It Go". I have always liked "Let It Go" more than "Hate Me", so it made sense to fix this list even though it isn't on the cd set I burned to accommodate my top 100. Again, there's the reason I called it an attempt.

"Let It Go", begins with a guitar and violin softly setting the back drop for our regret soaked, sad song. The song progresses with awesome subtlties such as the violin being strummed like a mandolin, that crescendos into the first verse and remains throughout the song, and the clang of an electric guitar throughout this primarily acoustic song. A piano accents the chorus, which effectively drives you to feel the deep level emotion of the song. The lyrics of the second verse take the feeling to a whole new place at "follow me home, through the maze and on. I'll show you the road that I led you the wrong way on". How many of us can remember a time when we led someone we hold dear into a place they never should have been? If you can't, when you listen to this song, you'll almost wish you had, just so you can relate to the beauty of the song. The song again escalates with the second chorus, Furstenfeld adds anger through a growl as he sings, "Why did I go that way?", then an honest yearning for truth as he softens on "Why do I steal?" and finally complete sadness as he simply asks himself "Why?". Let It Go soars on from this point, on the notes of a harmonica, whose melody is carried on by the violin to its conclusion, while being infused with Furstenfeld's angry, regretful, and self-incriminating questions.

The song is important to me for a number of reasons, it is beautifully written, and played, and it is way fun to sing. But mainly because it reminds me of a harder time, when my wife and I were first married. That sounds strange, I know.We had an enormous struggle, and I would listen to it and ask myself all of these questions; I would ask myself "why?" and I would feel guilty, but somehow confronting those questions made me search for answers, and that helped. As we worked through things the song took on a different meaning, now it serves as a reminder of how close I came to really letting her go, and now I ask myself "how could I let her go?" as in "how could I" have ever felt the way I did, to make me feel like I was "stealing" from her. It reminds me not to take anything for granted, and that as a human, I am subject harm if I put myself in harm's way. I apologize for all of the vagueness, but the subject is too personal to be very specific about. Let It Go reminds me of how close I came to losing everything that I hold dear, and the joy that came from overcoming my own weakness.

Where do you go
When the day is long
And where does your heart beat
And who is wrong

Why do I feel this way
Why do I kneel
How could I let it go
Why do I feel
Why do I feel
Why

Follow me home
Through the, the maze and on
I'll show you the road
That I led you the wrong way on

Why did I go that way
Why do I steal
How could I let her go
Why do I feel

Oh why did I go that way
Why do I steal
How could I let her go
Why do I feel
Why do I feel
Why

Why
Why did I go that way
Why do I need
How could I let her go
Why do I feel

Oh why did I go that way
How could I steal
Oh how could I
How could I
How could I

How could I
How could I