music and lyrics by Jonathan Tan
I laugh at the luxury
That I once had to say
That life has no meaning
No theme to fulfill
But time has a way
To make fools of us all
Although the hours may fly past
We treasure the seconds that fall
So here is your reason
Though not in shape or in words
What you realise at your weakest
Is what it takes to make you strong
And isn't it beautiful
Simple faithful and true
This is more a poem than a song. It's about a friend who once asked me what reason is there to be alive. With respect to the recent sad news, the answer to this age old question seems to take on a whole new meaning.
As my English teacher told me in high school, the last two lines of a sonnet usually sum up the poem, but are detached from the rest of the verse. I got the idea to write this song while sitting around feeling gloomy and listening to 'Suteki da ne' which is a song in Japanese meaning 'Isn't it beautiful'. While I have no idea what the rest of that song is about (since I don't understand Japanese) I thought it fitting that a song I wrote for the purpose of encouraging and inspiring a friend should have a link with what inspired the song in the first place. That's the story behind the last two lines.