There Is A Mountain

It is 4 AM. I head down the hallway to the words in my head, “First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.” I make the elixir of regaining consciousness to sit and enjoy the stillness-no such luck. The lyrics by Donovan repeated relentlessly. I pay close attention to these not so random messages. Coffee cup in hand, I turned on my computer and trusted a blog post was in the making.

Although I recognized the song written by Donovan, I never purchased any of his music and had not heard There Is A Mountain in a long time. While I searched for the lyrics of his song, Rap=The Heart and Soul of Modern Black History demanded my sleepy attention. That observation led me to NBA (Never Broke Again) Youngboy-Heart & Soul whose rap I never heard.

I checked out the lyrics and watched videos performed by each artist.

Donovan Leitch was born in Glasgow, Scotland. The traditional Scottish/Irish music was an essential part of his family life and community celebrations.

Here is a part of the lyrics he wrote:

"The lock upon my garden gate's a snail, that's what it is
The lock upon my garden gate's a snail, that's what it is 
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is  
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is 
The caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within 
Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is
First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is"--Donovan 

NBA Youngboy’s (Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) birthplace was Baton Route, Louisiana. He was raised by his maternal grandmother.

Here is part of the lyrics from Heart & Soul:

"You know we movin' forward'
Went to jail, came home, time passed,
Went back again
All the pain I felt inside myself,
Thought it would never end
I just thought I would blame myself,
can't even blame my friends
I was criticizin' myself like, you ain't
never gon' win
Kentrell, you got to man up,
You done had all these kids
I'm like "Kentrell, you got
To stand up, it's your time,
I see it"--NBA Youngboy

Here is my version: 

First Apartment Blues

"But
I Have Natural Riches.
I am not a wealthy lady,
Nor have I poetic hand.
I am one for simples pleasures,
Wind, and rain, and sun, and sand.
Because
If you have natural riches,
The King and Court can't tax you so.
There will be a gift about you,
And always forever your wealth will grow."
--Marilyn K Fuller 

Three different styles of expressing problems about daily living and what lives deep within. Few creative forms reveal universal emotions like words and music. So thank you, Donovan and NBA Youngboy, for reminding me how feelings, thoughts, and music connects the similarities in our lives, not the differences.

Tough Cookie Tip: Whenever you are down, turn on the tunes, and know you are not alone.

Copyright © 2022-2025 Marilyn K Fuller. All Rights Reserved.

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