Exegesis Behind More Than A Feeling:
Tom Scholz wanted to create a song that would help him recover from a lost love in his life. Recognizing that this is a crisis that most of Boston’s fans have endured, the lyrics to More Than a Feeling serve as a form of healing and recovery. The structure of More Than a Feeling is rooted in Tom’s classical training in music and desire to blend rock with pop.
Biblical Application:
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12.
Exegesis of More Than a Feeling:
I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away
Tom writes about how music can serve as a momentary distraction in life. When you’re having a bad day or feeling down, you can close your eyes to ease the pain of your current situation by being engrossed in music.
It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
‘Til I see Marianne walk away
I see my Marianne walkin’ away
Perhaps Tom is struggling to get over a past relationship. When he dreams of Marianne leaving, he wakes up to the pain of lost love.
So many people have come and gone
Their faces fade as the years go by
Yet I still recall as I wander on
As clear as the sun in the summer sky
Despite the many relationships Tom has had in life, nothing compares to his time with Marianne.
It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
‘Til I see Marianne walk away
I see my Marianne walkin’ away
A special song can bring back fond memories of your past. During difficult periods in my own life, I kept playing a specific song to get me through a tumultuous trial in life like Tom.
When I’m tired and thinking cold
I hide in my music, forget the day
And dream of a girl I used to know
I closed my eyes and she slipped away
She slipped away
Tom used the lyrics of a song to ease his broken heart. Unfortunately, after this song ended, his weary soul was front and center as his relationship with Marianne is over.
It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
‘Til I see Marianne walk away
The prophet Samuel revealed that music can sooth your soul, 1 Samuel 16:14-16, which is how Tom was able to recover from his failed relationship with Marianne.
Final Thoughts:
Part of growing in love is learning from past mistakes. If you don’t mature by growing in your understanding of love, you’ll keep making the same mistake over and over again. Adults must move beyond the feeling of love toward a joint partnership where your sole desire becomes loving your spouse as Christ loved the Church, Ephesians 5:25.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 