The Message Behind the Music-April 14

Caught In The Storm (SMASH Cast Version)

Inspiration Behind Caught in the Storm:

Caught in the Storm was an original piece for the television series Smash. This song was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and was featured during season two in the episode The Fallout. Caught in the Storm explores themes of fame and personal transformation amidst adversity.

Biblical Application:

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” ⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” ⁹ He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” ¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so,) Jonah 1:4-10.

Exegesis of Caught in the Storm:

You can push me away
I can take it
I can make you a promise
and break it
We know the way it goes by now

This song comes from a fictional musical entitled Hit List in Smash. This storm refers to the emotions and struggles the characters go through as their relationship falls apart.

Running off just to see
if I chase you
I pretend I know how to replace you
Still we get tangled up somehow

This is the nature of show business, fighting to see who the star of the show is going to be..

Hear it thunder
And I wonder
How long can I hang on

The fight to stay on top.

I’m caught in the storm
I’m caught in the rain
I’m caught in the rush that hides this pain

The egos in Hollywood are hidden as stars try to remain relevant.

I’m ready to drown
But it’s coming down
But I feel so alive

This stanza illustrates the emotions within a musical.

Just let me go
Just walk away
If you love someone you never let them stay

I’m Caught in the storm

Love makes people confused between trust and freedom.

As the bars on the Bowri are closing
You arrive at the door standing frozen
You say you thought you’d find me here

An action scene in the musical.

Tell me how I begin to forget you
When you keep coming back and I let you
Love me until you disappear

Describing an on again off again relationship.

I’m caught in the storm
I’m caught in the rain
I’m caught in the rush that hides this pain

When you are struggling to survive, you forget about the pain inside your heart.

I’m ready to drown
But it’s coming down
But I feel so alive

This stanza describes the Fallout of emotions.

Just let me go
Just walk away
If you love someone
You never let them stay

Caught in the storm

Sometimes it’s hard to make up your mind.

Let me wash away
You can find me after the flood
Let me wash away

Perhaps a reference to absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Caught in the storm
Caught in the rain
Caught in the rush that hides this pain

The fight to survive.

If you love someone
You find a way to stay
Caught in the storm

If you love someone enough, you’re willing to endure whatever storms to keep love alive.

Final Thoughts:

It’s hard to critic a musical instead of something that happened in real life. If you limit the discussion to being caught in a storm, there are plenty of angles to take. Any type of adversity faced in life makes you mentally tougher. While each situation provides unique challenges, these trials provide opportunities for growth. Although you may not meet each ordeal head on, each experience will result in lessons learned and maturity moving forward. As long you develop a spirit of perseverance, you’ll continue to meet these storms when they come crashing upon your shores.

by Jay Mankus