This will probably be my favorite segment on my blog in a very long time! Welcome to Opening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!
“Cure” is the lead single from ‘Voyager’, the third album from the LA-based trio Moonchild – whose candid style of soul and new-school jazz has propelled them onto a swirling, emotionally charged journey of the heart. “Cure” has been met with upfront radio support from Gilles Peterson and Jamz Supernova, kind words from Soul Bounce & Saint Heron and was premiered via The Fader.
The moment “Cure” unfurls, so do the sweltering, bluesy vocals of Amber Navran, whose soothing words provide comfort as they ask for trust. Written about falling for somebody who’s still getting over their ex, Navran’s vocals croon over a bed of soft synth and keyboard flourishes that were inspired by Stevie Wonder’s ‘70s era. The beat is swathed in a cool LA sound, whilst saccharine guitar strums, and a newly found love for sampling bird songs are captured in glittering refrains.
What moves me about these opening lyrics? Amber is so creative and free with her voice. It is luring. It is calming. It is “stop right there and let me say this to you” worthy. I have replayed those very lyrics more times than I care to count. They are balm to a hurting soul. They are needed in times of anguish and pain. I hope they move you, too.
For the next eight Sundays, I’ll share with you my favorite opening lyrics to songs I truly love. Maybe you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you won’t. Perhaps you’ll share favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.
This will probably be my favorite segment on my blog in a very long time! Welcome to Opening Lyrics to Songs That I Love!
3X Grammy award-winning superstar, Lizzo has become a household name with over 5 billion global streams and a platinum selling debut album to date.
With the help of anthemic smash hits like the 7x Platinum “Truth Hurts,” the 3x Platinum “Good As Hell,” and the 2x Platinum “Juice,” Lizzo released her Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records debut album CUZ I LOVE YOU on April 19th 2019, debuting at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and spending 24 consecutive weeks in the chart’s Top 10.
Why these opening lyrics?! Are you kidding me?! Why not! Out the gate, Lizzo tells you she’s a bad, thick bitch, it’s her time, and she’s still flirty regardless of all she’s been through. It gets no better than that for me.
For the next nine Sundays, I’ll share with you my favorite opening lyrics to nine more songs I truly love. Maybe you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you won’t. Perhaps you’ll share favorite opening lyrics to songs you love as well. Perhaps you won’t. Either way, we’re going to have a good damn time.
The good news about the current status of my eyes has floored me.
Morning shenanigans at the Optometrist’s office. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
To hear the words, “You have 20/20 vision,” and try to contain my emotion — keep my cool was a poor happenstance on my part. The emotion flowed out of me, and I am still overcome with it. I have keratoconus (as well as astigmatism in both eyes, and I am near-sighted), and I have been toggling between an Ophthalmologist/Corneal Specialist and an Optometrist (who specializes in corneal diseases) for four years. I have been wearing scleral contacts for three years… this, my third year, granted me 20/20 vision, something I had no immediate recognition of since I was about 12 years old.
It’s a blessing. It’s a wonder. It’s a miracle. I do not take it for granted, and I am thankful for everyone who has handled my vision care for the last four years. At this time, I do not have to have a procedure called Corneal Collagen Cross-linking to further assist with keratoconus, the contacts are doing — have been doing their job.
If I could properly describe what I am feeling right now, I would. But there are no words for it. NONE. I see God everywhere —literally now and figuratively, and He’s still on time.
To those of you who have been following my story about living with keratoconus since February of 2021, thank you for still being here. It’s been a long and tortuous journey, and I have had to make so many life changes to better enhance my vision, and I am so happy I did. I do not take any of it for granted, not one thing.
God is in the blessing business. I know because “he keeps on blessing me.” And just because this is one of my favorite gospel songs, I am sharing this version with you. Happy Thursday!
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-BookandPaperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak aboutthe most recent events with my place of employment as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.
“I know who I am. God wrote it in his plan for me.”
Jonathan Nelson featuring Purpose. My Name is Victory.
I will share “Something To Think About” for the next seven weeks on Sunday afternoons. It may be a quote, a picture, an interesting phrase I heard, artwork, etc. Whatever I share will surely be intriguing or involving enough to spark a casual discussion or in-depth conversation. Stay tuned every Sunday for this feature!
Honey, the sopranos are NOT PLAYING while singing, “I know who I am!” They came to praise and worship, OKAY!
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-BookandPaperback) yet?
I recently signed up to write on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing as I speak aboutthe most recent events with my place of employment as it pertains to racism and discrimination. I welcome your visit.
Please understand, that the following YouTube Shorts I am about to share are things that bring me so much joy. I love to see people dancing, enjoying themselves, and simply having a good time. I AM HERE FOR ALL OF THIS!
BAYBAY, whose wedding party is this?! Next time, I better get an invite!
Neck muscles working overtime, honey bunnies! Yaasss!!!
I don’t see any women in the mix, but I legit would have been standing on the sidelines cheering all of these beautiful men on; I am gathering it has to be a ceremonial celebration for and/or involving only men.
December 11, 2022, Ájá was born, and she’s thriving!
Ájá’s Beginning:2022 – 2023
Ájá’s Changes in the Middle: 2023 – 2024
Ájá’s Present: 2025
On Saturday, January 04, 2025, I ventured to my loctician’s place for her to wash and retighten my hair. For those of you who have followed me on my locs journey since December 2022, thank you for still being here. I am so in love with my hair, it’s not even funny. I do not know how to describe this feeling I get every time I look at Ájá’s progress. Fromthe very first postI shared about this journey to the last one before today, I have grown right along with my hair, and it has been such an amazing time for both of us!
Because I am a curious person, and I wanted to know how many locs I have managed to grow from the roots–I asked my loctician if she would count them. And count them, she did! As of yesterday, I have 186 locs! Y’all, wOW! I told my co-worker this past Friday I wanted to know exactly how many I have, and she looked at me, smiled, and said, “A LOT!” And we both giggled like two little school girls watching our crushes push words together to shoot at some other little girls who aren’t pennies to our dimes. Knowing this number gives me an idea of just how much hair is on my head. Knowing this number catapults my love for Ájá to even higher heights. It signifies G R O W T H, literally.
And with all of this happiness about my hair, I fell into sadness when I realized I could not share any of this withChrissy. Try as I might, I failed miserably when the tears started to fall. I do not have my cousin around to run to with the details of these milestones. I can’t hear her smile through the phone–see her well up with joy over my excitement–listen to her congratulatory words of appreciation and wisdom . . . It has been hard these last two years and eleven months, and February will be three years she has been gone. I still have her number saved in my phone. I won’t delete it. I have so many of her old text messages as screenshots and I pull them up from time to time and reread them.
I am grateful for the many memories we created. What hurts the most is when I see some of my family members back home or I share photos of me with them and they say, “Ooh, you look just like Chrissy,” and I have to smile and nod–nod and smile, and say, “Yes, I am told this often.” It feels like raising a mirror up to one’s face only to be saddened by what is reflected back to you. It’s grief, I know, and I also know it comes in waves. It never gives up. It lingers in the shadows, simply waiting for the right time to strike again.
But I sat with my feelings. I sit with my feelings of sadness when they come. I acknowledge them. I allow them to have their say in the matter. I pull out a chair for their company and when they have finished expressing themselves, I breathe a heavy sigh of relief, and I try my best to move on. They will always be here and grief will pop up occasionally to remind me I am still a living, breathing, and feeling human being. And I can’t be mad at that.
It’s the Little Things, as India Arie says, that gets me through every single day. And something as simple yet magnificent as the growth of my hair lights up my life.
Above is Ájá’s growth in phases. From 2022 to 2023, and 2023 to 2024. Then, finally, from 2024 to present day in 2025. It stupefies me on so many levels that something as strong as hair can go from 3 inches to 6 inches to 8 inches, and that it will continue to grow as long as one cares for it and maintains its health.
Isn’t that us, too, though? We will continue to grow as long as we or someone else nourishes, cares for, and maintains our heart, mind, body, and soul? The wondrous thing about being alive is knowing your chances of changing and blooming into who you want to be comes along when you awaken to another day. And every day I am gifted, I will use to continue to bloom. I have been planted in this place to shoot through the dirt and share who I am with other living, breathing human beings.
And really, why would I not want to do just that? I began this journey with microlocs, however, some of my locs have matted and combined to become one and are bigger than microlocs, so I have begun simply saying, “locs.” At first, I couldn’t believe this was happening. It was as if my hair decided to morph without my permission, and then I said to myself, “Love, your hair is doing what it is meant to do.” And now, I welcome whatever it is doing as it continues along this winding path of ours.
Whatever Ájá has in store for us, I am here for it–all of it! This . . . this place she has led me to is a place I love and every bone in my body has no intention of moving at all. This is where we will be until the party becomes the after-party.
And even then . . . we’ll still be around somewhere. You’ll just have to look for us. But you won’t have to search long. And on that, I give you my word.
A Cornered Gurl 
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