There is probably a lyric that lives in your head rent free. You might even like it. It might have changed your life. It might just be a curiosity. You might have no idea what it means—or it might not mean anything at all.

I have hundreds of them.

So today, I’m launching a new monthly series called One Liner dedicated to lyrics like this. I’ll share a handwritten photo of the lyric and share a brief thought.

It’ll be a celebration of the lyric as an art form and a challenge for me to be more brief. Challenge accepted.

One Liner: Open by The Cure

I grew up in a wild place. Coyotes. Eagles. Cougars. Rattlesnakes. Scorpions. Bears. No shortage of predators like the wise owls that hunt the cute furry ones under the cover of night. Every now and then the sound of hysterical laughter would invade. When it wasn’t a coyote, it was most likely a rabbit slowly succumbing to talons and a beak. Ironically, as I write this I both cringe and chuckle at the thought. Poor bunnies.

Also, bunnies: Nature’s snacks. The animal kingdom was way ahead of us on the snackable protein craze.

When things get stupid at work, or the world is spinning out of control in the most insane ways, this is the lyric I find myself reaching for. Of all lyrics ever written I’ve probably quoted this one the most. There are myriads of ways to suffer in the world, and sometimes all you can do is laugh. Not all the time. But sometimes it’s the right thing to do, just Like an animal in pain...

Listen to Open by The Cure.

Talk soon...