Paramore's "Last Hope" helped me cope with the death of an old friend several years ago, and it's helping me cope today.
The band is a wonder; through various backstage upheavals and membership changes, they've consistently turned lead singer Hayley Williams' intensely confessional lyrics into snarling emo-punk or danceable pop or soaring rock anthems. "Last Hope" is no exception. Williams sings about despairing of the future and confronting a dark night of the soul, but finds hope in letting go of control and embracing her pain rather than resisting or avoiding it:
And the salt in my wounds
isn't burning any more than it used to
It's not that I don't feel the pain
It's just I'm not afraid of hurting anymore
The only way out is through. (And it's no less true for being familiar advice.) The message is spiritually akin to the last lines of Paul Simon's "The Cool, Cool River": to accept the hurt, and work through it, is not an act of surrender but of survival. And while Williams may sing "It's just a spark," onstage in front of a human throng it becomes something incandescent:
Go here for the full lyrics -- which have been extensively annotated by fans, if you're interested in how the song specifically relates to Williams and the band. For me the song itself, its spark of solace, is enough.
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