MUSICinsideU: Cannonball

by Benjamin O'Loughlin

Experience: When you lose the person you care about the most, your world simply ends. How do you keep going? How do you come back to life?

Music Video: Lea Michele wanders around three different sets: an abandoned house, a mirror lined room, a dark empty hall with dangling strings of lights. Each one symbolizes a different aspect of grief: the windows of the mansion are boarded up to keep the daylight out, the mirrors don't let Lea see anything but her own sad face, and the pale purple and white lights hold her attention, but don't offer any warmth. But at the 3-minute-point, when the daylight dims and leaves her in almost total darkness, the beat and the lyrics pick back up and Lea finds the courage to "get out into the world again" - a fourth set appears, with bright colorful spotlights, and Lea walks into them as Cannonball ends.

Meaning of Cannonball: Just five months after her boyfriend Cory Monteith died of an overdose, Lea Michele gives us Cannonball. It's the story of her breakdown, of when she was scared to death and losing her mind. But it's also the story of her hope. The key to finding the light at the end of the tunnel? Running in from the pain will only drive you deeper and deeper into isolation. Lea chose suffering and pain, and used them as a door back out into life. She accepted that would always be there inside her, and added the warmth of daylight - a new stab at life - to the mix.

Ask Yourself: Do you run from your pain, or do you accept it as part of you?

LYRICS:

Breakdown

I was scared to death I was losing my mind

Breakdown

I couldn’t close my eyes I was pacing all night

I think I found the light out the end of the tunnel

I couldn’t find the truth I was going under

But I won’t hide inside

I gotta get out, gotta get out

Gotta get out, gotta get out

Lonely inside and light the fuse

Light it now, light it now, light it now

And now I will start living today

Today, today I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I’ll fly like a cannonball

Like a cannonball

I’ll fly, I’ll fly, I’ll fly like a cannonball

Freedom

I let go of fear and the peace came quickly

Freedom

I was in the dark and then it hit me

I chose suffering and pain in the falling rain

I know, I gotta get out into the world again

But I won’t hide inside

I gotta get out, gotta get out

Gotta get out, gotta get out

Lonely inside and light the fuse

Light it now, light it now, light it now

And now I will start living today

Today, today I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I’ll fly like a cannonball

Like a cannonball

I’ll fly, I’ll fly, I’ll fly like a cannonball

Breakdown

I was scared to death I was losing my mind

Breakdown

I gotta get out into the world again

And now I will start living today

Today, today I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I’ll fly like a cannonball

Like a cannonball

I’ll fly, I’ll fly, I’ll fly like a cannonball

Like a cannonball

I’ll fly, I’ll fly, I’ll fly like a cannonball

Cannonball - Lea Michele