The Power of Music: Breaking Down Emotional Walls
There’s something incredible about music—it doesn’t just ask us to listen; it asks us to feel.
Rediscovering "WALLS" by Kings of LeonI recently found myself drawn back to a song I hadn’t listened to in a long time. For weeks, a line from Kings of Leon’s "WALLS" kept playing over and over in my head: “Western girl with eastern eyes. Took a wrong turn and found a surprise.” It was almost as if the lyric was calling me back to something I needed to explore. But it wasn’t just that one line. As I listened closely, another lyric surfaced: “I can never point you out.” That line made me pause and reflect even deeper.
It was almost like the song was speaking directly to me—about parts of myself I hadn’t fully faced yet. It wasn’t just the words or the melody, it was how the song became a mirror, reflecting back things I needed to confront.
Music Discovery Challenge
Before diving into my story, I’d love for you to try something yourself. Revisit an old playlist or song you haven’t listened to in a while.
As you listen, pay attention to how it makes you feel now. Is there a specific lyric or melody that stands out? What memories or emotions come up?
Sometimes, the music we’re drawn to at different points in life tells us something important about where we are emotionally.
Let me know how this experience goes for you—send me a message or leave a comment. I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
Connecting the Song to Personal Growth
The lyric, ‘Western girl with eastern eyes, took a wrong turn and found a surprise,’ spoke to me on a level that felt almost uncanny. It wasn’t just about geographical or cultural identities for me—it was about the deeper spiritual journey I’ve taken, especially through my experiences with yoga and Eastern philosophy. That line reflected how those so-called ‘wrong turns’ in life led me to find deeper meaning and self-awareness. Looking back, I realize those twists and turns were essential for my growth.
But the lyric ‘I can never point you out’ struck an even more profound chord within me. It reflected a part of my life that I hadn’t fully acknowledged. It made me realize that I had been spending so much of my energy protecting others, even those who took advantage of my vulnerability. This self-reflection was hard to confront, but the song helped me see that I needed to shift my focus back to myself—to take care of my own heart and well-being.
Reflection Pause
Now, I want to invite you to pause and reflect on your own experiences. Have you ever had a song or a lyric stay with you for days or weeks, like it was asking you to pay attention to something within yourself?
Take a moment to think about a time when a song brought up unexpected emotions.
What was it about the song that moved you? Was it a specific lyric or melody, or perhaps the timing of when you heard it?
If you’re able to, write it down or just sit with that thought for a moment. Sometimes, music gives us clues about emotions we’ve been avoiding.
The Power of Music and Emotional Release
When I finally played “WALLS” in its entirety, it became too much to hold back. The lyrics, the melody—it all built up inside me, and before I knew it, I broke down in tears. It wasn’t just sadness; it was an emotional release I didn’t know I needed. I had been holding on to so much—protecting others, carrying their burdens—and the song gave me permission to let it all go.
That’s the power of music. It can strip away the layers we hide behind and bring emotions to the surface that we didn’t even know were there. It doesn’t have to mean the same thing to everyone, either.
The artist may have had one story in mind when they wrote the song, but for me, it became something completely different. It was a reflection of my emotional journey—about learning to protect myself and recognize my own value. And that’s what makes music so powerful. It allows us to project our own experiences onto it, making it personal, intimate, and deeply moving.
As I continued reflecting on the lyrics, I began to see just how much I’d been protecting others at the cost of my own emotional well-being. This reflection led me deeper—revealing emotional walls I hadn’t fully acknowledged, walls I had built around myself over time.
Realizing the Walls We Build
The more I listened to the song, the more it became clear: I had built emotional walls around myself. These weren’t just defenses from hurt—they were barriers keeping me from fully feeling and healing. The lyric, ‘I can never point you out,’ showed me how I’d been focusing on others, protecting people who didn’t protect me, while leaving myself vulnerable.
But the song didn’t let me hide from these realizations. It was as if it was pushing me to face the emotions I’d been avoiding.
Music has a way of reaching into the parts of ourselves we try to ignore. And for me, this song was the key to unlocking something I hadn’t fully dealt with—the walls I’d built over time to protect myself from pain. But instead of protecting me, those walls were isolating me from my own emotions.
When I finally allowed myself to listen to the song fully and confront what I had been holding inside, it all came crashing down, and I had a much-needed emotional release.
Music, in its quiet but powerful way, had helped me start dismantling those barriers, allowing me to feel deeply and heal.
The Universality of Music’s Power
This experience reminded me that music is more than just sound—it’s a tool for emotional transformation. It helped me see the emotional walls I had built, and by bringing those emotions to the surface, it gave me the strength to start dismantling them.
The power of music is that it invites us to confront what we’ve been avoiding. It speaks to us in ways we sometimes can’t articulate, pushing us toward the growth and healing we didn’t even know we needed.
So, the next time a song stirs something in you, don’t ignore it. Let it in. Let it guide you to the emotions you’ve kept hidden and the walls you’ve built.
Because once those walls fall, we can finally start to heal and grow.
Conclusion
When we allow ourselves to feel, we take down the walls that keep us from being who we truly are. It’s not always easy, and it’s not always comfortable, but on the other side of that discomfort is power—you.r power.
What song has helped you break down your own walls, or brought up emotions you didn’t expect? Share your story in the comments, or feel free to message me on social media
When the walls fall—when we allow ourselves to feel fully—we reclaim our power. In those vulnerable moments, we rediscover our strength, and that’s where true growth begins.
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