Move on up

An article about Curtis Mayfield popped up on Facebook today. Singing his praises for the role he played in the Civil Rights movement, singing his praises for his beautiful voice and inspirational lyrics. Last week I was enjoying a coffee and chat in the wonderful Cafe #9. Move on Up came on over the speakers. It's a song that always stops me in my tracks. It has on occasion made me cry in public. It was released as I was going through a dreadful time in my late teens, and it became a personal anthem. Curtis Mayfield's lyrics both comforted and encouraged me. ' Hush now child, and don't you cry, your folks might understand you by and by'. But the line that always leaps out is 'Take nothing less than the second best.' A light hearted but serious discussion broke out in the cafe. My friend revealed that he had interpreted this as the ultimate compromise. The song and the singer had disappointed him as a result and it had lost its meaning for him. For me, at the age of seventeen, these words were realistically comforting . Curtis seemed to be saying that you could get where you wanted to be in steps and stages. Keep expectations and dreams manageable and you won't be let down or disappointed. In time I realised that he was writing about the Civil Rights movement as much as he was writing something relevant to my teenage dilemmas. In the week when the world's attention has been focussed on America, and history seems in danger of moving into reverse gear, Curtis Mayfield's music has never seemed more relevant.