Let the Music Play

I think anyone who has not heard Shannon's "Let the Music Play" must have been hiding under a rock during the 80s -- and maybe even beyond.  This song was a huge hit when it was released in 1983, and I honestly think it has not lost one bit of momentum since that time.  It was considered the first "freestyle" song due to it's Latin-inspired rhythms, synthesizer, and drum machine beats.  I still struggle with what "freestyle" is, but that's okay, because this song is a winner.  I challenge anyone to listen and not get up and dance!

Meanwhile, I paid some attention to the lyrics back in the day -- although I reviewed them again this evening.  Aside from the chorus, I distinctly remember, "Guess he discovered we are truly lovers, magic from the very start..."  Something about "magic" and the word "lovers" in songs does it for me.  I mean, they are both great -- right?  I love the idea of "magic," and "lovers" is just kind of a word that can live in a song lyric.  We don't really use it much in casual speech, though.  I mean, you wouldn't hear someone say, "yes, they are lovers" or "hello, I'd like you to meet my lover" -- although it works really well in songs.  And, little did I know that love actually speaks in this song as well!  Shannon sings, "We started dancing and love put us into a groove...but now he's with somebody new...what does love want me to do?  Love said -- let the music play...he won't get away...just keep the groove and then he'll come back to you again..."  WOW!  I must have missed "love said" after all these years -- or maybe I heard it and assumed it was the wrong lyric.  Well -- thank goodness!  Love has spoken.  Listen to love -- love knows best!  Let the music play!  From now on, I will listen to love.

As for the video, it's pretty simple.  As a young girl, I was mesmerized by Shannon putting on lipstick with a brush in the beginning.  Simple things wowed me as a child.  The video is pretty simple, too, with Shannon front and center and some ballet-type dancers in the background.  The simplicity makes sense, because the song stands oh-so-well on its own.  She could be singing outdoors in the streets of New York, and it would be just as amazing.  This groove you can't ignore -- that's for sure.  Enjoy!