Parkinson’s: Fight Song

“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.” Satchel Paige

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe

Introduction: Living with Parkinson’s is a daily fight (in my mind) because Parkinson’s is always trying to get you to stay and sit, and don’t get up, to remain lethargic a little bit longer, no need to exercise today. Do you see such a fight or conflict? Do something good for you, your body, your mind, and you will continue to fight the right way.

“Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.” Napoleon Hill

The Will to Keep Living: When you start slipping, and you are now staying seated too long, not sleeping well enough, or having bitter and dark thoughts; this is your Parkinson’s gaining an edge, getting ready to take over more and more, and creep a little more fully into your world to help generate chaos for your brain and body, to develop that tired feeling and let’s stay sitting down today because it just does. So the fight against Parkinson’s is constant and everpresent, and it is relentless against you. But you need to have courage; the strength of conviction and willpower will undoubtedly help.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Wendy Mass

The Constancy of the Fight: I think former major league baseball player, Carl Yastrzemski, said it nicely with this comment, “The race doesn’t always belong to the swift nor the battle to the strong. It belongs rather to those who run the race, who stay the course and who fight the good fight.” This simply says to me, you may not be the best-equipped person to mount a challenge to your own Parkinson’s, but having the willpower and bringing the best effort you can give is what it takes to maintain your edge in the fight against your disorder. So stay strong, stay focused. And if you start to lose focus and drive, turn to your fight song.

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” Muhammad Ali

The Fight Song: What makes a good song? The beat and its musical sound, coupled with meaningful lyrics that stick in your heart and head? The theme I’ve chosen is not one you’d have expected based on my previous music picked. It is a relatively new song from 2015, “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten: She explains why she wrote the song. “Ten months ago I was on a house concert tour in a van playing to like twenty or thirty people a night,” Platten said in an interview for the ABC News special “The Year: 2015” hosted by ABC News’ Robin Roberts. “I wrote the song when I was going through such a hard time and I needed to remember to believe in myself. … So the fact that it’s reached anyone other than me is really incredible.” (to read more click here).

When you are tired of it all, Parkinson’s is trying to hit you hard, think and remember these lines, “This is my fight song / Take back my life song / Prove I’m alright song.” See if this works for you.

And come back to these words for further lifting up, “My power’s turned on / Starting right now I’ll be strong / I’ll play my fight song / And I don’t really care if nobody else believes /
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left.”

At the end of a long day of living with your disorder, remind yourself that “Know I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.” Ultimately, your effort matters because, in the end, you are fighting for yourself. The combatants are Parkinson’s and you, so don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” Christian D. Larson

The Contenders: Some of the songs I have already described, “Won’t Back Down” and “Don’t Give Up” are good examples of songs that sing to your inner-self to fight against your disorder. Now with my generation, you are probably thinking okay, it’s going to be “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, possibly “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, or maybe even “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor from the movie Rocky III (NOTE: this video recaps the entire movie, so if you ever want to watch the movie, do not watch the video!).

“Wisdom is merely the movement from fighting life to embracing it.” Rasheed Ogunlaru

Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I’m chasing sleep
Everybody’s worried about me
In too deep
Say I’m in too deep (in too deep)
And it’s been two years I miss my home
But there’s a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong (I’ll be strong)
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Know I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Source: LyricFindSongwriters: Dave Bassett / Rachel PlattenFight Song lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

“My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results… but it is the effort that’s heroic, as I see it. Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight.” George R. R. Martin

Cover Photo Image by S Scholz from Pixabay