“Words,” the Bee Gees

Strange as it may sound, I’ve been thinking about the Bee Gees of late–particularly about their song “Words.” I know. I know. I should be considering Christmas carols and festive musical favorites (of which I have more than a few) now that it is December, and we are fully into the most wonderful time of the year; but I’ve been trying to work in as much writing and reading as I can during the ever-increasing busyness of the holiday season we’ve been in since October. I think most of us of a certain age become rather nostalgic and, sometimes, even melancholy as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach. And this year, we have lost several people near and dear to our little community, adding layers of yearning and poignancy as we consider their lives and ours without them.

So, where do the Bee Gees come in? As I said, I’ve been trying hard to write and read amongst so much going on and so much to do, and I have naturally been thinking about words. Lots of them, the reading and writing of them. And lines from the song “Words” slip into my mind: “You think that I don’t even mean/ A single word I say./ It’s only words, and words are all I have/ To take your heart away. In the song of course, these lines are sung to assure the object of the singer’s love that he is sincere. They are not “only words.” The song has always spoken to me because of the importance of words and the care we must take with them. “It’s only words” and “sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us.” Yet, all of us, particularly those who care a lot about words, know that words are powerful. They are what we have “to take your heart away.”

I hope we all will give many good words to others before we say goodbye to 2023 and will remember that most important of all is this time of year when we celebrate that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and told His love to us. May December be a blessed month for you, your families, and friends, and may we always remember to let the Word dwell among us.