Everyone's an Expert
On the deluge of commentary and the need for love
This post was just about ready to go when the US-Iran war began.
I immediately wondered: would this song and message be relevant? Am I called to comment on current events, or to try, through creative effort, to tap into some peace or beauty that might offer a counterpoint?
I decided on the second option, and returned to the song I’d been working on before the war broke out.
“Everyone’s an Expert” was written in its original form almost twenty years ago, when I was volunteering as the songwriter-in-residence for a community radio program.1 At that time, I was noticing a new proliferation of independent content and was wondering—even then—how much of that content was actually needed, while realizing that I too was contributing to the deluge. Back then, social media was just beginning to transform our world. Now the lyrics “everybody’s got a book, they’ve got a new CD” seem downright quaint.
These days, as the world ricochets from crisis to crisis, I notice in myself a tendency to get hooked on content and commentary, likely because they provide some (false) sense of control. Meanwhile, I find myself diverted from the areas of life that call for my love and care.
Like all creative expression, songwriting can remind us to slow down and care for what’s in front of us…such as our primary relationships, our homes and communities, and our connection with the Creative Presence (by whatever name we call it).
When songs have lived with us a long time, they have the opportunity to mature along with us. In the case of “Everyone’s an Expert,” its lyrics have now changed to reflect the reality that at this later stage of life, I feel much less like an “expert” than I used to…especially when it comes to my marriage of almost 36 years! On my good days at least, I find myself showing up with curiosity and an open mind. (The original lyric “all I know is you” has changed to “all I need is you.”)
“Everyone’s An Expert” has traveled with me a long time, though it’s seldom been shared with others and wasn’t formally recorded. I’m grateful to see today how it can grow and change as I do, revealing more layers of meaning than I could see before.2 Spending time with the song (or any creative work) helps me to stay present amidst all the commotion of life, returning to love again and again.
My own new book “Songwriting as Soul Work” is now making its way into the world, and can be ordered through many online retailers and local bookstores. If you’d like to receive a complimentary e-book for review purposes, or chat with me about it, let me know!
Everyone’s an expert / everywhere you go / smart as any textbook / talking ‘bout the things they know / Everybody’s interesting / *They’ve got their point-of-view* / Everyone’s an expert / all I need is you.
Everybody’s got a book / They’ve got a new cd / and everybody wants the *hook* that / gets them on tv / and everyone’s extraordinary3 / Look at the cards they drew / Everyone’s an expert / all I need is you.
I am still a student here / reading you, year after year / I look at you, I take you in / I look away, turn back again / And it won’t earn me any prize / won’t put me in the public’s eyes / but loving you through thick and thin / *I’d like to be* an expert in…
Everyone’s got answers / solutions they have found / But we’re just two *hungry*4 dancers / on this patch of shaky ground5 / and in these times so uncertain / I wish we had a clue / Everyone’s an expert / all I need is you.
All I hope to understand / is written in your open hand / The answers I am looking for / are in your heart for evermore / and if we learn the meaning of / this mystery that we call love / then love will bring us to our knees / We’ll always need more expertise…
Everyone’s an expert / everywhere you go / smart as any textbook / talking ‘bout the things they know / *But love is all that matters now* / *Only love will do* / Everyone’s an expert / all I need is you / Everyone’s an expert / all I need is you.
Here’s the original version and performance on CIUT-FM in Toronto, 2007.
In the lyrics above, I’ve indicated with asterisks where the new version has been updated from the original.
A terrific book I recently discovered: The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Finding Happiness Right Where You Are by Dr. Ronald Siegel.
The word “hungry“ (originally “humble”) was completely unplanned and came out unexpectedly in performance.
Speaking of “shaky ground,” our house shook as I completed this post, because of a major subway construction project going on very close to our home.
What a meaningful reflection on our world and our particular lives, Lynn. And 'Everyone's an Expert' captures so.much of what I feel. Thank you for so generously sharing of your soul work and your creativity.