KJLS-FM 103.3 10am Sundays
January 18, 2026
“Early Relationships”
Part 1
Hello, Central Kansas and around the world! Welcome to “Message at the Top,” and happy winter as most of our area still feels the effects of that season. We have a way to go before Spring. Hopefully, you have found a way to stay warm. Welcome to Mix 103’s unique top 10 show, “Message at the Top”. I am Fr. Mike, your host and get ready for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by our own research and Mediabase 24-7 as of today, January 18, 2026. We here at Mix 103 continue to give you only the very best in radio entertainment, / and that includes not only the songs that we play, songs from artists like Alex Warren and occasionally some songs from the 80’s like from the band Mike and the Mechanics, and their messages as well. This morning, we have top 10 songs from today and yesterday, concentrating on the current top 10 and top 10 songs of the recent past. We are calling our show “Early Relationships” this morning since we have a lead song that deals with beginning love relationships and the ups and downs of that love.
The song that inspires it is from newcomer to our chart, country pop singer Russell Dickerson who will be 39 this year from Union City, Tennessee. The song is near the top 10 called “Happen to Me” and is about a very early relationship. She is fresh from a breakup and is drinking in a local bar, and the man meets her, and then she “happens to him.” “She said, ‘Shut up, come and dance with me,’” he sings, “and now she’s singin’ ‘Girls just wanna have fun’ at the top of her lungs. Don’t even know she’s about to wreck someone, and I’m in trouble now, ain’t even tryna get out. So, come on, take me down. Don’t know what happened tonight, don’t know what happened last week; don’t know what hppened to her, but she’s about to happen to me.” And then in a pessimistic way, he sings “She’ll probably be the one who got away. But right now, I’m takin’ every second I can take, so keep talkin’, and we keep drinkin’. Oh, and I keep on fallin’ and she keeps on singin.’”
Doesn’t sound like a really great beginning to their relationship, but it is a beginning no matter what it sounds like. And it can be a guide for us as we listen to our 22 songs from popular music on our show today. We’ll play what she is singing as part of our double play to begin our show, and let’s take that theme of “Early Relationships,” and talk about some do’s and don’t’s as we listen to our songs.
To start us off, the song we’re talking about, Russell Dickerson, “Happen to Me” from his album “Famous Back Home” on MATT.
(double) HAPPEN TO ME / Russell Dickerson
GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN / Cyndi Lauper
Part 2
The song that the lady in Russell Dickerson’s song “Happen to Me” keeps singing. The one and only Cyndi Lauper from her album “She’s So Unusual” and her 1983 song “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” The story in song is this: the mother of the person in the song says “when are you gonna live your life right?” Her response: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”. Her father calls in the middle of the night, no doubt to a party she is attending, and says “what are you gonna do with your life.” Her response “Girls just want to have fun.” We have gone on record / on this show of talking of the importance of having fun—no problem with that. Our problem has revolved around having too much fun, which may be the case there. It fits into our theme this way: having too much fun is a way to begin an early relationship, but such a beginning just may be the end of it as well. Interesting double play to begin with this morning.
Our first triple play begins with the man in the relationship singing: “Lessons learned, bridges burned to the ground, and it’s too late now to put out the fire, tables turned, and I’m the one who’s burning now. Well I’m doing alright, ‘til I close my eyes, and then I see your face, and it’s no surprise: just like that, I’m crawling back to you just like you said I would. I swallow my pride, now, I’m crawling back to you. I’m out of my head, can’t wait any longer, down on my knees. I thought I was stronger.” The man in the relationship had hurt her in the past, he realizes what he has done, and so he is coming back to her, presumably asking for forgiveness, but you’re not sure from the song whether she gives it to him or not. In early relationships, our theme today, we have to be very careful because we could hurt a relationship pretty easily. MATT presenting Chris Daughtry and band and their song “Crawling Back to You” from Daughtry’s album “Break the Spell” from the year 2011 on MATT.
(triple) CRAWLING BACK TO YOU / Daughtry
STAY THE NIGHT Zedd f/ Hayley Williams
9 BETTER ME FOR YOU / Max McNown
Part 3
Bend, Oregon-born Max Winter McNown from his album “Night Diving”, number 9 on our playlist and “Better Me For You” on MATT. It is a song that says when we fall in love with someone who is a better person than we are, it is good for us. The man in the relationship was not a very good person before he met her. “Love was a game I played,” he begins his song, and he went off the deep end because of too much drinking, but then he met his girlfriend like an angel waiting. “I didn’t know you’d have brown eyes, like to pray to Jesus, spending Friday nights at home. Didn’t know you’d be the strong kind, deeper than a coal mine lovin’ with a heart of gold. You’re everything that I’m not, everything that I want. There’s a God and you’re proof in those brown eyes. I know that I got to find a better me for you.” And the presumption is that he changes for the better. In terms of our theme this week, having the type of attitude that he has is a great way to work with an early relationship.
Before him, we heard the song featured on my website www.frmikescully.com today from German producer and DJ Anton Zaslavski better known as Zedd and here featuring Hayley Nichole Williams, the lead singer of the rock group Paramore. It comes from Zedd’s album “Clarity”, and their song “Stay the Night”from 2012. The song is an invitation for another to stay the night, and because the relationship is in such a mess, he should not stay the night unless they are trying to work it out, IMHO. In the song, they are not trying to work it out—they only want the feeling. “I know that we are upside down,” she sings, “so hold your tongue and hear me out. I know that we were made to break. So what, I don’t mind. Are you gonna stay the night, doesn’t mean we’re bound for life.” Like I say, it seems that they have some work to do on their relationship. And if it is an early relationship, our theme today, it probably will be over pretty soon.
Important words being said here, not because I said them, but because if people would know them and learn from them, we’d be able to understand our life a little more, I think. Let me take you to break with this thought from author Stuart Chase who died in 1985: “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” Pretty heavy stuff. Our show is called MATT; I am Fr. Mike, and I hope your January Sunday is a good one for you. Don’t go way; “Message at the Top” on Mix 103 will be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 4
This is MATT and it is so good to have you back with us. We welcome you back to the top 10 songs of our area as of the week ending today, and we welcome you back to some top 10 songs of the past as well. And with our music, we always give the meanings of the songs. I’m Fr. Mike, your host for the only top 10 show of its kind in this area, maybe in the world, the show that takes the top songs and explains their messages, and then we call the show “Message at the Top.” The topic of our show this morning was given to us by Russell Dickerson and his song “Happen To Me,” that topic being “Early Relationships.”
And let’s see how this double play of top 10 songs fits into that theme today. It begins with the song at number 5 on our current playlist, a song about the strong feelings of a love that the man in the relationship had at the moment of the song. “You should see the way the stars illuminate your silhouette,” he begins his song, “I had to count to ten and take a breath. You think that you don’t have beauty in abundance, but you do. That’s the truth. You’re frozen in moment, a perfect picture in a frame. Some visions don’t ever fade. I don’t need a camera when you’re in my eyes.” So, some nice poetry about the way his friend looks, and in terms of our theme this morning, the lady in the relationship is not convinced about her relationship yet because of her inferiority complex, and it may cause a breakup. But you get the feeling from the song that they will work it out because they seem to be able to talk. And that will make them both happy, whether it is an early relationship, our theme today, or not. From Ed Sheeran’s album “Play,” this is his song “Camera”, number 5 on MATT.
(double) 5 CAMERA / Ed Sheeran
10 DAISIES / Justin Bieber
Part 5
A song that speaks of the makeup of a permanent commitment again from his latest album “Swag”, number 10 this morning, and “Daisies”, Canadian singer/songwriter Justin Bieber on MATT. “’Throwin' petals like, "Do you love me or not?” he begins his song, “Head is spinnin', and it don't know when to stop. You said ‘Forever’; did you mean it or not? Hold on, And if it ain't right, you know I respect it. But if you need time, just take your time. I get it. Way you got me all in my head, Whatever it is, you know I can take it. I'm countin' the days, how many days 'til I can see you again?” It is an important point that even though the permanent commitment has been made, there are still question marks, questions which the emotions of the moment only make more difficult and there must be days of re-commitment, and important words said in the process, especially if it is an early relationship, our theme today.
We continue to play most of our songs in triple play, and we begin this one with a song about fixing cracks in life and love. He sings: “A broken heart is all that’s left; I’m still fixing all the cracks. Lost a couple of pieces when I carried it home. I’m afraid of all I am, my mind feels like a foreign land. I’ve spent all of the love I saved; we were always a losing game—small town boy in a big arcade. I got addicted to a losing game.” Being addicted to a losing game is pretty descriptive of something that has ended in a lot of pain. In the process of describing the breakup, he says, that he is still fixing the cracks, and in terms of our theme this week, building early love relationships has a bunch of cracks, and if one wants to fix them, he/she ought to go about it carefully because you can easily hurt the other in the process. This is Dutch singer Duncan de Moor better known as Duncan Laurence and featuring Cari Elise Fletcher better known simply as Fletcher, and their song from 2021 from Duncan Laurence’s album “Small Town Boy”, and the song “Arcade” on MATT.
(triple) ARCADE / Duncan Lawrence f/ Fletcher
FAST CAR / Luke Combs
7 GONE, GONE, GONE / David Guetta, Teddy Swims, Tones & I
Part 6
That was David Guetta, Teddy Swims and Tones and I, at number 7 on our playlist, “Gone, Gone, Gone” on MATT. One of the people who write about these songs says that the song itself explores the intensity and volatility of a passionate relationship. “We were fire,” they sing, “impossible to tame like oil in the ocean, no way to put out the flame. We were just runnin, eyes closed in the dark, headed for a wall, full speed, oh, it’s about to leave a mark. I only want you when you’re gone, playing like we’re done. I love your game, drive me insane.” That is, the feelings of an intense relationship are not easy to study or understand because they are too mixed up. What is necessary is that we work with those feelings so that we have an idea of what they mean to the person so that good decisions can be made and probably those decisions can only be made once the couple is out of the early relationship, our theme today.
Before them, we heard from his album “Gettin Old”, Mr. Luke Combs, former number 1 and his song, “Fast Car” number 12 in 2024, on MATT. It had previously been a top 10 from the 80’s for Tracy Chapman. It is quite a story in song without a happy ending and its title is the symbol of what many believe to be the answer to happiness, a fast car. Ultimately, it is a song about a life that didn’t work out the way the person wanted. In the story, she wants to have “a feeling that I belonged” as she says. And so, she sets out to fulfill that ambition. She believes the feeling of “being someone” can be accomplished by the fast car. But she changed her mind when she discovered that her family needed her; a good ideal that didn’t last. And the song closes without her having accomplished her goals, and still looking to be someone. So, the story of someone who never quite made it for her to “be someone.” As I study the song in light of our theme today, it may very well be that the early relationships in the saga were ruined by the fast car.
That is our theme this morning, looking at early relationships and seeing what is right and wrong about working with them. Still to come on MATT during the beginning of our second hour together is music from sombr, the 80’s group Mike and the Mechanics, Taylor Swift in double play, and a double play from Meghan Trainor. Let me take you to break with this thought from religious educator Max Lucado: “Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want; faith is the belief that God will do what is right.” Great thought. And something to remember. It is great to have you with us on 100,000 watts of power, Mix 103, and MATT.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
This is indeed the show Message at the Top on Mix 103.3, today’s best music. We know that every song has a message, and that message often can be studied so that we can learn some things about life. Such is our philosophy on this show, and we are back for “Message at the Top”. Thank you for giving us a little of your second last Sunday of January 2026. I’m Fr. Mike, ready to lead you through the second hour of our show as our music leads us to explore the theme of the ins and outs of early relationships. As usual, we invite you to enjoy the music and listen to the message so that the message can help your life and mine be a little better.
We begin our second hour together this morning with a song that is number 4 on our playlist right now. It is a statement of a commitment which I believe is very good. That statement comes from the fact that they have given themselves completely to each other, and now one of them just wants to be friends. It is a contradiction. He sings, “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met?” It seems as though the lady in the relationship wants to have a breakup or at least a temporary time apart, but the two have already made it clear that they are committed to each other. It is unfortunately a common enough experience. In terms of our theme, probably the high emotions of physical togetherness have taken over their lives, and they both must face them, and eventually be content with them as they work their lives from an early love relationship, our theme today, to a later one. Shane Michael Boose here, better known as sombr and his song “Back to Friends” from his album “I Barely Know Her,” at number 4 in our playlist on MATT.
(triple) 4 BACK TO FRIENDS / sombr
THE LIVING YEARS / Mike & the Mechanics
8 OPALITE / Taylor Swift
Part 8
Probably THE most popular album these days is Taylor Swift’s latest, namely, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and the latest of her popular songs for radio play is on that album. It is called “Opalite” on our playlist right now at number 8. Perhaps her own explanation is necessary first. She says that she has always loved opals. Opal is also Travis Kelce’s birthstone, Travis being Taylor’s fiance. Swift took inspiration from the facts connected with opals, saying that opalite is a metaphor for the idea that happiness can be created voluntarily. Opal is also believed to symbolically represent hope, healing and positive energy. She described the song as a song about forgiving yourself for having gone through something that didn’t pan out the way you wanted it to and giving yourself permission to have it all figured out or not marry the first person you ever dated. So she sings: “Life is a song, it ends when it ends; I was wrong, but alright, you were dancing though the lightning strikes, but now the sky is opalite.” The song is about Swift's content state of mind in a happy relationship after some difficult early relationships, our theme today. The lyrics use gemstone metaphors to visualize failed relationships as dark nights, in contrast to happiness as a bright, opalescent sky.
Before her, MATT presented the band Mike and the Mechanics from their album named after that song “The Living Years”. They are a rock band formed in 1984, as a side project, more or less of Mike Rutherford, the founder of the group Genesis and are still active on the music scene. The song is a 10+ category song, the highest I get, a song about children and parents from 1989. In the song, the young person is directed to be aware of the influence of one’s father: “I know that I’m a prisoner to all my father held so dear; I know that I’m a hostage to all his hopes and fears.” The refrain throughout counsels openness with parents, urging the young people to talk with them now—in the living years: “Say it loud, say it clear; it’s too late when we die to admit we don’t see eye to eye.” It recognizes the pain of communication that just doesn’t seem to happen. The song contains one of those great one-liners in rock music: “we all talk a different language talking in defense.” As we think of early relationships, before any love relationships outside our immediate family, there must first be true love within the family. Great song.
In our playlist right now, another song from Ms. Taylor Swift. It cleverly involves a study of one of the plays of William Shakespeare, namely his play “Hamlet” and Hamlet’s once-upon-a-time presumed future wife Ophelia. Her song: “The Fate of Ophelia” at number 6 on MATT. In the story, Mr. Shakespeare has Ophelia drown herself after a rejection from Prince Hamlet and after her father’s death at the hands of Hamlet. So tragic, but the song writes a different ending. The song is a powerful anthem about being rescued from the brink of emotional and psychological collapse by an all-consuming lover. He brings about a true resurrection for her and according to the people who should know about such things, as I have said, resembles the likes of her famous current boyfriend. “Late one night,” she sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” It is exactly what is supposed to happen if there is a deep love of each other, and both will be willing to eventually work out the deep feelings of love between them. In terms of our theme, the two lovers have overcome the early relationships, and are ready to proceed in their love lives. This is the first song from her new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift and her song at number 6 right now, “The Fate of Ophelia” on MATT.
(triple) 6 THE FATE OF OPHELIA / Taylor Swift
LIPS ARE MOVIN’/ Meghan Trainor
LIKE I’M GONNA LOSE YOU / Meghan Trainor f/ John Legend
Part 9
Closing off a double play from her, that was Ms. Meghan Elizabeth Trainor from her album “Title,” and a song that she sings with John Roger Stephens, better known as John Legend, and an excellent song of commitment, and what commitment demands, her song “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” from the songs of meaning of 2016 on MATT. The refrain is: “So, I’m gonna love you, like I’m gonna lose you. I’m gonna hold you like I’m saying goodbye wherever we’re standing. I won’t take you for granted ‘cause we’ll never know when we’ll run out of time. In the blink of an eye, you could lose everything; the truth is you never know. I’ll make the most of the minutes / and love with no regrets. Let’s take our time to say what we want, use what we got before it’s all gone, ‘cause we’re not promised tomorrow.” I like those ideas because it says basically that we should use the moment we have to do what must be done. They are singing about love, but it could apply anywhere, but applying it to love and our theme, even in early relationships, our theme today, we should be able to think of what they would be like later in life, and act in a mature way.
Before that song, we heard the first part of the double play dedicated to her, Meghan Trainor who recently turned 32, and her song “Lips are Movin’” from her album “Title” from 2015. It is a song about betrayal by the man in the relationship and the woman is well aware of it. “You can buy me diamond earrings and deny,” she sings. “But I smell her on your collar, so... goodbye. I know you lie 'cause your lips are moving. Tell me do you think I'm dumb? I might be young, but I ain't stupid, talking around in circles with your tongue. I gave you bass, you gave me sweet talk, saying how I'm your number one, but I know you lie. If your lips are moving, then you're lyin'.” She knows exactly how he is, and she is quitting the relationship, exactly what she should do. This type of dishonesty often happens in early relationships, our theme today, and therefore we have to remain always careful as we begin to date.
An interesting mix of songs there. Get ready for more music this time from among others Alex Warren and Jelly Roll. First, another quote about belief, this one from philosopher William James who died in 1910: “Believe that your life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” Amen. I’m Fr. Mike, your host for this show which we call MATT, and we are on the airways on Mix 103.3 in Hays, KS and on the internet at www.hayspost.com. I hope you are still here when we come back in a few moments.
Hi again, everyone, this is “Message at the Top”, on Mix 103. Thank you for spending part of your Sunday with us. I am Fr. Mike, and our show gives you the top 10 songs of our area, as well as some great songs of the past. And what is amazing about them is that with a little bit of help, those songs can actually teach us something about ourselves and about our behavior. That aspect of behavior that we are talking about right now is some insights about early relationships.
Jelly Roll has this next song on my website next Wednesday, that is www.frmikescully.com and I thought we might as well dedicate our segment 10 to him and the three songs we have on our playlist from him. His song on my website will be the third of this triple play which will begin with his song here. He sings about something that just didn’t go right. And the person in this song sings that because of it, he was not okay. In fact, he was barely getting by. He had lost track of days and he was losing sleep at night. He says he is fine, but as he says, he has learned to hide it well. He feels a little sorry for himself, says that he can’t be the only one who’s holding on for dear life. It sounds like utter despair, but he says, “It’s gonna be all right, I know that one day we’ll see the other side, and the pain’ll wash away in a holy water tide, and we all gonna be all right.” Great attitude, and exactly what should happen—even though there is pain, “all gonna be all right.” There may be negatives in our living, and there are—no doubt about that—but the overall knowledge just may be the most important belief—the negative will not stay, and we can count on the other side always being true—all gonna be alright. As we work with early relationships, our theme today, we must be aware of this situation. This is Mr. Jason Bradley DeFord or better known as Jelly Roll from his album “Beautifully Broken” and his song from earlier this year “I Am Not Okay” on MATT.
(triple) I AM NOT OKAY / Jelly Roll
NEED A FAVOR / Jelly Roll
SAVE ME / Jelly Roll
Part 11
The song featured on my website on Wednesday, Jelly Roll’s “Save Me” from his album “Whitsitt Chapel” and singing with him, Lainey Wilson on MATT. He explained the song as saying that it came from a really dark place in his life, and there’s no doubt about that as you listen to the words. “Somebody save me from myself; I’ve spent so long living in hell. They say my lifestyle is bad for my health; it's the only thing that seems to help. All of this drinking and smoking is hopeless but feel like it’s all that I need. Something inside of me’s broken; I hold on to anything that sets me free. I’m a lost cause.” In terms of our theme, the man in the song definitely needs something in life. The feeling he describes is often one of early relationships, our theme today where one is searching for love and he had better find some more positive statements to guide his life.
Before him, him again, Jelly Roll and his song “I Need a Favor.” And his 10+ category song from his album “Whitsitt Chapel.” I love it when these top songs talk of God in some way. It is a statement of what happens with prayer. Speaking the truth of so many people, it says: “I only talk to God when I need a favor, and I only pray when I ain’t got a prayer. So, who the heck am I to expect a Savior if I only talk to God when I need a favor. But God I need a favor! I know Amazing Grace, but I ain’t been livin’ them words. Swear I spend most Sundays drunk than I have in church. Hard cover King James only been savin’ dust on the nightstand, and I don’t know what to say the time I fold my hands. I only talk to God when I need a favor.” I changed some of the words. It is an honest song. In terms of our theme, there’s no doubt that our early love relationships will be helped if we pray to our God about them.
As usual, let’s close off with our top 3 songs on our playlist. The whole song here next is the statement of what I call the virtue which is most needed in any love relationship or any relationship really, namely, communication. “Talk to me,” she begins her song, “looks like we’re making up for lost time; need you to spell it out for me. Don’t be shy, just come be the man I need. Tell me you got something to give. I want it. I kinda like when you call me wonderful, whatever the type of talk it is. Come on then, I gotta know you’re meant to be the man I need. Talk to me. I’d like to think you feel the same way, but I can’t tell with you sometimes. So, let’s get on the same page. Stop making me read between the lines.” So, communication and she gives the reason why. In terms of our theme this week, early relationship or not, if we are going to be lovers, we need to be able to communicate with each other. We’ve said that a time or two on this show. This is British singer/songwriter Olivia Lauryn Dean or simply Olivia Dean from her album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “Man I Need” number 3 this week on MATT.
(double) 3 MAN I NEED / Olivia Dean
2 ORDINARY / Alex Warren
Part 12
20 weeks at number 1 on MATT—a record that may never be broken, now at number 2, the song “Ordinary,” from Alex Warren. The song talks of an “ordinary” love relationship and says that what he has for a friend of his is not part of “the ordinary.” It comes from his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1)”. He begins with the thought that everything is pretty much ordinary: “They say ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually.” But he has a solution; he continues: “So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece.” Right there is a great description of how to make a love relationship real, and probably will not happen until the early relationship problems have been worked out, our theme today.
And back to number 1, for two weeks all together now, the song “Golden” from the Korean movie and music of Huntr/X. As I have said, it is the theme of a Netflix film that follows a Korean girls group—Huntr/X—who lead double lives facing off against a rival boys band, the Saja boys whose members are secretly demons. The words recall that story. “I was a ghost, I was alone, given the throne; I didn’t know how to behave, I was the queen that I’m meant to be. I lived two lives, tried to play both sides, but I couldn’t find my own place. Called a problem child ‘cause I got too wild. But now that’s how I’m getting paid. We’re going up, it’s our moment. You know together we’re glowin, gonna be golden. I’m done hidin’ now, I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be, oh, our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we’re born to be.” I left out the Korean words, of course. As I have said with the song, it sounds like a song of determination to do the right thing, and in terms of our theme, if we are determined to do the right thing, it should begin even in the early years of discovery of each other.
If you have any suggestions for me, or if you want to comment on anything I have said, feel free to write me here at KJLS-FM, Hays, KS 67601 or e-mail me at frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website is www.frmikescully.com where, as you hear every week, you will find meditations on the Gospels, these songs and some great movies and a transcript of the show. If you are away from your radio, you can reach us on any listening device on the web every Sunday morning at 10 am by logging on to and choosing Mix 103. One final thought before we leave is one that comes from Henry David Thoreau: “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” Amen. As the three young lady Korean group, Huntr/X leads us out, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music, Mix 103. Thank you for your time this second last Sunday of January. Besides all the other words we have said to you, I urge you to remember to hold a good thought. From beautiful downtown Lawrence, KS especially this time of year, my name is Fr. Mike Scully. Stay safe, peace to you, and be good!
1 GOLDEN / Huntr/X
January 11, 2026
“Being Content”
Part 1
Hello, Central Kansas and around the world! Thank you for joining us this second Sunday of January 2026 as we are still in the middle of cold winter in the beautiful Heartland. Oh, isn’t the cold wonderful! I guess it depends on your point of view. Anyway, welcome to “Message at the Top.” Get set for the top 10 songs of our area right now as determined by the research from your requests, as well as the research of Mediabase 24-7 for the reporting date of today, January 11, 2026, a new year, and get ready to listen to their messages. My name is Fr. Mike, and you have your dial set to Mix 103, the number one popular music station of Central Kansas. And our show’s motto remains the same: let’s enjoy the music, but listen to the message and allow it to shape our lives for a better life.
Probably THE most popular album these days is Taylor Swift’s latest, namely, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and the latest of her popular songs for radio play is on that album. It is called “Opalite.” Perhaps her own explanation is necessary first. She says that she has always loved opals. Opal is also Travis Kelce’s birthstone, Travis being Taylor’s fiance. Swift took inspiration from the facts connected with opals, saying that opalite is a metaphor for the idea that happiness can be created voluntarily. Opal is also believed to symbolically represent hope, healing and positive energy. She described the song as a song about forgiving yourself for having gone through something that didn’t pan out the way you wanted it to and giving yourself permission to have it all figured out or not marry the first person you ever dated. So she sings: “Life is a song, it ends when it ends; I was wrong, but alright, you were dancing though the lightning strikes, but now the sky is opalite.” The song is about Swift's content state of mind in a happy relationship. The lyrics use gemstone metaphors to visualize failed relationships as dark nights, in contrast to happiness as a bright, opalescent sky.
The song may be tough to understand, but ultimately it means that things will work out eventually, and the person will be content after going through all the love pains. That will be our theme this morning—what does it mean to be content. And to start us off, two songs from Ms. Taylor Swift, two in the top 10—popular lady—a song of hope, from her number 1 album right now, “The Life of a Showgirl,” number 9 on our charts, “Opalite” on MATT.
(double) 9 OPALITE / Taylor Swift
6 THE FATE OF OPHELIA / Taylor Swift
Part 2
After spending six weeks in a row at number 1 is Ms. Taylor Swift again and the first song from her new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” and it cleverly involves a study of one of the plays of William Shakespeare, namely his play “Hamlet” and his once-upon-a-time presumed future wife Ophelia. Her song: “The Fate of Ophelia” at number 6 on MATT. In the story, Mr. Shakespeare has Ophelia drown herself after a rejection from Prince Hamlet and after her father’s death at the hands of Hamlet. So tragic, but the song writes a different ending. The song is a powerful anthem about being rescued from the brink of emotional and psychological collapse by an all-consuming lover. He brings about a true resurrection for her and according to the people who should know about such things, as I have said, resembles the likes of her famous current boyfriend. “Late one night,” she sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” It is exactly what is supposed to happen if there is a deep love of each other, and both will be willing to eventually work out the deep feelings of love between them. In terms of our theme, she is now content because of that relationship.
Let’s go to our first triple play of the day—and as usual, most of our music will come in triple plays. We’ll hear from Taylor Swift again, the band Imagine Dragons, and begin right here with number 4 on our playlist. The whole song is the statement of what I call the virtue which is most needed in any love relationship or any relationship really, namely, communication. “Talk to me,” she begins her song, “looks like we’re making up for lost time; need you to spell it out for me. Don’t be shy, just come be the man I need. Tell me you got something to give. I want it. I kinda like when you call me wonderful, whatever the type of talk it is. Come on then, I gotta know you’re meant to be the man I need. Talk to me. I’d like to think you feel the same way, but I can’t tell with you sometimes. So, let’s get on the same page. Stop making me read between the lines.” So, communication and she gives the reason why. In terms of our theme this week, the only way to feel content with another is to be openly communicating with him/her. This is British singer/songwriter Olivia Lauryn Dean or simply Olivia Dean from her album “The Art of Loving,” and her song “Man I Need” number 4 this week on MATT.
(triple) 4 MAN I NEED / Olivia Dean
BELIEVER / Imagine Dragons
CRUEL SUMMER / Taylor Swift
Part 3
Number 8 on my personal songs of meaning list of 2024. It is a song that tells us that we really have to work at a relationship, and if we don’t, it will lead to some tough times, from her album “Lovers,” Taylor Swift and her song “Cruel Summer” on MATT. “Fever dream high in the quiet of the night,” she begins the song, “You know that I caught it. Bad boy, killing me slow, out the window, I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below. Devils roll the dice; angels roll their eyes. What doesn’t kill me makes me want you more. I’m drunk in the back of the car, and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar; said, ‘I’m fine,’ but it wasn’t true; I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you. Oh, it’s a cruel summer. He looks up grinning like the devil.” That relationship is just beginning, and one of the characteristics of early love should be complete honesty but often is not, and that which would make the couple content: always tell the truth. Is that possible?
Before her, we heard a great song from the band Imagine Dragons and their song “Believer” from their album “Evolve” from the year 2017. It is a statement that the pains of life have determined some things in their lives. “I was broken from a young age,” they sing, “Taking my sulking to the masses, writing my poems for the few. They looked at me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me singing from heartache from the pain, take my message from the veins, speaking my lesson from the brain, seeing the beauty through the pain. You made me a believer; pain, you break me down, you build me up. Let the bullets fly, oh let them rain. My life, my love, my drive, it came from pain.” Interesting thought—our lives come from pain. Tying it into our theme today, working with the pain and through the pain is the right thing to do, and the only way we will be content in life, our theme today, is to realize that the pain will be there, and we have to work through it to be content. .
We have some more great music for you in our next segment. In fact, get ready for people in order of appearance, Ed Sheeran in double play, Max McNown, Ariana Grande and Mark Ronson. Before our break, here is a thought about money which can play a large part on whether we are content or not; this from English playwright William Somerset Maugham who died in 1965: “Money is like a sixth sense – and you can’t make use of the other five without it.” You got that right, Mr. Maugham. I’m Fr. Mike, inviting you to keep your dial right there as we continue shortly on MATT on Mix 103.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 4
We continue with the only show of its kind in this area as we celebrate winter in the Heartland of America. It is great to have you with us on the station that plays the very best in popular music, and the show we have labeled as MATT, the show that takes the top 10 songs of today and yesterday, and discovers just what their approach to life is, often giving us some thoughts with which we can guide our lives toward the good, the show where our motto is to enjoy the music and listen to the message so that that message can help us. My name is Fr. Mike, your host, and we are featuring the 2026 thought of Taylor Swift, and playing and talking about her song “Opalite”.
As promised, we are up to a double play from Ed Sheeran. This first song is a song about strong feelings of love for another. “I took an arrow to the heart,” he begins the song, “I never kissed a mouth that tastes like yours. Lipstick on my guitar, fill up the engine, we can drive real far. You got me feeling like I wanna be that guy, I wanna kiss your eyes, I wanna drink that smile. I wanna feel like my soul’s on fire. I wanna stay up all day and all night. I love it when you do it like that, and when you’re close up, give me the shivers. You wanna dance till the sunlight cracks, and when they say the party’s over, then we’ll bring it right back.” As we think of being content about life, our theme today, that idea of “feeling good” will help us be content and we might want to try to feel good most of the time, even in times when things may not be so good. From the songs of 2022, from his equal sign album at number 5 of the songs of 2022, Ed Sheeran and his song “Shivers” on MATT.
(double) SHIVERS / Ed Sheeran
5 CAMERA / Ed Sheeran
Part 5
Closing off a double play from him, a song at number 5 this morning about the strong feelings of a love that the man in the relationship had at the moment of the song. It is from Ed Sheeran’s album “Play,” his song “Camera” on MATT. “You should see the way the stars illuminate your silhouette,” he begins his song, “I had to count to ten and take a breath. You think that you don’t have beauty in abundance, but you do. That’s the truth. You’re frozen in moment, a perfect picture in a frame. Some visions don’t ever fade. I don’t need a camera when you’re in my eyes.” So, some nice poetry about the way his friend looks, and in terms of our theme this morning, the lady in the relationship is not convinced about her relationship yet because of her inferiority complex, and it may cause a breakup. But you get the feeling from the song that they will work it out because they seem to be able to talk. And that will make them both content, our theme today.
This next triple play begins with a song that is at number 8 on our playlist right now. It a song that says when we fall in love with someone who is a better person than we are, it is good for us. The man in the relationship was not a very good person before he met her. “Love was a game I played,” he begins his song, and he went off the deep end because of too much drinking, but then he met his girlfriend like an angel waiting. “I didn’t know you’d have brown eyes, like to pray to Jesus, spending Friday nights at home. Didn’t know you’d be the strong kind, deeper than a coal mine lovin’ with a heart of gold. You’re everything that I’m not, everything that I want. There’s a God and you’re proof in those brown eyes. I know that I got to find a better me for you.” And the presumption is that he changes for the better. In terms of our theme this week, in order to change for the better they both had to work on their feelings and emotions. This is Max McNown from his album “Night Diving”, number 8 on our playlist and “Better Me For You” on MATT.
(triple) 8 BETTER ME FOR YOU / Max McNown
THE WAY/ Ariana Grande f/ Mac Miller
UPTOWN FUNK / Mark Ronson f/ Bruno Mars
Part 6
Mark Ronson is a 50 year old British singer/songwriter/music producer and that song is from Mark Ronson’s album “Uptown Special” and the name of the song “Uptown Funk”, number 1 in 2015, on MATT. It is another excellent dancing song, the Record of the Year according to the 2016 Grammys from Mark Ronson and featuring Peter Gene Hernandez, that is Bruno Mars. As I say, it is a great dance song and a great dance video. The words of the song suggest dancing, of course. “Come on, dance,” he sings, “jump on it; if you’re sexy, flaunt it; if you’re freaky then own it. Don’t brag about it, come show me. Don’t believe me, just watch.” But I find a little more meaning in the song. In words spoken to someone who is only observing the dancing, they sing in effect: don't just believe or brag about something, do it! The man basically tells others that they do not have to believe that he can dance, but that they should watch him actually do it. That means that we have to put our beliefs into action. And in terms of our theme, good dancing may not be the only way to feel content in our lives, but it might help.
Before them, MATT presented rapper Malcomb James McCormick better known as Mac Miller and he was singing with Ariana Grande from her debut album, “Daydreamin’” and their song “The Way” from 2013. It is another song about a love relationship, and one that both in the relationship feel will last. “I love the way you make me feel,” she sings, and he sings, “I’m thinking ‘bout her every second, every hour.” She continues, “You give me that kind of something, want it all the time, need it every day. On a scale of one to ten, I’m at a hundred. If you want it, I got it, I’ll never leave you. I got a bad boy I must admit it, you got my heart. I love the way you make me feel.” A bad boy in their language means a good boy, of course. Sounds like they want the relationship to last forever and if it does, they will be quite content with their lives, our theme today.
And that brings us to the close of our first hour together this morning. We will continue with the theme of what makes people be content in just a couple of minutes. In fact, we will see how that theme can be discussed in light of the situations of some songs, among which are songs from Selena Gomez and others. To break we go with this quote from Bob Hope: “A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” Anyone trying to borrow money will understand that quote. You’ve got MATT this second Sunday of January morning on your radio dial on Mix 103.
Every song has a message and many times that message will actually help our lives—such is our belief on this show. I’m Fr. Mike, good morning to all of you and thank you for joining us for our second hour of MATT here on Mix 103.3 on your radio dial. I’m ready to lead us through this segment of our show this morning, and songs that deal with—among other topics—love since 80% of all songs are about love. Our motto during the show is to enjoy the music and listen to the message. We are putting all of our songs into a theme that we have entitled: “Being Content.” It came from Taylor Swift’s love song to her boyfriend “Opalite”.
Let’s go to a song that is in my top 10 of 2024, a song of being led to find l0ve at one time in the singer’s life. It started at a party, he says, where he saw a girl who stood out from other girls, but her friends didn’t approve, but afterwards they did get together. He begins the song “Baby, calm down, girl this your body is put in my heart for lockdown. You sweet like Fanta. If I tell you, say, ‘I love you’, you know they tell me ‘no.’ Finally, I find a way to talk to the girl but her friends gum her like chewing gum.” And she says, “Yeah, I know I look shy but for you I get down.” I put some words into English there because with the song, my knowledge of this type of music is pretty limited, to say the least. Be that as it may, it seems to be a story of the ability that everyone of us have to choose how to have fun and fall in love, or in terms of our theme, be content to have fun and fall in love well. This is Nigerian singer Rema and Selena Gomez from Rema’s album “Rave and Roses” and the song “Calm Down” on MATT,
(triple) CALM DOWN / Rema & Selena Gomez
PUMPED UP KICKS / Foster the People
10 HAPPEN TO ME / Russell Dickerson
Part 8
New to our top 10 this week, country and pop singer Russell Dickerson and his song that talks about life’s unexpected turns from his album “Famous Back Home,” and his number 10 song today, “Happen To Me” on MATT. They met at a bar, and then life happened: “She said, ‘Shut up, come and dance with me,’” he sings, “and now she’s singin’ ‘Girls just wanna have fun’ at the top of her lungs. Don’t even know she’s about to wreck someone, and I’m in trouble now, ain’t even tryna get out. So, come on, take me down. Don’t know what happened tonight, don’t know what happened last week; don’t know what happened to her, but she’s about to happen to me.” And then in a pessimistic way, he sings “She’ll probably be the one who got away.” Whose fault? Sounds like probably her more than him. We can never be content with our situation in life, our theme today, if we don’t really know about the relationship.
Before him, we heard from the group Foster the People, a three-member rock group formed in Los Angeles in 2009, and they sing an extremely interesting song, and a high category of meaning song for me. The name of the song is “Pumped Up Kicks”, from their album “Torches”. Let me give you the first verse before I tell you the meaning according to the author. See if you can guess what it is talking about: “Robert's got a quick hand. He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan. He's got a rolled cigarette hanging out his mouth; he's a cowboy kid. Yeah he found a six shooter gun in his Dad’s closet hidden in a box of fun things, and I don't even know what. But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun, faster than my bullet.” Now, I’ll wager that you were like me and didn’t understand it completely, and so I went to the internet. This is what Mark Foster of the group says: “The song is about a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts. I was trying to get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid. The lyrics were written to bring awareness to the issue of gun violence among youth which he feels is an epidemic, perpetuated by “lack of family, lack of love and isolation.” Incidentally the upbeat music was written before the dark lyrics. Very interesting. As we think of our theme, what should make us content, certainly a good understanding of gun violence in our world should do it.
And we are up to number 7 in our playlist right now. It comes from three top artists. One of the people who write about these songs says that the song itself explores the intensity and volatility of a passionate relationship. “We were fire,” they sing, “impossible to tame like oil in the ocean, no way to put out the flame. We were just runnin, eyes closed in the dark, headed for a wall, full speeed, oh, it’s about to leave a mark. I only want you when you’re gone, playing like we’re done. I love your game, drive me insane.” That is, the feelings of an intense relationship are not easy to study or understand because they are too mixed up. What is necessary is that we work with those feelings so that we have an idea of what they mean to the person so that good decisions can be made and we can be content with life, our theme today. So, this is David Guetta, Teddy Swims and Tones and I, at number 7 on our playlist, “Gone, Gone, Gone” on MATT.
(triple) 7 GONE, GONE, GONE / David Guetta, Teddy Swims and Tones and I
WAVES / Mr Probz
THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS / Selena Gomez
Part 9
The song on my website today www.frmikescully.com, Ms. Selena Gomez and her song “The Heart Wants What It Wants” from her album “For You” from 2014. It is another song of pain. Pain is such a reality in young love. Here the lady in the relationship realizes that the man just up and leaves sometimes and doesn’t tell her what’s going on, but she is hopelessly in love and can’t let him go for good. “There’s a million reasons why I should give you up,” the lady in the relationship sings, “but the heart wants what it wants. The future that we hold is so unclear, but I’m not alive until you call. The heart wants what it wants.” She is punishing herself, and in terms of our theme, she would like to feel content, but cannot yet. Tough situation, and brings up the necessity to control the situation and the necessity to change on her part.
Before her, we heard from Dennis Princewell Stehr better known as Mr. Probz, a Dutch singer/songwriter, and his song “Waves” from 2014. It is another song of pain, since the man in the relationship has not been able to communicate well with the lady in the relationship. “I’m slowly drifting away, wave after wave,” he sings, “and it feels like I’m drowning, pulling against the stream. I wish I could make it easy to love me, but still I reach to find a way. I’m stuck here in between. I’m looking for the right words to say.” Pain sung about because the relationship just is not working out because the two cannot communicate. When it comes to the ingredients of being content , our theme today, communication will be of the utmost importance, maybe the very first thing to be learned.
And we have played our way to another break this cold January Sunday morning of 2026. We will continue the thought of “Being Content” in just a few minutes. Before we get there, let’s think about money again, this time with the wisdom of humorist Jack Yelton: “There is a very easy way to return from a casino with a small fortune: go there with a large one.” Great quote—and the conclusion: gambling does not pay. That is not only true for money. But I digress. Stay with us. You have MATT on your radio dial.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 10
Good morning to all of you, and welcome back to MATT, your top 10 show on today’s best music Mix 103, a show that gives you the top 10 songs of the day in our area, but we also go into the top 10’s from the past, most of them from the past 20 years, and with all of our songs, we not only play the music, but we give you their messages, often finding that the messages of popular music can help us live better lives in this complicated world that we are part of. We always say that we should enjoy the music and listen to the message so that the message can help our lives. In fact, there are some pretty great messages in front of you as we talk about being content with life.
Let’s go back to the year 2016, ten years ago from our new year of 2026. These three songs make up the top 3 of that year. At number 1, a song that MATT considers obviously a 10+ song of meaning, the highest we get, a song that talks about the importance of Moms and Dads, and as I have said, it should be required listening for everyone who decides to have a family. “Hold on,” the young person sings because he/she is a little unsteady. “Mama,” the child sings, “come here. Daddy, I’m alone ‘cause this house don’t feel like home. If you love me, don’t let go. Hold on to me.” In terms of our theme, it is the absolute best way to be content for every Mom and Dad as they treat their kids with the highest concern, as spoken by their kids. Super song here. The song that MATT has chosen as the number 1 song of meaning from 2016. It is from X Ambassadors from their album “VHS”, and their song “Unsteady” on MATT.
(triple) UNSTEADY / X Ambassadors
7 YEARS / Lukas Graham
LOVE YOURSELF / Justin Bieber
Part 11
The number 3 song of the whole year of 2016, from Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”, from his album “Purpose” on MATT. The song’s title suggests a good personality trait, namely loving ourselves in order to really understand love, but the song is not that at all. The song is a statement to a girlfriend that all she does is love herself, and therefore it is the end of any love relationship. “For all the times that you rain on my parade,” he sings, “And all the clubs you get in using my name, you think you broke my heart, you think I'm crying on my own. Well, I ain't, and I didn't wanna write a song 'cause I didn't want anyone thinking I still care. I don't. But now I know. You should go and love yourself.” That last phrase says it all—she really should love herself, the proper way, that is, with no selfishness at all since true love of self is part of love of God and love of others. And the person who knows this—really understands—will be content with life.
The song at number 2 of all the songs of meaning of 2016 is from the album named after them, Lukas Graham and their song “7 Years”. Lukas Forchhammer, their leader, explained the song this way: "It's a song about growing older. I'm also coming to a realization that being a father is the most important thing.” The group goes through the years starting at 7, talking about life. “I always had that dream like my daddy before me,” they sing, “So I started writing songs. Something about that glory. I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure ‘cause I know the smallest voices. They can make it major. I'm still learning about life. My woman brought children for me so I can sing them all my songs. And I can tell them stories.” So, the song is the story of a man and his songs. And the songs are all about living a good life ,or in terms of our theme today, what will make him/her content with life.
And we are up to our number 3 song today in our countdown of the popular songs for January 11, 2026. It is a statement of a commitment which I believe is very good. That statement comes from the fact that they have given themselves completely to each other, and now one of them just wants to be friends. It is a contradiction. He sings, “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met?” It seems as though the lady in the relationship wants to have a breakup or at least a temporary time apart, but the two have already made it clear that they are committed to each other. It is unfortunately a common enough experience. In terms of our theme, probably the high emotions of physical togetherness have taken over their lives, and they both must face them, and eventually be content with them as they work their lives in a love relationship. Shane Michael Boose here, better known as sombr and his song “Back to Friends” from his album “I Barely Know Her,”, top 3 at number 3 in our playlist on MATT.
(double) 3 BACK TO FRIENDS / sombr
2 GOLDEN / Huntr/X
Part 12
At number 2 this week is the song “Golden” from the Korean movie and music of Huntr/X. It is the theme of a Netflix film that follows a Korean girls group—Huntr/X—who lead double lives facing off against a rival boys band, the Saja boys whose members are secretly demons. The words recall that story. “I was a ghost, I was alone, given the throne; I didn’t know how to behave, I was the queen that I’m meant to be. I lived two lives, tried to play both sides, but I couldn’t find my own place. Called a problem child ‘cause I got too wild. But now that’s how I’m getting paid. We’re going up, it’s our moment. You know together we’re glowin, gonna be golden. I’m done hidin’ now, I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be, oh, our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we’re born to be.” I left out the Korean words, of course. As I have said with the song, it sounds like a song of determination to do the right thing, and in terms of our theme, if we are determined to do the right thing, we will be quite content with life, our theme today.
And we have established another record for our number 1 song today. It had spent 19 weeks at number 1 up until today. Now, make it 20. Coming back into our playlist at number 1, the song “Ordinary,” from Alex Warren. The song talks of an “ordinary” love relationship and says that what he has for a friend of his is not part of “the ordinary.” It comes from his album “You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1)”. He begins with the thought that everything is pretty much ordinary: “They say ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually.” But he has a solution; he continues: “So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece.” Right there is a great description of how to be content with life, our theme today—make the mundane true masterpeices. Good song.
That theme of being content with life was taken from the very popular Ms. Taylor Swift” and her song “Opalite,” and we have tried to tie in that idea with all of the situations of the songs. My prayer for you and me is that every one of us will be content with the thoughts, words and actions that we have tried to make us better people. My thanks to our producers and sponsors, especially our sponsors at Hays Car and Truck Alignment, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays. If you want to contact me by mail, I hope you do so at KJLS radio, Hays, America 67601 or my e-mail address is frmikescully@yahoo.com. My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find some meditations on the Gospels, these songs and some great movies and a transcript of this show. If you want to join us on the web, go to www.hayspost.com and click on Mix 103 at 10am Sunday morning. One final thought, this one from my quote book marked anonymous: “Life is like looking for your phone. Most of the time, it’s in your hand.” That is, life is always happening, and our job is to work with it as best we can. As we close with Alex Warren’s number 1 song “Ordinary” may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103, and our advice today among all the other points that we have said is to hold a good thought. Thank you for the privilege of your time today. From beautifully Christmas decorated downtown Lawrence, KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully. Be safe, peace to you, and be good.
1 ORDINARY / Alex Warren
January 4, 2026
“My top 10 of 2024 and 2025”
Part 1
Good morning Central Kansas and around the world and happy new year; I hope your new year is truly a happy one for you; welcome to MATT on today’s best music Mix 103. It’s great to have you with us today as we look at the top 10 songs of yesterday and today, as we say. I’m Fr. Mike, your host for MATT and it’s my pleasure to serve us up some great songs and some great messages. We take the most popular songs of the past 46 years concentrating on the last couple years and talk about their messages and exactly what that should mean for us. The guiding thought of our show is to enjoy the music, and listen to the message!
To me, it’s always interesting to take a look at some specific past, and talk about the music of that day as well as the music of the present day. I thought it would be a good thought today to start us off as we did last year on this date when we spoke of my top 10 of 2024, that is, begin this year with both my top 10 songs of the whole year of 2024 and 2025.
First, the number 1 song for this year according to Mediabase 24-7 and the popularity of the country, as I’ve said, is no surprise because it was on our top 10 every week of the year. I’ve made it the number 10 song of meaning on my list of top songs of this year. It is another song of strong commitment to each other, and we had a number of songs like that last year. “I just woke up from a dream,” they sing, “Where you and I had to say goodbye; and I don't know what it all means, but since I survived, I realized wherever you go, that's where I'll follow. Nobody's promised tomorrow, so I'ma love you every night like it's the last night. If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you. If the party was over and our time on Earth was through, I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile.” So, as I say, words of strong commitment, but there had been struggles, it seems. They sing, “Lost in the words that we scream, I don't even wanna do this anymore 'cause you already know what you mean to me. And our love's the only war worth fighting for.”
Let’s let them supply our theme this morning, and see how the songs of the show fit into defining the characteristics of permanent commitment, one of the resolutions that we should make if we are truly in love. And starting us off with that theme and our show is Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga and Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars and their song “Die with a Smile” on MATT.
(double) DIE WITH A SMILE / Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars 10/25
LOSE CONTROL / Teddy Swims
Part 2
Teddy Swims there, the number 1 song of popularity for the whole year of 2024 according to Mediabase 24-7. It comes from his album “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy, part 1”, his song “Lose Control” on MATT. It is the story of what happens when a person is lonely. He sings “Something’s got a hold of me lately. No, I don’t know myself anymore, feels like the walls are all closing in and the devil’s knocking at my door. Outta my mind, how many times did I tell you I’m no good at being alone? It’s taking a toll on me, trying my best to keep from tearing the skin off my bones. Don’t you know I lose control when you’re not next to me. I’m falling apart right in front of you. You’re breaking my heart. You make a mess of me.” So it is loneliness, but it is loneliness because one special person is no longer there for him. A person who is lonely in today’s world has a serious problem, and in general, a simple resolution to get over it will not work. We usually have to spend some time of therapy or the like to talk it out and decide what to do. One thing for sure: before we find anything like a permament commitment, we have to work at conquering any loneliness in our lives.
Let’s begin the countdown of the my top 10 of 2024. And that will be the pattern during our show today—play my top 10 of 2024 as well as my top 10 of 2025, At number in 2024 was a song of which the artist said of the song, “I think what makes the song special is the fact that so many of us are ready to just forget about whatever is happening around us and enjoy the good things in life—not just thinking back to good times in the past but creating new ones in the present day.” So, it is a feel good song that unfolds the tale of looking to have a good time with friends. The words say that he is yearning for romance even as the person he is thinking of is spoken for already. What makes it a song of meaning is the whole stress on the good things in life. In terms of commitment, our theme today, we may not be able to make everything that feels good into some type of permanent commitment, but we can get close, and to be able to do that gets us into the practice of making good things some type of a permanent commitment. The number 10 song of meaning in my opinion of 2024, this is Mr. Paul Russell and “Lil Boo Thang” on MATT. (triple) LIL BOO THANG / Paul Russell 10/24
BAD DREAMS / Teddy Swims 11/25
STICK SEASON / Noah Kahn 9/24
Part 3
Strafford Vermont-born singer, Noah Kahan, and his song “Stick Season” from the album of the same name, number 9 on my countdown of the top songs of meaning of 2024 on MATT. It is a song of meaning not only because it treats a problem that should be talked about, but it is a clever song as well. The Vermont singer sings of his State here in the United States. The season is described by him as “a term that refers to the season between Halloween and the first snow. It is a New England expression that describes the time when the leaves have fallen and the trees are bare, before the snow covers the ground. It is also the darkest time of Fall, when the days are short and the nights are long.” It is recognized in Vermont as a lonely time and named “Stick Season”. What he sings about is a topic that must be addressed in everyone’s life, loneliness: “As you promised me that I was more than all the miles combined, you must have had yourself a change of heart like halfway through the drive because your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign, kept on driving straight and left our future to the right. Now I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can’t face. And I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks.” In terms of meaning, it’s a song of meaning because of that topic of loneliness. If we don’t address it in some way, our lives will be upset for quite a while. Loneliness definitely should be something that we try to control, and indeed we must if we want to make any permanent commitment. We’ve said that a number of times on our show because loneliness unfortunately is a common topic. Before him, we heard my number 11 song of meaning of 2025 from his second album, “I’ve tried everything but Therapy, part 2,” Teddy Swims whose real name is Jaten Collin Dimsdale and his song “Bad Dreams”. In the song, he wants the peace and quiet of living because his friend is causing problems. “Sun is going down,” he begins his song, “time is running out; no one else around but me, steady losing light, steady losing my mind, moving shadows and grinding teeth. Without you, there ain’t no place for me to hide; without you, there’s no way I can sleep tonight, what I’d do for a little bit of peace and quiet; without you I keep slippin’ into bad dreams where there’s no you and I.” So, he wants the peace and quiet and instead, he is worrying about his relationship. By way of a resolution for this coming year, perhaps the decision to bring about true peace and quiet in one’s life makes sense.
We have taken off with an idea of finding the meanings of my personal top 10 of 2024 and 2025. We will continue to pursue those thoughts with music in order of appearance from Post Malone, Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Post Malone again along with Morgan Wallen and Benson Boone. Here is a quote to lead you into break from birthday person Benjamin Franklin. He would have been 326 next week. “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” Now, that is so true and can be applied to a lot of people—no judgment of others allowed! I’m Fr. Mike, this show is “Message at the Top” and your dial is set at Mix 103.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 4
We are back for “Message at the Top” and we welcome you back to the top 10 songs of today and yesterday as determined by our research and your requests. We are the only show of this great radio station that gives you the meanings of the songs along with their music. This morning our concentration is on my personal top 10 of 2024 and 2025.
And we are up to a song that was on both of my personal charts of 2024 and 2025 , namely, “I Had Some Help”—we’ll have another one later. Here, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen sing. “I had some help,” they sing, “It ain’t like I can make this kind of mess all by myself. Don’t act like you ain’t help[ing] me pull that bottle off the shelf. Been deep in every weekend if you couldn’t tell. They say teamwork makes the dream work. You think that you’re so innocent. After all the stuff you did, I ain’t an angel; you ain’t heaven-sent, can’t wash our hands off this. It takes two to break a heart in two, you blame me, and I blame you.” Of course, as I have said, that is what it is from his point of view. The lady in the relationship probably has her own version. Whatever the case, if they don’t stop blaming each other, their anxiety will be overwhelming, and the way to control the stress is to stop blaming each other. In terms of our theme, that’s a pretty good resolution for next year—don’t blame people. Study the situation before you do any blaming. A couple very popular artists here, Austin Richard Post, that is Post Malone from his album “F-1 Trillion”, along with Morgan Wallen and their song “I Had Some Help”, both number 9 in their respective years on MATT.
(double) I HAD SOME HELP / Post Malone and Morgan Wallen 9/24 and 9/25
THAT’S SO TRUE / Gracie Abrams 8/25
Part 5
From that young lady’s first album “The Secret of Us,” my number 8 of all the songs of 2025, from newcomer American singer/songwriter Gracie Madigan Abrams or simply Gracie Abrams and her song “That’s So True” on MATT. It is a song of intense jealousy. “I could go and read your mind,” she addresses her words to her ex-boyfriend, “Think about your dumb face all the time. Living in your glass house, I’m outside, Looking into big blue eyes. Did you do it just to hurt me, make me cry, Smiling through it all? Yeah, that's my life. You're an idiot, Now I'm sure. Now I'm positive. I should go and warn her. Bet you're thinking, ‘She's so cool,’ Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from across the room. Wait, I think I've been there too.” Why would I place this high in my songs of meaning? Well, every romantic relationship is a risk. You really don’t know how it will turn out. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes, it’s a bitter disappointment and only an immature attempt at love as in that song. The songs of revenge are so difficult to talk about. The resolution for next year can easily be phrased—”Don’t be revengeful,” but it is so easy to say and so tough to carry through on.
We are up to number 8 on my personal songs of meaning of 2024. It is a song that tells us that we really have to work at a relationship, and if we don’t, it will lead to some tough times. “Fever dream high in the quiet of the night,” she begins the song, “You know that I caught it. Bad boy, killing me slow, out the window, I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below. Devils roll the dice; angels roll their eyes. What doesn’t kill me makes me want you more. I’m drunk in the back of the car, and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar; said, ‘I’m fine,’ but it wasn’t true; I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you. Oh, it’s a cruel summer. He looks up grinning like the devil.” That relationship is just beginning, and one of the characteristics of early love should be complete honesty but often is not, and a directive as we think about beginning a permanent commitment in a love relationship: always tell the truth. Is that possible? This is Ms. Taylor Swift and the song from her album “Lovers”, and the name of the song, “Cruel Summer” on MATT .
(triple) CRUEL SUMMER / Taylor Swift 8/24
SORRY I’M HERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE / Benson Boone 8/25
TOO SWEET / Hozier 7/25
Part 6
My number 6 of all the songs of meaning of 2025, from Irish singer/songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, and his song “Too Sweet”. It is a song about a man in a relationship talking of the lifestyle of each of the partners. His own is a late-night one along with a little too much relaxation / and the partner is an early bird with a cautious lifestyle. “It can’t be said I’m an early bird, it’s ten o’clock before I say a word. I can never tell how you sleep so well. You keep telling me to live right, to go to bed before the daylight, but then you wake up for the sunrise. But while
in this world, I think I’ll take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three. You’re too sweet for me.” We have mentioned before that opposites sometimes attract when people are discovering love, but not often, and what should be done in this instance as we think of a rsolution for next year? Well, the two had better do some compromising and if they don’t, they should move on in life.
Before him, we heard my number 7 from Benson Boone in my top 10 of 2025. It is from his album “American Heart,” “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else”. It is a song as I have said whose story is told for all practical purposes by its title. The name of it is “Sorry I’m here for Someone Else.” And that’s the story. He’s waiting for his current fiancee, meets an old flame, realizes that the old flame is the one that he currently likes, and breaks up with the one he is waiting for. He is not completely in love with either of them, it seems. And it is perfectly okay to be searching for the right one, but he should do it in a little less hurtful way, I think. In terms of our theme for this special show, a resolution for next year might be the idea of that thought of striving to be certain if we are in love.
Our next set of music and message will explore that theme with people like David Guetta along with Bebe Rexha and Rema. May I take you to break with a great thought from birthday person Benjamin Franklin again: “Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon / and wise too late.” Now, that is one true statement. I hope our music and message is making your life a little wiser. I’m Fr. Mike, listen to these words of wisdom, and then I hope you come back for more / wisdom.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 7
Every song has a message, and this is the show that plays the song and gives you that message. This is “Message at the Top”, your top 10 “songs of the present and past” show in which we give you meanings as well as music. In fact, as always, we invite you to enjoy the music and listen to the meanings so that your lives can be even better than they are right now. I am Fr. Mike, and today I am giving you my top 10 of both 2024 and 2025. Our theme concerns the resolutions that we should make for this year. Get ready for songs during this segment from in order of appearance Shaboozey, Chappell Roan, Rema, David Guetta, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter.
As promised, let’s go to Shaboozey and a top 5 from last year. I wouldn’t rate drinking songs this high usually, but it calls to mind the problem of alcohol, and we need to think about that. Hence I put it in my top 5 from last year. It was a former number 1 and top 5 quite a long time. He begins his song by telling us that he works hard and has problems that he won’t have when he’s gone. And then presumably, he wants to relax from his work and problems by drinking alcohol. “Someone, pour me up a double shot of whiskey. They know me and Jack Daniel's got a history. There's a party downtown, near 5th Street. Everybody at the bar gettin' tipsy. I've been boozey since I left, I ain't changin' for a check. Woke up drunk at 10 am, we gon[na] do this stuff again. Tell your girl to bring a friend.” I changed a word in the song. Thinking with our theme about this song, perhaps the good news connected with the song is that he can change for the better if he wants to, snd that is a good resolution for next year especially if there may be a problem with alcohol. The song: “A Bar Song” from his album “Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going”. The artist whose real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze and we know him as Shaboozey on MATT.
(triple) A BAR SONG / Shaboozey 7/24
PINK PARTY CLUB/ Chappell Roan 6/25
CALM DOWN / Rema & Selena Gomez 6/24
Part 8
Nigerian singer Rema and Selena Gomez from Rema’s album “Rave and Roses” and the song “Calm Down”, my number 6 all the songs of 2024 on MATT, a song of being led to find l0ve at one time in the singer’s life. It started at a party, he says, where he saw a girl who stood out from other girls, but her friends didn’t approve, but afterwards they did get together. He begins the song “Baby, calm down, girl this your body is put in my heart for lockdown. You sweet like Fanta. If I tell you, say, ‘I love you’, you know they tell me ‘no.’ Finally, I find a way to talk to the girl but her friends gum her like chewing gum.” And she says, “Yeah, I know I look shy but for you I get down.” I put some words into English there because with the song, my knowledge of this type of music is pretty limited, to say the least. Be that as it may, it seems to be a story of the ability that everyone of us have to choose how to have fun and fall in love, or in terms of our theme, make a resolution to have fun and fall in love well in the upcoming year.
Before them, a song about a place in LA, and her mother is not happy about it. Kayleigh Rose Amstutz better known as Chappell Roan, the best new artist of the year according to the Grammys, and her song which was part of the Grammys this year and quite a dance routine, “Pink Pony Club”, number 6 of all the songs of 2025 according to me. “I know you wanted me to stay, “she sings, “But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA. I heard that there's a special place. I'm having wicked dreams of leaving Tennessee. Oh, Santa Monica, I swear it's calling me. Won't make my mama proud. It's gonna cause a scene. She sees her baby girl, I know she's gonna scream what have you done. You're a pink pony girl and you dance at the club. Oh mama, I'm just having fun on the stage in my heels. It's where I belong down at the Pink Pony Club.” In terms of our theme, she must decide on a future with a resolution, whether she wants to stay there or follow the wishes of her mother.
We go into the top 5 according to my interpretation of their meanings in both 2024 and 2025. In 2024, a song in which we hear: “I’m good, yeah, I’m feeling alright. I’ma have the best happy night of my life, and wherever it takes me, I’m down for the ride. Don’t you know, I’m good, yeah, feeling alright. I don’t need the finer things in life. No matter where I go, it’s a good time. I don’t need to sit in VIP; middle of the floor—that’s where I’ll be. Don’t got a lot, but that’s enough for me ‘cause I feeling alright.” I cleaned up the words a little. In terms of our theme, a great resolution for next year and every year: always choose the good if you can or as St. Thomas More said: if you can’t choose the good, choose the less bad. DJ David Guetta and American singer/songwriter Bleta Rexha, better known as Bebe Rexha and their feel good song “I’m Good (Blue)” on MATT.
(triple) I’M GOOD / David Guetta & Bebe Rexha 5/24 BIRDS OF A FEATHER / Billie Eilish 5/25
ESPRESSO/ Sabrina Capenter 4/24 and 4/25
Part 9
The extremely popular song that I would rank at number 4 both years of 2024 and 2025, Ms. Sabrina Carpenter from her album “Short n’ Sweet,” and her song “Espresso” on MATT. She said of this song: “The song is kind of about seeing femininity as your superpower, and embracing the confidence of being that lady.” I changed a word in that statement, and her song goes: “Now, he’s thinking ‘bout me every night, is it that sweet? I guess so. Say you can’t sleep; I know that’s me, espresso. I can’t relate to desperation. My ‘give a cares’ are on vacation, and I got this one boy and he won’t stop calling. When they act this way, I know I got ‘em. Too bad your ex don’t do it for ya. Walked in and dream came trued it for ya. Soft skin and I perfumed it for ya. I know I Mountain Dew it for ya. That morning coffee brewed it for ya. One touch and I brand newed it for ya. That’s me, espresso.” I changed some of the words. I’ve said before that it is an interesting use of the English language—making verbs out of nouns. I think it means that the lady in the relationship is the “Espresso” and she is totally in charge, and in terms of our theme, part of the good feelings of being young is self-confidence. Of course, there can be too much of it, and too much is just plain selfishness, which will destroy any permanent commitment the couple tries. One of the resolutions for next year, our theme today, is simply to be aware that too much self-confidence can destroy a relationship, but it is a virtue that we should make our own—just not too much.
Before her, we heard from Billie Eilish from her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, and her song “Birds of a Feather” on MATT, number 5 of my songs of meaning from last year. It is a song about falling in love with a person that she wants to "stick together" with. The love to her significant other brings her to tears and begs the lover to never end their relationship. “I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave”, she begins, “'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry. If you go, I'm goin' too / 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me. Nothin' left to lose without my baby. Birds of a feather we should stick together. And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more. It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.” The lady in the relationship is truly committed to the other and if it is a mature love, presuming that the other in the relationship feels the same way, that commitment will stay there, and they will be able to overcome any negative feelings which may arise, quite a good resolution for them for next year.
And that important thought brings us to our final segment which will begin in just a few moments with the top songs of meaning in my opinion of 2024 and 2025. Our theme today is the thought of good resolutions for next year and the years to come. To break, let me give us this thought. It comes from the inscription below Mr. Mark Twain in the Hall of Fame, and it reads, “Loyalty to petrified opinion never broke a chain or freed a human soul.” Think about that—it means that maybe we should be very careful when we think that our opinion is the only or the best one. Yeah. Don’t go way, we’ll be right back on / the MATT music network.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Part 10
We are back for the final portion of our show which we call MATT, a show that takes the top 10 songs from the past 46 years and studies their messages in the hope that those messages can truly help our lives. Our call therefore is to enjoy the music and listen to the message. The theme of our show today deals with the good resolutions that we should make for the future.
Continuing our thought for this show of the countdown of the songs that I think are most meaningful for 2024 and 2025, we are up to the song that we played last year at this time at number 3 of my list of songs with the most meaning of 2024 in my opinion. “He says, ‘Are you serious,’” she begins her song speaking of the boyfriend in the relationship, “I’ve tried, but I can’t figure out; I’ve been next to you all night and still don’t know what you’re about.” But she says, “I would want myself. Please believe me. I’ll put you through hell just to know me, so sure of yourself, don’t get greedy—that stuff won’t end well.” I changed the words a little. She said of the song that it is about confidence and about female empowerment. And exactly what should be said to someone who wants to control a situation when he/she shouldn’t. This is 21 year old Tate McRae, Canadian singer/songwriter the number 3 on my list of the songs of most meaning during 2024, and a song from her album “Think Later,” her song, “Greedy” on MATT.
(triple) GREEDY / Tate McRae 3/24
MESSY / Lola Young 3/25
BEAUTIFUL THINGS / Benson Boone 2/24
Part 11
Number 2 in popularity of all the songs of 2024 according to Mediabase 24-7 and number 2 in my list of the songs with the most meaning of that year from his album “Fireworks and Rollerblades,” his song “Beautiful Things,” Benson Boone again, former number 1 on MATT. It is a song about a man in a relationship who has discovered a person that he really likes and he wants to keep it that way. And he relies on God in order to help him. “For a while there, it was rough,” he sings, “but lately I’ve been doing better than the last four Decembers I recall. And I see my family every month and I found a girl my parents love. She’ll come and stay the night, and I think I might have it all, and I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way. But I know the things He gives me, He can take away, and I hold you every night and that’s a feeling I wanna get used to. But there’s no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you. I hope I don’t lose you. Please, God, don’t take these beautiful things that I’ve got.” The person is into God, and from my point of view anyway, that is something that we should all have. I’m happy the subject of God comes up often in these songs. We are indeed people of faith for the most part. Two reasons why I think this song is so great. One is the obvious dependence on God, and second the desire to do the right thing with the relationship. He wants to control the relationship and it seems to me he is doing it the way he should.
Before him, we heard my personal number 3 song of meaning for the year just passed. It was from her album “This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway,” the song “Messy” from British artist Lola Young. She said of the song: "Messy" is an ADHD anthem, it really showcases everything I felt during my last relationship, but also it is deeper than that, as it talks about how I feel about myself in general—being too messy one day and too clean another, struggling to find that balance in myself.” Here are some of the words: “You know I'm impatient, So why would you leave me waiting outside the station When it was like minus four degrees, and I get what you're sayin'; I just really don't wanna hear it right now. Can you shut up for like once in your life; Listen to me, I took your nice words of advice about how you think I'm gonna die lucky if I turn thirty-three. Ok, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney, I'm not skinny, But cut me some slack, who do you want me to be. 'Cause I'm too messy, and then I'm too clean. A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the lot.” I left out a word in the lyrics. In terms of our theme today, one of the resolutions she should have for next year is to really make an effort to make her life less messy. I place it so high in meaning because we all see that our lives are just a little messy, and we need to do something about it.
And we are up to the final two songs of meaning of 2025 in my opinion. Number 2 is not even on the national chart yet, but it will be. I think that it is an extremely clever song by uping a normal love song a couple of notches with its reference to Mr. William Shakespeare, namely his play “Hamlet” and Hamlet’s once-upon-a-time presumed future wife Ophelia. In the story, Mr. Shakespeare has Ophelia drown herself after a rejection from Prince Hamlet and after her father’s death at the hands of Hamlet. So a tragedy, but the song writes a different ending. The song is a powerful anthem about being rescued from the brink of emotional and psychological collapse by an all-consuming lover who is a literal resurrection and according to the people who should know about such things, as I have said, resembles the likes of her famous current boyfriend. “Late one night,” she sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” In terms of our theme this week, it is exactly what is supposed to happen if there is a deep love of each other, and both will be willing to talk to one another about it and eventually work out the deep feelings of love between them, a great resolution for people who are truly in love, our theme today. This is Taylor Swift again and the first song from her new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” my number 2 song of meaning for 2025, “The Fate of Ophelia” on MATT.
(double) THE FATE OF OPHELIA / Taylor Swift 2/25
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR / Billie Eilish 1/24
Part 12
My number 1 song for the year 2024, the Song of the Year at the Grammys. It is sung as Barbie as she discovers what is real in life. It is the thought of a person growing up in a world that sometimes is too complicated. Great message from Billie Eilish from the soundtrack of the movie “Barbie,” and a great video which Billie Eilish directed, “What Was I Made For?” on MATT. “I used to float,” she sings, “now I just fall down. I used to know, but I’m not sure now. What was I made for? Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal, looked so alive, turns out I’m not real. I don’t know how to feel, but I wanna try. Someday I might.” And she closes the song in a hopeful manner: “Think I forgot how to be happy, something I’m not, but something I can be, something I’m made for.” So, her answer to the question of her song: what was I made for?—is “to be happy.” In terms of our theme, one of our resolutions for next year should probably resolve around the fact that we should be happy most of the time.
And my number 1 song of meaning of all the songs of 2025. It spent 19 weeks at number 1 during the year, a record and is from 25 year old Alexander Warren Hughes better known as Alex Warren from Carlsbad California, another song of sincere commitment, at least from the man’s point of view, and the song “Ordinary”. “They say, ‘The holy water’s watered down and this town’s lost its faith. Our colors will fade eventually’. So, if our time is runnin’ out day after day, we’ll make the mundane our masterpiece. I take one look at you. You’re takin’ me out of the ordinary. I want you layin’ me down ‘til we’re dead and buried. You got me kissin’ the ground of your sanctuary. At your altar, I will pray. You’re the sculptor, I’m the clay. You take me out of the ordinary.” As I say, he is pretty taken with is friend, and it could very well be real love, but one would have to know how she feels. In terms of our theme, a resolution for next year might revolve around the idea of trying to make the mundane a masterpience in everything that we do. That is probably the best line of a song that I have studied during this year—our call is to make the mundane which we live every day a true masterpiece.
And there you have it, as Kasey Kasum used to say, God rest his soul, my top 1o songs of meaning from 2024 and 2025. My prayer for you and for me is that we will be well aware of the resolutions we should be making during this year of 2026. If you want to contact me for any reason, my e-mail address is: frmikescully@yahoo.com or the address at the radio station: KJLS-FM, Hays, America, 67601. My website is www.frmikescully.com where you will find a transcript of the show and some meditations about the Gospels and living better using this music and some great movies. The topic of the meditation today concerns the song “Believer” by the band Imagine Dragons. Great song. The way to get us on the world wide web every Sunday morning is to go to www.hayspost.com and then click on Mix 103 or KJLS at 10am. Thank you for your time today. My thanks to the producers of our show, and to our sponsors, especially Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, and Hays Car and Truck Alignment and to my boss here for thinking of the topic of the show today. The thought to close our show comes from author John Watson: “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” That is a great thought—everyone we meet is suffering some kind of a battle, and therefore kindness may be what counts the most in life and definitely a great guiding thought for this year. That is a great commitment for this year—be kind, no matter what. We close our show with the number 1 song on my playlist for 2025, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” and as you listen to it, may I remind you to hold a good thought. From beautifuly decorated downtown Lawrence, KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully. Be safe; peace to you, and be good!d
ORDINARY / Alex Warren 1/25