Part 1
            Hello, Central Kansas and around the world!  Thank you for joining us this morning; good morning, everyone!  Happy last Sunday and last day of February, as we are right on top of March Madness in the college basketball world in a couple of weeks, and how different it will be this year, to be sure.  And Spring is just around the corner!  I hope your day will go well for you today.  I’m still remembering the cold from a couple weeks ago, and I’ll bet you are too.  Thanks for spending part of your time with us.  Welcome to “Message at the Top”, your top 10 show on Mix 103.  You spend time with us every Sunday morning, and you not only know what popular songs make up the top 10, but you also learn their messages, and many times those messages can actually give us some good thoughts to make our lives have more meaning than they do right now.  This morning we will spend time with the different songs of our top 10 playlist and discover some thoughts about the word ‘forever’.  I’m Fr. Mike Scully; it’s great to have you with us today. 
            As I have mentioned before, the songs of our day speak about love an awful lot, and almost always there is an idea of commitment that runs through them.  Our world doesn’t do well with commitments.  Ruled by selfish human natures, people of our world too often make what might be called “temporary permanent commitments.”  Of course, such commitments are a contradiction, but they are so much easier than “permanent permanent commitments.”  Granted that there are legitimate exceptions in which permanent commitments should be abandoned, but one wonders whether there should be as many exceptions as there are.
            Of course, the answer to the problem of commitment comes before the commitment is made.  People must spend time and study on questions like “Are you willing to say and mean ‘forever’?”; “Do you know what you are getting into?”; Are you aware of the scope of ‘for better and for worse’?”
            Case in point, the new song by a lady by the name of Olivia Rodgrio, and this line in particular: “Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me, ‘cause you said forever.  Now I drive alone past your street.”  The rest of the song displays the pain that the lady in the song feels: “I got my driver’s license last week,” she sings, “just like we always talked about ‘cause you were so excited for me to finally drive up to your house.  But today I drive through the suburbs cryin’ ‘cause you weren’t around.  And you’re probably with that blonde girl who always made me doubt.  I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one and I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone.  Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me, ‘cause you said forever; now I drive alone past your street.”  Tough situation for young love, and the point that I am making is that the boyfriend used the word “forever.”  And he said it but didn’t mean it.  Now, I maintain that “forever” is a significant word in our vocabulary.  If we say the word “forever”, it must carry with it some strong meaning.  A person simply can’t say the word in the heat of the moment of love, and then forget about it.  Do we really know what we are saying when we say it?
            Good thoughts for us to dwell on this morning.  We’ll use as our theme “When to Say ‘Forever’” and to start us off, here is the song at number 7 in our top 10, very popular throughout the world from Olivia Isabel Rodgrio, “Drivers License” on MATT.
(double)     7 DRIVERS LICENSE / Olivia Rodgrio
                               BLACK WIDOW / Iggy Azalea f/ Rita Ora
 
Part 2
             A descriptive song and quite a video.  Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora there, 2014, their song “Black Widow” from Iggy Azalea’s album “The New Classic” on MATT.  It is a song about a spider, sort of.  It is one of my favorite songs of meaning because it is so descriptive of what happens at times.  “I’m gonna love ya until you hate me,” she began her song, “And I’m gonna show ya what’s really crazy.  You should’ve known better than to mess with me, honey.  I’m gonna love ya like a black widow.”
The black widow spider is known for its venomous bite, especially the female.  What the lady is saying in this song is that the relationship is not only over, but it will be one that the other person will remember for a long time, and it will not be a pleasant memory, just as the bite of a Black Widow is never pleasant.  The female actually eats the male after they mate, hence the name “black widow.”  Revenge and hatred have no place as we prepare for love, to be sure.  And neither should have said “forever,” our theme today, except unfortunately even these situations have people say the word and never mean it.
            Our first triple play begins with a song about loneliness from Justin Bieber whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow when he will be 27 years old.  He writes about the song and his life this way: "I went into the studio and sang through it which wasn't easy but started to really see the importance of telling this story!  It made me realize we all feel lonely at times!  Being someone in my position—I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that's why I believe this song is so powerful!".  That is so true.  “Everybody knows my name now,” he sings, “but something ‘bout it still feels strange.  Like looking in a mirror, trying to steady yourself and see somebody else.  And everything is not the same now.  It feels like all our lives have changed.  What if you had it all, but nobody to call?  Maybe then you’d know me ‘cause I’ve had everything but no one’s listening and that’s just oh so lonely.”  Wow.  An autobiographical song, it seems, and it could be sung by anyone who feels lonely.  Definitely being lonely is a worry, and usually when overcome by loneliness, it is not the time to say the word “forever” our theme today.  That should be said only by people who are fully functioning.  He has two songs in our top 10, and this one is number 8, Justin Bieber and a song produced by Benny Blanco, “Lonely” on MATT.
(triple)        8 LONELY / Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco
                   YOU AND ME / Lifehouse
                               CIRCLES / Post Malone
Part 3
            Austin Richard Post better known as Post Malone there, from his album “Hollywood’s Bleeding” and his song “Circles” on MATT.  It is the story in song about a break-up that has occurred.  “Seasons change,” he sings, “and our love went cold, feed the flame ‘cause we can’t let go.  Run away, but we’re running in circles.  Run away. I dare you to do something, I’m waiting on you again, so I don’t take the blame.  Let go, I got a feeling that it’s time to let go.  I knew that this was doomed from the get-go.  You thought that it was special.  But it was just the sex though.  I got a feeling that it’s time to let it go.”  When physical relationships are the basis of a relationship, the chances are that we will miss what love is all about because we are taken up with the strong emotions of the physical.  And during those times too often the word “forever” is spoken, our theme today, and it means that emotion is talking and not love.
            Before him, we heard a former number 1 song from their album named after them, Lifehouse and “You and Me” from the songs of meaning of 2005.  The group sings: “What day is it, and in what month.  This clock never seemed so alive—I can’t keep up and I can’t back down.  I’ve been losing so much time ‘cause it’s you and me and all of the people.  Nothing to do, nothing to lose, and it’s you and me and all of the people and I don’t know why I can’t keep my eyes off of you.”  The person in the song is totally in love, and nothing else seems to matter—there’s just you and me, the person in the song sings, and then the rest of reality.  High emotions, as I said, and when those high emotions take over a life, you may just forget about the rest of reality.  We have to control our emotions as we learn to prepare for love, and once we do that, we may be able to say “forever,” our theme today.
            A theme that is interesting to think about from Olivia Rodgrio’s song “Drivers License,” namely “When to Say ‘Forever’”.  During our next segment, we will continue to explore our songs with that thought.  We will listen to Gabby Barrett along with Charlie Puth and Mike and the Mechanics among others.  May I lead you to break with a thought from Marcus Aurelius from way back in time, and sage advice for every time frame of life: “The best revenge is to be unlike him/her who performed the injury.”  Now, that is super advice and it sounds like such a person might know what important words like “forever” mean.  “Message at the Top” will continue right after these important messages.  I’m Fr. Mike inviting you to keep your radio dial set at Mix 103.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 4
            It is so good to have you back with us.  Thank you for joining us; we welcome you back to the top 10 songs of our area as of the week ending today, February 28, 2021.  I am Fr. Mike, your host for the only top 10 show of its kind, “Message at the Top.”  During this segment, we have top 10 music from the present and the past.  They will ingeniously fit into a theme that we have named “When to Say ‘Forever’”, that theme having come from the song from Olivia Rodgrio’s song “Drivers License.”
            Let’s begin this half-hour with the song at number 6 this morning.  Justin Bieber said that in the song he wanted to rededicate himself to God because he really felt it was better for the condition of his soul.  God had blessed him with a happy marriage, and so he sang of being holy.  “I hear a lot about sinners;” he begins his song, “Don’t think that I’ll be a saint, but I might go down to the river ‘cause the way that the sky opens up when we touch.  It’s making me say that the way you hold me, feels so holy.  On God runnin’ to the altar like a track star, can’t wait another second ‘cause the way you hold me feels so holy.”  And if one considers the other and their actions as holy, you can bet it is a good time to say “forever”, our theme today.  The song features birthday person Justin Bieber again this time along with Chancelor Jonathan Bennett better known as Chance the Rapper, and their song “Holy” at number 6 on MATT. 
(double)    6 HOLY / Justin Bieber f/ Chance the Rapper
                               PROBLEM / Ariana Grande f/ Iggy Azalea
 
Part 5
            Another Iggy Azalea song this time with lead singer Ariana Grande, and their former number 1 song “Problem” from Ariana Grande’s album “My Everything” from the year 2014.  It speaks of a love problem: “Hey, even though I hate ya, I wanna love ya, I want you!  And even though I can’t forgive you, I really want to.  Tell me, why can’t you leave me?  ‘Cause even though I shouldn’t want it, I gotta have it.  Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulders, I should be wiser and realize that I’ve got one less problem without ya!”  So, a love problem, and the lady in the relationship realizes what she should do, namely leave, but she really likes the guy.  In terms of our theme today, she would like to say “forever,” but in order for it to work, both of them have to mean it.
            Let’s close out this first hour with a triple play that will begin with a song by Ms. Dua Lipa along with rapper Jonathan Lyndale Kirk better known as DaBaby, and I haven’t been giving him the recognition I should have with the song.  The song is a song about strong feelings for another, in fact, feeling like she is floating or levitating in a boyfriend’s presence.  “If you wanna run away with me,” she sings, “I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride.  I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm where the music don’t stop for life, glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes, shining just the way I like.  If you’re feeling like you need a little bit of company, you met me at the perfect time.  You want me, I want you, I’m levitating.”  As I say, strong feelings for another, and in terms of our theme, feelings can help make a person say “forever,” our theme today but being able to say it should never happen simply because of good feelings.  There has to be more.  This is Ms. Dua Lipa from her album “Future Nostalgia,” along with DaBaby and their song “Levitating” on MATT.
(triple)     4 LEVITATING / Dua Lipa f/ DaBaby
                               YOU MAKE ME FEEL / Cobra Starship f/ Sabi
                               10 I HOPE / Gabby Barrett & Charlie Puth
 
Part 6
            That song has hung around the top 10 for quite a while, Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth and their song “I Hope” from Gabby Barrett’s album “Goldmine” on the country charts at number 10 on MATT.  It is a song about a lady who knows that her boyfriend has cheated on her, and she is out to get him as he is choosing to be with another girl.  “I hope she makes you smile the way it made me smile on the other end of a phone in the middle of a highway driving alone.  I hope you hear a song that makes you sing along and gets you thinking ‘bout her.  I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans.  And then I hope she cheats like you did on me.”  It is a wish for revenge.  Revenge is never a way to make one’s life better, and it is an insidious evil because it will end up making both people feel badly and it is absolutely not the time to even think of saying “forever”, our theme today.
            Before them, we heard from the group Cobra Starship, a group formed in 2003 in New York City from their album “Night Shades” and their song “You Make Me Feel”.  They sing with rapper Jenice Dena Portluck, better known as Sabi in a song about finding the girl the man is looking for.  “Girl,” they begin their song, “I’ve been all over the world looking for you.  I’m known for taking what I think I deserve and you’re overdue.  What I been missing in my life, what I been dreaming of, you’ll be that girl.”  And the girl answers, I’ll be “everything you want.  I’m the baddest baby in the atmosphere, tell me what you want so we can do just what you like.  You make me feel that.”  The English language suffers a little, but the idea is clear—they both want to be with each other, and as we talk about using the word “forever,” with the type of commitment that they are speaking of, it sounds like a good time to talk of “forever.”
            As we just said, our theme today is the idea of when it makes sense to say the word “forever”.  It came from the song from Olivia Rodgrio called “Drivers License”.  As always, the songs of our show can take that theme and work with it—with a little bit of help.  Songs always seem to say a lot if we are looking for the messages.  As we head to break, here is a thought from poet George Herbert who died in 1633: “Living well is the best revenge.”  Now, that is great mature advice!  And living well is something that could lead one to say the word “forever” to a future partner.  How about that tie in to our theme!  I’m Fr. Mike, and this is “Message at the Top” on Mix 103.  We’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 7
            Every song has a message and most of the time, that message can help our lives.  That is our belief on this show.  Welcome back.  I am Fr. Mike, your host for “Message at the Top” which is the top 10 show of Mix 103 that gives you the songs of today along with their meanings and some great songs from the past with their meanings as well.  We play the music, hope you enjoy it, and we advise you to listen to the messages so that our lives may be able to take on a better quality.  It’s great to have you with us again as we play the songs that make up the pop music of today and yesterday.  We have taken our theme from a song from Olivia Rodgrio, and we are looking at what the song can tell us about when to say the w0rd “forever.”
            Our second hour together begins with a song about feminism.  “If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone.  You’re not dancin’ on your own.  Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t.  Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own.  I’ll show you how a real queen behaves.  No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me.  Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me.  Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”  Tying that into our theme, today, she is a strong lady, and being strong, she will no doubt be ready to say the word “forever” to a boyfriend when she wants, but the boyfriend has to be willing as well.  This is Ms. Ava Koci better known as Ava Max and her song at number 3 from her album “Heaven and Hell”, “Kings and Queens” on MATT. 
(triple)       3 KINGS AND QUEENS / Ava Max
                   7 YEARS / Lukas Graham (16)
                               ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE / Mike & the Mechanics
 
Part 8
            1986 was the year, Mike and Mechanics, the group, and their song, “All I Need Is a Miracle” on MATT.  They were an English group who were formed in 1985 and worked until 2004, took a break, and re-formed completely in 2010 and now are still on the music scene.  Their song is one of the great songs of the late 80’s.  They sing of a person who made a mistake, and is now trying to develop some good thinking: “I never had any time,” they sing the mind of the person in the song, “And I never had any call, but I went out of my way just to hurt you, the one I shouldn’t hurt at all.  I thought I was being cool.  Yeah, I thought I was being strong, but it’s always the same old story: you never know what you’ve got till it’s gone.  If I ever catch up with you, I’m gonna love you for the rest of your life.”  That’s a pretty big “if” statement because he admits he’s going to need something special to pull it off.  What he is speaking of is some action of asking forgiveness.  And if he does it, then “forever” or “the rest of my life” as he says it, is possible.  But “forever” will only be said, our theme today, between lovers if they know how to forgive each other.
            Before them, we heard from the album named after them, Lukas Graham and their song “7 Years” from 2015, a former number 1, and a song very high in meaning in our opinion.  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, and if both are living that good life, then it makes sense to say the word “forever” between them, our theme today.
            Yet another triple play is lined up for us right now on these fancy computers and let’s begin it with a song whose message is love, as most of these songs are in one way or another.  “Stop the clocks, it’s amazing,” Ed Sheeran sings, “You should see the way the light dances off your hair: a million colors of hazel, gold and red.  Saturday morning is fading, the sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand, my eyes are caught in your gaze all over again.  We were love drunk, waiting on a miracle, trying to find ourselves in the winter snow, so alone in love like the world had disappeared.  Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go.  I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow, and we’ll burn so bright ’til the darkness softly clears.”  Sounds to me like the relationship has gone through some things, but the man in the relationship at least is really trying to keep the relationship alive, and therefore, they had better watch saying “forever,” our theme today.  It may be too soon.  This is Mr. Ed Sheeran, number 9 this week and “Afterglow” on MATT.
(triple)       9 AFTERGLOW / Ed Sheeran
                               ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS DANCE / Don Henley
                               ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE / Sheryl Crow & Sting
 
Part 9
            Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner there better known as Sting and Sheryl Crow, and a beautiful song, I believe.  It was from Sheryl Crow’s album “Wildflower,” and their song “Always on Your Side”, from 2006, on MATT. “Well, they say that love is in the air,” they sing, “but never is it clear, how to pull it close and make it stay.  Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly away, and I’m left to carry on and wonder why.  Even through it all, I’m always on your side.  But is there some place far away, some place where all is clear, easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear, or are we left to wonder, all alone, eternally, but is this how it’s really meant to be.  No it isn’t how it’s really meant to be.”  The person in the relationship is wondering why it didn’t work out, and at the same time saying that the love is still present in one way or another.  If the two in the song are going to say “forever”, our theme today, they have to work on the relationship a little, I think.
            Before them, we went to the year 1984—a couple 80’s songs on the show to day, and that song was one of the top songs of that year from Eagles’ singer Don Henley, “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”.  It is one interesting song about a lady who only wants to dance, even though there is trouble all around her.  He sings of that trouble: people picking up prisoners, rebels causing problems, Molotov cocktails, crazy people walking around with blood in their eyes, wild eyed pistol waivers, selling weapons, a civil war, and an unhappy clientele wanting to chase them from their island.  In the midst of that trouble, all she wants to do is dance and make romance.  I remember commenting on that song back in 1984—yes, unfortunately I can remember back that far—commenting that dancing and making romance is a heck of a lot better than all that fighting, but the truth is that we find time for both usually.  Sounds like the lady in the song is the type of person who could say “forever” and mean it because she seems very sincere, at least in romance.  IMHO, of course.
            Our topic this morning is revolving around the thought of when it is right to say the word “forever” in a relationship.  Get ready during this next segment for people like Jon Bon Jovi—it’s his birthday and 24KGoldn.  A closing quote for this segment from author Maria Robinson: “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Great thought if you are in a relationship, and have not been able to keep the “forever” thing, maybe it’s time to start again.  Don’t even think of touching that dial—it is set for Mix 103 and MATT, and we’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 10
            Welcome back to the show that gives you the top 10 of today and yesterday along with their messages.  We call it MATT.  I’m your host, Fr. Mike, and we have taken off from an idea from Olivia Rodgrio’s song which is giving our theme today—namely, what are some thoughts about when to say the word “forever”?  Let’s see how the songs of this segment fit into that thought. 
            And we begin it with a story in song about leaving the complacency of being young and moving on to adulthood.  The fact is, they wrote, that adulthood is bound to hit us at some point, so the plan we made in the song is to 'go out with a bang.'"  “I get up, I get down and I'm jumpin' around” they sing.  “And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to grow (bang! bang! bang!)  So I got an apartment across from the park, put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feelin' grown.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to go (bang! bang! bang!) (here we go)”.  I cleaned up the expletive.  As young people grow into maturity, one of the things they will discover as they grow is that sometime they will have to say the word “forever” and they should prepare well for it.  This is from the trio AJR, and their song is called “Bang”, number 2 on MATT.
(triple)       2 BANG! / AJR
                   HAVE A NICE DAY / Bon Jovi
                               ALWAYS / Bon Jovi
 
Part 11
            Happy birthday to the leader of that group—Jon Bon Jovi—who will be 59 on Tuesday.  It is one very popular group of course, all kinds of awards and albums.  That last song was from the top 10 of 1994, and the song “Always”.  The person in the song has done something that now he knows should not have happened: a "memory that made you have to say good-bye," the group sings.  He is experiencing pain.  "This Romeo is bleeding," Bon Jovi sings, "but you can't see his blood.  I can't sing a love song like the way it's meant to be.”  As he expresses the pain, he expresses his profound sorrow for what he has done: "When you say your prayers, try to understand I've made mistakes, I'm just a man."  Begging forgiveness is not an easy task.  But the person who learns it will no doubt be able to say “forever” and mean it.
            Before them, them again who were formed by John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. in 1983.  They have had a couple of breaks from their music, but they are still on the music scene today.  The song before “Always” was from the year 2005 and the album of the same name, “Have a Nice Day”.  I really like the message and the sound of the song, and the idea of the video was to begin a happy revolution—check it out on YouTube.  “If there’s one thing I hang onto, it gets me through the night,” they sing, “I ain’t gonna do what I don’t want to.  I’m gonna live my life.  Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice, standing on the ledge, show the wind how to fly.  When the world gets in my face, I say, have a nice day.”  That is to say, the person in the song is in charge of his life—he’s gonna live his life, and not depend on someone else.  When someone has this type of attitude in his/her life, usually they will be able to say and mean “forever”, our theme today.
            Our final double play will begin with number 5 in our top 10 and it comes from Ms. Ariana Grande.  It is a song about commitment.  As I have mentioned, interestingly enough, she starts off negatively with the words: “Heaven sent you to me, I’m just hoping I don’t repeat history.”  Presumably, the lady in the song hasn’t done real well with relationships.  But she continues: “Boy, I’m tryna meet your mama on a Sunday, then make a lotta love on a Monday.  Never need no one else, ‘cause I’ll be in the Olympics way jumping through hoops.  Know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn’t do, that I won’t do.  Perfect.  You’re too good to be true.”  Like I say, a commitment, and with a commitment like this, then “forever” would make sense to say.  Of course, the partner has to be of the same agreement to make the commitment work.  This is Ms. Ariana Grande here from her album named after the song, “Positions” number 5 on MATT. 
(double)    5 POSITIONS / Ariana Grande
                               ALL YOU WANTED / Michelle Branch
 
Part 12
            The number 6 song of meaning of 2002, from Michelle Branch and “All You Wanted” on MATT.  “I wanted to be like you,” Michelle Branch began her song there.  “I wanted everything, so I tried to be like you, and I got swept away.  I didn’t know that it was so cold, and you needed someone to show you the way.  So I took your hand and we figured out that when the tide comes, I’d take you away.  If you want to, I can save you.  I can take you away from here.  So lonely inside, so busy out there, and all you wanted was somebody who cares.”  She’s the person who cares for him, but what happens is very interesting.  She starts sinking, she sings.  She becomes exactly like him, mired in despair, and she reaches out her hand so he can hold on to her.  It’s like both of them are going to end in despair.  But she is trying to help him.  Like I say, interesting.  Tying it into our theme, they are not ready to say the word “forever,” our theme today, and if they have already, they had better seek some counseling or the word and fact will not be.
            And the number 1 song for 3 weeks in a row is from American rapper singer songwriter Golden Landis Von Jones better known as 24KGoldn and also Puerto Rican rapper Michael Ian Olmo better known as Iann Dior and their song “Mood”.  It is a song as you might guess about moodiness.  “Why you always in a mood?” the man in the relationship begins the song, “foolin around, actin brand new.  I ain’t tryna tell you what to do, but try to play it cool.  I ain’t playin by your rules: everything look better with a view.  I could never get attached.  When I start to feel, I unattach, somehow I always end up feeling bad.  I’m not your dad.  I just want your company.  We play games of love to avoid the depression.  We been here before and I won’t be your victim.”  I cleaned up the language a little.  Moodiness has destroyed the relationship it seems, and there’s no way that the word “forever” would make any sense.
            We have looked at that idea today—when can you say the word “forever.”  My prayer for you and for me is that when we say the word “forever” in whatever context, we will mean it.  Thank you for joining us today.  My thanks also to the producers of “Message at the Top,” to the staff here at Mix 103, and to our sponsors, my friends at TMP-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, and Hays Car and Truck Alignment.  If you have some song suggestions, 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 you will find a transcript of the show and some meditations on these songs and some interesting movies.  The meditation today is on the song “Daylight” by Maroon 5.  You may want to join us on the web at www.hayspost.com and clicking on Mix 103 at 10 CST every Sunday morning.  One final quote before we leave.  It comes from comedian Steve Martin: “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”  Yes, and it helps to laugh once in a while.  As 24KGoldn leads us out with the number 1 song “Mood” may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103, and our advice among other things is to hold a good thought.  My name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Be safe, peace to you, and be good!
1 MOOD / 24KGoldn f/ Iann Dior

Part 1
            Hello Central Kansas and around the world!  Thank you for joining us this second last Sunday of February morning—ah, Spring continues to get closer, and we made it through that arctic wave—it was cold all over, I think.  Anyway, welcome to “Message at the Top.”  I am Fr. Mike Scully and get set for the top 10 songs of our area as determined by the research of Mediabase 24-7, and get ready for some top 10 songs from years past as well.  Our motto continues to be to enjoy the music, and to listen to the message.  During our show today, we have music from the past from people like Rihanna and Halsey and of course, we have all of the songs of the top 10 right now. 
            We have a song just outside our top 10 right now that uses a word that is most important in any relationship, I believe.  It is the word “focus.”  “Golden,” Harry Styles sings, “As I open my eyes, hold it, focus, hoping, take me back to the light; I know you were way too bright for me.  I’m hopeless, broken, so you wait for me in the sky, browns my skin just right.  You’re so golden.  I’m out of my head and I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken.  I don’t wanna be alone.  Loving you is the antidote.”  That may be, but it sounds like they have a bunch of work to do before their love will blossom.  And it involves, I believe, staying focused.
            And so, my intellectual mind asks what are some things that help us stay focused?  I think that there are a lot of them.  I think that good leadership can bring things into pretty good focus.  I think that being mature about things helps bring into focus as well.  The problem with leadership and maturity is that many times people simply do not want that solution, and so things continue to be un-focused.
            You study this song, and the reason why everything’s so unfocused is that she may leave, and he wishes that she wouldn’t.  One of the major causes of being un-focused in my opinion is that we will not accept the facts of the situation, and want to make it the way that we want it.  “Loving you is the antidote,” he sings.  Well, that’s all well and good, but it seems as though that she has to make up her own mind.  What could bring everything back into focus, the person in the song thinks, anyway, is that she would stay with him.  Really, the thing that will bring back into focus, is a little of reality therapy on his part.  This relationship needs some work, and maybe he is the one who needs to do it.
            Be that as it may, the song supplies a pretty good thought for our show this morning as we ask the other songs of our show to respond to that thought.  Let’s use as our theme the idea of “Keeping Things in Focus,” and let’s begin with this song from Harry Styles from his album “Fine Line” and his song “Golden” on MATT.
(double)     GOLDEN / Harry Styles
                               WATERMELON SUGAR / Harry Styles
 
Part 2
            Double Harry Styles there, that last one is a story in song of the desire for good feelings.  His song “Watermelon Sugar” also from his “Fine Line” album.  “Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening.  And it sounds like a summer feelin’, it’s so wonderful and warm.  Breathe me in, breathe me out.  I don’t know if I could ever go without.  I’m just thinking out loud.  Watermelon sugar high.  I want that summer feelin’, getting washed away in you.  I just wanna taste it, Watermelon sugar high.”  As I have warned before on this show, feelings are wonderful when they are wonderful, but when they aren’t they can throw things way out of focus, our theme today.
            Let’s begin our first triple play of the day with a double play from Ashley Nicolette Frangipane; we may know her better as Halsey.  The first song is a statement of fact from the girl’s point of view in a love relationship, and therefore it is a true difficulty because in the process of love, she says that she is “bad at love”.  She seems to be in the process of loving, mentioning the boys and where they are from, and saying “I believe that we’re meant to be, but I’m bad at love.”  Actually she is just having a good time, and doesn’t want to settle down, even though she tells the boys that she will settle down.  Bad situation, to be sure.  In terms of our theme, she is simply not focused in a mature way at all.  A double play from Halsey here from her album “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” and this first song “Bad at love” on MATT.
(triple)        BAD AT LOVE / Halsey
                   WITHOUT ME / Halsey
                               5 POSITIONS / Ariana Grande
 
Part 3
            Ms. Ariana Grande there from her album named after the song, “Positions” number 5 on MATT.  It is a song about commitment.  As I have mentioned, interestingly enough, she starts off negatively with the words: “Heaven sent you to me, I’m just hoping I don’t repeat history.”  Presumably, the lady in the song hasn’t done real well with relationships.  But she continues: “Boy, I’m tryna meet your mama on a Sunday, then make a lotta love on a Monday.  Never need no one else, ‘cause I’ll be in the Olympics way jumping through hoops.  Know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn’t do, that I won’t do.  Perfect.  You’re too good to be true.”  Like I say, a commitment, and with a commitment like this, you can bet that things will remain in focus.  Of course, the partner has to be of the same agreement to make the commitment work.
            Before her, we heard the close of a double play from Halsey and her song “Without Me”.  It is a song about a friend that the lady in the song helped, but apparently he has forgotten her now that he feels better.  “Found you when your heart was broke,” she sings, “I filled your cup until it overflowed, took it so far to keep you close, I was afraid to leave you on your own.  I said I’d catch you if you fall, put you right back on your feet just so you could take advantage of me.  Tell me, how’s it feel sittin’ up there?  Feeling so high, but too far away to hold me.  I’m the one who put you up there.  I don’t know why, thinking you could live without me.”  It is a tough song, but a great lesson: there can be major disappointments when you help someone, but it is a great way to learn to stay focused, our theme today, even when things don’t turn out real well as in the song.
            Our theme this week is the idea of staying focused and how to do it, that thought having come from Harry Styles and his song “Golden.”  I’m Fr. Mike inviting you to stay with us.  After a short break, we will continue our songs and their meanings, spending time with people like AJR and Maroon 5.  May I lead you to break with a thought from Abraham Lincoln: “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”  A lot to think about there—and lying is not a way that will help a person stay focused.  Your dial is set for “Message at the Top”.  Stay with us!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 4
            Good morning, everyone!  You are in tune with “Message at the Top,” your top 10 show that not only plays music of the top 10, but the music of great songs of meaning from the past.  We welcome you back to the songs that are most popular in this area.  We take the top 10 and the songs of meaning of the past and study their messages, and then call our show MATT.  I’m your host Fr. Mike.  It’s great to have you here.  We began our show with a theme from Harry Styles and his song “Golden” and we are calling our theme “Keeping Things in Focus.”
            Let’s enjoy a double play from Maroon 5 right now.  This first song has its own story, but the video might even be more interesting, and something to check out on YouTube.  Adam Levine of Maroon 5 says of the video: "As different as we all are, there are common themes that bring us together, inspire and show everyone what is important today.  With this video, we’ll present the world today and beyond, creating more than just a music video."  And they do.  It is an excellent video to study.  But the song is about a love relationship.  “Here I am waiting,” they sing, “I’ll have to leave soon; why am I holding on?  We knew this day would come, we knew it all along, how did it come so fast?  This is our last night but it’s late, and I’m trying not to sleep ‘cause I know when I wake, I will have to slip away.  And when the daylight comes, I’ll have to go, but tonight I’m gonna hold you so close ‘cause in the daylight we’ll be on our own.”  So, a slice of life in which the lovers will have to part, and it is very difficult.  Fitting into our theme today, it seems that both of the people in the relationship are quite focused: they know what will happen in the near future, and they are prepared.  From the songs of meaning of 2013, this is the group Maroon 5, the first part of a double play from them, from their album “Overexposed,” and their song “Daylight” on MATT.
(double)    DAYLIGHT / Maroon 5
                               WON’T GO HOME WITHOUT YOU / Maroon 5
 
Part 5
            Double Maroon 5 there, that last song from their album “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long,” and their song “Won’t Go Home Without You” from 2007.  In the song, the person in the song is saying to a friend, that “I won’t go home without you.”  They sing: “I may not make it through the night”.  It is a song of pain and speaks of a relationship that just didn’t work out, but the man in the relationship is determined to get it to work again.  “I asked her to stay but she wouldn't listen.  She left before I had the chance to say the words that would mend the things that were broken.  But now it's far too late, she's gone away.  Every night you cry yourself to sleep, thinking: ‘Why does this happen to me?  Why does every moment have to be so hard?’  Just give me one more chance to make it right.”  In the video to the song, he has to go home without her, and the video points out how difficult it is to work out the love relationship after something has happened—in this case, after something was said.  Facing those tough times is important, and actually in terms of our theme, a person must do that in order to stay focused.
            Yet another triple play is in store for us now, and we begin it with a song about someone who is truly addicted to love, the name of the song.  “You can’t sleep, you can’t eat,” he sings about someone that he wants very much to have a relationship with, “There’s no doubt you’re in deep; another kiss is all you need.  You like to think that you’re immune to the stuff; it’s closer to the truth to say: can’t get enough.  You’re gonna have to face it: you’re addicted to love.”  Now, being addicted to love is not such a bad thing at all, / if both of the parties want that to happen.  It happens too often in a so-called love relationship that one of the parties wants to be addicted to the love of another, and the other doesn’t want it.  Then, there is a problem.  When a couple is addicted to love, they will be totally focused on the other.  Incidentally, the clergyperson in me would say that it would be great if everyone in the world were addicted to love.  Going back to the archives of the year 1986 and a song from Robert Palmer, who died in 2003, and therefore we pray that the Lord give him peace, his song, “Addicted to Love” on MATT. 
(triple)     ADDICTED TO LOVE / Robert Palmer
                               HIGH / James Blunt
                               2 BANG! / AJR
 
Part 6
            Former number 1, a song about leaving the complacency of being young and moving on to adulthood on MATT.  It is from the trio AJR named after the group’s first names Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger, and their song is called “Bang!”  The fact is, they wrote, adulthood is bound to hit us at some point, so the plan we made in the song is to 'go out with a bang.'"  “I get up, I get down and I'm jumpin' around” they sing.  “And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to grow (bang! bang! bang!)  So I got an apartment across from the park, put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feelin' grown.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to go (bang! bang! bang!) (here we go)”.  I cleaned up the expletive.  As young people grow into maturity, one of the things they will discover as they grow is that they must keep things in focus, our theme today, something that is very difficult when people are young.
            Before them, we wished happy birthday to Mr. James Blunt.  He will be 47 tomorrow.  That song is “High” is from the album “Back to Bedlam”.  It is a good song of meaning because it could be sung to nature—beautiful dawn, or to a girl that has made him so happy.  “Beautiful dawn—lights up the shore for me.  Thought I would die a lonely man,” he sings, “in endless night.  But now I’m high, running wild among all the stars above, sometimes it’s hard to believe you remember me.”  The person in the song was ready for despair and loneliness, but he feels the love of someone else, or something else if he is talking about nature, and he is fine again.  In terms of our theme, a person who feels that type of love will usually be pretty well focused because he/she is guided by true love.
            Ah, these songs always give us deep thoughts to think about.  “Keeping Things in Focus” is our theme today, that thought coming from the song “Golden” by Harry Styles.  Our next set of music and message will explore that theme with music of the numbers 10, 3, 6. 4 and 9 songs in our countdown, along with birthday person Rihanna.  May I take you to break with this thought from country singer Naomi Judd.  It sounds obvious, but as you think about it, there is a lot of wisdom here: “A dead end street is a good place to turn around.”  See what I mean, and living it out will tend to lead to good endings and help us keep focused.  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.  I am Fr. Mike.  Thank you for joining us for these songs and the thoughts that go with them.  What is amazing about those songs is that with a little bit of help, they can actually teach us something about ourselves and about our behavior.  The topic of our show today concerns the idea of keeping focused.  The thought came from the song “Golden” from Harry Styles.
            Now a triple play of top 10’s right now this week of February 15-21, and we begin it with a song that is what I call a pleasant love song.  “Stop the clocks, it’s amazing.  You should see the way the light dances off your hair: a million colors of hazel, gold and red.  Saturday morning is fading, the sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand, my eyes are caught in your gaze all over again.  We were love drunk, waiting on a miracle, trying to find ourselves in the winter snow, so alone in love like the world had disappeared.  Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go.  I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow, and we’ll burn so bright ’til the darkness softly clears.”  Sounds to me like the relationship has gone through some things, but the man in the relationship at least is really trying to keep the relationship alive, and that is a real focus for him, our theme today, but of course as we have said before, it takes two people to have that feeling.  This is Mr. Ed Sheeran, number 9 this week and “Afterglow” on MATT.
(triple)       9 AFTERGLOW / Ed Sheeran
                  3 LEVITATING / Dua Lipa
                               10 I HOPE / Gabby Barrett & Charlie Puth
 
Part 8
            That was Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth and their song “I Hope” from Gabby Barrett’s album “Goldmine” on the country charts and here it is at number 10 on MATT.  It is a song about a lady who knows that her boyfriend has cheated on her, and she is out to get him as he is choosing to be with another girl.  “I hope she makes you smile the way it made me smile on the other end of a phone in the middle of a highway driving alone.  I hope you hear a song that makes you sing along and gets you thinking ‘bout her.  I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans.  And then I hope she cheats like you did on me.”  It is a wish for revenge.  Revenge is never a way to make one’s life better, and it is an insidious evil because it will end up making both people feel badly and it will make everything completely out of focus, focus being our theme today.
            Before them, we heard from Ms. Dua Lipa from her album “Future Nostalgia,” and her song “Levitating”.  It is a song about strong feelings for another, in fact, feeling like she is floating or levitating in a boyfriend’s presence.  “If you wanna run away with me,” she sings, “I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride.  I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm where the music don’t stop for life, glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes, shining just the way I like.  If you’re feeling like you need a little bit of company, you met me at the perfect time.  You want me, I want you, I’m levitating.”  As I say, strong feelings for another, and in terms of our theme, feelings can help keep a proper focus, but most of the time, they will be a hindrance to focus because our feelings often are not what they should be.
            Now remaining in the confines of the top 10, let’s enjoy the talents of Ava Max and a former number 1.  As I have called it, it seems like an anthem for feminism.  “If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone.  You’re not dancin’ on your own.  Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t.  Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own.  I’ll show you how a real queen behaves.  No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me.  Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me.  Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”  Tying that into our theme, today, she is a strong lady, and being strong, she will no doubt keep things in focus—for her anyway.  This is Ms. Ava Koci better known as Ava Max and her song at number 4 from her album “Heaven and Hell”, “Kings and Queens” on MATT. 
(triple)       4 KINGS AND QUEENS / Ava Max
                               SOS / Rihanna
                               6 HOLY / Justin Bieber f/ Chance the Rapper
 
Part 9
            Justin Bieber there along with Chancelor Jonathan Bennett better known as Chance the Rapper, and their song “Holy” at number 6 on MATT.  Justin Bieber said that in the song he wanted to rededicate himself to God ... because he really felt it was better for the condition of his soul.  God had blessed him with a happy marriage, and so he sang of being holy.  “I hear a lot about sinners;” he begins his song, “Don’t think that I’ll be a saint, but I might go down to the river ‘cause the way that the sky opens up when we touch.  It’s making me say that the way you hold me, feels so holy.  On God runnin to the altar like a track star, can’t wait another second ‘cause the way you hold me feels so holy.”  And if one considers the other and their actions as holy, you can bet that they are keeping things in focus.
            Before them, we heard Robyn Rihanna Fenty better known as Rihanna who was born in St. Michael, Barbados on February 20, 1988, and therefore will was 33 yesterday.  She has a number of songs in the top 10 over the years, and that one was from her album “A Girl Like Me” and the name of it is “SOS (Rescue Me)”.  She sings of someone who is totally obsessed—the word she uses—with someone else.  “I’m obsessive,” she sings, “when just one thought of you comes up.  I’m aggressive, just one thought of closing up, you got me stressing, incessantly pressing the issue ‘cause every moment gone you know I miss you.  I’m the question and you’re of course the answer.  I can’t control myself, got me calling out for help.  SOS, please someone help me.  It’s not healthy for me to feel this way.  Y.O.U. are making this hard.”  As I say, she is totally into this man, and the emotions of love are completely dominating her thought—and it is extremely difficult for her to stay focused, our theme today, because her feelings are out of control.
            Our final segment is up next for you during which we will hear songs from Bruce Springsteen, Paramore, The Fray, and a new artist to our top 10 Olivia Rodrigo, and also, of course, the number 1 song in our land as we speak.  Leading us to break, here is a thought from authors Dan Zadra and Kobi Yamada from their excellent leadership book, How Many People Does It Take to Make a Difference.  “The purpose of life is to discover your gift.  The meaning of life is to give your gift away.”  Amen to that, and that is something to know as you work to stay focused.  I’m Fr. Mike, our show is MATT, this excellent radio station is Mix 103, and we’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 10
            We are back for your top 10 show on Mix 103 that gives you the songs as well as their messages.  I am your host Fr. Mike.  Thanks for taking the time to join us today.  As usual, our guide is to enjoy the music AND listen to the message so that our lives can be better than they are right now.  We take the songs and messages of the current top 10 and also top 10’s of the past, and figure out how they fit into a theme, a theme that reads this morning, “Keeping Things in Focus”, that theme having come from Harry Styles’s song “Golden”.
            Our final triple play begins with an excellent song from the group The Fray.  It was the number 2 song of all the songs of meaning of 2009.  It says that God is going to find us, and will help us out of the situations that we are in, making us be the type of people that we should be.  They begin their song, “I found God on the corner of First and Amistad, all alone, smoking his last cigarette.  I said, ‘Where you been?’  He said, ‘Ask anything.’” / And so the person in the song asks, “Where were you when everything was falling apart?  All my days were spent by the telephone.  It never rang, and all I needed was a call.”  But, he sings, “Lost and insecure, you found me lyin’ on the floor, surrounded.  Why’d you have to wait?  Where were you?  Just a little late, you found me.”  God will find us, no matter what the circumstances.  And the tie-in with our theme of keeping things in focus?  I believe a proper understanding of our search for God is the way to keep things in focus as we grow.  Great stuff.  The Fray here, from their self-named album, and the name of their song “You Found Me” on MATT. 
(triple)       YOU FOUND ME / The Fray (09)
                   BORN IN THE USA / Bruce Springsteen
                               8 DRIVERS LICENSE / Olivia Rodgrio
 
Part 11
            New to our top 10, our theme next week and very popular throughout the world actually, 17 year old California-born Olivia Isabel Rodgrico, and her song “Drivers License” on MATT.  It is a sad song of a girl who loved a boy, then the boy left, and she is feeling the pain.  “I got my driver’s license last week,” she sings, “just like we always talked about ‘cause you were so excited for me to finally drive up to your house.  But today I drive through the suburbs cryin’ ‘cause you weren’t around.  And you’re probably with that blonde girl who always made me doubt.  I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one and I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone.  Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me, ‘cause you said forever; now I drive alone past your street.”  Tough situation for young love, but she can learn from this pain.  It is the only way to keep things in focus, our theme today.
            Before them, satisfying my 80’s desire, 1984 to be exact, we heard from, Mr. Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen, a song of protest, “Born in the USA”.  It’s more a story of someone who has had a very rough life, and the good old US of A has not helped him out very much.  He had a rough time growing up, and went off to war before he got thrown into jail, came back from Viet-Nam, was rejected, and he now is in the “shadow of the penitentiary”, he sings.  His overall message probably revolves around the fact that life is not totally fair.  As we tie that message into our theme, when things are tough like he sings of, the person needs to do a little focusing on the good things in life—and there are a number of them, really.  Tough song though.
            Let’s enjoy now the group Paramore and lead singer Hayley Williams.  The song is a song of sarcastic revenge spoken to a once-upon-a-time boyfriend who apparently left the relationship.  “I don’t mind letting you down easy,” the lady in the relationship sings, “but just give it time.  If it don’t hurt now then just wait, just wait for a while.  You’re not the big fish in the pond no more.  You are what they’re feeding on.  So what are you gonna do when the world don’t orbit around you?  Ain’t it fun living in the real world?  Ain’t it good being alone?  Ain’t it fun you can’t count on no one?  Don’t go crying to your mama ‘cause you’re on your own in the real world.”  Tough words and a little hate-filled it would seem.  In terms of our theme, this is NOT the way to keep things in focus.  Revenge and hatred will only cause more pain.  MATT presenting a group formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004, Paramore, and their song from their self-named album, the best rock song of 2014 according to the Grammys, and the name of the song “Ain’t It Fun” on MATT.
(double)    AIN’T IT FUN / Paramore
                               7 LONELY / Justin Bieber and Benny Bianco
 
Part 12
            The second song in our top 10 from him, Justin Bieber and a song produced by Benny Bianco, “Lonely” at number 7 on MATT.  Justin Bieber writes about the song and his life this way: "I went into the studio and sang through it which wasn't easy but started to really see the importance of telling this story!  It made me realize we all feel lonely at times!  Being someone in my position—I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that's why I believe this song is so powerful!".  That is so true.  “Everybody knows my name now,” he sings, “but something ‘bout it still feels strange.  Like looking in a mirror, trying to steady yourself and see somebody else.  And everything is not the same now.  It feels like all our lives have changed.  What if you had it all, but nobody to call?  Maybe then you’d know me ‘cause I’ve had everything but no one’s listening and that’s just oh so lonely.”  Wow.  An autobiographical song, it seems, but it could be sung by anyone who feels lonely.  The video just may make you tear up a little.  Definitely being lonely is a worry, and usually when overcome by loneliness, it is difficult to keep focus, our theme today, on anything.  The person must overcome the loneliness and the way to do it is keep focused on something good.
            And the number 1 song for 2 weeks in a row is from American rapper singer songwriter Golden Landis Von Jones better known as 24KGoldn and also Puerto Rican rapper Michael Ian Olmo better known as Iann Dior and their song “Mood”.  It is a song as you might guess about moodiness.  “Why you always in a mood?” the man in the relationship begins the song, “foolin around, actin brand new.  I ain’t tryna tell you what to do, but try to play it cool.  I ain’t playin by your rules: everything look better with a view.  I could never get attached.  When I start to feel, I unattach, somehow I always end up feeling bad.  I’m not your dad.  I just want your company.  We play games of love to avoid the depression.  We been here before and I won’t be your victim.”  I cleaned up the language a little.  Moodiness has destroyed the relationship it seems, and in order to keep things in focus, we have to get rid of the moods, I think.
            And we have reached the end of our time together for another Sunday.  Thank you for giving us some of your time.  We have given you the top 10 songs of our land this week along with some extras from our extensive top 10 list.  We have used the theme of “Keeping Things in Focus” this second last Sunday of February 2021, that theme having come from a song that is just outside the top 10, Harry Styles and his song “Golden.”  My prayer for you and me is that we will always have the ability to keep our lives in the proper focus.  My thanks to the producers of “Message at the Top,” to the staff here at Mix 103, and to our sponsors, especially my friends at Hays Car and Truck Alignment, TMP-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, and Holy Family Elementary School in Hays.  If you have some song suggestions, 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.  I also hope you visit my website at www.frmikescully.com where you will find a transcript of the show and some meditations on these songs and some great movies.  The meditation today is on the song “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran.  Remember that you can enjoy us on the web every Sunday morning at 10 by tuning to www.hayspost.com and choosing Mix 103.  One final thought from authot Vicki Matafeo: "When the grass looks greener on the other side, it's time to fertilize your own lawn."  To be sure!  And that will enable us to keep things in proper focus.  24KGoldn is once again at number 1 this week, and they will lead us out.  As they do that with the song “Mood”, may I remind you that you are listening to today’s best music Mix 103, and our final advice to you among the other things we have said is to hold a good thought.  My name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Be safe, peace to you, and be good!

Part 1
            Hello Central Kansas and around the world!  Thank you for joining us this Valentine’s Day, 2021 and welcome to “Message at the Top.”  We celebrate “Love Day” today.  Close to 90% of the songs we play here at Mix 103 have “love” as part of them in one way or another, and it is only fitting that we have a day set aside to think about love.  So, happy “love” day to all of you.  Now, get set for the top current popular songs of our country right now and some songs of the past, along with some happy birthdays.  My name is Fr. Mike Scully and welcome to MATT!  Just a word about that football game last Sunday—the Chiefs will be back!
            I once taught a marriage class to high school students.  That is something, of course, a Catholic priest—a celibate male—teaching about marriage.  What is wrong with this picture.
            At any rate, I quoted a lot from a classic book on Marriage called “The Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm.  He gives what I consider to be the very best definition of love that there is.  If any of you have had me in class, you know I really like this book.  Fromm defines love primarily as giving.  It is giving not described in the sphere of material goods, but in the specifically human realm of giving of self, that is of the most precious the person has, one’s self.  Then he says that there are four elements to that giving, or explaining the idea of giving in love.  Those four elements are care and concern for the other person, openness to the needs of the other, respect for the other, and understanding of the other.  Now, of course, in class, we take a lot of time explaining each element, but it is a pretty good definition of love.  Giving being the fundamental definition, and then care, openness, respect and understanding.  Pretty good stuff.
            Well, Ed Sheeran’s latest song, the song at number 7 this morning is what I call a simple, pleasant love song.  “Stop the clocks, it’s amazing.  You should see the way the light dances off your hair: a million colors of hazel, gold and red.  Saturday morning is fading, the sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand, my eyes are caught in your gaze all over again.  We were love drunk, waiting on a miracle, trying to find ourselves in the winter snow, so alone in love like the world had disappeared.  Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go.  I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow, and we’ll burn so bright ’til the darkness softly clears.”  Sounds to me like the relationship has gone through some things, but the man in the relationship at least is really trying to keep the relationship alive, and in the process is singing a song of love.
            This being Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be good to talk about the elements of love.  I have used this theme often since as I mentioned, most of the songs are about love, but each of them have their own little nuance about love that can be talked about.  So let’s do that and wish happy Valentine’s Day to all of us.  It’s his birthday on Wednesday, so happy birthday to Mr. Ed Sheeran, number 7 this week and “Afterglow” on MATT.
(double)     7 AFTERGLOW / Ed Sheeran
                               I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS / Foreigner
 
Part 2
            A magnificent song there, what MATT called the song with the most meaning of all of the 1980’s and the number 1 song of meaning concerning love since I have been doing this since 1980, the group Foreigner, their song “I Want To Know What Love Is” from their album “Agent Provocateur” in 1984 on MATT.  The group Foreigner employed a college choir group to help them with the refrain to the song since they wanted young people singing “I Want to Know What Love Is.”  I consider it to be a “should be theme song” for young America, speaking the desire of every one of us to know what love really is, including love of others, love of self and love of God.  Thinking of our theme the elements of love, well, how about this: if everyone of us would show the signs of love to everyone else, we would have a wonderful world.  Great song.
            Let’s go to our first triple play today, and we begin it with a song new to the top 10 about wanting to be in love.  Taylor Swift in an interview said this: the song is about intrigue, desire and the complexity that goes into wanting someone.  I think it sounds like casting a spell to make somebody fall in love with you.  “I’m like the water when your ship rolled in that night,” she sings, “rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife and it was an open/shut case, I never would’ve know from that look on your face, lost in your current like a priceless wine.  The more that you say, the less I know.  Wherever you stray, I follow.  I’m beggin’ for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that’s my man.  Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind, head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in as if you were a mythical thing.”  So, a love song which is hoping that the other pays attention to her.  One of the elements of love, our theme today, is that true love is always looking for the right person to be in love with.  From her album “Evermore,” this is Taylor Swift and her song at number 10 this morning, “Willow” on MATT.
(triple)        10 WILLOW / Taylor Swift
                   CAN’T HOLD US / Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
                               HALFWAY GONE / Lifehouse
 
Part 3
            The group Lifehouse on MATT, the number 5 song of meaning from 2010 from their album “Smoke and Mirrors”, and the song “Halfway Gone”.  It is about a situation that is about to cause a breakup, and the plea of the man in the song to the woman is that she learn the art of communication, and the necessity to say words that will last.  We have heard that message a lot, showing how important it is—communication keeps coming up all the time.  “You were always hard to hold,” they sing, “so letting go ain’t easy.  I’m hanging on, you’re growing cold while my mind is leaving.”  And the reason?  They sing it in the refrain, “Talk is cheap, give me your word you can keep.  ‘Cause I’m halfway gone, and I’m on my way, and I’m feeling this way, ‘cause you’re halfway in, but don’t take too long ‘cause I’m halfway gone.”  He is singing that he will be leaving the relationship unless she begins talking and keeping her word.  One of the elements of love—and this comes up all the time—is communication, or in Fromm’s definition of love, openness.
            Before them, we heard from Benjamin Hammond Haggerty better known as Macklemore.  Macklemore’s real name is Ben Haggerty born in Seattle, Washington, and now works with producer Ryan Lewis in all of his songs and their song “Can’t Hold Us” from 2012.  In this song, he is joined by Seattle-based singer Ray Dalton.  The words are difficult to hear because like most rap productions, they move very fast.  Studied as a whole, the song seems to say that we will face the difficulties in the world, and that even the ceiling will not keep us from doing our best to work with the courage it takes to live well.  “Can we go back?  This is the moment.  Tonight is the night; we’ll fight til it’s over.  So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us.”  I think that the song is a statement of good leadership.  As an element of love, our theme today, we absolutely have to have the confidence that one feels in the song.
            We have more of MATT in just a second or two—well, maybe a little longer.  In our next segment, we will be able to hear from the group Train, Ava Max, Bebe Rexha, Ellie Goulding and Harry Styles.  Our show is “Message at the Top”, I am Fr. Mike, and I hope your Sunday morning is a good one.  Here is a quote from Kim Hubbard about honesty which is a virtue that is an element of love: “Honesty pays, but it doesn't seem to pay enough to suit some people.”  Yes, indeed.  Don’t go way; “Message at the Top” on today’s best music Mix 103 will be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 4
            It is great to have you back with us.  Thank you for joining us this morning, and we welcome you back to the top 10 songs of the present and the past.  I’m Fr. Mike, your host for the only top 10 show of its kind in this area, the show that takes the top songs and explains their messages, and then we call the show “Message at the Top,” the show that tells you all the time that we hope you enjoy the music, but we should at the same time listen to the message because often the message can help us.  The topic of our show this morning is given to us by a Christian saint, namely St. Valentine, a person whose feast day on this day goes back to the year 496.
            With our theme being the elements of love, let’s see what the number 6 song says about that.  It is a former number 1.  As I have called it, it seems like an anthem for feminism.  “If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone.  You’re not dancin’ on your own.  Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t.  Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own.  I’ll show you how a real queen behaves.  No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me.  Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me.  Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”  Tying that into our theme, today, she is a strong lady, and both people in love must be strong at least in their love for each other. This is Ms. Ava Koci better known as Ava Max and her song from her album “Heaven and Hell”, “Kings and Queens” on MATT. 
(double)    6 KINGS AND QUEENS / Ave Max
                               MARRY ME / Train
 
Part 5
            The group Train on MATT and a song about marriage from their album “Save Me San Francisco,” and their song “Marry Me”.  It is the only song that has the word “marry” in its title in the songs of the top 10 over the past 41 years, and that is surprising to me.  It is a song of proposing marriage.  “Forever can never be long enough for me,” the man in the relationship sings, “Feel like I’ve had long enough with you, forget the world now, we won’t let them see.  But there’s one thing left to do: now that the weight has lifted, love has surely shifted my way.  Marry me, today and every day.  Marry me.  If I ever get the nerve to say ‘hello’ in this café, say you will.”  As I say, a marriage proposal.  The problem with it is that it is all in his mind: he hasn’t got up enough nerve to propose yet.  In terms of our theme today, one of elements of love is a little confidence that we can pursue our love desires.  It is the second time that we mentioned confidence as an element of love.
            Next a triple play beginning with another song new to the top 10 that speaks of being close, but the possibility of a break-up seems to be the dominant thought.  “Golden,” Harry Styles sings, “As I open my eyes, hold it, focus, hoping, Take me back to the light; I know you were way too bright for me.  I’m hopeless, broken, so you wait for me in the sky, browns my skin just right.  You’re so golden.  I’m out of my head and I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken.  I don’t wanna be alone.  Loving you is the antidote.”  That may be, but it sounds like they have a bunch of work to do before their love will blossom.  Again the element of love here is that love will have to develop well before it is real.  This is Harry Styles from his album “Fine Line” and his song “Golden, number 8 on MATT.
(triple)     8 GOLDEN / Harry Styles
                               MEANT TO BE / Bebe Rexha f/ Florida Georgia Line
                               ON MY MIND / Ellie Goulding
 
Part 6
            There is a meditation on that song on my website today, www.frmikescully.com.  The song is from the album called “Delirium,” Ellie Goulding, and her song “On My Mind” from 2015 on MATT.  It is a song of wonder about a relationship, a common enough situation of these songs.  “It’s a little dirty how the whole thing started,” she sings, “I don’t even know what you really intended.  Thought that you were cute and you could make me jealous, poured it down.  Next thing that I know you were talking deep, like it was mad love to you.  You wanted my heart, but I just liked your tattoos.  And now I don’t understand it: you don’t mess with love, you mess with the truth, and I know I shouldn’t say it, but my heart don’t understand why I got you on my mind.  You didn’t love me, no, not really.  Wait, I could have really liked you.  I’ll bet that’s why I keep thinking about you.”  Like I say, the lady in the song is wondering about the relationship, and indeed she should—it doesn’t seem like a very good one.  In terms of our theme, one of the elements of love is very simply that it is love.
            Before her, we heard from Bebe Rexha, 31 year old singer/ songwriter/ record producer from Brooklyn, New York and country duo Florida Georgia Line and their song from 2017, “Meant to Be” on MATT.  Their message: let’s take our time to work things out, and if it’s meant to be, then it’s right.  Of course, I would add that God will work with us as we work things out, but I am a clergyperson, remember.  “Lay on back and relax,” the man in the relationship says, “No need to go nowhere fast, let’s enjoy right here where we at.  Who knows where this road is supposed to lead?  We got nothing but time.  If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.  So won’t you ride with me, see where this thing goes.”  The reason why they need some time to see where the thing goes is given by the lady in the relationship: “I don’t mean to be so uptight, but my heart’s been hurt a couple times by a couple guys that didn’t treat me right.  I’m tired of the fake love.”  In terms of our theme, one of the elements of love is that it be real love and not fake love.
            Important things being said here this morning not because I said them, but because it is an important theme, namely, “The Elements of Love” as we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  We will continue with that thought generated by this day in just a few minutes.  Before our break, a thought from George Bernard Shaw: “When I was young I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work.”  And that is the way true love grows.  I’m Fr. Mike for “Message at the Top” on Mix 103.  Why not stay right where you are as you enjoy life with us on this cold Winter Sunday morning.  We’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 7
            Every song has a message and usually that message can help us.  That is what we believe on MATT and we are back for the second hour of that show which gives you the top pop songs of our area that have been most popular during the week which ends today, the second Sunday of the cold month of February, and it has been and still is very cold, at least here in Eastern Kansas.  I’m your host, Fr. Mike.  Thank you for joining us again this morning.  Get ready for some more songs from our top 10, in fact numbers 9, 2 and 3 as well as some music from Gym Class Heroes, birthday person Rob Thomas, and birthday person Sheryl Crow.  They will all fit into a theme that comes from this day, Valentine’s Day and the theme of the elements of love.
            At number 3 is a song about commitment.  As I have mentioned, interestingly enough, she starts off negatively with the words: “Heaven sent you to me, I’m just hoping I don’t repeat history.”  Presumably, the lady in the song hasn’t done real well with relationships.  But she continues: “Boy, I’m tryna meet your mama on a Sunday, then make a lotta love on a Monday.  Never need no one else, ‘cause I’ll be in the Olympics way jumping through hoops.  Know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn’t do, that I won’t do.  Perfect.  You’re too good to be true.”  Like I say, a commitment, and one of the elements of married love is that the couple must make the relationship a true commitment to each other.  Ms. Ariana Grande here from her album named after this song, “Positions” moving up to number 3 on MATT. 
(triple)       3 POSITIONS / Ariana Grande
                   STEREO HEARTS / Gym Class Heroes
                               EVERY DAY IS A WINDING ROAD / Sheryl Crow
 
Part 8
            Happy birthday to her, Ms. Sheryl Crow who was 58 years old last Thursday.  It is a song sung in the movie “Phenomenon” which I showed on a lot of youth retreats, “Every Day is a Winding Road” on MATT.  It comes from the year 1997, and I think a really good message about the highs and lows in life, and how to deal with them as one grows. / Sometimes our lives feel like we’re all messed up.  Every now and then, we find that we cannot function.  Things just do not seem to slip into place; everything looks just fine, but inside we know we are not fine.  Sheryl Crow would call the situation “a winding road” with highs and lows.  “I’m just wondering why I feel so all alone,” she sings, “why I’m a stranger in my own life.”  What do we do at a time like that?  Rather than run away from the problem, maybe the best thing to do is to get down on our knees before our God and as Sheryl Crow sings, “jump in, lay back, enjoy the show.”  Which means that we proceed to work on what is messing up our lives, which is usually our selfishness.  In terms of our theme, one of the elements of love is that we learn to be less selfish.
            Before her, we heard from the group Gym Class Heroes who broke up a couple years ago, here featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and their song from their album “The Papercut Chronicles 2”, “Stereo Hearts” from 2011.  The refrain of their song is this: “My heart’s a stereo.  It beats for you, so listen close, hear my thoughts in every note; make me your radio, and turn me up when you feel low.  The melody was meant for you; just sing along to my stereo.”  I think that they are very clever lyrics reflecting a situation in which the man in the relationship experienced some difficult times with past love relationships.  Now, as he sings, “Thought love was dead; now, you’re changing my mind.”  So, a love song that is a pretty neat way of saying that he loves his girlfriend.  And for most people in our world, finding a true love forever is part of what it means to love, our theme today. 
            Yet another triple play is in store for us now, beginning with a song about a lady who knows that her boyfriend has cheated on her, and she is out to get him as he is choosing to be with another girl.  “I hope she makes you smile the way it made me smile on the other end of a phone in the middle of a highway driving alone.  I hope you hear a song that makes you sing along and gets you thinking ‘bout her.  I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans.  And then I hope she cheats like you did on me.”  It is a statement of revenge.  Revenge is never a way to make one’s life better, and it is an insidious evil because it will end up making both people feel badly and then both people will have another set of worries.  This is NOT an element of love, namely revenge.  This is Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth and their song “I Hope” from Gabby Barrett’s album “Goldmine” on the country charts and here it is at number 9 on MATT.
(triple)       9 I HOPE / Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth
                               EVER THE SAME / Rob Thomas
                               2 LEVITATING / Dua Lipa
 
Part 9
            Moving up to number 2 this morning, from her album “Future Nostalgia,” Ms. Dua Lipa, and her song “Levitating” on MATT.  It is a song about strong feelings for another, in fact, feeling like she is floating or levitating in a boyfriend’s presence.  “If you wanna run away with me,” she sings, “I know a galaxy and I can take you for a ride.  I had a premonition that we fell into a rhythm where the music don’t stop for life, glitter in the sky, glitter in my eyes, shining just the way I like.  If you’re feeling like you need a little bit of company, you met me at the perfect time.  You want me, I want you, I’m levitating.”  As I say, strong feelings for another, and in terms of our theme, love and emotions are certainly together in love relationships, but it is an element of love to determine real love and not just a feeling that love is there.
            Before her, we heard from Rob Thomas, and happy birthday to him today—he is 49 years old.  The song was from his album “Something to Be,” and his song “Ever the Same” and a great teaching song.  I consider it to be a high category song of meaning because of its statement about commitment, and we have heard that word a couple of times today.  “We were drawn from the weeds,” he begins the song, “we were brave like soldiers, falling down under the pale moonlight.  You were holding me like someone broken, and I couldn’t tell you but I’m tell you now—just let me hold you while you’re falling apart, just let me hold you and we’ll both fall down.  Fall on me, tell me everything you want me to be, forever with you, forever in me, ever the same.  I’ll be there for you and you’ll be there for me.  Forever with you, forever in me, ever the same.”  Our world needs to hear about this idea of commitment.  Somehow we have got to get across to our young people something that many of our adults are not able to do—if we are going to say “forever” to someone, we have to mean it—forever.  If we don’t, too many people get hurt.  One of the elements of married love is that it will be forever, or at least should be.
            Our final half-hour is up next for you with some music from two birthday people among others including our number 1 song right now.  Leading us to break, here is a thought from Wilson Mizner: “Be nice to people on your way up because you'll meet them on your way down.”  Words of wisdom, there, and something that we are all capable of, namely being nice, and certainly an element of love.  I’m Fr. Mike, our show is MATT, this excellent radio station is Mix 103, and we’ll be right back.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
 
Part 10
            If it is in the top 10, you will hear it here—on the MATT music network.  Good morning, everyone.  We are back for your top 10 show on Mix 103 that gives you the songs as well as their messages.  I’m your host Fr. Mike.  Thanks for taking the time to join us today.  Our plea to you as usual is to enjoy the music—which you are doing, or else you wouldn’t be here, but to listen to the message so it can help you in life.  Happy Valentine’s Day, which is our theme today.  Our final segment includes the talents of in alphabetical order: Adele, the group AJR, Justin Bieber, Mike Posner, Ed Sheeran, and 24KGoldn.
            Yet another triple play begins this last half-hour, and the triple play begins with a song from Justin Bieber.  As I have quoted, Justin Bieber said that in the song he wanted to rededicate himself to God ... because he really felt it was better for the condition of his soul.  God had blessed him with a happy marriage, and so he sang of being holy.  “I hear a lot about sinners;” he begins his song, “Don’t think that I’ll be a saint, but I might go down to the river ‘cause the way that the sky opens up when we touch.  It’s making me say that the way you hold me, feels so holy.  On God runnin to the altar like a track star, can’t wait another second ‘cause the way you hold me feels so holy.”  One of the elements of love, our theme today, is that it is so real that it is a holy concept.  This is Mr. Justin Bieber and Chancelor Jonathan Bennett better known as Chance the Rapper, and their song “Holy” at number 4 on MATT. 
(triple)       4 HOLY / Justin Bieber f/ Chance the Rapper
                   THINKING OUT LOUD / Ed Sheeran
                               I TOOK A PILL IN IBIZA / Mike Posner
 
Part 11
            Mr. Mike Posner, and his interesting song, “I took a Pill in Ibiza”, from his album “At Night Alone” from 2015.  Happy birthday to him—he was 33 last Friday.  He says in his commentary about the song that he was listening to the artist Avicii in the country of Ibiza as he was thinking emotionally about his life, and the song is the result.  “I took a pill in Ibiza to show Avicii I was cool, and when I finally got sober, felt 10 years older.  But you don't wanna be high like me, never really knowing why like me.  You don't ever wanna step off that roller coaster and be all alone.  You don't wanna be stuck up on that stage singing.  All I know are sad songs.  And I can't keep a girl, 'cause as soon as the sun comes up, I cut 'em all loose and work's my excuse.  But the truth is I can't open up.”  It seems that the person in the song is close to depression, and such a person could never really love another because one of the elements of love, our theme this Valentine’s Day, is that a person must be relatively mentally healthy.
            Before him, we heard the Song of the Year from 2016 according to the Grammys from Ed Sheeran and his song “Thinking Out Loud” from his album “X” or a multiplication sign.  As I mentioned with the opening song, it is his birthday this Wednesday when he will be 30 years old.  The song speaks of a solid commitment again.  That is a common enough sentiment of the songs that we listen to, of course, but he adds a characteristic that is extremely important for any romantic commitment, and also for any other commitment.  The nuance that he adds is that not only has the commitment occurred at one particular time, but he says that he will "fall in love every single day."  There is no time limit when it comes to love.  If we love someone, we will love them "right where they are," that is, every moment, every day.  "When your legs don’t work like they used to before,” he sings, “and I can’t sweep you off of your feet, I fall in love with you every single day, and I just wanna tell you I am.   I’m thinking out loud that we found love right where we are.”  A great love commitment song, and, as we said before, an element of romantic love, our theme today, is a solid commitment.  Good song.
            Our final double play begins with a top 10 song about leaving the complacency of being young and moving on to adulthood.  It spent a couple weeks at number 1 and now is number 5, and therefore we have a new number 1.  The fact is, they wrote, that adulthood is bound to hit us at some point, so the plan we made in the song is to 'go out with a bang.'"  “I get up, I get down and I'm jumpin' around” they sing.  “And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to grow (bang! bang! bang!)  So I got an apartment across from the park, put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feelin' grown.  Been a heck of a ride but I'm thinkin' it's time to go (bang! bang! bang!) (here we go)”.  I cleaned up the expletive.  As young people grow into maturity, one of the things they will discover sooner or later, is that there will be love in their lives and they must discover what it really means in order to enjoy life.  This is a trio by the name of AJR named after the group’s first names Adam, Jack and Ryan Metzger, and their song is called “Bang!” on MATT.
(double)    5 BANG! / AJR
                               WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE / Adele
 
Part 12
            I think she is one of the best pop artists around, from her album “25” and her song “Water Under the Bridge”, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins or simply Adele.  It is what I call a “want to be in love” song.  The lady in the relationship definitely wants the man to be the one for her, as she sings, but she seems realistic at the same time.  She sings “If you’re gonna let me down, then let me down gently.”  And she has good reason to believe that he is going to let her down because he doesn’t seem to be responding to her: “It’s so cold out here in your wilderness.  I want you to be my keeper, but not if you are so reckless.”  She doesn’t want to say that their love is just water under the bridge, and she begs him, “Say it ain’t so.”  Looking at our songs from our theme of the elements of love, our theme today, certainly being honest with each other is an important element.  We said that before as well.
            And the new number 1 song is from American rapper singer songwriter Golden Landis Von Jones better known as 24KGoldn and also Puerto Rican rapper Michael Ian Olmo better known as Iann Dior and their song “Mood”.  It is a song as you might guess about moodiness.  “Why you always in a mood?” the man in the relationship begins the song, “foolin around, actin brand new.  I ain’t tryna tell you what to do, but try to play it cool.  I ain’t playin by your rules: everything look better with a view.  I could never get attached.  When I start to feel, I unattach, somehow I always end up feeling bad.  I’m not your dad.  I just want your company.  We play games of love to avoid the depression.  We been here before and I won’t be your victim.”  I cleaned up the language a little.  Moodiness has destroyed the relationship it seems, and in order to grow in love, the couple is going to have to stay away from their moods.  Young people must hear that thought, I believe.
            Our theme has been the theme of this day—the elements of love inspired by Valentine’s Day today.  My prayer for you and me is that we will be people who discover what real love is, and especially if marriage is in your life, that both husband and wife will always learn to love completely.  If you would like to email me, my email address is: frmikescully@yahoo.com and at the radio station: KJLS-FM, Hays, KS, 67601.  My website is www.frmikescully.com where I give you some Christian meditations on the songs of our show and movies, one for every day of the year.  And you can find a transcript of the program as well.  Thank you for being with us today.  Remember that you can join us on the web also every Sunday morning at 10 by tuning to www.hayspost.com on your internet device and choosing Mix 103.  My thanks to the producers of our show, and to our sponsors especially Holy Family Elementary School in Hays, Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior and Senior High School in Hays, and Hays Car and Truck Alignment.  A closing thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; / but we ask the reason for all evil, pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people.”  Such a great insight—we complain about things like crazy, but we don’t appreciate all the good things we have.  Like learning how we can get help from the popular music of today.  Great stuff.  Our number 1 is new from 24KGoldn and as you listen to it, may I remind you to hold a good thought.  From beautiful downtown Lawrence KS, my name is Fr. Mike Scully.  Happy President’s Day tomorrow.  Stay safe, peace to you, and be good!
1 MOOD / 24KGoldn f/ Iann Dior