“And I said way-hey-hey it’s just an ordinary day, and it’s all your state of mind, at the end of the day, you’ve just got to say it’s all right.” Indeed it is, and indeed you do! I can’t believe this song is gaining on twenty years of existence. If you’ve seen Great Big Sea in concert, you know there’s nothing ordinary about them at all. Their music is endlessly fun, inspiring, beautiful, and engaging. As performers who can lift you up, then bring you tears, make you dance, then make you laugh, it’s no wonder they’ve had one of the most successful Canadian music careers. My first Great Big Sea experience was as an opening act for Blue Rodeo at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1996, and while I’m not the most dedicated fan attending every concert, I’ve never wavered in believing they are truly something special.
Experiencing happiness every day really does come down to your state of mind. I think the video for this song really undersells the message and doesn’t do its brilliance enough justice. “I‘ve got a smile on my face, I’ve got four walls around me. The sun in the sky, the water surrounds me. I’ll win now but sometimes I’ll lose; I’ve been battered, but I’ll never bruise, it’s not so bad.” So simple and yet I need this reminder all the time. Ordinary is beautiful, ordinary is wonderful, ordinary is something I’m so darn lucky to have. “In this beautiful life, there’s always some sorrow. It’s a double-edged knife, but there’s always tomorrow. It’s up to you now if you sink or swim, keep the faith and your ship will come in. It’s not so bad.” Just plain and direct and hardcore truth of life. I love it. With love, light, and song… ~Melissa~
Listen here: Ordinary Day * by Great Big Sea * from the album Play (1997)