Bittersweet Symphony.. That's Life

Remember that song by The Verve, "Bittersweet Symphony"?

I just happened to stumble upon this song again while Googling for content about "ending the financial struggle" and "not just surviving".  Go figure - the lyrics were amongst the top results each time.  The song is very relevant.

Here are the lyrics if you don't recall the song...

*** Bittersweet Symphony - By The Verve ***

[Chorus #1]
Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
Where all the veins meet yeah

[Chorus #2]
No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no,no,no(fading away)

[Verse 1]
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

[Chorus #1 + Chorus #2 + then Chorus #1... again]

[Outro]
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

Source:  http://rapgenius.com/The-verve-bittersweet-symphony-lyrics#note-402473

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What a powerful song!  I did not realize just how relevant the song way until I really listened to it.  I mean, who couldn't relate to this song?  Everyone is struggling these days!

For me, the biggest takeaways were this:

•  Slave To Money, Then You Die - Ouch..  A bit harsh with the dose of truth but it's true.  What are we really striving for in life beyond the material things and need for money?  I don't want my existence to be limited to how much money I made and what things I own.  More importantly, I want to be in a position where money is no longer a concern and I know my family is taken care of.
• Well I Don't Pray, But Tonight I'm On My Knees - Faith is such a critical part of happiness and success in life alike.  If you lose hope and give up on your dreams, what else is really left?  Again, not the existence I want to live.  I want to thrive, not just survive, and I want that for my friends and loved ones too!

So many good nuggets in an otherwise overlooked song.  I'd say it's one of the more powerful songs of not-so-recent times.

What do you think?