Here and Now
Janelle Loes Lyrics
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You had heard
that time was a funny thing
But you'd never observed
what that meant so closely
Now you hold in the palm of your hands
That moment that makes you understand
if you let it
You have no reason to believe
You have to forget it
If you don't let it out of your sights
You could spare the nostalgic nights
If you're willing to tell it to last
This could be more
This could be more then a part of your past
After all's said and done
You know you've not seen it all
But in the scheme of everything
You know that this isn't small
It's a judgement you'll just have to make
Is it a tie that you're willing to break
Cause this can be more then a memory
If you let it
You have no reason to believe
You have to forget it
If you don't let it out of your sights
You could spare the nostalgic nights
If you're willing to tell it to last
This could be more
This could be more then a part of your past
And you say
Here and now
Here and now
Is all you've got
But somehow
Somehow you've gotta learn that it's not
All there is
All there is
That this can be more then a memory
If you let it
You have no reason to believe
You have to forget it
If you don't let it out of your sights
You could spare the nostalgic nights
If you're willing to tell it to last
This could be more
This could be more then a part of your past
Janelle Loes' song "Here and Now" encourages listeners to reflect on the present moment and embrace it as something that can be everlasting, rather than just a fleeting memory. The song starts with the acknowledgement that throughout life, we have always been told that time is a strange and unknowable thing, but we have never truly understood what that meant until now. With this new perspective, we are tasked with holding onto the present moment so that it can continue to exist beyond just a memory.
The chorus repeats the idea that "this can be more than a memory, if you let it". Loes asserts that we don't have a reason to believe that we have to forget things, and we can spare ourselves the pain of nostalgia if we are willing to let the present moment exist beyond just a passing thought. The song acknowledges that we have not seen all there is to life, but we can make the decision to value the present moment as more than just a small part of our past.
In the bridge, Loes encourages listeners to truly embrace the present moment, recognizing that while "here and now" is all we technically have, it should not be devalued as just a small piece of the larger picture. Instead, we must learn to hold onto it and let it last longer than just a memory.
Overall, "Here and Now" is a powerful reminder to value each moment and be present in the now, rather than constantly living in the past or worrying about the future. It encourages us to see these moments as something more than just temporal events and instead nurture them into something that can last and have a greater impact on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
All your life
Throughout your entire existence
You had heard
You were told
that time was a funny thing
that time is an elusive concept
But you'd never observed
But you had never seen it for yourself
what that meant so closely
what that really meant up close
Now you hold in the palm of your hands
Now you have in your grasp
That moment that makes you understand
That moment that gives you insight
That this can be more then a memory
That this experience has potential to be more valuable than a recollection
if you let it
if you allow it to be
You have no reason to believe
There is no cause to assume
You have to forget it
That you must erase it from your memory
If you don't let it out of your sights
If you keep it visible
You could spare the nostalgic nights
You could prevent wistful evenings
If you're willing to tell it to last
If you are willing to allow it to survive
This could be more
This could serve as something greater
This could be more then a part of your past
This could serve as an aspect of your present/future, rather than only being part of your history
After all's said and done
After everything is concluded
You know you've not seen it all
You know you have not experienced everything
But in the scheme of everything
But from a broad perspective
You know that this isn't small
You know that this isn't insignificant
It's a judgement you'll just have to make
It is a decision that only you can make
Is it a tie that you're willing to break
Is it a connection that you're prepared to sever
And you say
And you express
Here and now
In the current moment
Here and now
In the present instant
Is all you've got
Is all you possess
But somehow
But somehow
Somehow you've gotta learn that it's not
You must learn that there is more
All there is
All that exists
That this can be more then a memory
That this experience has potential to be more valuable than a recollection
If you let it
If you allow it to be
You have no reason to believe
There is no cause to assume
You have to forget it
That you must erase it from your memory
If you don't let it out of your sights
If you keep it visible
You could spare the nostalgic nights
You could prevent wistful evenings
If you're willing to tell it to last
If you are willing to allow it to survive
This could be more
This could serve as something greater
This could be more then a part of your past
This could serve as an aspect of your present/future, rather than only being part of your history
Contributed by Alex B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.