Maxi Priest’s “Watching the World Go By” (1996) still stirs the soul after all these years. I connect to its message whenever I’m in a certain kind of mood. Usually it’s when my day has ramped up to a fever pitch and I can’t even get a moment to catch my breath. On many occasions I’ve escaped the chaos and madness to steal some time for myself and play my ipod, usually a playlist with peaceful tunes of bliss like this one. It’s also a wonderful way to counter all of the awful news we hear on a daily basis.
Here’s the music video followed by the poetic lyrics. Pay close attention to the words, especially at the very end. Also, crank up the volume, wear some headphones if you can and enjoy!
There’s so much injustice here
I see it every day
Time and time we’ll try to change
And never find a way
We’ll climb the mountains far and wide
To find the truth behind the lies
Here I am just searching for some peace
Just watching the world go by
Counting the clouds up in the sky
I’m hoping for a new tomorrow
Without sadness and sorrows in my life
There is so much hate around
We need to find some love
So much disillusion
I just got to rise above
There is so much going down
To keep my feet on solid ground
Got to find an answer to my prayers
(Chorus)
Just watching the world go by
Counting the clouds up in the sky
Getting all those complications
And those mad situations out of my life
Just watching the world go by
Seeing all those lonely people pass me by
I’m hoping for a new tomorrow
Without sadness and sorrows in my life my life
my life my life ~~~
Come along now, come along now
You need to spend some time
To look into yourself
And watch the river flow into the Sea
You travel down a highway
Not knowing where it goes
And listening to the music as it flows
(Chorus) Repeat