Love Myself by Tracee Ellis Ross

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Sometimes when a song ministers to me I play it over and over and let it wash over my soul, speaking to every crevice of my being. I discovered the song Love Myself, sung by Tracee Ellis Ross in the movie The High Note on January 3, 2021. 

Tracee Ellis Ross Singing
Credit: Glen Wilson / Focus Features

And the song quickly became my anthem for 2021. When I first heard the song while watching the movie on HBO Max I quickly looked it up on YouTube and played it over and over. 

Culture & Society

With the world in an upheaval from the COVID-19 virus and America destined to relive every ugly part of her racist past by systemically and systematically killing Black people for:

  • sleeping in their own beds 
  • playing video games in their own homes 
  • watching TV in their own homes 
  • Driving While Black 
  • Calling the police for assistance 
  • just breathing, existing  
Then the violent insurrection on January 6, 2021 at the nation's Capitol, the second impeachment of the 45th president that did not result in his removal, the extremism in America and the dichotomy of living in this country - stress surmounts.

Today, April 24, 2021, as I was writing an article for my other blog I did an advanced search for the hashtag #MusicThatInspires and rediscovered the song again. Hearing it again hit me rather hard in the feels - The George Floyd trial and subsequent murders of two black people a female teen and an adult male, both who called the police to help them and when the police arrived, they killed them. It just rocked me to my core. 

People are celebrating the outcome of the George Floyd trial, but I can't celebrate until innocent black people are treated with respect, dignity, and equality. So, this song was liberating and cleansing for me today.

There is a line in the song: 

I don't really care if anybody likes me I just want to love myself love myself.

That's it. I just want to, no NEED to love myself. Because if I listen to what the haters say, my life has no value and I am not worthy of love. Oh am I glad that is a LIE. So I am focusing on loving myself. And you should too. 

Song Lyrics

Written by Sarah Aarons and Greg Kurstin.

I forget when I was younger, it was easy
Now I'm stressed, I'd always have to have the TV on
Watching memories fade to gray and winding slowly
Makes me uneasy, making me crazy

But is it fake love if I'm lying to myself
Tryin' to fake the way I feel?
Am I a stranger if I don't recognize myself
Tryin' to fix up something real?

I don't really care
I don't wanna keep my head down
Got nothing to share
Maybe I should put my phone down
I don't really care if everybody likes me
I just wanna love myself Love myself
Love myself

It's hard to pay attention when my mind talks
Only wish there was a way to turn my mind off
Now the only way to sleep is with the lights on
Making me lonely, making me crazy

But is it fake love if I'm lying to myself
Tryin' to fake the way I feel?
Am I a stranger if I don't recognize myself
Tryin' to fix up something real?

I don't really care
I don't wanna keep my head down
Got nothin' to share
Maybe I should put my phone down
I don't really care if everybody likes me
I just wanna love myself
Love myself

My head is spinnin', the ground breaks
And I can't pay attention when my hands shake
When love is gone, when every day is a bad day
Just need myself to tell me that its okay

I don't really care
I don't wanna keep my head down
Got nothin' to share
Maybe I should put my phone down
I don't really care if everybody likes me
I just wanna love myself Love myself

I don't really care
I don't wanna keep my head down
Got nothin' to share
Maybe I should put my phone down
I don't really care if everybody likes me
I just wanna love myself
Love myself

Source: Musixmatch

#BlackLivesMatter

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