I know my good friends now they’ll last
The same ones that stood by me when my daddy passed
All I know is that we’ll never really be alone
‘Cause we got a lot of love and a happy home
Does that give you the feels? It gives me the feels.
By now, unless you live under a boulder the size of the Grand Canyon, you have probably heard the song 7 Years by Lukas Graham, the band front-lined by Lukas Forchhammer. That song caught my attention when it became popular on the radio. The lyrics cut right into my heart. For example:
Soon I’ll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one
Remember life and then your life becomes a better one
I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once
I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month
Ouch, right in the feels! Almost every song on his album has lines like these. He sings several times about his friend who is in jail and his father who passed away. In listening to this album, over and over and over again, I really feel like Lukas is my friend. I know his story, and I feel for him like he told me about his life himself. There is something so real about all Lukas Graham songs.
The band’s brand contributes to this authentic feel, as well. Lukas spends half the time in the music videos without a shirt on, despite the fact that he doesn’t have the “picture perfect” body that one might expect from a star. This made me respect him more, because he looks like a normal human being, hanging around with his friends.
Take the lyrics, the music, Lukas’s unique voice and style, and the Lukas Graham album showcases the very human side of music. I love this album so much because:
- I feel like I know the man singing
- the stories are relateable, since the band does not hold back any emotion. Lukas sounds like he is about to cry in some of the tracks.
- It is both joyous and sad at the same time – just like your life and mine
- they speak openly about the band’s fame, in a way that feels like the band is as surprised as anyone about how awesome their life is now
- it includes themes of life, childhood, love, death, humor, friendship, and redemption
In the end, the art that will make a lasting impact on the world is the art that evokes raw and honest emotion about the human condition. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than it is, and it puts itself on equal footing with the intended audience.
In everything we do, as artists, friends, and leaders, we should strive to emanate this humanness. Your connections will be more meaningful and create a real impact on the world.
