Awhile back, I wrote a post called “Renewal Through Reading: Anais Nin.” In it, I shared some quotes from one of my all-time favorite authors I turn to when I need to hear some raw yet refined truth. Today, I felt a tugging urge to share a “musical renewal” version after being overwhelmed by a beautiful song.

You know when a sound and a lyric work together to hit you with a force you didn’t see coming? A beauty that washes over you and eases the mind from all other clutter. All you hear is the feeling and all you feel is the meaning.

That kind of beauty hit me today when I revisited one of my favorite covers by The Staves I discovered through the documentary, Austin to Boston (available on Netflix). The Staves. Ugh. These three women are the kind of girls you want to be, be best friends with and marry all at the same time. Not only are they are all stunningly gorgeous and elegant with that enviable bit of indie/alternative/off-beat cool but their voices, in unison, are devastatingly soothing and ethereal. They lull you to beautiful places. Combine that with the lyrics of Sufjan Steven’s classic, “Chicago”, and you have one magical combination.

In case you are in the need of a short break and some soul-lifting tunes, give this a listen, and take a look at the lyrics; their simplicity is what makes them so perfect.

This line, in particular, kills me:

I made a lot of mistakes
In my mind, in my mind

Enough of my ramblings, on to the music:

Chicago