Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rain Clouds.

I noticed recently that some popular music personalities are trying to uplift and inspire. I first noticed Katy Perry's song, "Firework" encouraging people to excel and dazzle the world with their individuality. Pink put out a song called, um, "(Something) Perfect" saying you shouldn't let anyone advise you to change anything about yourself. And Lady Gaga released "Born This Way," sending the message that there's no such thing as over-promoting a pop song."Born This Way" is a particularly odd piece of work because I don't think I've heard LG sing a song in a major key before. But all three songs helped me learn an important lesson: It's very difficult to write a genuinely "uplifting" song.

Songs written to promote a positive message are fun to mock. Modern religious songs in particular don't seem as catchy and poetic as angst and heartbreak. There's a stigma against a happy-go-lucky artist. Since most stories revolve around a conflict or unfortunate event, we assume a happy person doesn't have much to say. And I think that's one of the main reasons happy songs are so difficult: writers know that if you have an interesting conflict, you basically stay true to that conflict and the story helps you write itself. The same is true with music and other art. Take the conflict away, and you expose your talent, or lack of it.

In "Perfect," Pink wants to play a wise counselor but uses the phrase "Pretty pretty please," implying a teasing attitude, as in "Daddy, can I buy this jacket? Pretty please? I'll be good." It's hard for me to take the song seriously after that. Also, it's supposed to be a tender ballad, but she throws in the most coarse, over-the-top profanity in the song's title. I guess she wanted to preserve her tomboy image, but it doesn't fit the music.

LG (I just feel weird typing her full name) tries really hard to fill the world with love, but doesn't say much beyond what you'd see on a bumper sticker:

God makes no mistakes.

It doesn't matter if you love him or Him.

Don't be a drag, just be a queen.

Cute, but not very convincing to anyone who disagrees. Plus rhythmically her words don't quite flow: "I'm beautiFUL in my way, 'cause God makes NO mistakes." I could go on, but I don't want to give LG more attention.

That leaves Katy Perry. Her song has its moments, I'd say more than other songs I've heard on the radio recently. I like the way the music grows when she says to "ignite the light and let it shine." The lyrics are clear in their meaning, and one thought flows nicely to the other. I guess my biggest problem is Perry's voice. For a song about releasing untapped potential, she struggles to reach the highest notes. It takes me away from the message when the messenger can't quite deliver.

I guess it's easy to forgive "uplifting" songs because the subject isn't as interesting. But it also makes it that much more satisfying when you hear a well-crafted song with a positive message. This is where I compare apples to oranges.

I'll never forget the first time I heard Paul Basler's arrangement of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd." It is unfair to compare a religious choral piece to radio pop songs, but I believe you can learn things from the Classical style and translate them into the Pop or Rock medium. If you listen to the video, it gets loud, so you might want to be ready to turn the sound down.

The conductor I heard performing described the mood as someone in their later years, or at the end of a big struggle, looking back and realizing how good the Lord has been to him. Even the line about the Valley of the Shadow of Death keeps the light on; rather than turning moody, the choir amps up the joy, saying "Oh, man, even in my darkest hour He's there!" There's also an obvious Gospel Music influence, adding dignity to the whole thing.

That's most likely why I try more to write music with a positive mood. Any artist can be tortured. Only the cleverest, hardest-working can pull happiness off.

Running out of time, so To Be Continued...