I have written about Jo Dee Messina‘s “Say Goodbye to Superman” on several platforms over the last year and a half. I remember when I received the song from Team Jo Dee during a time when I was leaking song-by-song reviews before her Me album was released, and I sat with my jaw hanging open in my office, feeling so many emotions run through me all at once. I felt agony because of the story line; I felt pain because of my relationship with the words; I felt joy because I couldn’t wait for fans to hear what I was hearing and share in the same four (plus) minute experience. And, what is perhaps the most intriguing thing of all is that I still find myself traveling down that path of emotion each time the song plays.
This morning, as I was out on a long run soaking in this gorgeous Nashville weather, “Say Goodbye to Superman” came on my phone as my songs shuffled with my steps. While I know that a lot of people might not prefer to run to slow music, I often find myself sucked into a power ballad and taken to another place mentally, which actually helps my work out. Considering this song surfaced in my sixth mile, a distraction was welcomed with open arms as I sunk into the words of the song and continued on a peaceful trail of fallen leaves and endless trees.
Taking a page out of Jo Dee’s book and entering a place of complete honesty, I will share that I come from a broken home. I have a teenage brother (and best friend) as a result. He, too, now comes from a broken home. Many of my friends have similar stories of seeing one parent walk away, and no matter how old we were when this time came, each of us saw someone we thought was larger than life become human and give up. This song speaks to the emotional moment when a parent has to tell her child the truth — that their branch of the family tree has snapped — and does so in such a powerful way that you cannot help but become entranced. Couple the too relatable message with the voice of a lifetime and the vulnerable tune that tells the tale of so many now becomes a timeless piece of music that should not go unnoticed.
I recently heard Jo Dee Messina described as a “singer’s singer,” meaning that anybody who is able to sing would be honored to attach his/her vocals to Jo Dee because there are few, if any, out there who have such a raw talent. The passion for her craft, her God-given talent, and her ability to put feelings into words and melody combined make “Say Goodbye to Superman” one of the best songs I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. It is also one of the songs I welcome on my playlist when the run gets hard and the miles seem long.
I encourage each of you to watch the video below, explaining the final track on Me, as well as listen to the song beneath it. If you, likewise, find yourself falling for the song that explores the fall of a real life superhero, head over to iTunes and download a copy so you, too, can lose yourself in the music when you need to most.
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