Teena Marie has been in heavy rotation on my iPod. I’ve been a fan of Teena’s music since day one, and her new release Congo Square doesn’t disappoint. Can’t Last A Day has had me snapping my fingers along to Teena’s unique style and unmistakable vocals. Can’t Last A Day is all about denial and surrender. She sings of not needing her lover’s touch, voice and hands, then admits that she can’t last a day without any of them. The more I rocked and sang along, I began to think how right she is–and not just about love. I mean, candied kisses and arms wrapped around you are nice, but so much more can be applied here.
There are so many things we need: healthy friendships, laughter, nutritious food, exercise, peace of mind, rest, I could go on. But we tell ourselves out loud, silently, consciously, or subconscioulsy that we can do without them. And we actually try to go about our lives denying ourselves the very things we need to grow, thrive and succeed. We walk around thinking we’ve got it all together and under control. We mistake running on empty for strength and eventually it shows up as sadness, anger, an unhealthy diagnosis, the list goes on. We may not always successfully get in everything we need, but we have to make an effort to be attentive to the essentials because we “can’t last” without them.
Can’t last a day baby without your love
Can’t last a day
Can’t even last one day without your love
Can’t last a day
Look at me baby thinking that I’m real cool
Thinking that I can keep from calling to talk to you
Filling my days with things that occupy my mind
My mental state is playing tricks on me
but my body never lies…
Don’t need your touch
Dont’ need your voice
Don’t need your hands
Can’t last a day