"Souls Like the Wheels"

By Allison Crowe, See the Triumph Co-Founder

I have spent New Year’s Eve with a group of friends who I have had since I was about twelve years old. With the exception of a few years, we have been together since 1998 with some or all of us each year. Every New Year’s Eve has us at various stages of our lives, with so many different ups and downs, stressors and celebrations. One of the things I love most about our tradition is that each year there is some sort of discussion about what we want for ourselves in the upcoming year – hopes, resolutions, things to stay mindful of, or lessons learned from the past year. I love this tradition because not only do I get to think reflectively about my past year and year to come, I get to do it with my closest friends. Often, they remind me of something I forgot from the past year, or help me reframe what I want to focus on in the next year. As I think about how I have these friends in my life, I feel incredibly grateful and lucky. Good friends are those who make you think even more deeply about things, yourself, and others. They always do this for me.  

This New Year’s Eve as I drove to see “my girls” (as we like to call each other) I listened to the newest of the Avett Brothers CDs in the car. I love their music and lyrics, and the variety of songs they create. Some of their music is lighthearted and easy to sing along to. Other songs have so much depth and poignancy. I skipped from song to song after hearing the album in its entirety. One song, Souls Like the Wheels, was one that I was particularly struck by. It’s slow, soft, and almost feels like more of a meditation than a song. Kind of a meditation put to music.  I listened to it a few times over the course of the weekend. It made me think of so many things, as good music often does. One of the biggest messages I heard in the song was about renewal, a wish for strength, and hope for change. Breaking free of old pain or challenges in order become stronger, healthier, and free. The timing of hearing this song was perfect for me personally, since I’d spent a lot of the weekend talking with my friends about changes, hopes, and things to remember for this coming year.

In addition to speaking to me on a personal level, the song also resonated with me professionally.  I thought of all of the stories we’ve heard from survivors who have left an abusive relationship, or are trying to leave. I thought of all of you out there whose stories we had the honor of hearing in person, during the in-person interviews we conducted for the research that guides the See the Triumph project.  Stories of abuse, pain and heartache, but also the journey to a healthy and more productive life. Learning what you are capable when things are more difficult than you ever imagined. Eventually seeing that life can be different.

When I returned home from my weekend with friends, I looked up an interview with Seth Avett, the vocalist who sings the particular song, and read an interview he’d had with a music writer. What I had heard in his message was consistent with how he explained the song in the interview. In the interview, he said that Souls Like the Wheels is a song about “a desire for rebirth, a major chance to put your old self away and allow your new self to come in. It considers experiences that are fiery and very intense that make you question what you’re made of, who you want to be, and how you’re going to change.”

To anyone else thinking about the new year ahead of us, changes you’d like to make, or perhaps just small things to be mindful of, I ask you to listen and see how the song might speak to you. The lyrics are below so that you can read along as you listen. Perhaps after listening, take a few minutes to consider some of the following reflections - how can relate to the idea of rebirth, or shedding parts of your old self to allow your new self to shine? What support, resources, skills will allow this take place? Have you had an experience that was intense that tested your strength? What learning came out of this experience?

I look forward to hearing how this song might have spoken to some of you out there. Happy New Year, everyone. 

Souls like the wheels
Turning, taking us with wind at our heels
Burning, making us decide on what we're giving
Change this way of living

One little song
Give me strength to the leave the sad and the wrong
Bury safely in the past where I've been living
Alive but unforgiving
Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go

One little girl
Bring me life from where I thought it was dark
Be the spark that has a chance to light the candle
Love that I can handle
Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go
Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go

Souls like the wings
Spreading out away from bad memories
Make us capable of taking off and landing
Alive with understanding
Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go
Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go