Hey, Ma

A love song can do so much. That’s a big reason why I love writing them. They strip us down to our most essential parts as humans. We all want to feel loved. It’s in our DNA!!

I think some of our first experiences with love come from our parents, especially our mothers. I was lucky enough to grow up with a mother who loved me deeply, and a grandmother who treated me like a son. Because of that, I grew up surrounded by love, and it shaped me into the person I am today.

Bon Iver’s Hey, Ma has re-entered my life recently. I remember when the song was first announced, I was like why on earth would Camron and Bon Iver have a song that share the same name? That literally makes no sense. Until I realized that I also refer to my mom as “Ma” so there are number of ways that this song can go. And of course, Bon Iver’s Hey, Ma is like the perfect summation of what it means to have a mother who’s present, who pays attention. As we get older, sometimes it’s hard for us as children to return the favor, so we should all just call our moms sometimes ya know?

There should be a few takeaways from this: call your mom if you can, let her know you she’s loved and appreciated. Also, Camron and Bon Iver are both great at making love songs. Two different approaches, but the aim is the same (I think).