Twenty Four Seven with Tina Turner!
It took me a while to get over losing Tina. I never saw her perform, but losing her was comparable to losing a family member. I listened to her as a child in Tennessee, so in a sense, I grew up with her and watched her evolve into an international powerhouse. She did so much for liberating women from bad situations through both her actions and songs.
That said, I recently purchased her studio album, Twenty Four Seven which she recorded overseas in 1999. Here it is twenty-five years later and as I listen to the lyrics, her songs are spunky, sassy and serve as an anthem. Her sultry voice reminds women and men alike, that they can definitely move on and land on their feet.
While reflecting as she sang, I clapped myself on the back for packing up and making mighty treks away from circumstances that were no longer good for me. Sometimes, things can be good and then they aren’t. We have to recognize when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. (Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler) And for me, on more than one occasion, I had to leave the state for true peace of mind. That alone entails a lot of thought, planning and the connecting of the dots.
Closing down one shelter and locating another place to ‘hang your hat,’ is no joke. And then, there was the dilemma of finding a new source of income. But it was done and I am here. On one occasion, I sent my furniture ahead of me. Other times, I put my things in storage and removed myself first and either sent for my items or went back to retrieve them. Needless to say, I lost a lot of precious things along the way. Such is life!
Her song, When the Heartache is Over, reminds those with an achy-breaky heart that, “I can live without you.” It is just what is needed as one is making decisions and heading in a new direction. In Go Ahead, Tina Turner sings, “But never give up ‘cause every dog has its day.” I do not remember hearing these songs on the radio here in the States. It would have been great to have it blaring on the car radio/CD player while heading out on the Interstate with the car filled to the brim.
We only got a few of her hits here. I remember hearing What’s Love Got to Do With It, Private Dancer and Simply the Best; but, the people in Europe were privy to so much more of her ability to cross over into a variety of genres. In Without You, she belted, “So, I find another way to learn to live another day. Without you, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah.”
I could go on and on, but I will continue to listen to what I missed such as her album, Break Every Rule. Thank goodness for recordings, CD’s, Spotify, YouTube and other forms of media to re-engage with this unique talent. We are no longer at the mercy of the radio dee-jays to share what they deem as hits. If so inclined, we can do our own digging and discover more gold down in the well!
Lynn M.
November 5, 2024
