Jon McLaughlin – Indiana

I got to know Jon’s music a few years back, if not longer (time seems to go by quick). I like Jon for two reasons: one, he’s from Indiana and two, he is heavy on the piano. While other artists in his genre rely on guitar, there’s just so much more you can do with a piano. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the guitar. But the piano can really dominate a piece of music with such range, depth, and power… perhaps musicians are the only ones that can truly appreciate that.

One of my goals for the next year is to get back into playing piano. While I’m not the best pianist, there is something greatly therapeutic about practicing a song so many times that it becomes a part of you. In a way, the notes just go straight from the brain right to the fingers and onto the keys. I’ve decided to make my comeback to piano by learning how to play Jon’s song, "Indiana." I chose it for two reasons (I seem to have a lot of reasons): one, it’s not too difficult to play and that’s the beauty of it. Second, the song kind of mirrors my feelings about my hometown.

I love Indiana. And while I’ve contemplated moving somewhere else (and probably will at some point in my life), Indiana will always be a deep part of who I am. While this song has the theme of a guy whose heart has been broken and uses his home in Indiana as a distraction, I still love it. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, life is going to take you many different places and when it’s all said and done, there will always be home. Okay, enough rambling on about what I think about the song.

Indiana
Jon McLaughlin

I’m glad I never lived next to the water
So I could never get used to the beach
And I’m glad I never grew up on a mountain
To figure out how high the world could reach

I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I’m glad I’m only picturing the moment
I’m glad she never fell in love with me

For some the world’s a treasure to discover
And your scenery should never stay the same
And they’re trading in their dreams for explanations
All in an attempt to entertain

But I love the miles between me and the city
Where I quietly imagine every street
And I’m glad I’m only picturing the moment
I’m glad she never fell in love with me

The trick of love is to never let it find you
It’s easy to get over missing out
I know the how’s and when’s, but now and then,
She’s all I think about

I wonder how it feels to be famous
But wonder is as far as I will go
Because I’d probably lose myself in all the pictures
And end up being someone I don’t know.

So it’s probably best I stay in Indiana
Just dreaming of the world as it should be
Where every day is a battle to convince myself
I’m glad she never fell in love with me