I found out today…
…that perhaps, one of the best ways to listen to any song is to get familiar with it, until you know every word and think you can re-create all the instrumentation in your head at will. Then, shelf it for some years or so, the longer the better. Let it sit, let it ferment, let it whatever. Get on with life and simply let time do the work while it lies in wait with the other forgotten stuff in the crevices of your memory.
One day, when boredom with your current state of being strikes, reach into that crevice for some amusement. Randomly pick that once familiar object. (Pop that CD into your player.)
Hear, as the dust falls off particle by particle. Whatever processes all those years of sitting have put this song through would have enhanced its sheen. Allow yourself to be amazed by how time has turned this object into something more brilliant. Listen, as the shine percolates your eardrums and reacquaints itself with your soul. Hear your mind tell your heart “I remember why you loved this” while your heart replies, “I want you to remember why I love it even more now.”
