Sail On, Silver Girrrrrl

I spent much of my early teen years in a space under the basement stairs. It was about the size of a coffin; I was willing to go that far for a smidgen of privacy. In that tiny space, I had just enough room for a sleeping bag, pillow, and record player. I played Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters, over and over and over, until I'm sure everyone nearby was ready to slash their wrists. It was my Adolescent Angst Anthem.

Tonight, flipping through the channels, I was startled to come upon Josh Groban singing my anthem on PBS! As if that didn't send my endorphins into overdrive, suddenly Brian McKnight joined him onstage. Perhaps only McKnight's flubbing of the lyrics saved me from a six dollar sobfest. It was much, much too powerful for mere human ears (and hearts) to absorb. Groban has the sort of voice that has such a depth and resonance, you'd have to be made of stone not to react, especially to such an emotional song. (And keep in mind: no steroids for a week.)

Groban then launched into his very own Angst Anthem, You Raise Me Up. Again, that alone would have tested the limits of endurance when suddenly a very large black choir BURST into song behind him! Oh my gosh - was he trying to kill us? There ought to be some kind of weepymeter to test these songs on before they unleash them on an unsuspecting public. At least have one of those banners running across the bottom of the screen to warn us: "Crybaby Alert!  Crybaby Alert!"