bobby finger

The only song Shania Twain has released as a solo artist in the past couple years is the sweet, strangely powerful yet bare-bones single from 2011 called “Today Is Your Day.” Though sounding as though written, performed, and produced in a hurry, the song works in that way even the most generic romantic comedy montage manages to elicit some kind of ~ f E e L I N g ~. “Today is your day and nothing can stand in your way,” she reassures us. And you know what? I believe her. And then our two protagonists meet up at the train station and make out under the departure schedule.

Sure, she throws us lyrics like, “When somebody throws sticks and stones, all they can break is your bones,” but there’s a curveball we get in the bridge that suggests something a little wiser – like she didn’t just rip the paper out of a few fortune cookies and stick them together in her notebook. “Brush yourself off, no regrets. This is as good as it gets. Don’t expect more, only less. Just go out and give it your best.” I suppose that’s not too profound or insightful, but—to me—this sudden grounding after a song filled with skyrocketing optimism feels genuine. Caring. Experienced. Or maybe I’m just willing to believe her more than most pop stars.

Whatever. I heard it for the first time at her show at Caesar’s Palace back in December and have thought it was lovely ever since. I don’t know why I wasted my time blabbering about it. Essentially “Today Is Your Day” is Shania’s way of telling us that she’s “been through stuff” like Tiffany on Cycle 4 of ANTM, but that she’ll still keep on making good music for us. And we should all be grateful for that. There’s a place for sap every now and then, and this sap is Grade A.