Stendhal Syndrome: Why Songs Make Us Emotional

 

Some songs tug at your heartstrings, sometimes at first listen, and most times, the familiar music holds a different meaning when you are vulnerable or just because the song resonates with you profoundly, from earlier memories, happy and sad. Other music touches you because of the hauntingly beautiful melody, even transcending language barriers.

The sheer beauty of music brings tears to my eyes. Stendhal Syndrome, Florence Syndrome, or hyperkulturemia is an emotional response to music and art that triggers a physiological response that activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Some complain of rapid heartbeat, fainting, confusion, and even hallucinations. In my case, it might just be a mild case of being teary-eyed and nostalgic.

That might explain a nine-year-old boy’s spontaneous awe-struck exclamation of “WOW” after a classical performance by the Handel and Haydn Society. Ronan Mattin’s one-word praise after the last note of Mozart’s piece was so genuine and wondrous that the audience erupted in laughter and applause. It turned out that Ronan was an autistic child who barely spoke, but his appreciation of the music brought out the Wow, which was heard around the classical world.

www.https://wfacebook.com/watch/?v=1239206220856774

 

Justin Bieber- “Lonely”

What if you had it all

But nobody to call?

Maybe then you'd know me

'Cause I've had everything

But no one's listening

And that's just lonely

I'm so lonely

Lonely

With recent bombshell news about Sean “Puff” Diddy’s arrest related to criminal wrongdoings, I learned about Justin’s unfortunate experience with those who should have protected him. Drawn by the lure of Hollywood, Justin, at 15 years old, descended into a life of drugs and a perverse lifestyle. Thankfully, he came out of it and found a new life with his wife and a new baby.

“Lonely” is a plaintive plea for help from a tortured soul.

 

 

Celine Dion-  "Hymne A L'Amour", July 2024            

Celine Dion is a fighter. Stiff-person Disease kept her out of the limelight for four years. Still, she triumphantly returned to close the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris, France, with a stunning tour de force performance of Edith Piaf’s "Hymne A L'Amour". Singing on the balcony of the Eiffel Tower with the giant Olympic rings framing the scene and the rain pouring down, Celine showed the world what courage and perseverance look like. Incroyable!

“If the sky should fall into the sea, and the stars fade all around me …”

 

 

Young Forever fancam - London Wembley Stadium (Army surprise BTS!), 2019

The BTS fans known as the “Army” had a secret mission to surprise the BTS supergroup by singing 'Young Forever' during their concert at the London Wembley Stadium. The song made the boys tear up!

 

 

Andre Rieu- “The Rose”, 2014

Tender, melancholic rendition of the Amanda McBroom composition, made famous by Bette Midler in her 1979 film.

 

Josh Turner- “How Great Thou Art”

This song started as a traditional Swedish melody and a poem. It was translated from Russian to English and is now considered the second-favorite hymn after "Amazing Grace" of all time.

 

Carol Banawa- “Iingatan Ka”

My song for my mom. I miss her. So much.

I’ll take care of you

I’ll watch over you

In my heart, you are my greatest dream.

In this world

There’s no one else but you

I live my life for you forevermore.

Singers Who Made Me Cry

Sometimes, you get the feels.  Maybe it was because of the singer, or maybe the song just touched your heart. The lyrics evoked sad but sometimes happy and inspiring memories. Suddenly, tears run down your face, and you surreptitiously wipe them lest an annoying person (any one of your family members) catch you in a vulnerable moment.

I must admit that I still cry when I watch the videos, no matter how often I've seen them.

 

IAM TONGI, "MONSTERS"

“He looks like Iz” was my first thought when I saw Iam Tongi appear on the latest American Idol auditions. Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoʻole was a Hawaiian/Polynesian music legend who sang the iconic version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

Iam is his own person, an 18-year-old making his own path and history. He moved out of Oahu and settled in Seattle because, as he said, their family was “priced out of paradise.”

Iam dedicated his song to his father (who used to harmonize with him), who passed just months before his AI appearance. James Blunt wrote “Monster” for his dying dad. What a tearjerker of a performance.

 

JIN FROM BTS- “THE ASTRONAUT”

Kim Seok Jin from BTS made me cry twice. The first time I ever watched BTS on the internet was when he sang the anthemic “Epiphany” to a full stadium that has suddenly gone quiet when he started playing on the piano. And then, when he sang, “I’m the one I should love,” I became emotional. The audience loved his impassioned performance, and I fell into the rabbit hole, hook, line, and sinker.

Jin tugged at my heartstrings again with the song “The Astronaut.” He collaborated on a farewell song with Coldplay to the BTS fanbase Army before he had to start his military duty in South Korea. The video was a love song to his fans, his reassurance that he would come back again. Jin’s live appearance at the Coldplay concert in Argentina was even more touching because it was his last performance before he had to don his soldier uniform. A last hurrah on the performance stage until his discharge from the military in 2025.

“When I am with you, there is no one else.” The brotherly love between Jin and Chris Martin was awesome, so beautiful in its sincerity. Chris was hyung (older brother in Korean) to Jin, who was visibly moved by the warm and enthusiastic response from the audience. It was supposed to be a Coldplay concert, but the fans welcomed him with open arms.

 

 

 

CAROL BANAWA, “IINGATAN KA”

The song was originally a theme song from a Filipino tv romance drama sung by Carol Banawa. Carol’s soothing voice is a serenade for mothers for their unconditional love for their children. Now, it's their offspring who have to take care of them.

Carol is based in Canada, an OR registered nurse.

Iingatan ka, aalagaan ka

Sa puso ko ikaw ang pag-asa

Sa 'ting mundo'y may gagabay sa iyo

Ang alay ko'y itong pagmamahal ko

May nagmamahal, aakay sa iyo

Aking inay, ikaw ang nagbigay ng buhay ko

Buhay na kay ganda

Pangarap ko na makamtan ko na

 

 

ERIC CLAPTON, "TEARS IN HEAVEN"

Eric Clapton wrote this song to mourn his 4-year-old son Conor who fell to his death from a high-rise apartment in Manhattan. A parent's worst nightmare. The tragedy is incomprehensible, the pain unimaginable, the loss heartbreaking.

SUNG-BONG CHOI, "NELLA FANTASIA"

There is no way that anyone would watch this without tearing up. A rags-to-riches story of a boy who survived a terrible childhood to fulfill his dream of being on a musical stage.
Sung-bong Choi was orphaned at 3, ran away from the orphanage at 5 years old, and lived on the street.

Until he came on stage on Korean Got Talent and surprised everyone with a powerful rendition of “Nella Fantasia.” His audition clip went viral, and he was on his way to living life happily ever after.

Note: I did not want to shatter everyone’s image of Sung-bong Choi, but he went viral again in 2021 when he faked a cancer diagnosis to collect donations from his fans. He attempted suicide and was later diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

A Letter from My Son and Reflections on My Mom on Mother’s Day

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!!





My son would probably not appreciate it that I will share his letter with you. TMI, Too much information, he would say. Since he’s not my friend on Facebook, I doubt he will know anyway that I kind of “violated” his confidence. I hope you'll not blab that I blabbed. But I’m sure he’ll understand.


Because I am a proud mother. On this Mother’s Day, I do not need a gorgeous bouquet of flowers nor any fancy dinner (not yet anyway until he's done with school). I don’t need any ostentatious display of affection. His letter, written in a ruled student paper and sealed in a plain envelope, with the admonition to read it after he left the car, said it all.

He wrote:

Dear Mom,

In these past years, our relationship has changed. You’ve become more than a mom to me. We bond over silly things like venting about ridiculous people and we laugh at things until our heads fall off. I can come to you for advice whenever the overdramatic people start crazy drama. We can tease each other freely without feeling bad because that’s just what friends do. I’m so glad that I can feel this comfortable around you, and even more glad that it has morphed into a friendship. For these and many other reasons I know I’m blessed to have you as my mom.

Love,

Jordan

My Mother

And now, I am thinking of my mother in the Philippines. My still vibrant mother. She still dances her ‘chicken dance” when she’s happy. She still drinks her San Miguel beer at night to relax.

I wish I make her as proud of me as I am of my son. I wish I have shown her how much I love and appreciate her. She had given me much more that I can ever thank her for.

My Nanay, Marina "Neneng" Cerrudo, beautiful in her costume as a young lady in her native Aklan and beautiful still in her favored housedress today. She weathered all the storms in her life and had remained strong after all these years. She is a fireball of energy and humor.

With her unconditional love and her selfless heart, she shaped my character and guided me through life's ups and downs and gave me the confidence to live my life to the fullest. As the matriarch of the family, she is our strength and our moral compass.

And when things were rough, her unwavering support held me up. Through the years, she remains the ideal of what is grace under pressure, of quiet strength and fortitude.

I can never thank her enough for all that she had done for me. Happy Mother's Day. I love you, Nanay.

On this Mother's Day, I would like to share the songs that say the sentiments I cannot articulate enough.