"Fought & Lost"

I've been taking a brief hiatus from blogging the past week or so, but I am ready to get back into it!  My wife and I finally watched the last two episodes of Ted Lasso Season 3 ("Mom City" and "So long, Farewell").  There have been rumors all year about whether or not Season 3 is the final season of the show.  I have to be honest, as much as I've enjoyed the show, Season 3 was not as good as the first two seasons, and at times, some of the episodes were complete duds.  These last two episodes though were incredible.

Throughout all three seasons, the show's soundtrack has been amazing.  For example, there was a great song near the end of the episode "Mom City" called "Fought & Lost" by the British singer Sam Ryder.  If the song sounds familiar, it's because Ryder sounds a lot like the late singer/songwriter Freddie Mercury, and Queen's guitarist Brian May is featured on the song.  As May said on an Instagram post, "Some of you know what this is.  But I'd like the rest of you folks to wonder, just for half a minute, who you're listening to, on this glistening new track...and what it might be telling us."

Ryder explained the song further, stating "This is a song for the hope seekers and the faith keepers.  The ones who foster the dream and keep its fire burning regardless of the knock backs, the almosts, the falls, and the failures.  This is a song for the down but never out's, not to be sung cold-eyed, muttered and muted, but to be belted towards the heavens as if wrenched from the spirit itself...for defeat looms in that glimmer of a moment right before life's magic is spun."

Everyone experiences defeat at some point in their lives.  The true champions in life keep going.  As Winston Churchill said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts."  And as the Japanese proverb admonishes us, "Fall seven times, rise eight" (mentioned in my post, "The Oak and the Reeds").

Just take a look at the lyrics to Ryder's song, or better yet, listen to the song.  But most importantly, keep going and never, ever give up.

Congratulations on your jubilation

Our hearts are breaking underneath all the applause

This devastation is of our own making

But we've never tasted this much bitterness before

And everybody falls

But some of us are born to fight, and fight, and fight some more

So, we will see you here

Same time, same place, next year

And you may win this battle but you'll never win the war

Better to have fought and lost than never fought at all

Go take a bow

Your audience is waiting

We'll take the shadows since the limelight isn't ours

We wanted it so bad

Gave it all we had

Oh, but wanting it doesn't always make it yours

This time was ours to lose

But fortune favors those who ride the storm and make it through

So, we will see you here

Same time, same place, next year

And you can take this battle 'cause we're gonna win the war

Better to have fought and lost than never fought at all

So, here on the same ground

When the tables have turned around

Oh, and your tears fall as your world is crashing down

I hope, when you see me

You remember that feeling

Oh, 'cause we've both seen the world from both sides now

And everybody falls

And life will tear you down to show you what's worth fighting for

Oh, we will see you here

Same time, same place, next year

And you may win this battle but you'll never win the war

Better to have fought and lost than never fought at all

Better to have fought and lost than never fought at all