Sammy Hagar and King Solomon.

In the early 1980's Sammy Hagar wrote and sang one of my favorite songs, Can't Get Loose (Geffen, 1981).  It was a song that helped me realize that I was not alone in trying to make sense out of a messed up world.  Thousands of years prior to that, one of my favorite books, Ecclesiastes, was written by King Solomon (at least that's who many scholars and I conclude).  Strangely enough, these two literary works touch on some of the same subjects, but only one gives an answer to the problems.

Sammy

First, let me say that I'm not claiming that Mr. Hagar is giving a biblical message in this song.  I do believe he is expressing the questions and frustrations that so many people of every generation find themselves facing as they stumble through life.  Sometimes reality sucks the life right out of you.  We work hard.  We study hard.  We try to do what's right.  Yet so many bad things happen to us and our loved ones.  Sometimes all that hard work and study just seem like a big waste of time.

Some of the Sammy's lyrics are:

What makes him stand and fight, when he only wants to love?

And why do they push so hard, when he only needs a shove?

Every time I see him give, it's his turn to take.

Every time I see him go, everybody says to wait.

What makes one man rich?  How's another man get so poor?

What makes someone care so much for things another man can just ignore.

Some questions go unanswered and they have for quite some time.

Some things forever sacred.  We're just prisoners of our own mind.

Can't get loose.  You can fight like hell, but you can't get loose.

You can dream, but you can't get loose.  It's holding on.  You can't get loose.

Solomon

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon talks about so much of what we do in life is fleeting.  Early in the book the author begins, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"  (NKJV 1: 2).  The word "vanity" is taken from the Hebrew word meaning "vapor" such as steam coming from a hot cup of morning coffee, or "breath" such as what we see when breathing out in extreme cold temperature.  It rises up only a bit and then is gone - never to been seen again.  After years of study and being blessed with wisdom, Solomon concludes that so much of life appears to be useless.

Some of the verses are:

What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? (1:2)  All things are full of labor; man cannot express it.  The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.  (1:8)

Solomon acquired great wisdom and knowledge, yet he says it brought him much grief and sorrow (1:12 - 18).  He sought pleasure and happiness with earthy things, yet he says it was madness and accomplished nothing (1:17).  Everything he accomplished and built will be left to someone else after he dies, and then, all that might be wasted (Chapter 2).  Life is full of ups & downs and injustice seems to prevail  (Chapter 3).  Popularity, riches, and accomplished works - although good - seem to be wasted in life (Chapter 4).  Much of what we set forth to do in life seems to be done in vain (Chapter 5).  So much of what we do seems to get us nowhere.  We can't get loose.  

However, Solomon also seems to say that we should work hard, study, and live life to its fullest (Chapter 7 -9).  So what's the message of Ecclesiastes?   I believe it is that we should give our best efforts in life.  We should work hard to get ahead in life, but don't let that consume you.  Hard work just for the sake of gaining much in this life is useless.   We should study and learn as much as we can, but don't make that the whole purpose of your life or else your life is lived in vain.  We should enjoy life, have friends, and strive to be honorable, but there is so much more to life.

King Solomon answers the problems to what Sammy Hagar could not find answers.  

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.  For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." (12:13-14)

Ah ha!  We can get loose!  Loving God and respecting His holiness and might is the meaning of life.  For without God in your life, life is vanity, a mere chasing of the wind.  The book of Ecclesiastes says so much more about how to live life to its fullest, but I'll let you read it for yourself.  The words of the Bible say so much more than I could ever dream of saying in a blog post.