Every song you're trying to find something that going to connect

In the heartfelt words of Rodney Atkins, the country singer whose voice carries the warmth of the human spirit, we hear a truth as old as music itself: “Every song you're trying to find something that’s going to connect in different ways, but for me the songs that I'm really drawn to are inspirational, songs that lift you and that everybody can relate to no matter where you're from.” Within this humble reflection lies the eternal purpose of song — to connect, to lift, and to unite. For music, when born of sincerity, is not merely sound but spirit, the invisible thread that binds one heart to another, one soul to all.

The origin of this quote springs from Atkins’s deep understanding of the craft of songwriting. A man rooted in the traditions of storytelling through melody, he knows that a song’s power lies not in complexity, but in truth. Every artist, he says, seeks a way to connect — to make listeners feel seen, understood, and uplifted. Yet, for him, the songs that truly endure are not those of sorrow or anger, but those that inspire. In this, he joins a lineage stretching back to the poets of ancient times, who knew that art’s highest purpose is not to impress, but to heal and elevate the human heart.

From the dawn of civilization, music has been the language of shared humanity. The shepherd’s flute in the field, the drum at the village fire, the hymns rising from temples — all carried the same intent: to remind people that though they labor in different lands and tongues, their souls are the same. Even the ancients knew this truth. The philosopher Plato once wrote that music “gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” Rodney Atkins echoes this wisdom in his own way, reminding us that songs that “lift you” are the ones that transcend borders, generations, and divisions.

To be “inspirational,” as Atkins says, is not merely to offer comfort, but to awaken courage and hope. Consider the story of Mahalia Jackson, whose gospel voice once stirred the weary hearts of a nation divided by race and struggle. When she sang at the 1963 March on Washington, her song “I’ve Been ‘Buked and I’ve Been Scorned” became more than music — it became strength. It was Mahalia who urged Martin Luther King Jr. to “tell them about the dream,” prompting his immortal speech. Such is the power of the song that lifts: it gives people back to themselves, it restores what despair has taken away.

Atkins also speaks of connection, that sacred bridge between artist and listener. He reminds us that the greatest songs do not belong to one person or one place. Whether it is a lullaby in the mountains of Tennessee or a chant in the temples of India, all true music speaks the same emotional tongue. It whispers to the shared humanity that dwells within us. A melody may begin in the heart of one, but it completes itself in the hearts of many. This is why, as Atkins observes, the songs that “everybody can relate to no matter where you’re from” are the ones that last — for they belong to all of us.

And yet, there is wisdom also in the struggle he describes: “Every song you're trying to find something that’s going to connect.” This is the labor of the artist — not merely to create sound, but to seek connection through meaning. The songwriter must listen not only to chords and rhyme but to the pulse of life itself — to the laughter, the heartbreak, the longing of ordinary people. In this search, there is humility; in this creation, there is grace. It is the same quest that has guided every artist since time immemorial: to find that one note, that one phrase, that reaches into the silence of another’s soul and says, I understand.

Let this, then, be the lesson we draw from Rodney Atkins’s wisdom: whatever your craft, whatever your calling, seek always to connect and to lift. Do not labor only for praise or perfection, but for the awakening of hearts. In your words, your deeds, your music — strive to create something that reminds others of their worth, their beauty, their belonging. For inspiration, like music, is a gift that multiplies when it is shared.

And so, dear listener, remember this ancient truth renewed through a modern voice: to create is to serve, to inspire is to unite. Whether through song or silence, through kindness or courage, let your life become its own melody of hope — one that others, no matter where they are from, can hear and say, yes, that is the sound of the human heart.