This is Episode 30 of Poems to Live Well By.

Today’s poem is not, strictly, a poem. But some of the greatest poetry has always been written by songwriters. The boundary between song and poetry is a flimsy one, and just because these words are better known in song does not mean they don’t contain every essence of poetry too. Today’s poem, or song, is “The Best Day of my Life” by Tom Odell and Laurie Blundell. (I believe Odell is the writer of the words and Blundell the producer and musical composer, but both are listed as the songwriters.)

Odell’s lyrics often touch on the challenges of living in the modern world: pursued by expectations, trying to keep up with a fast pace, trying to carve out one’s own place in the world. You only have to read some of the comments posted beneath his official music videos on YouTube to see what his words mean to so many people.

To hear Tom Odell perform this song live, see this deeply moving rendition on the Jools Holland Hootenanny show on the BBC on New Year's Eve 2022, where he combines "The Best Day of My Life" with another of his songs, "Another Love".

Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com