Was there ever a time in your life that you let differences between you and someone else get in the way of love? Many people might think that having differences between one another is a valid reason for love not to exist, but in Collin Raye’s song, “Not That Different,” he states otherwise.
Throughout country music there have always been songs written about love and relationships. Within this genre you tend to hear both the positive and negative sides of love, but rarely do you hear both incorporated into one song. “Not That Different” is a song I grew up listening to because my dad used to be a big fan of Collin Raye. Ever since hearing this song, it has stuck with me throughout the years due to the fact that its message doesn’t have to be strictly related to just relationships; it can be interpreted on a broader scale of love between any two people. When you break this song down, its overall message talks about how people can have so many differences, yet we still are all the same. As you will see, Collin Raye presents a message to all of us that we should look past the differences with others into their personalities that lie underneath.
Within the lyrics of this song, Raye states, “We’re from two separate worlds,” but “I laugh, I love, I hope, I try/I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry/And I know you do the same things, too.” Raye continues the song by stating that these factors are “What they had in common” and that they are “Strong enough to bond them for life.” But, the line that really ties the entire song together is when he sings “So we’re really not that different, me and you.” Despite the fact that this song is particularly about Raye trying to convince a woman to look past their differences and to love him, people can still take this powerful message of the song and apply it to loving people around the world regardless of the bigger differences people face in life.
Throughout history, people have always let differences in race, gender, religion, skin color, sexual orientation, etc. affect how people treat one another. But it is important to know, despite these differences we have in comparison to other people around the world, that we all share similarities deep down inside…we are all still human. I have always found this song to be one of my favorites because of its compelling message on how love can overcome stereotypes, socioeconomic and political boundaries. Therefore, I think that this song is important for people to hear and to understand so that our world can continue to grow in a positive direction and turn away from its corrupt and judgmental state.
