I love the soulful voice and melodies of Norah Jones. Sometimes I wish I could play the piano like that so bad it hurts.

Yesterday was the first time I’d heard her recording of “One Flight Down.” At a glance, you look at the words and say, “Well what in the world is that about? Is it just about a song playing in the apartment downstairs?” As I pondered it more, I realized just how incredibly profound it is.

First here’s the song with the lyrics for Norah Jones’, “One Flight Down:”

One Flight Down by Norah Jones Video

One flight down
There’s a song on low
And your mind just picked up on the sound
Now you know you’re wrong
Because it drifts like smoke
And it’s been there playing all along
Now you know
Now you know

The reeds and brass have been weaving
Leading into a single note

In this place
Where your arms unfold
Here at last you see your ancient face
Now you know
Now you know

The cadence rolls in broken
Plays it over and then goes

One flight down
There’s a song on low
And it’s been there playing all along
Now you know
Now you know

Have you ever had an “aha moment” when you realized that your perception of things was completely off base? When you realized you were building your life and making choices on a faulty belief? Perhaps you discovered that there was an underlying statement in your subconscious mind (one flight down) that was affecting you, controlling your actions, “weaving, leading into a single note.” Something like, “It’s hard to make money.” Or “I have to be perfect for God to love me,” or “Everybody’s in debt . . . debt is part of life.”

In this “aha moment” “your arms unfold” and “here at last you see your ancient face” … the old incorrect belief that was there all along. Like a cadence rolling in broken, your mind played it over again, pushing it “one flight down” into your subconscious mind. From there it controlled your thoughts, words, actions and results.

But now you hear the melody… “you know that you were wrong” and with that realization, nothing will ever be the same again.

I don’t know what Norah Jones would say this song is about. But another interpretation could be your life message that is playing like a song in the background . . . put into your subconscious mind from birth that is leading you, guiding you along toward a “single note”… a single message that you were born to convey.  Your “ancient face” could be that eternal part of you that has always existed and in that aha moment, you see who you truly are.

Just because you hadn’t heard the melody playing before, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. All the while guiding you forward, affecting your life choices and outcomes. Maybe it rolls along broken because of all the gunk we’ve let life put in the way. Then, in that moment you hear the melody and everything changes. 🙂  Ooooh, I think I like this interpretation the best. 🙂

I’d be curious to hear what you think!