Guest Interview: The Inspiration Behind "Grief's Only Love"

Interview by Yahdav & Hanlon / Interviewee Meghan Saletta 

 A few months ago, we attended a fantastic conference where we met many interesting people. On our last day, when we were saying our goodbyes, one of the vendors that we’d met the first evening and had a lovely chat with came over to us and sat down. He smiled awkwardly and explained that he didn’t know if what he was about to tell us was “salesy” or not, but really wanted to share regardless. We both looked at each other wearily and braced for impact. What he said next was a very unexpected pleasant surprise and the inspiration behind this interview. 

He shared how his girlfriend had written a song about grief and wanted to know if we were interested to hear it. Of course, we were! Not only does she have an incredibly beautiful voice, but the lyrics were moving and poignant. 

We loved the song so much that we asked him to connect us so that we could feature her in our blog. So here we are today excitedly introducing you to Meghan Saletta and sharing her story behind writing “Grief’s Only love.”

Yahdav & Hanlon (Y&H): We love your song, Grief’s only love, and would love to learn what inspired you to write and sing it. Please share your story and inspiration.

Meghan Saletta (Meghan):  I wrote “Grief’s Only Love” during a season of life when I was processing a lot of change: the end of a 7-year relationship, the death of 2 beloved grandparents, and a re-imagining of life and identity in my late 20’s. 

The story behind the song: I was sitting in the office after everyone had gone home for the night. As I was scrolling through Instagram, I saw a quote pop up by Jamie Anderson: “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” This hit me hard. I immediately felt tears coming on and rushed to grab my guitar. I started strumming and the song just fell out. It was an incredibly cathartic experience to process my emotions around the things I was grieving at the time through music; it felt really fitting that the song lyrics were also a reflection on the grieving process.

Y&H: How has grief shown up in your life? 

Meghan: Grief has shown up in my life in losing people I’ve loved, in endings and transitions; and also in missed opportunities or exquisitely beautiful seasons of life that can’t be re-lived. 

Y&H: How do you think grief has affected you and how you relate to people personally? Professionally? 

Meghan: Grief is a universal human emotion and experience. To live is to be vulnerable to loss and change; to out-grow past versions of yourself; to lose people you love and to come to terms with the reality of your life versus ‘the way you thought things would go’. To look any of these things in the face and feel your way through them is both a painful and profound process. 

Y&H: What is something you learned about grief that was totally shocking to you? What is something about grief that you wish you knew previously that you know now? 

Meghan: Grief comes unexpectedly and in waves. We all process grief differently and sometimes it takes a while to face what we’ve lost or how things have changed. Oftentimes, our bodies choose for us and we become overcome with waves of emotion or other somatic cues unexpectedly. I think it’s wise to give into those waves when they come by setting aside time and space to feel and process. As the saying goes, ‘you can’t heal what you don’t feel.’

Y&H: What community and individuals do you feel that your song most impacts? 

Meghan: I feel my song most impacts people who have lost a loved one. The lyrics in the chorus “be patient my dear, clouds always clear - and grief’s only love with no place to go” paint a picture of someone who is in the thick of the grieving process and is full of an overwhelming amount of love that they wish they could still pour into the relationship they’ve lost. 

Y&H: What is some feedback you have received from listeners - both within your community and not? 

Meghan: Listeners who have been especially moved by this song have expressed gratitude to me for writing it and putting it out there because they’ve found it deeply relatable and healing. My hope in writing and releasing the song was that it would offer comfort to those in a season of grief, and I’m so glad that others are connecting with it.

Y&H: If you could tell your listeners one thing, what would it be? 

Meghan: My songs contain the purest expression of my emotions and I’m honored to share them with you. 

Y&H: How do you foresee your music/song helping the grieving community? 

Meghan: I would love “Grief’s Only Love” to act as a tool/companion for processing grief; perhaps a song to listen to while journaling through emotions or to embrace as an aid in fully feeling through a loss. 

Y&H: How do you envision your music evolving and growing over time? 

Meghan: I have a new single "Love Me Wild" that was released on all streaming platforms Friday, October, 21st. I am also releasing a full-length album & companion book of poetry on December 16th, 2022. The album and book both capture reflections on self-discovery and relationships in my late 20’s as I was processing a string of big life changes. I will be announcing more about these on my socials and website soon! 

Y&H: How has writing your song, "Griefs Only Love", influenced your understanding of grief and grievers? 

Meghan: I wrote this song when I was in the midst of an unexpected wave of grief as a way to process what I was feeling. Writing it with an open heart and tears streaming down my face showed me that no matter how painful things are in a given moment, sitting with your emotions, honoring them, and processing them (whether through journaling, songwriting, talk therapy, movement, etc.) is key to moving through grief. 

Y&H: How can people listen to your music? 

Meghan: My music is available on Spotify, Apple Music + beyond. Check out my song: "Grief's Only Love" | Website: www.MeghanSaletta.com | Instagram: @meghansaletta | Spotify | apple music

Y&H: What is the best way for people to get in touch with you? 

Meghan: Feel free to DM me on Instagram or reach out via the contact form on my website (www.meghansaletta.com)

Y&H: Share a fun fact about yourself that no one knows. 

Meghan: I also have a custom lullaby business called “Lully” where I create one-of-a-kind songs for babies and kids. You can check it out here: web: www.lully.co and Instagram: @lully_songs

We hope that you enjoy Meghan’s beautiful voice and lyrics as much as we have. We are also super excited to share that we will be collaborating with Meghan on some amazing programs in late 2023. We can’t wait to share more! 

Song Lyrics:  

Grief’s Only Love by: Meghan Saletta 

You can’t rush 
The process or the truth 
The pain that comes for you 
Is yours to muddle through 
And it’s tough 
But trust me when I say 
That you’ll know brighter days 
The sun always breaks through 

And I know the tears keep on falling 
And time seems to move so slow 
Be patient my dear 
Clouds always clear 
And grief’s only love 
With no place to go  

You can try  
Screaming at the sky 
Begging for a why 
A way to justify  
All the hurt 
Sitting in your throat 
It’s hard to stay afloat 
When you’re broken down inside 

And I know the tears keep on falling 
And time seems to move so slow 
Be patient my dear 
Clouds always clear 
And grief’s only love 
With no place to go  

Hold on to the best of what has been  
Life will go on 
And in your heart you’ll carry them 

So when the tears keep on falling 
And time seems to move so slow 
Be patient, my dear 

Clouds always clear  
And grief’s only love  
With no place to go 
Grief’s only love with no place to go

Bio:

Meghan Saletta is a singer/songwriter fueled by the power of words. Her refreshing pop songs entice listeners with raw, thoughtful lyrics, catchy melodies, and her signature ethereal vocals. A Chicago native, Saletta attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and obtained a BA in Songwriting. She has since released multiple projects, including a full-length album (Dreaming, 2016) 2 EP’s and several singles. Her latest album, “Love Me Wild” will be released on December 16, 2022, along with a companion book of poetry. Meghan’s music has been licensed across the US, Europe, and Asia and has been featured in advertisements for brands like Enfamil. (Banner photo credit: Kim Carrier)