Eric Church was invited to deliver the commencement speech at UNC-Chapel Hill Saturday, and the singer did not disappoint. He took the podium, guitar in hand, and gave an inspirational speech in which the strings of the guitar doubled for the foundations of life. The entire speech has to be seen to be believed (check out the video to the right), but here’s what he had to say about each string on the guitar:
- “String one, the low E, that is your foundation. The low E is the thickest string. It is the heaviest. Every chord a guitar can make rests on this string being in tune…Your faith is the ‘low E’ of your life…”
- “String two is family…the A string is where the magic starts to get warm. It gives a chord its body, its richness. It’s the string that makes you feel like you’re not alone in a room.”
- “The D string, the heart of a chord…Strike a full chord, and the D string is what you feel in the center of your chest…That is exactly what the right spouse and partner will do for your life.”
- “The G string drifts faster than the others on a guitar. I can promise you that. It’s true. I have dealt with it my whole life. It’s because ambition and resilience both live on this string, and they pull in opposite directions.”
- “The B string is about community…learn the actual names, not user names, of the people around you. Volunteer. Coach the team. Build the thing your community needs…”
- “(The high E string)…This is the thinnest string. It’s the highest note. The one that carries the melody, that single line above the chord that everyone in this room recognizes and takes with them on the way home.”
Check out the entire speech (it is well worth the time)
