Music brings people together. It transcends any language, race, and color and unites them as one.
There is something about music that creates a magic spell and can transform a dire situation into a rather pleasant one.
Where instead of letting your veins be filled with rage due to utmost frustration, and lash out at everyone, singing harmoniously with other people calms your nerves. And it makes you feel closer and more connected with one another.
Whether it’s because music has been linked to dopamine release, a type of brain chemical that is involved in regulating our mood and is associated with happiness and pleasure, or it’s just a common hobby most of us are fond of, music is an invincible force. And many anecdotal pieces of evidence across the globe can prove its might. Just like how these people maintained optimism throughout their predicament.
Infamously hailed as the “purple tunnel of doom,” a tunnel in Third Street in downtown Washington unintentionally becomes part of the history.
The Purple Tunnel of Doom is the name given to the event that left thousands of ticket holders to the first inauguration of former president Barack Obama stranded in a tunnel underneath Washington’s National Mall, eventually missing the ceremony entirely. But what really happened?
This takes place on January 20, 2009, where multitudes of people owning the most-coveted purple tickets to see the nation’s first black president in his inaugural ceremony are kept out of the Washington Capitol.
Instead, they are directed by the police towards a tunnel and endure the cold of -7 degrees Celsius because space has run out. However, despite queuing for hours out in the cold, many people never made it out to the other side in time to witness the historical ceremony. And things could have gotten ugly, but these people choose to accentuate the positive and just sing their hearts out.
A silver lining in the whole fiasco is when the stranded crowd spontaneously erupts into a stirring rendition of “Lean On Me.”
This sweet gesture definitely put a smile on their weary faces, a brief reprieve for a disappointing day where so many were hoping to witness the historic event end up getting frustrated.
Instead of focusing on the problem, the mood throughout the tunnel remained optimistic. In one voice, they start to belt out Bill Wither’s all-time classic “Lean On Me” to cheer up everyone’s moods. And it is an overwhelming experience.
No song can never be more perfect to describe the situation they are in, and through the music, they draw strength from each other.
Their positivity is amazing it will surely give anyone who sees their video goosebumps.
They also sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “My Girl” in-between hollers of celebration about Obama’s victory. They turn a possible mass hysteria into a collective effort to support each other and see the good in everyone.
This unfortunate event becomes a testament to humanity’s kindness and resiliency.
Their voices ring and echo across the long winding tunnel, bringing with it a beacon of hope that they will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel… literally.
They also adorn the walls covered in thick soot by drawing dirt murals with their fingers or play tic-tac-toe.
Strangers share food, water, and their cellphones with one another, and shivering kids are given coats, scarves, and gloves. Leave a smile on your face too by checking out this video.
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