Meg Mac’s glorious anthem of a soul song appeared on YouTube this past summer, but I only recently discovered it when I saw the Australian songwriter in Austin during SXSW. I remember being sour about the hike east of downtown because it was day seven and my legs were vibrating from cumulative mileage, but as soon Meg started serenading the crowd with her earnest soul music–get ready for the Adele comparison, dudes–I didn’t feel like my legs were attached to the earth. I was hovering, and then during the moments that she delivered the catchy hooks to her currently brief catalogue, I was soaring.
“Roll Up Your Sleeves” was the final song of Meg’s set because it is her best. It is simple–supported by a chord progression and steered by her unbelievably nimble voice, the track is about preparing to do good, diligent work. Worry not about adversity because if you focus, then everything will be okay. I feel that. It’s an idea that never seems that simple but always is, you just need someone with conviction to remind you.
I think it was during her second chorus of “whoo whoo whoos” that I realized that I wasn’t the only one rocketing toward the clouds–Meg was right there along with me.