I am participating in a singing contest in which there are two competitors for every state. I am very nervous and, when I overhear someone else complain that there is more than one person singing the song she was going to sing and I realize that she is singing the same song I was going to sing, I know I need to change my own song. I decide to change it to one of two songs, either You Light Up My Life or The Rose. I am walking around, trying to decide once and for all which song to choose because the final competition is in only two days when I begin to realize that most of the other people are singing gospel songs--What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Amazing Grace, etc. I realize that my own choice of a secular song is very likely to stand out from the crowd, for better or worse. I go on the internet to find the lyrics to "The Rose" and one of the other singers, a girl, comes up to see what I am doing. I explain to her that I have decided to change my choice of song and why. She points out that because of the last minute change the production team won't have the music for my song. As I am looking for the lyrics, I know I will need to sing the song a capella and wonder if it is a good choice of song for an a capella performance.

(Bonus: The lyrics for "The Rose"

Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it's only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose)

And a bit of Satia Trivia: When I went to Rhodes I was a member of the school's sextet, we sang the song You Light Up My Life. I hated the song but the harmony for it is quite lovely. I still don't like the song.