Although you may think I personalized this blog post for Meg Song, I can assure you that is not the case.
We've been out of blog practice for a few weeks; time to ease back in with something that will get us thinking about ourselves in ways we don't usually. So, onward and upward.
Many of you use music as a gateway. To sanity, to serenity, to solace and/or to solitude. Music, to many of you, is an escape from the harsh realities of teenage life.
So, now it is also going to be a tool in which you come to a greater understanding of how you see the world, and how you see yourself.
Think about all the music you love to listen to. Specifically, think about the lyrics to songs you love. Now, I want you to pick one or two songs that adequately encapsulate how you feel about life, your life. Of course, like a quote, nothing can COMPLETELY "sum up" your entire life--I understand that. But many songs, either through explicit or implied messages in lyrics, can at least provide a concrete example of either what you want out of life, what you want out love and how you want to be perceived, taken, understood etc. These are the key concepts I am looking for.
So, your task this week is to tell us about a song, copy a few of the refrains/chorus/passages, and explicate their meaning(s) to you.
Try to pick ones that have some depth and that will provide a deeper understanding of your innate beliefs. (450-500 words/70pts)
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131 comments:
I must say I really like this question. Music is an alternative language for me. This is a great way to get back into "blogging".
Ooh. I really, really like this one. I've got a few songs I know I can use.
Oh whoa, I won't lie Bunj, when I read the title I just thought to myself, "Sweeeet, this is going to be right up my ally!" I was right! I like this blog a lottt! =)
This is my first song, I'll post another later.
“Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in, winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye
And roped me in
So mesmerizing
So hypnotizing
I am captivated
I am
{Chorus}
Vindicated
I am selfish, I am wrong
I am right, I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am
Flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now
The things you swore you saw yourself”
I find myself singing this song a lot. It pops into my head and I find myself casually applying the lyrics to my life at the time. This happened just last night in fact, and my thought process went like this;
Hope is an imaginary, fanciful thing, much like redemption, since Catholicism teaches us that only God can redeem us and I don’t believe in Him. The winding in and winding out shows the wavering attention which I pay to both religion and hope, but the shine of both have caught my eye and I will always pay some amount of attention and remorse to the idea of believing in hope and religion. They have roped me in like everything ropes me in, as I throw myself into every outlet I can find time for. I become mesmerized, hypnotized and captivated by my projects, whether they’re people, myself, school, and that is who I am. I am Vindicated; I am who I am and will assert and defend who I am as is necessary, but “I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right I swear I’m right” I am confused. I will defend who I am- even if I don’t exactly know who that is. “I am flawed” and I realize it, but “I’m cleaning up so well” and I am trying.
“I am seeing in me now that things you swore you saw yourself” is almost the most important line for me. It seems, as I get older, I am finding that those around me have a better view of who I am and what I’m capable of than I do. I have found myself, in the past months, years, etc, going “wow, so and so, you were right.” more times than I care to mention.
Ooh, I have a lot of ideas for this one. Mainly due to the fact that I have 1018 songs on my iTunes.
sarahc, you are a freak who owes me so many cd's that it isn't even funny anymore. You should be able to find something that fits that weird little bubble that you dwell in. I can think of a few right now lol.
Hooray for Stockton College and it's amazing computers allowing me to actually comment for once! WOOT!
My list is at 12 now. We did something like this in Creative Writing last year.
Fiona-
God I love you girl, just as an FYI. I a little sad to hear that you have given up on both hope and God, seeing that I hold rather strongly onto both with a death grip. YOu sound like you could really use a hug!
And I love that song too! Rawrs, I wanted to use that so I guess I'll just try to find something else! ;P
OMG! Sarah! are you on this thing right now??!
“Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.”
-Beethoven
First, I must say how ecstatic I am that AP test are over!!!!!!! I feel like a burden has been lifted. Second, as I mentioned before, I love music. To me music is more expressive and more beautiful than any language that has been or is spoken. You could spend countless hours searching for the right words to say you love someone or show them you are sincerely sorry, but songs, chords, notes, when combined in subtly different ways, can create these thoughts with out ever speaking. It can add depth to lyrics, creating an entirely new meaning. Seemingly happy lyrics can be combined with happy music (harps, pianos, guitars, major chords and progression) or can be juxtaposed with eerie, minor melodies, pipe instruments, synthetic keyboards. Every note, drum beat, lyric, instrument, and key change is specific and pointed in it’s purpose. Nothing is done on accident. At least that’s how I feel, hence the reason it is such a major part of my life; usually I listen (or play) to 2 hours a day, if not more. I, however, don’t acclaim to have to most eclectic collection of music, but I do try to expose myself to as many different genres as possible. Included in those are R&B, dance (some call it techno), country, rap, rock, blues, jazz, classical, reggae, calypso, gospel/church, europop, folk, and a few other things that I just can’t place a name on. The point is I have experienced some of the best and some of the worst music around. So, should my song references come out of the blue or seem uncharacteristic of me, that’s why. :) Onward to the songs…
My first song comes from one of my favorite movies when I was little Hercules. It is the song Go the Distance. Here are a few verses:
I can go the distance
I will find my way
If I can be strong
I know ev'ry mile
Will be worth my while
When I go the distance
I'll be right where I belong
Down an unknown road
To embrace my fate
And a thousand years
Would be worth the wait
It may take a lifetime
But somehow I'll see it through
And I won't look back
I can go the distance
And I'll stay on track
No I won't accept defeat
It's an uphill slope
But I won't lose hope
Till I go the distance
And my journey is complete
But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart
As cheesy as it maybe, this song really has an amazing message and perfectly describes me, and everyone for that matter. It is a song version of the Hero Cycle, but it is much more than that.
Determination, the fiery passion that burns within all of us, and confidence are the first steps to find out who we truly are. Be firm in your beliefs, ideals, and morals. Don’t let anyone degrade you or convince you your dreams are stupid. “I CAN go the distance, I WILL find my way If I CAN be strong” Never once is maybe or hopefully or even probably uttered. Ever word is resolute, firm and strong in its conviction. This is my goal right now, attaining confidence in my values and myself. Overcoming the glare of peer pressure and realizing that just because someone thinks I’m wrong, doesn’t necessarily mean I am. And not to change y answer because no one else agrees with me. This struggle will be arduous but “I know ev'ry mile will be worth my while when I go the distance I'll be right where I belong”.
Once I accomplish these goals, my dream and true calling will manifest themselves. I will travel high and low, through sunlight and in the dark of night, learning through experience along the way. (a.k.a. college) No matter how long it takes, even “a thousand years would be worth the wait”, or what is required of me, I will in the end have succeeded, despite whatever happens. After this “unknown road”, I will have everything at my disposal and it will be up to me create a life for myself. And no matter what difficulties encountered or obstacles thrown my way, “I'll see it through”. By this time, I have done all the preparation I can; it is time to test myself in the “real world”.
“And I won't look back”, I won’t second-guess myself, wondering I was wise in decisions. I will have faith. I have done everything in my power to readily prepare myself; it is time to show the world just what I have become. “I can go the distance”. No matter the snide comments and jeering remarks, I will never surrender. It will always be an uphill battle but I CAN do it; I am ready for this. I will continue until my dreams are accomplished and my goals are met. This is when I know my journey has come full circle. All the struggles and hardships will payoff and everything will be worth the blood, sweat, and tears. However, there is still one more “test”, but it is not one I can study for. It is a test of character. Now that I have found my place and have secured it, what I do with it will accurately show whether or not I have learned anything. If my goal is only to amass wealth and rise in the corporate structure than my journey was in vain, and I learned nothing. But if I better others, and myself, help the less fortunate and “look beyond the glory” then I will have created a worthwhile life. But this doesn’t just apply to me; it is universal. This song not only describes everyone’s journey, but it provides confidence.
There are a few other verse I didn’t copy that describe the longing in finding “the place where I belong.” It is where I am now, where we all are, attempting to find our paths, our true voices. This song embodies my fears, apprehensions, and hopes; it comforts me and alleviates my doubts, through the powerful message of “I can”.
My other choice is Why Can’t We be Friends?
I seen ya, I seen ya, I seen ya 'round for a long long time
I really, I really, I really remember when you drank my wine
Why can't we be friends (4x)
I seen ya, I seen ya, I seen ya walkin' down in Chinatown
I called ya, I called ya, I called but you did not look around
I pay my, I pay my, I pay my money to the welfare line
I seen ya, I seen ya, I seen ya standing in it everytime
Why can't we be friends (4x)
The color, the color, the color of your skin don't matter to me
As long as, as long as, long as we can live in harmony
I kinda, I kinda, I kinda, like to be the president
And I could, and I could, and I could show you how your money's spent
Why can't we be friends (4x)
Yet another song from my childhood, not that I don’t hear it now, but it became one of my favorites when I was little. Apparently I used to parade around the house screaming, at the top of my lungs, the chorus: “WHY CAN’T WE FRIENDS? WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS?…” Oh, the good old days. Anyway, besides the happy childhood memories this song has huge, powerful message and it barely uses 150 different words! “Why can’t we be friends?” Are we really all that different? So what if or skin is different or hair or face or nationality! We are all people and that should be reason enough to get along. However, we all know that will never happen…or will it? I surely don’t know, but one can always hope :). This song gives every excuse, every ridiculous reason to have animosity and basically says, “There are all stupid, just shut up and be kind!” This song personifies my feelings when it comes to discrimination, of any kind. I wish it were eradicated, but shutter to think where that huge amount of negative energy would be focused afterwards. I definitely think racial (meaning anything segmented into groups) relationships have improved but we have a long way to go. We see each other everyday, we live in the same world, we breathe the same air, we are one in the same, we CAN be friends.
Lift Me Up- Kate Voegele:
"This road is anything but simple,
Twisted like a riddle, I've seen High, I've seen low.
So loud, the voices over my doubts,
Telling me to give up, to pack up, leave town.
Even so I had to believe, Impossible means nothing to me,
[chrous]
So, can you lift me up?
Turn the ashes into flames,
Cause I have overcome more than words will ever say,
I've been given hope that there's a light on up the hall,
And a day will come when the fight is won,
And I think that day has just begun."
Since its debut on the Summer Olympic Soundtrack, I have fallen in love with the lines of this song. It is one of my favorite songs by Kate Voegele because it does exactly what the titles entails. It “lifts me up.” Even though sometimes my own depressing self pity takes a toll on me, I want to believe that everything will be okay in due time. Faith along with hope and a little perseverance will get you through anything.
I can’t speak for anybody else, but there are days that I feel that life would be so much easier if I just gave up. If I stopped trying to be the best in school… Stopped trying to be in the top 10… Stopped trying to impress everyone… Just stopped trying. In the morning, when my alarm clock goes off, I lay in bed thinking that I could just lay here forever. Be aware that as I wrote that sentence, I realized that I do run away from my problems and hide from them. I can recall a number of times that I stayed home from school to avoid dealing with my problems. It’s cowardly, I know. But like the song says, “so loud, the voices over my doubts.” Sometimes the voices are screaming in my ear and I can’t help but believe what they’re telling me.
Yet with the “low” times, there will be “high” times right around the corner. Life is one crazy rollercoaster. The thing is, though, you’re never going to know how the ride’s going to end if you decide to get off in between. Life can get difficult. There will be drama, heartaches, disappointments, and regrets. Trust me, I feel like I’ve had many of them, but I think about all the great times in my life and I wouldn’t trade those moments for the world.
Even if that means suffering through some not so great times...
My favorite line in the whole song is “turn the ashes into flames.” Not only do I enjoy the imagery, I love its symbolic meaning. You can be whoever you want to be. It’s never too late to turn things around. I hope that one day I can sing these words again and truly embody all that it is.
As for love, I’m going to turn it over to The Beatles with their hit “If I Fell in Love With You.”
“If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me understand
'cause I've been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just holding hands”
I haven’t had very much luck in the “love department.” When I do fall in love, I want a partner that will “promise to be true” to me. That means no cheating! Jerks... I want someone that will respect me. I want someone that will love me for all that I am and for all that I’m not. I want him to be my best friend. I want to be silly and say whatever comes to my mind even if it’s stupid because I’ll know no matter what he won’t run away. I want to be myself and for him to be himself around me.
Oh, prince charming, prince charming, are you out there?
Oh well, enough of that sappy love stuff. I’m still young.
“I want to live where soul meets body,
And let the sun wrap its arms around me,
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing,
And feel, feel what it's like to be new,
'Cause in my head there's a Greyhound station,
Where I send my thoughts to far-off destinations.
So they may have a chance of finding a place where,
They're far more suited than here.
BAda-bada ba-bah
bada ba-ba bada ba-bah
bada ba-ba bada-ba
bada bada-bah
I cannot guess what we'll discover,
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels,
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another's,
And not one speck will remain.
And I do believe it's true that there are roads left in both of our shoes, But if the silence takes you then I hope it takes me too.
So brown eyes I hold you near, 'cause you're the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.
Where soul meets body.
Where soul meets body.
Where soul meets body.
And I do believe it's true that there are roads left in both of our shoes, But if the silence takes you then I hope it takes me too.
So brown eyes I hold you near, 'cause you're the only song I want to hear
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.”
Soul Meets Body- Death Cab for Cutie
I knew I was going to use this song when this morning on the bus ride to school, I put my ipod on shuffle and right before I passed out, it played. It was just one of those moments when you sit there and not think about anything else but just focus on the lyrics. I allowed no other thoughts to pass through my head; I just let Ben Gibbard’s harmonious voice flood my mind. Intently listening to the lyrics of a certain song can really bring around a new perspective and meaning to it. I wasn’t surprised that I thought this song was perfect for this blog considering Death Cab is probably in my top 5 favorite bands. This song is one of their most popular ones, which unfortunately did make me hesitant about picking it. I am not really sure why, maybe it is because a lot of the well known music out there that is played on like 4 different radio stations at the same time is shallow. It does not hold that meaning or depth that I could use to accurately portray who I am, but this song really does. It was released back in 2005, and at first I was not a huge fan, but from life experiences and where I am now I feel a kind of attachment towards the melody and lyrics.
My summary of the song is that this person wants a fresh new start, and he or she found it through another person. They once again fell in “love” maybe not a deep love that takes years and years to build upon, but that fresh new love that is exciting and exhilarating. It is the kind of love where the mind is just going in all these different directions, and is inspired once more but that new someone. There is no longer that dull, day-to-day monotonous mindset.
How can I relate this to my life? Easily. Well first the obvious thing would be, my boyfriend and the aspect of love. I am stuck amidst the bliss, excitement, and head over heels feeling that come from being involved in a healthy, great relationship. It’s that constant buzz of emotion and happiness, where I feel like my thoughts are going a million miles an hour in a billion different directions. There is a fresh kind of feeling where you feel like you are starting over and everything in life is on the right path and heading in the right direction.
You know the expression “When one door closes another opens”? My mom has always taught me to be a strong believer in that. With every bad there is a good thing, and with every storm there is a rainbow, and I feel like this song really holds true to these beliefs. Beyond the idea of love, there is a just a sense of renewal and comfort in this song. The negative events that may have happened in the past are all being forgotten, and the impurities are being cleansed away. My cousin, Danielle, who I have mentioned in one of the first blog posts has had an ongoing problem with addiction. She has been addicted to numerous drugs and the dark grip that they have had on her life has been detrimental to her and our family. Right now she is serving jail time, and she has been writing my mom and I at least once a week. She is talking about cleaning her life up and getting things back on track, even though that is easier said than done.
This verse of the song really makes me think of Danielle.
“I cannot guess what we'll discover,
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels,
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another's,
And not one speck will remain.
And I do believe it's true that there are roads left in both of our shoes”
I know that with the assistance of the whole family, her inner strength, and me, she will be able to overcome this illness that has plagued her the past few years. The hope and confidence in these words is just so absolute and strong that I have no choice but to believe what they are saying.
This song is all about new beginnings and beautiful fresh starts that leave us all breathless and full of awe. It is so inspiring and hopeful that I really feel as though I need to live my life like this. I need to know that there are still undiscovered paths that I have yet to travel, and to know that there is always time to start over. No one is ever completely lost or alone. It does really sum up a majority of my thoughts and feelings on my life and life in general.
Morgan! I was gonna pick death cab too. It really is an awesome band :)
Anyways, this one line in your blog really caught my attention.
"The negative events that may have happened in the past are all being forgotten, and the impurities are being cleansed away."
Oh boy, do i have a problem dwelling on the past... That's why I can't wait to go off to college and have my "fresh start." I don't think that I'll be able to get that fresh start until then, but it's sure exciting to think about.
Who doesn't love death cab?
I have my list down to seven songs:
Everybody's Changing: Keane
Hand in my Pocket: Alanis Morrissette
Hold on Hope: Guided by Voices
Chocolate: Snow Patrol
Crooked Teeth: Death Cab for Cutie
L.G. Fuad: Motion City Soundtrack
The Show: Lenka
What to choose??????????????????
Okay, so this is going to be a little hard for me, narrowing down my list of major song players, but just hang with me for a moment.
I grew up in a music oriented family, there was always music being played somewhere in the house and some of my fondest memories is sitting by the piano on the floor and listening to my mother or brother John play for hours on end. Shame I can’t even play through Chopsticks without getting lost. Sigh, oh well.
For some of you that know me better than others, you know that if there is one thing I enjoy doing, it’s finding music that fits a scene or mood of a story or the background of one of my many characters that I have created (cough cough-Valjeir- Cough.) but I have never really bothered to compare these songs to my own life and truth be told, I’m not certain that I can do a 100% great job either.
The first song that popped into my head was “Ghosts” by Ladytron, but just the chorus line:
There’s a Ghost in me
Who wants to say ‘I’m sorry’
Doesn’t mean I’m sorry
I don’t know why, but I really feel like that holds true to some aspect of me, though I don’t really know what yet. I think it really might represent some of the actions that I do or want to do in my life but don’t. There are times when I feel the need to apologize for things that I didn’t even do, or there are times when I have wringed but I don’t feel remorse or the need to whisper a soft “I’m sorry.” So I suppose that it does fit me to a certain extent.
The next song would have to be “Once in a Lifetime” by Wolfsheim
Calm down my heart... don't beat so fast...
Don't be afraid just once in a lifetime
The love in you, it does not burn,
There is no lesson you can learn
And there are sounds you cannot hear,
And there are feelings you can't feel
Calm down my heart... don't beat so fast...
Don't be afraid just once in a lifetime
I don't pretend that I love you
And this time I'm not scared of you
I’m not sure what I should say about this one either, but I think it does convey another aspect of my personality, I just wish I could pin point what part exactly. I think it portrays my straight forwardness towards and around people. I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not and I don’t pretend to like the people that I don’t. I’m honest that way. I would like to believe that people know where they stand with me when it comes to relationships; I don’t pussy-foot around topics like that. I mean, if I like being around someone, I make it pretty dang obvious and if I don’t I make it equally as apparent. I don’t like mind and emotional games so I try to avoid them and their confusion as much as possible. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
My third would have to be “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M
If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts. You are not alone
I really think that this hold true to nearly everything about me, if not everyone. WE all hurt, some more than other. I like this song simply because it makes me feel more human, more like everyone else. It helps me to relate with others and when I’m having an extremely hetic day, it lets me know that I’m not the only one who is.
And for this last one, I’m just gonna list the lyrics and let you all decide for yourselves how it fits me:
When You're Evil -Volitair
When the Devil is too busy
And Death's a bit too much
They call on me by name you see,
For my special touch.
To the Gentlemen I'm Miss Fortune
To the Ladies I'm Sir Prize
But call me by any name
Any way it's all the same
I'm the fly in your soup
I'm the pebble in your shoe
I'm the demon in your bed
I'm a bump on every head
I'm the peel on which you slip
I'm a pin in every hip
I'm the thorn in your side
Makes you wriggle and writhe
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
While there's children to make sad
While there's candy to be had
while there's pockets left to pick
While there's grannies left to trip down the stairs
I'll be there, I'll be waiting 'round the corner
It's a game. I'm glad I'm in it
'Cause there's one born every minute
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
I pledge my allegiance, to all things dark
And I promise on my damned soul
To do as I am told, Lord Beelzebub
Has never seen a soldier quite like me
Not only does his job, but does it happily.
I'm the fear that keeps you awake
I'm the shadows on the wall
I'm the monsters they become
I'm the nightmare in your skull
I'm a dagger in your back
An extra turn upon the rack
I'm the quivering of your heart
A stabbing pain, a sudden start.
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
It gets so lonely being evil
What I'd do to see a smile
Even for a little while
And no one loves you when you're evil
I'm lying through my teeth!
Your tears are all the company I need
Oh my god, matt w, you chose the Hercules song! Hercules was my favorite movie when I was little!
(It still is one of my favorite movies- shh, don't tell anybody.)
Though, of course, later in my life I learned that the movie is WAY different than the actual greek myth. But who cares? I love Hercules and everything about that movie!
I wouldn't say any song can describe my life. But there are definitely many songs that I can relate to in some way, whether it's an aspect of my life, a feeling, a belief, or an aspiration.
As an athlete, I'm prone to falling into slumps. I get down on myself pretty hard, but when I do I always sit in my room and put one song on repeat.
"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it—you better never let it go.
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime"
This is the song that gets my adrenaline pumping and pushes me to take advantage of every moment of every game I have. I'm sure it could relate a lot to life in general, about living with no regrets blah blah blah. But I only seem to take the words into consideration when referring to my game. Over and over again I'll listen to this song, sometimes just for this one line: "Success is my only motherfucking option, failure's not." You might think I'm crazy, but I give myself pep talks all the time. I will literally scream this to myself. I don't accept anything but my best. My team can win a game, but I could still go home pissed at myself because I didn't dive for a ball or I struck out. Succeeding doesn't necessarily mean "winning" to me, it means playing my best, 100%, all-out (but of course, winning comes with that usually).
Now here comes the more depressing part. I obviously don't have a very optimistic view of the world. A song that, well, greatly reflects my view is Dust in the Wind by Kansas. I can listen to this song all day, any day. It has so much meaning to me.
"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy"
It pretty much sums up my idea that what we do here is pointless. Nothing makes a difference because everything ends the same way. My favorite line is, "Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky." When my dog Bear died, I put on this song and it's actually what got me through it. Realizing that "nothing lasts forever" is a tough concept for some, but it's what keeps me from being naïve and believing that it'll always be there.
Billy Joel offers more of an idea of my view of things.
"You got your passion, you got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true" - Vienna
While the whole song is about how you shouldn't live your life too fast, this part is more of a reflection of my beliefs. You should never be satisfied with what you have, you should never be content. You should want the best and when you think you reached that point, aim higher. And you should dream big, but don't be naïve and expect it all to work out.
I feel somewhat obliged to pick a "love" song. Lifehouse immediately popped into my head just thinking of "love".
"We're both looking for something
We've been afraid to find
It's easier to be broken
It's easier to hide.
Looking at you, holding my breath,
For once in my life, I'm scared to death,
I'm taking a chance, letting you inside."
I find it so hard to open up to people. It's so much easier for me to hate, to ignore, to avoid, to hide, to reject. "Love" isn't something I feel often and I actually can only feel it toward my dogs and select others. But I love this song and how it portrays the fear and perplexity of love and trust, yet a desire for it.
L.G. FUAD by MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
"Let's get f*cked up and die..
I'm speaking figuratively, of course..
Like the last time that I committed suicide.. social suicide..
Yeah, so I'm already dead on the inside,
But I can still pretend with my memories and photographs,
I have learned to love the lie.
I wanna know what it's like to be awkward and innocent, not belligerent.
I wanna know how it feels to be useful and pertinent and have common sense.. yeah
Let me in, let me in to the club, cuz I wanna belong,
And I need to get strong, and if memory serves,
I'm addicted to words and they're useless.
(In this department)
Let's get f*cked up and die..
I'm riding hard on the last legs of every lie,
And the BMX bike of my life is about to explode,
I'm about to explode.
I'm a mess, I'm a wreck.
I am perfect, and I have learned to accept all my problems and short comings,
Cause I am so visceral, yet deeply inept.
I want to thank you for being a part of my forget-me-nots and marigolds..
And all the things that don't get old..
Is it legal to do this? I surely don't know.
It's the only way I have learned to express myself
through other peoples' descriptions of life..
I'm afraid I'm alone and entirely useless...
(In this department)
Let's get f*cked up and die.
For the last time with feeling
we'll try not to smile
As we cover our heads and drink heavily into the nights
That still shock and surprise.
I believe that I can, overcome this and beat everything in the end
But I choose to abuse for the time being,
maybe I'll win, but for now I've decided to die.
Sister soldier
You’ve been such a positive influence on my mental frame
If I could ever repay you,
I would, but I'm hard up for cash
And my memory lacks initiative.
God damn the liquor store's closed,
we were so close to scoring
it hurts, it destroys 'til it kills..
I am tired and hungry and totally useless.
(In this department)"
So... yeah. I chose lg fuad by Motion City Soundtrack for my song. It was close their at the end... between lg fuad and hand in my pocket by alanis morrisette.
Lg fuad, I think just about sums up the majority of my greatest weaknesses and insecurities, my greatest strengths and hopes. Let's take it from the top:
"Like the last time that I committed suicide.. social suicide.." Hmm, when was the last time I committed suicide... social suicide? I don't know, but I think it's safe to say that I've been doing that on a regular basis since before I left the womb.
"Yeah, so I'm already dead on the inside,
But I can still pretend with my memories and photographs,
I have learned to love the lie." Sometimes, and I don't want to sound all dark and moody, but sometimes I do feel like I'm living a lie. Like I'm pretending to be someone else because I'm not really sure who I am yet, and I'm afraid that when I find myself, there won't be anything there.
"I wanna know how it feels to be useful and pertinent and have common sense.. yeah" Okay, easy. I get called useless and told I have no common sense and that I'll just fail in the real world all the time. I won't say by who, but sometimes I'm afraid they're right.
"Let me in, let me in to the club, cuz I wanna belong,
And I need to get strong, and if memory serves,
I'm addicted to words and they're useless." Who hasn't felt this? The little-kid-left-out complex? I know I have and sometimes still do. Also the "addicted to words," addicted to what others think of you, even though it really doesn't matter. I've felt this.
"I'm riding hard on the last legs of every lie" I lie. All the time. Just because it makes life easier. And I have to admit, it's tiring, and I'm really and truly on the "last legs" of each and every one of them.
"And the BMX bike of my life is about to explode,
I'm about to explode." Ahh, who besides me loves this metaphor? There have been many times in my life when I've been about to explode. Because I bottle my anger inside. And, from anybody who's ever seen Anger Management, we all know that's just not good or healthy.
"I'm a mess, I'm a wreck.
I am perfect, and I have learned to accept all my problems and short comings,
Cause I am so visceral, yet deeply inept." Yeah, I know I have some problems. But they're a lot less than a lot of people's. And even though "I'm a mess, I'm a wreck, I am perfect, and I have learned to accept all my problems and short comings, cause I'm so visceral, yet deeply inept." That pretty much says it all.
"Is it legal to do this? I surely don't know." Enough said.
"It's the only way I have learned to express myself
through other peoples' descriptions of life..
I'm afraid I'm alone and entirely useless..." Ooh, darn, back to my insecurities and the sneaking suspicion that I'm a coward that never experiences life and a fraud and alone and entirely useless...
"For the last time with feeling
we'll try not to smile
As we cover our heads and drink heavily into the nights
That still shock and surprise." Despite all that, life still goes on and still can be happy and "shock and surprise."
"I believe that I can, overcome this and beat everything in the end
But I choose to abuse for the time being,
maybe I'll win, but for now I've decided to die." I truly believe that I can succeed and beat my fears and shortcomings. But maybe totally eradicating your fear isn't really important. Maybe it's moving on and just living like you want (a.k.a. "decided to die").
"Sister soldier
You’ve been such a positive influence on my mental frame
If I could ever repay you,
I would, but I'm hard up for cash
And my memory lacks initiative." Just...yeah.
"we were so close to scoring
it hurts, it destroys 'til it kills..
I am tired and hungry and totally useless.
(In this department)" And back to fears and insecurities. Because you can't ever really get rid of the, and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe we should all just learn to accept ourselves as we are.
I'm a mess, I'm a wreck.
I am perfect, and I have learned to accept all my problems and short comings,
Cause I am so visceral, yet deeply inept."
Morgan:
"You know the expression “When one door closes another opens”? My mom has always taught me to be a strong believer in that. With every bad there is a good thing, and with every storm there is a rainbow, and I feel like this song really holds true to these beliefs. Beyond the idea of love, there is a just a sense of renewal and comfort in this song. The negative events that may have happened in the past are all being forgotten, and the impurities are being cleansed away. "
-> My mom has told me the same thing many times. I like what you said that this song is about renewl and how overcoming and moving on from the bad can bring good in life.
JPPP!!
"As an athlete, I'm prone to falling into slumps. I get down on myself pretty hard, but when I do I always sit in my room and put one song on repeat.
"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it—you better never let it go.
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime"
-> I was hoping you would pick our boy. haha. But I feel the same way, hearing someone speak strong and powerful words like this makes me want to do my best at every aspect in life, and loosing yourself in the moment is the only way to accomplish it.
"You should never be satisfied with what you have, you should never be content. You should want the best and when you think you reached that point, aim higher."
->Also I liked what you said here and I agree that you should never sit down for one minute in life because you should always be trying to challenge yourself.
And I like the lifehouse song, it was cute:)
Naturally I picked a few Bruce songs along with some others that I feel encompass some of the feelings that I share in my life. I don’t always agree with every word in a song or feel that every part can relate to my life so I picked a few that I can relate to the most.
"I get up in the evening
and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark"
-Dancing in the Dark-Bruce Springsteen
--> Sometimes I feel like I am a zombie going through the daily actions in my life. "Man I'm just tired and bored with myself," illustrates how I want something new, adventurous, exciting, whatever it may be, in my life to make me fee like I am living it to the fullest. “I get up in the evening, and I aint got nothing to say,” is symbolic of how sometimes I stay quiet and don’t express myself on a daily basis. Although I have become more outspoken since freshman year, I still don’t tell the majority of people what I’m really thinking. The first phrase of this song is basically about someone lost in a timeless scheduled life looking for something new to “Start the fire” in their life.
"I've done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Explode and tear this whole town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Find somebody itching for something to start
The dogs on Main Street howl
'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land"
-The Promised Land-Bruce
--> This is one of my favorite Bruce songs. In the beginning the lyrics illustrate how in my life I work so hard for something that "I just want to explode." "Your eyes go blind" when you are focused on one dream or goal and you want to "cut this pain from my heart" so that you can almost feel something. I fee like I’ve done my best in everything I do but keep working harder trying to test my limits and see how far I can really go.
I have one more song that I want to use but I’ll finish later:)
Jen,
I love the song Vienna by Billy Joel, as well. The melody is just so nice to listen to and his has a lot of strong messages!
“Slow down, you're doing fine,
You can't be everything you want to be,
Before your time”
Take life as it comes at you; don’t rush; yet always aim higher. It’s an amazing song and I’m glad you picked it :)
“When someone’s wish comes true”My perception of life itself is bleak though my wishful thinking of the future is bright. I don’t really understand it myself. Most of the songs I listen to relate this back to me. From the sad melody of the piano to the happy rhythm of the guitars, all the songs I listen to have a story inside of itself for me. I understand that feeling, that story and place the words in a special place in my head.
I’ve lost something important because of small things.In life, it is obvious that we make our troubles the attention of our life. We are eager to fight over “small things” like misunderstood words or accidental actions.
We always fight and fight.
Someone always loses, someone always wins.
Something is always gained, something always lost.
In life, such situations are common in human affairs. We are ever-changing in our opinions until the end when we’ve lost the ones we loved for our own stubbornness.
I have lost someone important, great friends of mine, because of trivial things. I cast a blind eye to my misdeeds, my unreasonable arguments because I fear defeat. I shy away from my precious people and end up losing more than I had hoped, but still, I am unwilling to change my ways.
The cold ring showed its glimmer to me.
I said, “All I need is today,” but that wasn’t the case.
The door to you vanished without a sound.Hesitation is one of the greatest and painful decisions a person can make when faced with a situation they cannot resolve or understand. When it comes to making the decision in which consequences could potentially spawn from the action, such as making love, hesitation is a great thing. However, if you do not want to lose the one that you love just because you fear something yourself, hesitation will become the reason for your bane. My blight came from seeds of doubt and fear. Many have come and gone, their doors closed without sparing a single glance in my direction.
The more I wish for your happiness, the more selfish I become.
But still, I want you to stay and I always did.I am delusional but I’m sure we have all said this to ourselves before.
“I would rather [this person] be happy then myself be happy.”
Then we turn around, selfishly holding onto the person—emotionally, mentally, spiritually—in an iron grip in which they reside for as long as we can hold them before we finally blow up. It is as the story goes. I wanted him to be happy, truly I did, but because the more I wanted that, the more I wanted him for myself. I didn’t want him to leave nor did I want him to think differently of me, but time moves on and people change. Sooner or later, you learn to move on.
When someone’s wish comes true, she’ll be crying.
That way, the door won’t make a sound.
When my tears dry up, she’ll be crying.
That way, the ground under us won’t dry up.
When someone’s wish comes true, she’ll be crying.
Everyone’s wishes can’t be granted at once.These lyrics, from each chorus, vary but send the same message. That when one’s wish comes true, someone else’s will not. If I was able to get the boy I loved, the other girl who loves him will not. If I was to win the lottery, the next person in line will not. If I was to get into Princeton University, one less person would be able to. It is the world we live in today. Not everyone’s wishes can be granted at once, there will always be one who ends up with the short end of the stick. I believe that we, more than anyone, understand that concept when it comes to academics. It is the sad reality we live in but I know that one day, we will all get our chance and our wishes be granted.
As the small earth rotates, I learn to become more kind.
I want to hug you once more, as soft as I can.This is the end.
It…is time to let go.
I hope you guys don’t think that I’m really emo now or anything!!! I just, this song really speaks a lot about my perception about life. It’s called “Dareka No Negai Ga Kanau Koro” or “When Someone’s Wish Comes True” by Utada Hikaru. It’s JPOP, but it’s really good! Thanks for reading!!! Off to reading “The Secret Life of Bees” now! Ciao!!
To Fiona!!!
This is on your first song.
Number one: Good pick! Loves!!!
Number two: I love how you described yourself based on the song. It was really nice, and you go assert yourself girl!!!
Number three: Hope is still a pretty thing to have though, right? I mean, without hope, you just kinda live life and that's all. Hope makes you feel a little better sometimes, though I guess it does kinda set you up for disappointment later on...
Number four: Redemption from God? Blah, If you believe in yourself and continue doing good, you redeem yourself!!! Go Self!!!
Ahem, now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go run somewhere else and, hopefully without being caught, get to the tennis match today.
Mine is from Pocahontas the movie… HaHa =)
Vanessa Williams - Colors of the Wind
You think I'm an ignorant savage,
And you've been so many places I guess it must be so
But still I can not see
Is the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don't know?
You don't know
You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind
You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind
“You think I'm an ignorant savage, And you've been so many places I guess it must be so, But still I can not see Is the savage one is me, How can there be so much that you don't know?”: People think I’m naïve and though that may be true and I haven’t experienced all life has for me, I have thoughts and ideas that come out as random but are things people usually don’t think about or get out of experiences.
“But I know every rock and tree and creature, Has a life, has a spirit, has a name” : I care way too much about the things and people around me. Its part of who I am. I think that every thing has a purpose and is significant in my life.
“But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, You’ll learn things you never knew you never knew” : People, whether they may be friends or not have influenced what I think and made me realize things about myself or the world that I never thought possible.
Chorus : “Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?” : What I love about the song is that Pocahontas is defending her people in a passive way to a stranger but still gets her point across. I’m not a very aggressive person and I think that most of life’s problems can be worked out by just talking.
“Come roll in all the riches all around you, And for once, never wonder what they're worth” : Money doesn’t matter in my eyes. You can’t buy the beauty of the world with money; you have to be one with it to really realize how amazing it really is.
“And we are all connected to each other, In a circle, in a hoop that never ends” : My life involves connections with people, animals, plants, and even inanimate objects. It's fun. HaHa. And life in general depends on these connections for survival of the ecosystem.
“If you cut it down, then you'll never know” : I pretty much do the things I do in my life because I don’t want to go back one day and be like “Man I wish I would have tried that.”. I want to get the most out of life but if I fail at something it’s okay I’m not perfect.
“You can own the Earth and still, All you'll own is Earth until, You can paint with all the colors of the wind” : You can have a materially sufficient life, but until you learn to take in the little things in life that makes it all worth it you have gained nothing.
This song, which is extremely corny to most, is one of my favorites because it describes who I am and what I want to get out of life. It is very rhythmic and makes me feel like I’m ascending into heaven. It makes me feel like I could do anything if I just follow my heart.
Alice,
I was expecting a really happy-go-lucky blog from you of all people but I still enjoyed it as always. It shows the dark side of Alice. Dun! Dun! Dun! HaHa! Well, anyways, your bog had many truths about life that are yes sad but true. Good Job! =D
*blog .. sorry spelling mistake
im doing blink182 and taylor swift for sure so watch outttt <3
posting sooooon :)
I find it interesting that this blog is the week of the American Idol Finale and is due the day of the results show, hmm...just a coincidence, maybe.
Fiona
I am sorry to hear you feel hope is an "imaginary, fanciful thing". It has been said that without hope, life isn't worth living, I hope, ironically, that that is not true, for your sake. As for God: I do believe and am Catholic. And I wonder if you ever tried any type of religion or if the entire notion of it drives you away? I also feel that hope and some type of religion or belief system are intertwined. without one, it is hard to have the other, but that's just my opinion. I also wonder if there are times you find especially difficult because hope/religion aren't part of your regular coping mechanisms? I hope that makes sense.
I was never this crazy music freak. I have a few artiest that I have fallen in love with, but I am not one of those crazy people that stalk itunes. When I read the blog I thought of all the song titles that I know. “I Do Not Hook Up” and “If You Seek Amy” don’t seem to fit :) , so I went on a search through my itunes library. Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I love Taylor Swift, so naturally I chose one of her songs. And just this year Dev and Hilary got me addicted to Matt Nathanson, who now lures me to sleep every morning on the bus, so I chose one of his catch tunes.
Change- Taylor Swift
And it's a sad picture
The final blow hits you
Somebody else gets
What you wanted again
You know it's all the same
Another time and place
Repeating history
And you're getting sick of it
But I believe in whatever you do
And I'll do anything to see it through
Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up
To hold us back
Will fall down
It's a revolution
The time will come for us to finally win
We'll sing hallelujah
We'll sing hallelujah, oh
So we've been outnumbered
Raided and now cornered
It's hard to fight
When the fight ain't fair
We're getting stronger now
Found things they never found
They might be bigger
But we're faster and never scared
You can walk away
Say we don't need this
But there's something in your eyes
Says we can beat this
'Cause these things will change
This isn’t one of my favorite songs, but it gets me motivated. It’s the song I listen to before my race, and I sing to myself during the twenty minute mile to keep me focused. I hate losing, whether it be in sports or school, and I seem to do it often. And it seems that things that I really want, often don’t come easily to me, and I have to work my ass off to get them. So this song basically sums up my attitude during what you could call my ‘fight.’ So many times throughout my life I feel like lazy people get handed to them everything in life, and I am forced to work for everything. This song just keeps me in check, and goes along with what I believe in, hard work will pay off. This song reminds me that I take these hard classes, swim three hours a day, just so I can get that reward at the end, whatever that may be. And even if I go through the weeks where I think I am too stressed out to do anything, I think back to this song and I realize that, it will all change, sooner or later, it will get better.
Falling Apart -Matt Nathanson
Cause all I say,
It doesn't matter anyway.
All I say,
It doesn't matter anyway.
I'm giving up,
So call my bluff.
Cause I just need to be reminded who I am.
I'm falling apart.
High school is brutal. It is a time where you either lose yourself or find yourself, and I sway between those two often. This little excerpt sums up my life right now. I need to be reminded who I am. I love hanging out with my friends, but there are times where I really don’t want to go out and do things I might regret, so I would rather stay home. And I fight with myself, should I stay home and get shit from everyone at school the next day, and stay true to myself or lose myself in peer pressure. So many times I just give up, I slack off and I just think that I want to quit. But it’s only because I don’t know who I am. And through every one of these blogs, we have discovered a little part of ourselves, but I still haven’t found the complete me. Any and every AP kid thinks that they are falling apart at least once a week, maybe more for some. And during those times, we either lose ourselves or find ourselves. This high school journey is about finding who we are, and it is scary to think that it is almost over.
Molly-
Matt Nathanson. Nice.
And I agree.
I fall apart every day.
I like music, a lot. I listen to it too much for my own good probably. Sometimes I actually feel like I’m part of a song, or that it was written about me. But then I wake up from my daze and unwittingly carry on with my real life.
However, I choose my favorite artists not only by how good the song sounds, but because of the messages in them (I don’t like too many pointless songs). So, to describe me and my beliefs, I’ve chosen some songs from a few of my favorite artists.
below are my songs vvvv :)
The first song that really comes to mind is by one of my favorite bands, of course.
Stay Together For The Kids- Blink182<33333
“Their anger hurts my ears
Been running strong for seven years
Rather than fix the problems, they never solve them
It makes no sense at all
I see them every day
We get along so why can't they?
If this is what he wants and this is what
she wants
Then why is there so much pain?
So here's your holiday
Hope you enjoy it this time
You gave it all away
It was mine
So when you're dead and gone
Will you remember this night, twenty years now lost
It's not right.”This song is about divorce and I always used to listen to it when my parents were fighting, even years after the separation. Blink really grasped the severity of it by making the chorus so loud and angry (the video is great too). It helped me a lot when I was growing up and having difficulties because of what was going on at home. But for those of you who have never experienced it, divorce is something that can totally change a person’s life. Negatively for the most part, but at least for me, I was able to get a lot of good from it, along with the inescapable bad. (Most of which I’ve discussed in previous blogs)
My parents divorced ages ago and I thought I had gotten over it, but when I first heard this song when I was in middle school, I was forced to sit down for a couple of minutes because I realized the pain was still there. I think it shows that although I try to be tough and careless most of the time, I really do have feelings, especially concerning the insecurities I have about my family.
The second song I chose was also very easy because this is probably my second favorite artist.
Fifteen- Taylor SwiftWhen all you wanted was to be wanted
Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now
…………………………
'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be… at fifteen”I can listen to this song over and over again. This is a typical girly song talking about young love and not knowing anything (yet thinking you do). I can relate 100% to what she’s saying in this song because as I look back, I realize I did the exact same thing. Most teenage girls are going to be drawn to older guys and we’re all going to think we know what we’re doing with EVERYTHING. But in reality, we haven’t got a clue. So as she describes how all she cared about was this guy and what people thought of her, I think about how closely it related to my life a few years ago. I thought I was so grown up and had experienced it all because I was in high school. I thought I knew everything about love and pain. I though I had life all figured out. But I definitely didn’t.
One of my favorite lines is “Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now,” because it’s exactly how I feel right now. This describes my life a lot.
When most of us look at lyrics, I think we veer towards whatever seems to describe our current moods, thoughts, and state of being (Captain Obvious to the rescue). It’s so hard to pick out a song that encompasses our life or beliefs, but I’m glad to say I’ve had the fortune of listening to a handful of such songs. Obviously, you have to have a decent sense of who you are, or this response is rather pointless. I know my values will stay relatively the same, so I’ll base my attraction to a lyric from that.
A better song would probably have been “Imperium” by Machine Head, but that’s rather straightforward. So......
The Wallflowers are currently my artist of the month, and the lyrical genius of Jakob Dylan (Bob Dylan’s son, for those who didn’t know) is probably the biggest reason why. The track is called “One Headlight”. People think it’s about a girl who died, and I think that’s a real shallow way of looking at it. I love the metaphorical stew that is the lyrics. It’s not cut-and-dry, but I think it’s up to interpretation on so many levels. I’ll touch base with a couple of lines.
Chorus:
Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There's got to be something better than
In the middle
But me & Cinderella
We put it all together
I love the chorus to death because it manages to convey one of my viewpoints pretty clearly. Effort is something I strive to put into things that have actual meaning to me, and to make sure ever last bit of sweat goes into what I do. Sometimes you may not have the full cast behind you (only ONE headlight), but it’s still possible. And no, Calculus and Biology don’t apply, because once again, it’s things I care about.
I’ve held the belief that this life isn’t finite, that there’s something more to it. It might sound Pseudo-Christian, but it has nothing to with heaven or anything.
There’s got to be something better than in the middleMy disgust with living a mediocre life. To the people who can’t formulate a unique thought to save their lives or to the select few who are convinced they are smarter than everyone else. I don’t necessarily interpret “middle” as the happy medium, but rather the halfway point humans have a tendency of stopping at. The Cinderella line just reminds me of my corny belief that everything has a “fairy-tale” like ending of fixing themselves. Maybe not as grand or pizzazy, but that everything eventually has a solution.
I can't break away from this parade
But there's got to be an opening
Somewhere here in front of me
Through this maze of ugliness and greedBasically what I feel at the moment. A parade is a conclave of people gathered around a idea. A parade of ugliness and greed, which I seem to see everywhere I turn my head. For one reason (or many, I suppose), I feel entrapped by some societal vortex, and it feel the riptide is taking me far from shore. But I guess there’s a way back to land, and that’s where the “opening” comes in. I’ll find my way back eventually.
Side note, I just can’t stand when people blatantly ignore the messages in songs actually telling them to be analytical. So when I hear people blindly sing “In Bloom” by Nirvana, or “Hypnotize” by SOAD, the irony makes me sad/angry/laugh. You just did what the lyricist told you not to do, damn it!
Sarah Crane : Liked the last line to your song. "I am so visceral, yet deeply inept."
Everyone's convinced of what they know. But what if all our intuitions are wrong? Freaky thought.
And oh yeah,my Winamp playlist currently sits at 3212. I think Jon has me beat though.
Well...it took a little while, but I think I've got two songs down that adequately define me. So, without further delay, let’s jump right in
Song #1 - "Broken" - Seether
*1
I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
I keep your photograph; I know it serves me well
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain...
*2(Chorus)
'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.
*3
The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain...
'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.
'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.
This song doesn’t describe me exactly, but a few of its lines really connect to me and shows what I want out of love...
1* From the first stanza shows how much I want to find the one girl that knows the kind of pain that I've been feeling, someone who could heal me from it, and so that I could heal her, just to see her smile.
3* Is what I strive for, for the fighting inside of me to be over, for the pain to go away, but for the closeness between us to stay strong.
2* The chorus pretty much describes itself very well. The day to day loneliness that I feel on occasion just makes me feel too weak, too tired to just continue on with...yeah.
Song #2 - "Last Man Standing" - HammerFall
1*
(I) I am the one
(The one) Who lost control
(Control) But in the end I'll be the
Last Man Standing
(I) I am the one
(The one) Who sold his soul
(His soul) Forever gone to be the
Last Man Standing
2*
Glorious
Noble in my mind
Everything a fight to win
Taking all and giving
Whatever my pride would let me
Not backing down, not giving in
I wouldn't lose, I couldn't
(I) I am the one
(The one) Who lost control
(Control) But in the end I'll be the
Last Man Standing
(I) I am the one
(The one) Who sold his soul
(His soul) Forever gone to be the
Last Man Standing
3*
I walk alone
With my head held high
Never felt that I belonged
Stand my ground at all costs
Running through life with blindfolds
Just for the right - right to be wrong
Nothing would rule my world but…
(Chorus)
Nothing would rule my world but…
(Chorus x2)
4*
Seeing clearer what I've done
I refuse to let things go
I could never once admit I'm wrong
And what do I have to show?
Seeing clearer what's at stake
And the things I have to change
I just hope I can, it's not too late
To get a chance to end this pain
This song had just recently popped out off YouTube, and I'm glad it did because I think this song describes me "almost" perfectly. It really makes me think.
1* The chorus means a hell of a lot to me. It makes me remember the nice, kind, caring person I used to be. But like the song says I "lost control" and "sold my soul." This resulted in the pessimistic, dark, unkind person that I've been to the many people that I once held dear. But at the same time, the lyric "Last man standing..." makes me feel like there is hope, like I can get out of this shit and stand above the rest.
2* The second stanza shows how much my change drowned me in my newly awoken pride. My pride began to treat everything as a challenge that I could not afford to lose. My mind warped it to the point that my actions seemed justifiable, as long as I take everything I need to come out on top...
3* The third stanza explains how alone I've felt. Even though I came to school "with my head held high" as if everything is fine, a smile here and there, I never felt like I belonged with the crowd. Not in school, not at work, not even at home. With soo few people to help guide me, I aimlessly walked through life, taking all of its attacks head on, just trying to stay alive...
4* The last two stanzas are the ones that grab towards my emotions the most. This song helped me realize just what kind of a horrible life I've been living. My pride lured me into a false sense of belief. Like the song says "I never once admitted I was wrong" I got soo tired of apologizing that the very word never again escaped my mouth. "And what do I have to show" is the most powerful out of the group, as it makes me realize that with all this that I've done, I have nothing to show for myself. I've accomplished nothing but dig my own grave. The very song, thank god, doesn’t end yet, as the last stanza is the most important. It reinforced my new understanding, and gives hope that there is still time, there is still a chance for me to accept change, to find the people that can help me through this hell, people that will help me "end this pain."
Well, those are my two songs...I'd like to finish up by thanking Ms. Bunje's for this blog question, as it actually made me realize more about myself then anything else. I'd also like to thank Seether, Hammerfall, and other soo many bands that allowed all of us to search deep into ourselves. =)
Molls:
Matt Nathanson<3 and I knew you would use Tay-Tay haha.
"High school is brutal. It is a time where you either lose yourself or find yourself, and I sway between those two often...Any and every AP kid thinks that they are falling apart at least once a week, maybe more for some. And during those times, we either lose ourselves or find ourselves. This high school journey is about finding who we are, and it is scary to think that it is almost over."
-I agree that it's scary to think our high school journey is almost over. And personally I liked what you said about how everyone feels like they're falling about and I think it's true. Still I don't feel like anyone can find themselves in the contorted world of high school. I think you either loose yourself and have to search for your soul later in life, or you barley hold on because you saw that whatever happens in high school doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, and you become a stronger person and move on....3 more weeks I think:)
This is such a great blog question. After reading it, its been itching at me every time I turned on my ipod or tuned into the radio. I thought this would be an easy assignment, especially since I listen to music ever spare chance I get. However, I came to realize that 95% of the songs I listen to are about love or the idea of love or a girl or being in love. None of those describe me at all- I'm not that girl, and I'm not in love. It would be ideal that my life reflects my favorite song, Sweet Thing by Van Morrison, but it doesn't. At least, not yet, that is. :)
So, this song came to me- it's a classic- when I woke up at 12:30 to see that my ipod was still on. I'm guessing some of you have heard it before... ;)
What's the matter with the clothes Im wearing, can't you tell that your ties too wide?
Maybe I should buy some old tab collars... Welcome back to the age of jive.
Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?
You can't dress trashy till you spend a lot of money.
Everybody's talkin bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock and roll to me.
What's the matter with the car Im driving, can't you tell that it's out of style?
Should I get a set of white wall tires?
Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?
Nowadays you cant be too sentimental. Your best bets a true baby blue continental.
Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk.
It's still rock and roll to me.
Oh, it doesnt matter what they say in the papers, cause it's always been the same old scene.
There's a new band in town, but you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine...
Aimed at your average teen.
How about a pair of pink sidewinders, and a bright orange pair of pants?
You could really be a beau brummel baby, if you just give it half a chance.
Don't waste your money on a new set of speakers,
You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers.
Next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways
Its still rock and roll to me.
What's the matter with the crowd Im seeing?
Don't you know that they're out of touch?
Should I try to be a straight A student?
If you are, then you think too much.
Don't you know about the new fashion honey?
All you need are looks and a whole lotta money.
It's the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways...
It's still rock and roll to me.
Everybody's talkin bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock and roll to me.
I shouted an abrupt "YES!" and went back to bed, knowing that I had my song. Being completely honest, I haven't changed all that much my whole life. Middle school didn't change me, high school didn't change me. I try not to get caught up with the petty crap of high school. This being said, I don't care what people think about me either. I don't care what I wear, or that I have an ancient phone, or that I have a '95 Chevy Lumina which is mostly driven by people over the age of 65 ('What's the matter with the car Im driving, can't you tell that it's out of style?'). Ha ha. I like weird music, old movies, and never buy magazines. And I'm completely content with all of that. No matter what happens, it's still rock and roll to me.
...I have another song I'll post later.
hilary-
I had heard that song before, but you really opened my eyes to it just last year when you put it on the mix CD :). I couldnt stop listening to is for like a week straight! It's a very good, laid back song that really describes you!!
PART 1:
My iPod is the vessel for all feelings and emotions that flood through me at various times in my life. Music has the power to transform me. I am constantly inspired by artists such as Matt Nathanson, Lifehouse, Gavin DeGraw, Kate Voegele and The Fray. There are others, but these are going to be the focus of my blog. I cannot pick just one or two songs! Which is actually very relevant because I don't know who I am. Therefore it makes sense that I need numerous artists to help display all the little facets of my personality.
Moody people have to have moody music, that's my logic.
1) Sometimes I get really down on myself. We all have those days when nothing goes our way, and crying and/or sleeping seems like the best option. My mother calls it a "pity party." You just sit around and sulk. Well, when this is the case, there is one particular song that I love to hear. "Lay me on the water" by Gavin DeGraw is amazing. It states that sometimes we all just want to give up. It sympathizes with my feelings of sadness, as well as relaxing me...
"Thinking bout' the water for a sign,
waiting for the moment to arise.
I know that no man could ever fly,
just lay me on the water.
Colors paint great pictures in my dreams,
shinning of the rust that I have seen.
But I don't need to show them to the world,
just lay me on the water.
And the water is calm,
I'll just float.
And if its rough, and high,
I'll pretend that I'm a boat.
Lay me on the water.”
2) When I am ready to arise from my depressing Debbie Downer mood, I will listen to Kate Voegele's "It's only life." This song has an upbeat, catchy beat to it. There isn't much depth to it either, which works out well for the message it's trying to convey- don't stress about everything. Sometimes the best course of action is happiness and relaxation. This song works like a charm, and inevitably I end up with a smile on my face...
"Tears are formin' in your eyes
A storm is warning in the sky
The end of the world it seems
You bend down and you fall on your knees
We'll get back on your feet, yeah
Don't look away, don't run away
Baby it's only life
Don't lose your faith, don't run away
Baby, it's only life"
3) Now that I'm back in a positive mood, I am ready for some motivational music. The song "Car crash" by Matt Nathanson is near and dear to my heart. When I first heard it, I thought it was violent. Why would someone want to feel a car crash. I honestly didn’t get it. But the more I listen to it the more it clicks. Sometimes I just feel so alive, as the song states. Like nothing can stop me, like I could just go out and survive and do anything. It’s the feeling of invincibility. And this song is so…true. In his poetic way, Matty conveys how we all have those times when we want to go out there and feel something, anything, because that’s life…
“I'm wide awake and so alive
Ringing like a bell
Tell me this is paradise
And not someplace I fell
'Cause I keep on fallin' down
I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright
Just push me 'til I have to fly
I've shed my skin, my scars
Take me deep out past the lights
Where nothing dims these stars
Nothing dims these stars"
PART 2:
4) Another song I love love love listening to is “Without reason” by The Fray. I only have a small excerpt from it, but it conveys the point of the song. You have to live your life for something, you have to do something. We are only here for so long. Why not make a statement while here? You have to get out there and experience. Whenever I feel lost and confused about where I’m headed, I give this one a good listen…
“You want to work to spend to show.
You want to talk to smile to feel.
You want to run to thirst to drink.
You want to love to know it's real.
Never want to live without, never want to live, I don't want to live without reason”
5) Last but not least, my babies, Lifehouse. They have some of the most amazing lyrics I have ever listened to. I feel as though most of their songs apply to more than one situation in my life. Their songs are like the gift that keeps on giving. Every time I listen to them I can extract something new. So this song is called “Days go by” and it basically urges us all to live life for all that we can. Sweet and simple. Get out there and fix your problems, get on with life…
“So don't sit back and watch
The days go by
Are you ever going to live
Before you die?
And when things fall apart
The world has come undone
Leave it all behind
Leave the loneliness alone
You wait forever blind
So come on and leave the years
When you watched the days go by
Come on and leave the fears
That you were afraid to find
Cause while you wait inside
The days go by"
The song that I feel best reflects on my life- as I see it- is Starving Your Friends by Envy on the Coast.
Here’s a broad meaning: As far as the title goes, it’s about how you’re always going to be “starving" people in life (i.e trying to please everyone inevitably deprives someone of the person they expect you to be.) That also goes for him (i.e the first line “Thanks a lot I’ve been disadvantaged from the start”.) Byrne (the vocalist) feels like everyone is looking at him but he’s never looking at himself. There’s a lot more to it but let’s look at the verse-by-verse analysis.
“Thanks a lot I’ve been disadvantaged from the start
he constricted the veins heading straight to my head
rerouted the blood to my heart instead
rerouted the blood to my heart instead”
someone or (plural) has affected me to the point where I am changing
now I do not think in such a ‘black and white’ way with my head, but with my heart.
i am brain dead thinking strictly in blues and reds
oh i'm in enough trouble man
oh man i'm in trouble again
cause everyones ears are watching me
and i never ever felt that this would be
anything more then a makeshift personal IV
(This “makeshift personal IV throws me off a little)
At the end of the day my head is overworked from how much I analyze everything and try to act in a logical way. It’s no good though, because I’m always doing something wrong in someone’s eyes. Everyone judges me, that’s why I have to think about how to portray my persona. If you think about it, though, maybe this is just a stupid game with flaws and the opportunity too be healed or poisoned (the odds are towards poison, though, because its makeshift.)
cause i fall three times as hard if its for nothing at all
you all seem twice as tall as i will ever be
and i feel terribly small when my head works too hard
when you think with your chest there’s not a thing that you don't see
Everytime I try to ameliorate myself, I fail…what’s the use?! Everyone else has their life figured out except for me’ they’re all superior to me…something’s wrong with me that I can’t be myself or even know who “myself” is. .
i'm hardly capable of half the damage that i would like to do
i could swear that i don't care
but you know that i'm too full of shit to think this through
so look at me
i pray to god but curse too much to be considered true
i'm just like me, i'm just like to me, so who the hell are you?
I would love to yell “screw it!” and be “me” but I’m not that confident enough in myself.
I’m to absorbed in who I think I am to really discover “me. I like to try to draw differences though, I like to think I’m a little special..but I’m a hypocrite. I believe in these “laws” but I don’t really BELIEVE them.
i'm but a boy just like the rest of these things
and i borrow phrases from dusty faded record sleeves
the story is the same i've just personalized the name
but if it's all you need then i'd be more than happy to confess my steam
I’m sure that I am not the only person who thinks this way. I’m not sure what the “steam” part is.
i know you think you know but these eyelids are in domes
that shut you out from all the things that i don't want you to know
and i refuse to tell you one single secret i own
cause you'll find i'm petrified of your eyes
I don’t want to know the truth about me so I’m just not going to let it come up. As for your soul, I can barely handle my own…I don’t want the burden of yours.
I’m not going to say the direct relation some of this has to me…like the whole curse too much to be considered true thing….but take it for what you want. Just so you know though, I don’t think it is whaat you would immediately think.
Morgan:
I really love this song. I was actually going to pick it until I read your blog, but that’s okay :). I think this song is blissfully pleasant, too..but it is a little fluffy like the mainstream junk on the radio…but I can see what you mean about how it’s also “deep”.
Nyge-
The song by Kate Voegele is so pretty and inspiring. :) I love it! I can relate a lot to what the song and you were saying. And don't worry! You'll find someone special, but as you said, we're all still young.
I doubt that any of you have listened to this song. Most of this artist’s songs feature Jersey’s long-dead Oyster trade, and the weathered faces (dust for a century) of the men who worked on the oyster boats. Bob Michel’s voice would get him laughed out of a serious music hall, but it fits in perfectly with the silver-cedar boxes where he usually sings. And his tunes call up my own life as much as they conjure the old coast of Jersey, and the whispering pines.
“You’ve been out across a desert plain where no shower ever fell
Hunting for the one bare rock that hides a living spring.
You’ve been staring countless hours down a dried-up wishing well
Hoping there’s a spirit down below, and that she’ll sing.
But let it go then, turn away.
It’s come to endings now.
You’ve go nothing more to say.
Not that matters, anyhow.
It’s a clumsy, sad misshapen thing you’ve managed in the end,
But the paper goes to press now. Let it go, and start again.”
Haven’t I spent most of my time in the past, digging up inspiration in old texts, ancient histories? But I can’t add to it. Everything meaningful has already been said, some time in the centuries. Let’s move on to verse two.
“Have you ever nursed a single thought, or hummed a single bar
You thought within your heart of hearts was absolutely new?
What profit could you ever draw announcing all you are?
Why must you say ‘I’m sorry. It’s the best that I can do?’
But let it go, you’ve done your best.
Good or bad, you gave your all.
Shove it gently from the nest:
Will it fly, or will it fall?
Have you found a grain of truth this time, or at least a decent lie?
Or will you feel again tomorrow you were mad to even try?”
It’s not any person that I’m apologizing to. It the thought itself. There’s always that image, that patch of shadow-and-moonlight that I have to try and capture. But it’s not within my reach, or my descriptive powers. Someone else might have the skill, but I can only manage a mangled sketch of that feel. The marvel, the magic, the glirium of the scene is gone. But I still have to share it: someone else may catch the feeling that I lost, may be able to find the traces of wonder in the mundane ink.
I have created characters of beauty and power, living and breathing in the confines of my scull. They are the subjects of tales in their own worlds, and are known on sight. They are so distinctive… And yet, when I try to describe them, all I can reach is “Silver-Haired Arnica, the Captain of the Guard”, “Ryan and Fionn, the Duke’s black-eyed sons”, ”Aspen, the Spy”, “Prince Ferrum, first among the Knights”. No one else can reach them, or the maze of a castle they inhabit.
(Sigh) On to the last verse…
“Did you know what you were seeking from the moment you began?
The thing that wasn’t there before, the hidden form you found?
Or was it only when it showed itself, and told you ‘Here I am’
That the aimless line rejoined itself, and brought the circle round?
Then let it go then, one more time
And say the same old prayer:
That there’s ore left in the mine.
That the tank’s not drained of air.
There’s a heartbeat’s worth of wonder at the strange new thing you’ve done
And then a hollow terror: will there be another one.”
That’s another old fear. I know I have very little control over my writing. When I try to force it, it turns out weak and lifeless. The verbs die in my hands; the adjectives wilt even as they hit the page. I never know if I will be able to capture anything. When I do… There’s no feeling so wonderful. But it’s not a reliable source of strength. The story’s far more likely to lead nowhere, capturing no scene at all.
Jani, A) WOW that's a lot of songs, B) I LOVE One Headlight. It's one of my Top 25 Most Played.
When I first glimpsed over this blog, so many songs appeared in my head, but yet, I couldn’t find the perfect one. So many songs, but none portrayed the exact feel of my life. I looked through my whole entire iTunes library and stumbled upon a few good choices. Not one of them fit my ideal criteria, however. After scanning my library another 3 more times, I finally found the perfect two songs by John Mayer. My boy, John Mayer, is amazing and inspiring. His lyrics fit perfectly into the puzzle of my life and I fall even more in love with his music after every album. So, to be faithful to my boy, I choose two songs on his most recent album that really describe my life.
John Mayer-Stop This Train
“No, I'm not colorblind.
I know the world is black and white.
Try to keep an open mind,
But I just can't sleep on this tonight.
Stop this train.
I wanna get off,
And go home again.
I can't take the speed it's moving in.
I know I can't,
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?
Don't know how else to say it.
Don't want to see my parents go.
One generation's length away,
From fighting life out on my own.
So scared of getting older,
I'm only good at being young.
So I play the numbers game,
To find a way to say that life has just begun.”
Now, the title in general represents my fear and caution of moving forward with my life. With college so close, I’m sure most of us are feeling the same. I’m afraid of leaving my home that gives me such a comforting feeling. I’m afraid to have to start all over again in some new town with so many unfamiliar faces. I sometimes just get the urge to “stop this train” of life that’s moving too fast for my own liking. And as much as I dislike my parents most of the time, I “don’t want to see [them] go.” I don’t know what I’m going to do when I have to live on my own. My parents are like my safety net, and once they’re gone, I’ll only have myself to rely on. And one of my favorite parts of this song is, “So scared of getting older, I'm only good at being young.” These lyrics describe me perfectly. I only know how to be young. I don’t know what it takes to be an adult. I can’t even grasp the thought of college or even adulthood… And then after John Mayer’s depressed tone, he becomes more realistic and slightly more positive.
“Had a talk with my old man,
Said "help me understand."
He said "turn sixty-eight,
You’ll renegotiate."
"Don't stop this train.
Don't for a minute lose the place you're in,
And don't think I couldn't ever understand.
I tried my hand.
John, honestly we'll never stop this train."
Once in awhile, when it's good,
It'll feel like it should.
And they're all still around,
And you're still safe and sound,
And you don't miss a thing,
Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark.”
John Mayer turns to his father for advice, as I have turned to my friends about issues like this. He realizes, just as I have, that the train of life will never stop, so you might as well enjoy the ride. Eventually, you’re going to appreciate every bump you hit along the way. I’ll have my good times, and I’ll have my bad times. I’ve had quite a few already. Even though this train called life is intimidating, it’ll all be worth the struggles in the end.
And number two: John Mayer-Heart of Life
Now I know the two songs are significantly similar, but I feel the first song is leaning more toward adulthood, and this song here describing the present. Anyway, this song always helps me feel better when I’m feeling a bit down about myself.
“I hate to see you cry, lying there in that position.
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen.
Pain throws your heart to the ground.
Love turns the whole thing around.
No, it won't all go the way it should,
But I know the heart of life is good.
You know it's nothing new.
Bad news never had good timing.
Then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining.
Pain throws your heart to the ground.
Love turns the whole thing around.
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood,
But I know the heart of life is good.
I know it's good.”
Quite possibly my favorite lyrics ever. Life never goes as planned, but still, the “heart of life” is always good. You just have to dig a little bit sometimes to find its goodness. This song has helped me get through many tough times and even inspired me to move past my pain. And, as we all know, bad news “never had good timing.” There’s never a good time for it, actually. No one wants to hear the bad news. After receiving bad news, I know I have a the “circle of [my] friends” to help me move forward. Despite life’s adversities, “I know the heart of life is good.”
I like this question very much. It suits me, since I'm a very musically oriented person. My first song choice would be obvious, if the artist was any kind of well known. I'll put the full songs and lyrics at the end of my post. Here are a few verses from “Childhood (Don't) A Go Go” by Dr. Steel:
Well, hang on and we'll be
best imaginary friends
to the end.
Recommended
for ages eight and up.
Shake it up
like an Etch-A-Sketch.
Erase the filthy wretch
of the life I have rejected now.
Well, Simon says "grow up"
and Simon says "shut up"
and Simon says "give up"
and be like everyone else.
I do not like it on a boat.
Don't like it with a goat.
Well, don't go. I wanna be here forever.
The main message of the song sticks out like a sore thumb, and represents the first of my two main life philosophies. You're only as old as you want to be. I reject the notion that the mature, sophisticated lifestyle so many people preach is the be-all end-all of life. I refuse to believe that just because my age ends in teen, I've become incapable of playing with action figures, being fascinated by the latest child-friendly goop, or hell, even cuddling a teddy bear now and then. I just feel sorry for anyone who tells me to act my age when I lift my trombone onto my shoulder and pretend to shoot it like a rocket launcher. I'm having fun, and they're not, so they resent me for it. Don't hate the player. Hate the board game.
The other song I have represents my other life philosophy. It's about an old general who has an epiphany the night before a pointless battle, and tells his troops that they can go home, leaving only himself to march into battle. It's called “The General” by Dispatch. Here's the bridge and chorus.
He said: I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I have seen their mothers
And I will no other, to follow me where I'm going
So
Take a shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take a shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven
This song really stands out for me. The lines that strike me the most are, incidentally, the repeated ones. Take a shower, shine your shoes. You need to go out and live your own life, not end somebody else's. Those are words to live life by. If I ever truly thought that life was not here so it could be enjoyed, or that enjoying life wasn't possible, I'd be having a shotgun breakfast. Or a pistol for dinner. Or perhaps a magnum brunch. But I digress. A life you can't enjoy is a live not worth living. So why would you take the ability to enjoy life away from somebody else? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Then again, I'm an atheist. To me, life is most likely all we've got. I don't want to waste it.
Combined, these two philosophies are what I try my best to live by. I'm a man on a mission, driven by the desire for one thing: Fun. I'm a hedonist. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism) I judge my actions based on how happy they make me or others vs how unhappy they make me or others. Democritus once said "joy and sorrow are the distinguishing mark of things beneficial and harmful". If something makes nobody or nothing unhappy, and does not remove what could have made somebody happy, then it is good. It's a simple set of morals, and one I believe that all people should live on.
To Janiru:
I definitely agree with your idea of needing to put effort into things, but I don't think that should be so important as to get in the way of having fun with life. Sometimes you need to lay back and rest as well.
My blog could not be posted in one piece.
56; I’ve counted them, and there are officially fifty-six songs on my music device. Music, for me, has never been something I have immersed myself in. Additionally, I rarely pay attention to the lyrics, while concentrating solely upon the beat or rhythm. Usually when I choose to listen to music, I wish not to think or engage in a deeper form of thought, so most of the symbolism or allusions pass right by without given a second look. I suppose this is why I prefer music with just instruments rather than a voice. Plus, it is much easier to think without another voice in your head telling you about something you’re not completely definite they are speaking of. I give lyricists much credit, though, because of their ability to manipulate languages in so many unlike ways. You tell them to write a song about an apple, but it’s never really just about the apple. Instead, it’s about how an apple was the very thing that has offered us the privilege and opportunity of imperfection. The singer seems to almost become something of an accessory. The lyrics of a song can be interpreted in many different ways, sometimes within the same person. It can evoke different moods, different insights, and different recollections. Once, while at a dance watching people dance to music, I thought to myself how strange it was that humans find so much excitement and entertainment in dancing and singing along to the lyrics, but it’s a part of us. Expressions and passions can be felt with it. Overall, it is one of our many ways in which we are able to connect, and become introduced to a different perspective.
The song is called “Mouthwash” by Kate Nash, who chooses, unlike many other British singers, to emphasize her accent when she sings. One of the main reasons why I love this song is not just for its beat or lyrics, but for its voice, which is usually quite different for me. To begin her song, she starts out with a couple of references to important parts of her body:
“This is my face
Covered in freckles
With the occasional spot and some veins
This is my body
Covered in skin
And not all of it you can see
And this is my mind
It goes over and over the same old lines
And this is my brain
It’s torturous
Analytical thoughts make me go insane”
Similarly, I realize that I am not perfect, even though I often try to be. My face, the moment you see me, obviously beholds many imperfections, but there is more to me than what meets the eye. Just like her “body”, you cannot see all of me and who I am at once. I also tend to think about complex ideas quite often. After all, one of the most complex things for me to understand in life is why this is considered reality. If you put your two fingers together and tap them against each other, why should this mean reality? Why is it that just because we sense and feel things emotionally and physically mean that we are truly real? I also find myself complexed as to how we can be so different. You could put a mass-murderer and a saint next to each other, and although they look the same, they retain mindsets that see the world in two totally different perspectives. Even with these different perspectives, we choose to change people so that we can become more alike. We have been born with differences, yet wish for sameness. I usually have many thoughts going through my mind which can often make me go insane. Even when I dream, I sometimes think of words and then shift them around in different ways, adding words and putting them in a different order, thinking up more and more phrases. This usually happens only when I’m nervous though. As to how these lyrics apply to how I feel about life, my answer would have to be that life is not supposed to be perfect, there is always more to a person than what you can see, and it’s important to question life and its many complexities.
In the next part, she introduces the refrain/chorus:
“And I use mouthwash
Sometimes I floss
I’ve got a family
And I drink cups of tea
I’ve got nostalgic pavements
I’ve got familiar faces
I’ve got mixed up memories
And I’ve got favorite places
And I’m singin’ at home on a Friday night
And I’m singin’ at home on a Friday night
And I’m singin’ at home on a Friday night
And I hope every thing’s gonna be alright
And I’m singin’ at home on a Friday night
And I hope every thing’s gonna be alright”
One of my favorite parts is the paradox she introduces in the beginning, since she uses mouthwash, yet continues to drink tea therefore eliminating the effects of the mouthwash. She also shows no signs of giving up drinking tea. Like myself, I refuse to give up eating chocolate ice cream every night and Friday night movies. Why? Because without that chocolate ice cream, I wouldn’t be me, nor would I be happy. I suppose I could, in the future, give up that chocolate ice cream and eat a bowl of fruit, but personally, I’d rather be happy than healthy. Sure, this might take a few years off of my life, but so what? I’ll die happy, as opposed to unsatisfied. This is who I am. In life, I faithfully believe that a person should strive for happiness, and always be themselves. If not, you’ll be wasting time living someone else’s life.
For the next part of the refrain/chorus, I’m sure there will be “nostalgic pavements” in my life because you cannot bypass regret. As I get older, I am sure that there will be things in the past that I will miss, and will eventually become pavements since they will always be a part of me. Within these nostalgic pavements, I will have “familiar faces”, “memories”, and “favorite places”, but I want to make sure that I gain as many familiar faces, memories, and favorite places as possible. Hopefully, through my travels I will meet new people, create new memories, and have many favorite places. It’s important to have these in life because without them, you cannot broaden your perspective, knowledge, or intellect. With new people, new memories, and new places, you can relate to more people, and have a better understanding of your surroundings. I feel that in life, if we were not meant to meet new people, create new memories, or have new favorite places, we would have been given a cardboard box to live in as opposed to a planet.
For the last part of this refrain/chorus, it’s okay to be afraid of the future and yourself in it because we do live in a dangerous planet, and the future is unpredictable. At times, we have those moments in our lives when we begin to question if everything really will “be alright”, for some, this can happen daily. An interesting aspect about people is that they worry not only for themselves, but for others whether we know them or not. We hope for prosperity, love, good health, guidance, knowledge, strength, and change. Even when we gain these aspects, though, we are still not guaranteed that everything will be alright. So, I figure that we should worry, but never let its fear prevent us from taking chances.
After the refrain/chorus, Kate Nash reintroduces the important parts of her body with the sense of worry she mentions in the end of the refrain/chorus:
“This is my face
I’ve got a thousand opinions
And not the time, the time to explain
And this is my body
And no matter how your try and disable it
Yes, I’ll still be here
And this is my mind
And though you try to infringe
You cannot confine
And this is my brain
And even if you try and hold me back
There’s nothing that you can gain”
The interesting part about the first stanza is the fact that you would never be able to know just by looking at her face that she has many different opinions. Yet, she does not want to go through and discuss them all. Opinions are not meant to be flaunted; they are meant to express merit during the appropriate times. Otherwise, they lose their uniqueness. Keeping them for the appropriate moments is also a way of protecting them.
Furthermore, even if there happens to come a day in your life when you lose your sight, hearing, or memory, this doesn’t mark the day when you stop living. If you get in a car accident and become paralyzed from the neck down, or you go for a mammogram test and are told that you have breast cancer, or your spouse comes home intoxicated and makes a few mistakes they will later regret, you continue to keep living. I am in no way trying to say that living past these moments is easy, but you have to remain strong. You have to tell the world that no matter what comes at you, no matter how others try to disable you, you will “still be here”. You cannot be willing to give up in such circumstances. In life, I want to truly be able to embody this belief. For example, I never realized just how many times in a day I say the phrase, “I don’t know.” The truth is that half of the time, I do know, I’m just afraid to speak up. There is no reason for me to be afraid to propagate my voice into the air. Even if I am wrong in answering a question or making a suggestion, I’ll still be here.
Even if someone were to go against my thoughts or beliefs, they would never be able to place limits or restrict my mind. When we think in our heads, we usually do not think in cohesive, organized thought patterns. Instead, we make very quick connections and come up with new ideas at a rapid pace, whether it is with visuals or words. Our memory capacity for storing new ideas is determined to be indefinite. Therefore, even if everyone surrounding you seems to be against your ideas, they cannot stop you from continuing to think. For instance, during the 1920s when women were fighting for their rights, thinking of more ways to expand their influence, the men could not confine their thoughts. Even when these women were put in sewing factories as their punishment, they went on hunger strikes, sang songs about equality, and convinced others to set up booths near the town square to gain more support. In life, your thoughts are meant to be expressed and influenced, it’s the only way change can be made.
Our brain, debatably the most difficult part of our body to fully understand, cannot simply be taken away from others for their own benefit. Plus, there’s more to a person than just their brain. You can “hold me back”, but “there’s nothing you can gain” because it’s a person own storage of knowledge and information. A brain is a person’s own secret universe, and if you choose not to speak what is within it, a person can gain nothing.
In life, I want travel, happiness, security, imperfection, and myself. I want to live life being myself, not being afraid of mistakes or regret. I also want to be a strong person, who uses her many opinions for the benefit of others, and always know that no matter what happens, my existence will still be here (wherever “here” may be). In love, I never want to be manipulated or hurt; I want my face, body, mind, and brain to always be intact no matter what. In the eyes of others, I want people to realize that there is more to me and to other people than what meets those eyes. Vision can’t see everything. So, in the words of Kate Nash, this is who I am.
In response to Hayley A:
When I read your blog, I began to feel as though you and I are quite the opposite of each other. For instance, when you said, “I’m afraid to have to start all over again in some new town with so many unfamiliar faces,” to me, going to a new place and starting over in a new town with new people sounds exciting. I understand your reasonings for being afraid, but picture it this way: it’s an opportunity to become familiar with other people and be introduced to a new perspective. Also, when you stated, “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I have to live on my own,” I began to think of that dream apartment I always have in mind, and seeing myself backpacking in Europe in the winter or summer. Again, just think of it as an opportunity, and plus, living on your own can be fun. “He realizes, just as I have, that the train of life will never stop, so you might as well enjoy the ride.” This was the part when I began to agree with you. Every moment in life should be lived to the fullest, otherwise, you would be wasting your time. You only get to live one life, so never hesitate to take part in a new opportunity or be given the chance to create new memories.
Sorry
Sara-
“One of my favorite lines is “Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now,” because it’s exactly how I feel right now. This describes my life a lot.”
Oh Tay Tay. I love Taylor Swift, just because every song she writes relates to every single girl out in the world. And Fifteen, is one of my favorite songs, and that line you mention is amazing. I feel like I was so naïve when I was young, and I wish I could go back and tell myself not to care about half the things I stressed about. Great blog, sara!
When I started searching for songs for this blog I was surprised at how almost every song in my collection was about love somehow. I never really noticed it, but even the songs with angry titles are still about love/girls/sex, and I don’t think that accurately describes what I’m trying to say with this blog. So I scrounged my library for a few songs that didn’t deal with love, and I managed to pick a few winners. I’ll begin with Long road to Ruin, by the Foo Fighters.
Long Road to Ruin – Foo Fighters
Maybe the season
The colors change in the valley skies
Dear God I've sealed my fate
Running through hell
Heaven can wait
Long road to ruin
There in your eyes
Under the cold streetlights
No tomorrow
No dead-end in sight
Let's say we take this town
No king or queen of any state
Get up to shut it down
Open the streets and raise the gates
I know a wall to scale
I know a field without a name
Head on without a care
Before it's way too late
Sometimes I have to take a step back and look at my life in the big picture. This, my high school life, is going to be one of the best memories of my life. While sometimes that’s hard to believe. Take tonight for example, I’m sleepy, yet I’m awake on my computer writing a blog. It’s Wednesday, so there’s nothing on T.V., so I’m probably just going to wait around till I pass out at around 9 tonight. But I’m also doing things I’m probably never going to experience again. This weekend I’m going on a three day endeavor/adventure to race in Nationals with some of the best high school rowers in the country. The song reminds me to take advantage of life while I have it, and at this point, I should be doing everything I can to take advantage of it.
More than Fine - Switchfoot
When I wake in the morning,
I want to blow into pieces.
I want more than just ok, more than just ok.
When I�m up with the sunrise
I want more than just blue skies.
I want more than just ok, more than just ok.
I�m not giving up, giving up, not giving up now.
I�m not giving up, giving up, not backing down.
More than fine, more than bent on getting by.
More than fine, more than just ok.
This is one of those songs that are about number eleven on an album that you bought three years ago. You never really listen to it, it just sits there until one day it appears on your ipod during a three hour trip, and you have absolutely no clue how this song got in your precious music library. Despite the anonymity of this tune, it gives a good message I can relate to. Sometimes the sole motivation for me to do my schoolwork is the fact that I know colleges are watching over me like Big Brother. I can’t count the number of times I’ve stayed up late to do homework this year, and the number of times I wanted to die in the morning after a cool three hour nap before I have to restart and do a school day all over again. But the reason for my work is my hope for the future. I want to do, achieve, something great in my future, and I need to put the work in now to get there.
SNOW(HEY OH)
When will I know that I really can't go
To the well once more time to decide on
When it's killing me, when will I really see
All that I need to look inside
Come to believe that I better not leave
Before I get my chance to ride
When it's killing me, what do I really need
All that I need to look inside
Going back to the Foo Fighters, I really like this little blip from their song, Snow. I threw this song in this blog because I think it applies to something we all face everyday, peer pressure. Peer pressure shouldn’t be a problem for anyone except crazy people with more than one personality, like Smeagal. I’ve noticed that the best decisions I’ve made in my life are the result of my own thought. Peer pressure is like wind in an archery contest, it screws everything up.
I had my library on shuffle pretty much the entire way to and from Boston, and along the way I managed to find a couple songs that can describe me pretty well, or at least my outlook. Without further ado...
a) Obviously, Hakuna Matata. It actually is my problem free philosophy.
For those of you who've never seen the Lion King (Read: for those of you that suck) The entire lyrics (musical anecdotes aside) are essentially thus:
'It means no worries, for the rest of your days,
It's our problem-free philosophy,
Hakuna Matata”
Now to break it down. 'It means no worries,' Yay! I like. Worries are bad. 'For the rest of your days' That is also good! If I live a long time, that means no worries for that long! 'It's our problem free philosophy' Problem-free? This is also a good thing.
Simple? Yes. Good? Yes. And without worries, my life has simplified greatly.
2) Related, but slightly different, 'Nothin but a Good Time' by Poison.
“I'm always workin' slavin' every day
Gotta get away from that same old same old
I need a chance just to get away
If you could hear me think this is what Id say
Don't need nothin' but a good time
How can I resist
Ain't lookin' for nothin' but a good time
And it don't get better than this
They say I spend my money on women and wine
But I couldn't tell you where I spent last night
I'm really sorry about the shape I'm in
I just like my fun every now and then”
^Exactly^
I'll not dissect this one, because Irony or not, those get across what I'm trying to point out better than I could. You work and work and work and then you die. Or, you work enough to get the money to spend it all on having a good time, which in my book is a helluvalot better an ideal to be chasing. Or, even better, to work on something you like to get money to continue to do things you like after you retire. That's the way I look at life. You can work all you want, but it doesn't matter if you don't have any fun, and that's the main thing to worry about, no matter the cost or shape it puts you in.
3) Unbridled hedonism aside, there's more to it than that, and that involves self-mutilation and self-incrimination with regards to perfectionism: “Nothing Worth Loving Isn't Askew” by Lemon Demon
“Have you heard the awful truth?
Cursed asymmetricals go to hell.
If you trip and lose a tooth
you gotta knock the other side out as well.”
They take common sense, toss in a bit of satire, preheat the oven to indie pop, and let cook until golden brown. And it's true. There's no sense in perfectionism, and no sense in obsessing over making everything symmetrical, literally or figuratively. You'll only end up hurting someone, most likely yourself.
@ Brendan: I agree wholeheartedly with both ends. Life without happiness isn't worth it, and pretending fun things aren't still fun out of fear of looking silly is overrated. Although, Trumpet Grenade Launcher > Trombonezooka
@ Hilary: YES! Billy Joel ftw! I was trying to work that song into mine for hours, but you nailed exactly what I failed to put across.
Molly-----
"Any and every AP kid thinks that they are falling apart at least once a week, maybe more for some. And during those times, we either lose ourselves or find ourselves." Matt Nathanson!! I almost picked "Come on get Higher" for this blog. Anyway, you had some great points at the end of your blog. High school is a crazy place and you right on how we handle things reflects in our growth. I think when any of us triumph over some challenge, we walk away a wiser more mature person.
MIKE:
Foo Fighters does not sing "Snow". Red Hot Chili Peppers is my all-time favorite band in the world. And considering how difficult it is for me to choose a "favorite band", that's pretty impressive for me to say that. AND "Snow" is my favorite song by them =D Just thought you should know.
Sara and Moe...
I too love Taylor Swift. And everyone can diss her all they want, but I love her music. It's catchy, fun, and fulfilling all at the same time. Her songs relate. I love listening to her lyrics and knowing exactly what she's saying. :)
Ha ha ha Dev. We seriously have identical tastes in music. All of your explanations are perfectly logical and creative.
Love love love you.
OMG CARLY YOU DID NOT CALL TAYLOR SWIFT TAY-TAY!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHA!
I mean it’s no big deal that I am best friends with Tay-Tay but you used my nickname I think it’s a miracle.
Strangely, this is a really tough blog for me. No, it’s not that I don’t listen to music. No, that would be blasphemous. It’s just that despite the half-a-million songs I have on my computer, the majority of which are discographies of my favorite bands that I have obtained, I probably haven’t gone through 70% of them. In even fewer have I actually cared for the lyrics. They aren’t the only thing in music that can express feelings, after all. In other words, “Woo! Instrumentals”. Years of videogames have made me so.
Well, let’s start with a relatively silly one. You’ve likely heard of this group before. In fact, if you haven’t, please commit seppuku right now. In fact, it’s not even a band. My song is “Always look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.
And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.
So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath
Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...
There isn’t all that much deep meaning. Well, ignoring how, in context, it is one of the most ironic songs to ever exist. You also don’t need background music to emulate it. But that’s for when you’re really bored, so that’s not the point.
Why does it represent how I feel? No, I’m not an optimist in the sense of, “Everything is fine and dandy. Let’s prance down a field of flowers for the hell of it”. No, actually, most things suck, but frankly spending time focusing on it, and ignoring everything else (like vidya gaems) is stupid. And very boring. Nor can you make music about it using only whistling. Anyways, a bright outlook always. A silly idea, but I like silly ideas. Such as using a song that you don’t even have saved on your computer.
Next song. A bit more serious. It’s special as the tune actually contradicts the actual lyrics of the song. Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. I believe Brendan introduced it to me. Don’t really listen to it much, but it has a bit more meaning than most that pop into my head.
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
The tune is cheerful. Just about everyone thinks it’s cheerful. It really isn’t. It’s a story of a father who didn’t spend time with his son, and well, he regrets it, to say the least. The lesson is simple yet strong. I can’t neglect those people around me. Whether they be family or friends, they will not always wait. The world keeps moving, and I must walk along with it. To balance work, and people. Following this idea, I will have few regrets.
And that describes two small parts of me.
thanks hilface <3
we need to burn each other some more mixed CD's!!! ASAP.
Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, dont help them to bury the light
Dont give in without a fight.
Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you, with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, Im coming home.
But it was only fantasy.
The wall was too high,
As you can see.
No matter how he tried,
He could not break free.
And the worms ate into his brain.
Hey you, standing in the road
Always doing what youre told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?
Hey you, dont tell me theres no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.
That's Hey You by Pink Floyd (this one's for you, Jani and Jen). I don't really know why, but I've been listening to it a lot lately. I have a fascination with what I call "epic music", which mostly consists of songs with either parts that are extremely difficult to sing or words that I find to be particularly interesting. In the case of Hey You, I'm most interested by (surprisingly)the "and the worms ate into his brain" part. I think the reason I chose this song to begin with, even though there are probably thousands of other songs I could use to describe myself, is because of that little section of the song.
I guess it's just part of being a teenager, but I always feel extremely oppressed. Whether I'm surrounded by idiocy, hypocricy, mediocrity, or icompetence, I'm usually discontented with the world around me. I think that people in general have become uninspired and bland. The originality of thought, a quality once cherished, has been traded for conformity and easy entertainment. I am especially infuriated when I walk down the halls of our very own Sunny Oakcrest, because I undoubtedly run across a group of dumb individuals harping over some totally idiotic idea. I always think to myself "What a waste of potential."
But that's besides the point. Anyways, as someone who likes to dramatize her life, my interest is always piqued at this part of the song:
"But it was only fantasy.
The wall was too high,
As you can see.
No matter how he tried,
He could not break free.
And the worms ate into his brain."
I suppose that this is a subjective analysis, but I interpret this stanza to represent a severe societal problem.
The wall = the conformity of society.
Break free = from the chokehold that mainstream media/ the entertainment industry has over the minds of humanity.
Worms ate into his brain = there is no escape from this phenomenon, and regardless of the struggle you put up, you will always sucuumb to the pressures of society. Sucks.
I guess you could say that this song has nothing to do with me, and I'm just taking an easy way out, but I really can relate it to myself. In some weird, convoluted way.
Carly: Sometimes I feel like a zombie, too. I live such a monotone existence, I can't even remember what I did today. Or any other day, for that matter. In fact, today might as well be a day in December, because it all feels the same to me. So I totally get what you're saying, girl.
Devon: You probably won't read this, but the entire time I was writing this blog all I kept thinking was
"Man! You know that song that really describes me?"
THERE'S A CAT IN THE KETTLE AT THE PEKING MOON......
Wow this blog is actually pretty hard! Lol well not that bad but there’s a lot of friggin’ music out there I could use and I’m having a hard time finding ones I want to use. My life is so hard! Not really I’m just being an idiot, what’s new. Anyway….
I knew just because of my love for them and Eddie Vedder’s outrageously brilliant lyrics, I was bound to use at least one Pearl Jam song. Nothing Man was perfect on how I feel:
Basically what Vedder (the lead singer, by the way) is trying to say is if you eel love for someone or something, especially if they love you back, doesn’t fuck up. If you do you Will end up regretting it later on that you didn’t love them how you should of. That is how I feel about pretty much life in general. The talked about here isn’t just about two people who like one another a lot. It goes way beyond that. This is the love of everyone and the strong heart you should feel for not just those you know, but all of man. Even though I purposely act like an asshole sometimes, I’m really just playing around. I just believe we should all love each other. When us men don’ love each other, and don’t understand each other, we live to regret it. Imagine hating someone for a long time, it’s stupid. We should just all learn to love humanity as a whole because we are all we have.
Next song is by…you guessed it! PJ! It’s called Breath and a Scream
This song really is just about life being a big adventure. You shouldn’t let your life be tied down and your soul stopped. You just have to ride the train and go with the flow in order to enjoy life. Just have fun and don’t stop for almost anything. That comes as my outlook of the song and probably that’s how feel. You shouldn’t let what others think stop you. You shouldn’t just stop because you’re unsure. You just have to do what you want and be positive about everything. Just keep going and be happy with what you get because it can only get better in the end.
Last but certainly not least would be a none Pearl Jam song, believe it or not. It’s by the Foo Fighters and it’s off their latest album. It’s called CHEER UP BOYS(YOUR MAKE-UP IS RUNNING). Although the title seems like a shot at a transvestite(or emo people)(although the title of the song would hint that), it really isn’t about that.
It’s more the placement of the song on the album than the actual lyrics of the song. The album has a very dark backing to many of those songs, from the opening to closing track. It was put in the middle of the album because of it’s cheerfulness and hype. It is suppose to stand as this light that you should always look for in the darkness of life. That is something I always try to do. Even if I’m down in the dirt; even if I’ve been pushed low; even if I’m drowning, I try to see the good. Why look at the bad, especially if your already surrounded by it? Just hope and pray and look for the best in it all. You have to keep your hopes high and your head clear.
it wouldn'tlet me posttobig of a postbtw so i didn't addth song lyrics :/
I agree with everything Dan said.
So I naturally had to choose one of the pump up songs from me and Skillz (copyright meglee) softball playlist. Everyone knows this song but honestly it is a legit song so....k
"This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name"
Remember the Name-Fort Minor
So, these lyrics are pretty self explanatory and it demonstrates my main outlook on sports and competition. To win, you need more than skill and natural talent. YOu need to work insanely hard for what you want to achieve and not back down from pain or shy away from pressure. Take everything in and as Hearn would say, "make the other girl remember your number as she watches you steal the ball from her." aka remember the name. :)
alright mine needs to be posted in parts,
Well you’d be hard pressed to find a song on my ipod that wasn’t very girlie, and very long oriented, so I picked two of the songs that hit me the hardest.
To start it off Big Girls Don’t Cry- Fergie
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
be with myself and center, clarity,
Peace, Serenity
[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they
And I foreseek the dark ahead if I stay
[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and uno cards
I'll be your best friend and you'll be mine
Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
Cause I want to hold yours too
Well be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late, dark outside
I need to be with myself and center, clarity,
Peace, Serenity, yeah
[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
and big girls don't cry
I’ve heard this song for two summers now, and not until this year. She talks about having to straighten yourself out before you can straighten a relationship out. The quintessential love story drew me in but her focus on fixing yourself, learning about yourself really before being with someone else. It’s not always about what someone did. It’s about what’s in your own head. Sometimes the problems can’t be fixed, sometimes it not what person does or doesn’t do. A relationship is two people coexisting, but staying true to themselves at the same time. Another line that pulls at my heart strings is “ And I’m going to miss you like a child misses their blanket”. Personally, I had a blanket that I was attached to. It wasn’t easy for me to let it go. I had that ache in my heart because a part of me was missing, a comfort was missing. It’s the same with people I’ve noticed. I know now that someone important to my life is fading away like that blanket that there is a pang in my heart. It’s a sad division, and yes I am going to miss him a lot, but maybe it just had to happen. Growing up isn’t easy, but now that I’m starting to be a big girl there's always that one rule of thumb, big girls don’t cry.
Secondly,
Same Mistake- James Blunt
Saw the world turning in my sheets
And once again, I cannot sleep
Walk out the door and up the street
Look at the stars beneath my feet
Remember rights that I did wrong
So here I go
Hello, hello
There is no place I cannot go
My mind is muddy but
My heart is heavy, does it show
I lose the track that loses me
So here I go
Oo oooooo ooo ooo oo oooo...
And so I sent some men to fight,
And one came back at dead of night,
Said "Have you seen my enemy?"
Said "he looked just like me"
So I set out to cut myself
And here I go
Oo oooooo ooo ooo oo oooo...
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice,
Give me reason, but don't give me choice,
Cos I'll just make the same mistake again,
Oo oooooo ooo ooo oo oooo...
And maybe someday we will meet
And maybe talk and not just speak
Don't buy the promises 'cause
There are no promises I keep,
And my reflection troubles me
So here I go
Oo oooooo ooo ooo oo oooo...
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice,
Give me reason, but don't give me choice,
Cos I'll just make the same mistake (REPEAT) again
Oo oooooo ooo ooo oo oooo...
So while I'm turning in my sheets
And once again, I cannot sleep
Walk out the door and up the street
Look at the stars
Look at the stars, falling down,
And I wonder where, did I go wrong
Although these songs seem very similar, they affect me differently. This song reflects on something I know all too well, letting history repeat itself. I know that I let myself fall back into patterns often. I get myself ahead and then fall backwards. I often need reasoning, and not choice. If I have the choice I will over think something and make a mistake. It’s like when you want something so bad, you know everything is right under your noise. Yet, you let it go away. That is a classic story that I have lived over and over again. I stay awake at night tossing and turning about past mistakes. I don’t let things go easily. This over thinking process James Blunt describes is right up my alley. That desperation for a second chance but at the same time the caution of making a mistake captures my thought process. It a second chance, but more so a second more to second guess yourself.
These are two of my most relatable songs, and however corny they are they fit. :]
Dan P
Hmmm...The Lion King. Completely forgot about Disney movies.
Now that I think about it, the Disney movies of our childhood had some awesome songs. Though having Be Prepared as my favorite song in The Lion King might not be the most telling thing about my philosophy.
Oh and your Trumpet Grenade Launchers and Trombonezookas do not stand a chance against Harmoni-
...uh. Bah.
I'll stick with chucking my cheap harmonica that's likely older than I am at peoples' heads.
Mollyy-
Change is a great pump up song. Whenever I'm feeling low or know i have a big day ahead of me thats the first song that i put on my iopd. It isn't my favorite but it's message is really clear, things can change and it can be for the better. I love her point of basically get up and dust yourself off. Taylor Swift has too many great songs to chose from. I wanted to do a Taylor Swift song,but i couldn't find the right words not like you and Sara. Great blogs! Love Taylor Swift forever!
Cheatham, I was definitely considering some eddie vedder from the Into the Wild soundtrack. All his lyrics have so much meaning to them, but I had a hard time figuring out how they reflect my life. I think there's a difference between freaking amazing and deep lyrics, and lyrics that you can relate to on a personal level. But I liked the way you drew a connection, especially with Breath and a Scream.
Ahhhh Gavin Degraw <333
One of my favorite songs by Gavin is I don’t Wanna Be. In the last year I have been striving towards working out some anger and deep pain. The pain emotionally or physically will never become distant. The fact of the matter is that everything that I went through and continue to go through is part of my life to learn from. While I have learned more lessons about myself sometimes it becomes hard to bare. The words that get past rough days are Gavin’s.
I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do is think of me and have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms wondering what I gotta do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me
I take his lyrics to heart and they change my perspectives every time I hear them. I figure that anything that is going on in my life is not worth being myself during. Day in and day out I fight to remember to just be myself. I don’t want to change for others I simply change for myself. The person that I have become from the past years is the person that I want to be. I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately. The lyrics are written to perfections and there is no other way to put how I feel about my life.
So let’s move on from how I view my life to how I view life in general. To how I view every single second on this earth. To I see the best way of living is. Thanks to Tim McGraw he puts life into the best perspective. Tim’s father died of cancer and so he wrote this in dedication to him.
Chorus
I went skydiving
I went rocky mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denyin'
And he said some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'
The sad part is that it seems to be impossible to live like you are dying unless you actually are. No one can truly grasp the feeling of knowing that you are going to die. So I live day in and day out remembering not to take things for granted. I constantly try to remind myself that everything and anything could be taken away from at any moment. An athlete could not imagine what it is like to never play a sport again until it is taken away. I know what it feels like and I can not even describe the feeling. Were there things that I would have done differently? Hell yeah! Were there moments in big games that I wish I could have back? More than anything! (I can’t stop crying p.s ughh this breaks my heart more than anything.) However, this is why I am so lucky and thankful to able to play softball. It never compares in any aspect of my life to hockey but I love it just as much. So, whatever I do out on that field tomorrow I am living like it is the last game that I play just as I do with every other game. I leave my heart out on that field and these lyrics have everything to do with that.
Dev
“We are only here for so long. Why not make a statement while here? You have to get out there and experience. Whenever I feel lost and confused about where I’m headed, I give this one a good listen…”
I share the exact same outlook. I love that song by the fray as well and it was a great choice. I think the section of lyrics that you chose gives sense to life.
Thanks for the copyright Car Car haha
MAEGAN REESE!!!!!!
There's a cat in the kettle at the Peking Moon, the place where I eat everyday at noon. They say it's beef or fish or pork, but it's purring here on my fork...THERE'S A HAIRBALL ON MY FORKKKKKKK! :) hahahhaha
ORRRR
You put the pees and the carrots in the soup on Friday.
Both classics <3
Ohh I just thought of some one liners:
"I see you baby, shaking that ass.."
"I'm a I'm a I'm a FLIRT."
"I would like to reach out my hand..on my way"
"I will follow him, follow him wherever he may goooo.."
"The teenagers scare the living shit out of me"
<3 we listen to some great stuff
A lot of my song and artist preferences come from listening to CD’s over and over again with my parents on long car drives. I have acquired a taste for great classic rock and all different types of old music because of my mom and dad. Some of the songs I find myself listening to over and over again on bus rides are of this nature. I’ve found that you really can’t beat old lyrics. Nowadays, artists say anything to rhyme, and simply rely on “hot” beats, not content, but songs with good lyrics never get old. Songs that I can relate to can get stuck in my head, make me cry, or make me smile. This one makes me cry pretty much every time I listen to it, so I have to be careful about where I am when I hear it. It’s also one of my all time favorites:
Take me as I am
Put your hand in mine now and forever
Darling here I stand, stand before you now
Deep inside I always knew
It was you, you and me
Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny
It was you and you for me
Every road leads to your door
Every step I take forever more
CHORUS:
Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I gotta lot of love and I don't want to let go
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?
'Cause I can't go on
No, I can't go on
I can't go on
If I'm on my own
Take me as I am
Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever
'Cause I am just a man who never understood
I never had a thing to prove
Till there was you
You and me
Then it all came clear so suddenly
How close to you that I wanna be
CHORUS
Bridge:
Do you believe a love could run so strong?
Do you believe a love could pass you by?
There was no special one for me
I was the lonely one, you see
But then my heart lost all control
Now you're all that I know
--Chicago, “Will you still love me?”
I love Chicago. They are so cheesy yet amazing. The way the singer so passionately communicates the lyrics adds something as well. That’s what I like in a good love song, the artist pouring all of his or her heart and true feelings into the lyrics with no holding back. That’s how I like to live my life and most likely why I relate to it. Any song that makes me cry obviously hits home whether I can gather why or not. For this one, it’s easy to see why. I’m the kind of person who likes to know how things will be tomorrow, how everything will end up in the end. “Will you still love me for the rest of my life?” Very difficult question. You never know what the answer will be, but if you don’t try to find out, there is no point to sharing your time with another. I have realized that you have to be yourself and have fun in order to be happy for any period of time.
“Take me as I am
Put your hand in mine now and forever
Darling here I stand, stand before you now”
I definitely believe in destiny. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I need to know that my feelings will be matched, So, some of my favorite lines ever include,
“Deep inside I always knew
It was you, you and me
Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny
It was you and you for me
Every road leads to your door
Every step I take forever more”
Knowing that a man wrote this gives me hope that there are actually more males out there who are capable of really loving. That’s important to me. Loving for the sake of loving, if that makes any sense at all..
Another song that I can relate to is “Everything is Alright” by Motion City Soundtrack. I don’t really like any other song by this band, but I can definitely see where they’re coming from for this one:
Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Give me a reason to end this discussion,
To break with tradition.
To fold and divide.
Cause I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes,
Talking with strangers, waiting in line..
I'm through with these pills that make me sit still.
"Are you feeling fine?"
Yes, I feel just fine.
Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
I'm sick of the things I do when I'm nervous
Like cleaning the oven or checking my tires
Or counting the number of tiles in the ceiling..
Head for the hills, the kitchen's on fire!
I used to rely on self-medication,
I guess I still do that from time to time.
But I'm getting better at fighting the future,
"Someday you'll be fine.."
Yes, I'll be just fine.
Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Give me a reason (I don't believe a word)
To end this discussion (of anything I've heard)
To break with tradition (they tell me that it's not so hard)
To fold and divide (it's not so hard)
So let's not get carried (away with everything)
Away with the process (from here to in-between)
of elimination (the long goodbye)
I don't want to waste your time.
Tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
Oh please tell me that you're alright,
Yeah everything is alright.
(Alright)
Tell me that you're alright, (Hi, everything's great)
Yeah everything is alright. (Everything's fine)
Oh please tell me that you're alright, (Hi, everything's great)
Yeah everything is alright.
(Everything's fine)
I also hate the ocean (well, swimming in it), theme parks, and air planes, talking with people I don’t already know, and waiting in lines. Coincidence? I think not. I feel like my whole life I have been wound up too tight. I have just recently come to the realization that I too am sick of the things I do when I’m nervous and over thinking life.
“I'm sick of the things I do when I'm nervous
Like cleaning the oven or checking my tires
Or counting the number of tiles in the ceiling..”
I have never cleaned the oven or checked my own tires, but I do do certain things when I start to worry over nothing and make things into bigger deals than they really are. I do often count the ceiling tiles when I’m bored.
But I'm getting better at fighting the future,
"Someday you'll be fine.."
Yes, I'll be just fine.
I can always use someone to tell me that I’ll be fine someday and that everything will pay off. Who doesn’t want that? The future scares me. It scares me more and more every day. Any song that reassures me that other people feel like this helps me make it along. That’s what music is for :)
To Jen
Wow I feel dumb, sorry about that I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was writing, and while I’m at it, I figure I might as well comment on your blog.
“I don't accept anything but my best. My team can win a game, but I could still go home pissed at myself because I didn't dive for a ball or I struck out. “
That’s a great mentality to have and it’s probably the reason why the softball team is so good. Plus that’s the mentality that gets you scholarships so if I were you I’d stick to it!
ALright what the heck. It keeps saying:
Your HTML cannot be acceptedL Must be at most 4,096 characters
WHAT DO I DO?!!?!!??!?!
Okay well I know that mostly all of the AP Lang. students and actually the majority of the teenage population hates this person. Personally I think that hate is too strong of a word for me to use I dislike her but this song has got to be one of the deepest songs that I have ever heard. It’s “the climb” by Miley Cyrus.
I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah)
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah yeah ea ea)
Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith
Whoa a oh oh
This song may be written by a juvenile person but the words are strong and reinforcing to anyone’s thoughts, but especially mine. The chorus would have to be the strongest and most influential part of the song. The line “Always gonna be an uphill battle, Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,” says to me that there are going to be things in life that I just won’t be able to get past. I am going to have to admit defeat at sometime. The nothing worse than being a sore loser.
I have always been told that I should live in the present. That should stop thinking about the future so much, maybe that’s why I suck at chess. But I trying to enjoy every minute that I have been alive and stopped thinking about the future, and this songs sums it up. “It’s the climb” meaning how you get to where you and every step you take.
This songs is inspirational and teaches an important lesson from which a lot of people and children can learn from. Even thought this song is like the exact opposite of Miley but nonetheless it is an amazing song.
Leonor:
Of course you would pick a song form a Disney movie. But I love that songs to it’s strong and think that it describes you down to the last thought.
They say I need some Rogaine to put in my hair
Work it out at the gym to fit my underwear
Oakley makes the shades to transform a tool
You'd hate for the kids to think that you've lost your cool
I'mma do the things that I wanna do
I ain't got a thing to prove to you
I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans
Excuse my manners if I make a scene
I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like
I'm fine and dandy with the me inside
One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot about what you think
Everyone likes to dance to a happy song
With a catchy chorus and beat so they can sing along
Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts
Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art
This task was kind of really hard for me, because most of the music that I listen to is old skool hip hop. For example, Run DMC, The Sugarhill Gang, the Beastie Boys, and Afrika Bambatta. But, I couldn’t really find anything in those songs that related to my life, so I had to go searching through the 3,000 songs that are currently stored on my ipod. So…this song explains the general feeling that I have adapted throughout my long three years at Oakcrest High School. This song is Pork and Beans by Weezer, one of a few bands that I have been listening for a while, and it is growing on me more and more. This excerpt shows that lack of care that I have obtained over the years. Not the care that I have in my grades or school work, but in life in general. I have grown to realize that waking up 3 hours before I need to just to blow dry and straighten my hair just makes me more miserable, so why am I willingly making myself more miserable than I need to be? I don’t need to prove anything to anybody. I am who I am, and if you don’t like it…tough.
What if I fall along the way
would you be there...
So you heard, that I'm on my way
Wish that I didn't have to say
Goodbye. I'll rely on your faith in me.
I got my feet on the ground
but my head's in the clouds
can't forget where I come from
I hope your there when I'm done
I got my feet on the ground
but my head's in the clouds
can't forget where I come from
I hope your there when I'm...
What If I fall along the way would
you be there to ease the pain?
It's my one shot can't fuck it up
and throw it away. Won't be long.
Won't be long before I break.
It's the touch, and the taste
It's the feel of a brand new place
When I go, you'll be there,
in a month in a year.
This song is called If I Fall by The White Tie Affair. I really feel like it exemplifies the mood and feeling that I developed during all the stress that I have been under during all of my time in school, especially high school. I am always afraid of failing, and that usually results in me failing more because I freeze up. I really wish that I had less depressing songs…
When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand
Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no
Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out
And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier
...
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
You know you got to help me out
You're gonna bring yourself down
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the blackburner
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Over and out, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on
If you can hold on
Well, this is All The Things That I’ve Done by the Killers, and this is also one of my favorite songs, because I feel like it really portrays some of the struggles that I have faced in my life… and I really like the progression. This song just generally makes me happy and pumped up, I don’t know why, but it just gets my blood flowing. To me, I feel like the song is talking about a person who is very inverted and shy and as the song progresses, they get more and more confident, and I feel like that is what I experienced. When I was younger I was very shy and wouldn’t even attempt trying to meet new people and somewhere between middle school and high school that drastically changed.
Maegan, I love that song so so much. It's very interesting, as many pink floyd songs are, if you really listen and try to analyze the lyrics. The worms eating into his brain part always stumped me. It just came out of no where! But what you said made a lot of sense about the phenomenon and such. Very interesting..
Megatron
SPLIT IT INTO 2 PARTSSSS
...duhhh
Jen -
Dust in the Wind. Great song. I know what you mean. I can be in like any mood, and always be able to listen to that song. It just has a realy soothing and calm feel to it.
So, I was originally going to start off with a song like always, BUT that seemed a little unnecessary for this particular blog. (Which I love by the way! =)
It was so freaking hard to pick two songs...only. I was between four songs, but I’ll only give the other two honorable mention:
-So What by Pink because that is often my outlook when I become to stressed or too pressured. I’m actually listening to it right now because I shouldn’t be doing this; I should be studying for calculus, physics, and the vocab quiz. SO, SO WHAT?!
-Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bob Marley because, other than the fact that he’s amazing, this is what I wish for everyone who is sad, troubled, or confused. This phrase is so simple, yet so difficult to put into action. His song helps to bring you a little closer to happiness I think. The whole song mood is happiness beginning with the whistling. If we could all have this mindset, including myself, the whole world would be happy! I really think that’d be nice.
Now then, onwards to my two song selections.
My first song is Breakaway By Kelly Clarkson of course!
Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I'd pray
I could break away
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky.
Make a wish, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun.
But I won't forget all the ones that I love.
I'll take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jetplane
Far away
And break away
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky.
Make a wish, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun.
But I won't forget all the ones that I love.
I'll take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away
Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging with revolving doors
Maybe I don’t know where they’ll take me
Gotta keep movin on movin on
Fly away
Break away
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
Though it’s not easy to tell you goodbye
Take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun.
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away
Breakaway
Break away
First of all, I know a lot of you may think Kelly Clarkson is lame or something, but it really is not the case, and she continues to be my favorite singer. Her music is just so inspirational. This song especially.
As most of you already know, or have heard, I intend to live life after high school. Like really live. Not this crappy thing I’m doing now. Truly, with all this Asian-induced oppression, I just want to breakaway. The entire idea of “spreading my wings, and learning how to fly,” just inspires me to indeed go out into the world, and learn how to live on my own. I want to do things I’ve never done, things I’ve never considered. I know most of my rebellious speeches have centered around college, but really, its my entire life after high school. College is just the ultimate beginning. A beginning to so many new doors that could lead anywhere! I always find myself listening to this Clarkson song when I’m feeling low or when I’ve given up on trying to fight against m parents. This song helps me to get back into the mindset that says, “Megan, chill out, in college you’ll get to experience anything your heart desires. Don’t worry, taking this big jump into the real world on my own, it’ll be worth it. Don’t worry.” Needless to say, I listen to this song every so often; it’s one that cannot be replaced in my heart.
Speaking of my heart, you guessed it, time for the sappy love song!!! =)
So here we go...the song is called Near To You By A Fine Frenzy
He and I, it's somethin' beautiful
But so dysfunctional, it couldn't last
Loved him so but I let him go
Cause I knew he'd never love me back
Such pain as this
Shouldn't have to be experienced
I'm still reeling from the loss
Still a little bit delirious, yeah
Near to you, I am healin'
But it is takin' so long
Cause though he's gone and you are wonderful
It's hard to move on
Yeah, I'm better near to you
Well, you and I, it's somethin' different
And I'm enjoyin' it as cautiously
I'm battle scarred, I am workin' oh so hard
To get back to who I used to be
He's disappearin'
Fadin' steadily
When I'm so close to bein' yours
Won't you stay with me, please?
Cause near to you, I am healin'
But it is takin' so long
Cause though he's gone and you are wonderful
It's hard to move on
Yet I'm better near to you
Yeah, I'm better near to you
I only know that I am better where you are
I only know that I am better where you are
I only know that I belong where you are
Near to you, I am healin'
But it’s takin' so long
Though he's gone and you are wonderful
It's hard to move on
Near to you, I am healin'
But it’s takin' so long
Cause though he's gone and you are wonderful
It's hard to move on
Yeah, I'm better near to you
Yeah, I'm better near to you
I really don’t know what to write for this. At all. It’s pretty self-explanatory. This is a beautiful song that describes my love situation almost precisely, with a few minor changes. It was more accurate about a few months ago, but now, it still applies mostly. I’m on the moving on period of my life I think. Moving on to a fresh new start. This is not to say I regretted anything I’ve ever done. That is not the case. I just feel like it’s time for change, and time for the past to stay the past, and for me to embrace the future and all the beauty it brings whether short or long. This song helped me to sort out all my feelings, and whenever I get lost off my path, this song is always floating around in the air. So yeah, now you guys know my whole life story, haha. I’ll leave it at that. (Oh god, I just realized I did that nervous laughter thing that Cervi was talking about! =P)
This song goes hand in hand with the beginning lyrics of “The Sign by Ace of Base,”
“I got a new life
you would hardly recognize me
I’m so glad...”
A good song to end with would have to be...
”I’m hungry....I’m oh so hungryyy! Time for d-d-d-dinner!!!”
Yeah, that’s not really a song. HAHA fooled you. =)
That wasn't even that long, they need to hop off my balls. Thanks g.o.a.t. =)
Lindsey Craig - Whoa. I seriously was looking up the lyrics to Big Girls Don't Cry WHILE I was chatting to you via facebook! Omgosh!!!! That is utterly utterly weird! I love that song so much, and if I chose it, I would have writen besically the same exact thing as you. We seriously have got to stop hanging out hahaha. =P
Saraaaa
'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything"
I love this song, and most of Taylor Swifts. They just bring about a certain mood, but this song I can relate to as well. I know you and I both have been in relationships where we have fallen for someone who turns out to be someone different than we thought, but don't worry time DOES heal everything and in the end you look back realize you didn't even lose all you thought you did. You grow stronger as a person and realize how young you truly are and there is a lot of time to find true love.
For anyone who cares Adam didn't win American Idol. Kris did. I am rather upset with America because Adam totally freakin' deserved to win. I am flaming! There is no reason for this atrocity. Kris was flat at least once every song last night and GRRHHH!!!!
Oh, by the way jani, before you poke fun at me, there were numerous bands of note, QUEEN was even there HIl! Okay I'm done for now...
As I already responded to a previous blog by quoting the ingenious lyrics of Gorillaz-Feel Good Inc. I think it’s only appropriate that I elaborate on that song, you now since we’re searching for a deeper understanding of our innate beliefs.
“Feel Good Feel Good Feel Good Feel Good
City's breaking down on a camel's back.
They just have to go 'cos they don't hold back
So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free
You've got a new horizon It's ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they`ve got a catch me, 'because I don't get sleep, no..”
As the lead vocalists 2-D rattles off these lyrics in his dystopian future I can’t help but be reminded of my own life. Surrounded by all nine yards of sex, drugs and violence it really makes you wonder why society has become this way. 2-D comments on this as he criticizes the way they are living, “a new horizon it’s ephemeral style”. The problem for 2-D and the problem for me is that we’re not sure if we’re a part of this system. Has this future become something that feels good to us?
“Windmill, Windmill for the land.
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all in on your stride
It is sinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?”
2-D answers my question with the next part of the song as simpler times are remembered. It’s the things we loved and lost that truly make us feel good. The windmill symbolizes serene and peaceful pastimes that could also make us feel good instead of alcohol and drug induced highs to make us smile. But under the pressure of the collective conglomeration of all the media and politics in the world the grip that we used to clutch onto our dreams with was loosened and they slowly slipped away. In their place are massed produced images of what we now believe makes us feel good.
“Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown,
With yo sound
You're in the place
You gonna bite the dust
Can't fight with us
With yo sound
You kill the INC.
So don't stop, get it, get it
Until you're cheddar header.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa
Feel good, AHHHHahahahah”
De La Soul busts out this rap as he represents this corporate conglomeration. He says sit back and watch us lead the show as if they are idols to emulate. Even though I know that their means are wrong and motives corrupt I can’t help but question, as 2-D does, whether or not my way is actually right. What can one person do to face the aversions of society? It’s a hard question to answer. But I feel myself die a little bit every time I listen to this song because I know the answer that 2-D gave. He gives in and slides back into his hair chanting feel good after he gives up escaping society’s pressures. It’s hard because I had associated myself with this character and if he has give up what do I have left? The Gorillaz however have not left us without hope. There is a single line that declares the weakness of this corporation. De La says, “ with yo sound you kill the inc” this means that the people like myself and 2-D who see past the bull crap spoon fed to us daily, these people can change the world with their sound. They are the ones who can wake up our brothers from the drug induced slumber to realize what has become of the world.
I still am not clear on how I apply this to my life. I feel as though I’m the only one who is really awake in the world anymore. I see my friends give in to drugs and alcohol and it’s so depressing. Is that really how you have fun? It’s a joke, a mockery of the word and of the meaning behind it.
The Gorillaz have a way of tying their songs into one another, so as an answer to this song 2-D says this is 19/200:
“There's a monkey in the jungle
Watchin' a vapour trail
Caught up in the conflict
Between his brain and his tail (Oh Yeah)
And if time's elimination
Then we got nothin' to lose
Please repeat the message
It's the music that we choose”
It has become very apparent to me that the monkeys in this world will continue to do what their tails instinctively tell them to do instead of uses their minds to think and asses. AP Kids….Ha
In response to Janiru:
Janiru! We need to just get a killing party together and terminate everyone we hear singing lyrics to songs they don’t understand. And I swear to god if I hear another girl singing along to “I like big butts” at a dance and then cry out for women’s rights in a class discussion I might just hang myself. As far as I’m concerned ignorance proliferates because we allow it to. We may need to include Jordan in this little purging of the human race so as not to infringe upon his copy right on the idea of not allowing the majority of the uneducated world to reproduce.
Britney:
Nice choice of band and song, Pork and Beans is one of my favorite songs by Weezer, right behind Troublemaker of course =D
Matt and Dan:
Noooo!!!! Disney is taking over your minds with not just movies, but songs toooo!!!!! But I gotta say....I remember going crazy with hyperactivity everytime I heard Hakuna Matata *can't spell*
I'm sittin on around five or six thousand songs, but I think this multitude of options makes it an even more difficult decision.
I've always felt like we have two halves. The first is easy to see and observe. Our display of behavior and dialogue is all others can really see. But there is more to the human being than B.F. Skinner may have led us to believe. Freud held a torch to our second half, the mind itself. Our thoughts, both conscious and unconscious, can never really be seen or heard by our peers. We can only offer up our humble translations of the encrypted messages zipping around in our skulls.
"Is this a feeling of something
About to happen?
Like snapping out of something i didn't realize i was in.
Was I sleeping?
What?
How can you be so sure
If you've never been here before?
I don't understand,
It can't be that easy.
I love you i hate you i love you i hate you
I can't keep my hands of you
I love you i hate you i love you i hate you
[Chorus]
Get back, get away from them
It's all wrong
Keep calm for a moment
Look in my eyes
Get back, get away 'cause
This could get ugly
If you think that i'll let you go
You're out of your mind
Oh my god,
I'm not supposed to say this
'Cause i know that you're trouble but...
Is that your real name and why are you doing this?
And how did i get here?
Ok..no more questions,
No worries
It's destination unknown
So dive in
The waters great
Listen i'm starting to speak like you
I love you i hate you i love you i hate you
You can do no wrong
I love you i hate you i love you i hate you"
Basically, this song encapsulates the constant bouts of confusion raging throughout my psyche. I cannot begin to understand how or why I do the things I do. I know it sounds/looks like a conversational song, and that’s pretty much what it is. But it speaks so much truth.
“How can you be so sure
If you've never been here before?
I don't understand,
It can't be that easy.”
For my second song, I picked one by Simon & Garfunkel
“My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you”
The middle verse there speaks the truest to me. And I mean in a literal sense. I spend way too much time writing poetry and songs that don’t fell in line with my beliefs. Then the last verse hits a chord with me because I always tend to think of myself as a bit too impressionable and indifferent. But, Paul Simon is a genius. I can only wish to acquire a tenth of his musical ability in my lifetime.
Ms. Bunje… my songs are country! Sorry! The two songs I picked are Every Time I Hear Your Name by Keith Anderson and It’s a Great Day to be Alive by Travis Tritt.
It’s a Great Day to be Alive by Travis Tritt
“Yeah I think I'll make me some homemade soup
Feelin pretty good and that's the truth
It's neither drink nor drug induced
No I'm just doin alright
And it's a great day to be alive
I know the sun's still shinin when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?
It's been fifteen years since I left home
Said good luck to every seed I'd sown
Give it my best and then I left it alone
Oh...I hope their doin alright
Now I look in the mirror and what do I see?
A lone wolf there starin back at me
Long in the tooth but harmless as can be
Lord I guess he's doin alright”
I absolutely love this song and this artist. Travis Tritt has done wonders for me. I went to see him in concert on my 16th birthday. Little did I know that he would actually play this song. I cried. No, I bawled. This song constantly puts me in perspective that every day IS a great day to be alive. There should never be a bad day in anyone’s life. The third line, “It's neither drink nor drug induced”, is probably the most important to me. I’m deathly afraid of getting out of control with drugs or alcohol. On my mother’s side, there are a lot of alcoholics and drug users. I never want my name to be associated with this kind of life style. It’s invigorating to think that you can live a happy life without any aid. Tritt recognized that there are hard times, but those hard times can be conquered. Yesterday when I worked, I came across a young woman. She had some type of disease that I really can’t say what it was. She needed a cane to help her walk, she continuously twitched and her body shook, and her thoughts weren’t communicated very well through conversation. She was my customer, and she truly made me smile. I haven’t smiled so wide in so long. My manager sat and made fun of her most of the time because anyone could judge her. She was no at any circumstance normal. She had really short hair. Her hair wasn’t even there. It was blonde and patchy in some spots and then you just see a huge pink Mohawk. It was intimidating at first. She wore laced up, brown boots with a skirt. My manager at first sight thought it was a man cross dressed. I forced him to go to the table and start conversation. Then after he came back, he apologized to me for insulting her so harshly. Her name was Jade, and she became my inspiration for the day like this song has always been an inspiration for me to continue on with life. Jade was so amused by me just standing there talking to her while she was so thrilled to being eating a brownie sundae. She continuously rose her hand to give me a high-five. I loved every minute of it. To see someone so happy because of such little things is just miraculous, especially when they have some sort of disability and are judged by everyone they pass. Anyway.. I also love this song because it touches base with leaving home. I really want to leave home. I want to get away from Jersey. I’m pretty sure everyone knows this about me, but I’m also afraid of saying my good-byes. Of course my ultimate goal in life is to truly be independent. I don’t want to depend on a single soul for my happiness or well being. There is also the fear of being a lone with having this type of outlook. I want to be independent, but what if trying to be pushes everyone away that I truly care about.
Every Time I Hear Your Name by Keith Anderson
“Finally got over that song of ours; stopped chasin' little red sports cars,
To check the license plates and I quit drivin' by your place.
Back makin' the rounds at our old haunts: Honky Tonks, restaurants.
And seein' some of our old friends: it feels good to dance again.
And I can finally smell your perfume and not look around the room for you.
And I can walk right by your picture in a frame and not feel a thing.
But when I hear your name,
I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
And nothin's changed, and we're still same.
And I get lost in the innocence of a first kiss,
And I'm hangin' on to every word rollin' off of your lips:
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.
Got someone special in my life; everyone thinks she'll make a great wife.
Dad says he thinks she's the one; reminds him of Mom when she was young.
But it's way too soon to be talkin' 'bout rings; don't wanna rush into anything.
She's getting over someone too, kinda like me and you.
And she talks about him every once in a while, and I just nod my head and smile,
'cause I know exactly what she's goin' through; yeah, I've been there too.
And when the conversation turns to you,
I get caught in a "you were the only one for me",
Kinda thought, and your face is all that I see.
I know I can't go back but I still go back.
And there we are, parked down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time,
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.
I stop thinkin' 'bout the words I left unsaid.
(Every time I hear your name.)
I stop tryin' the change the things I can't change.
(Every time I hear your name.)
In my heart I know you're gone, but in my head, “
Ah! This song makes me upset every time I listen to it. Going back years ago when I was about twelve years old, I met a boy from Maryland at Wildwood. I instantly fell for him. At twelve that seems so silly, but even to this day we still talk. He was the one buy I talked about marriage to and having kids with. He was the only person that saw the true side to me that I desperately always tried to cover up even for my own sake. He excepts me for me and tolerates every bit of crap I’ve thrown at him. There is a distance barrier though. I obviously have dated other people since him. It’s true that every time I hear his name, I think about every time we have seen each other during summer time and my emotions just become explosive. He’s truly a first love. I’ve stayed up all night talking to him until I literally fell asleep, and he just would hear me breathe. I lied to my parents and sister just to get them to take me to Wildwood to see him. He introduced me to this song. We both tried moving on and stopped talking for a year at a time, but we always fall back on one another. I’m not sure if we’re each other’s security blanket or if we truly do care about one another. I’m afraid of being in an engagement or marriage with someone that I truly do not care about. I guess I’m really afraid that I’ll always have skeletons in my closet that just burden me and prevent me from moving forward. This song proves that a connection so powerful still lingers on into the next relationship. It exists in the back of his head and for his new girlfriend also. It seems like I’m so desperate to find out what will happen in my life.
This was a hard one for me, maybe because we were out of practice? Maybe because I really like instrumental music... Oh well. Here it goes.
Someone to Watch Over Me - ??
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he
Turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me.
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood.
I know I could
Always be good
To one who'll watch over me.
Respect – Aretha Franklin
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
This song gives the most complete summation of me in the ‘love’ sense of my life. But I must state that at the same time Aretha Franklin and R-E-S-P-E-C-T are coming into play. The line ‘I hope that he, turns out to be’ explains that as of yet, this magical person has yet to arrive in my life, but I’m waiting as patiently as possible. The ‘little lamb’ doesn’t resonate as deeply with me as other parts do, however I suppose I am rather short.. so it works on that level. ‘I know I could, Always be good, To one who’ll watch over me’ expresses the care I could put into a (two way) relationship. This is only part of the song but I think that this excerpt best encapsulates me on this topic.
Respect factors in as well because I put great weight in respect in any relationship, from student/teacher to spouse/spouse relationships.
Dancing in the Dark – Bruce Springsteen
I get up in the evening
and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark
This song speaks to me in the first stanza, with the exception that I wake up in the morning and sleep in the evening. ‘I get up in the evening, and I ain’t got nothing to say’ I am a quiet morning person but also I need to be stimulated into interest in the mornings more than other times. ‘I come home in the morning, feeling the same way’ I often find myself lethargic and sluggish when I come home and cannot seem to jump-start my brain after school. ‘I ain’t nothing but tired, Man I’m just tired and bored with myself’ I am constantly tired and need other people to create interest in anything that is happening, my brain doesn’t just create projects. I’d rather be sleeping (sadly, I think I miss a lot this way). ‘Hey there baby, I could use a little help’ this is an expression that I don’t necessarily want to have such a lack of interest; I just need a little help with focusing. The last bit is just great. :)
Ali B
Nonna
I like this song, I remember when you first showed me the video on youtube and it was stuck in my head for the rest of the day. I also see in myself things that other have seen. I find it scary that others can see what I couldn't (or wouldn't). All in all, great song.
Kelly N:
"I haven’t had very much luck in the “love department.” When I do fall in love, I want a partner that will “promise to be true” to me. That means no cheating! Jerks... I want someone that will respect me. I want someone that will love me for all that I am and for all that I’m not. I want him to be my best friend. I want to be silly and say whatever comes to my mind even if it’s stupid because I’ll know no matter what he won’t run away. I want to be myself and for him to be himself around me."
Nice song choice. I feel the same way you do. As much as I want to find someone to be all that you said, I'm pretty intimidated by the fact of opening up to someone and them having the option to destroy it all with cheating or deception. I'm not sure what has happened in your past with boys, but I've realized that you just have to take risks. If they work out, that's awesome. If they don't, well there are hundreds of other options. I don't really believe there is one person out there for you.
Swing Life Away-Rise Against
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours first
Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse"
"We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand"
"I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move
The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon
Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow"
"I've got some friends, some that I hardly know
But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world
We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go"
----When I heard this song for the first time a few years ago, I was first attracted to it's simplicity. I liked that it was different from the usual top 40. Swing Life Away isn't the typical song that repeats itself and says nothing in three minutes. Each line in this song has significance to me. In the line "We live on front porches...minimum wage" I see my life growing up in Mullica. Before technology, cliques, and life took over, all the kids in the neighborhood use to spend hours upon hours outdoors, inventing games, playing, and having fun. Life was simpler. "For a good time, all you needed was a group of friends and a neighbors yard. I miss the rounds of manhunt and capture the flag/frisbee/family dog that went on until after dark. This song reminds me of the past, but I also see it as relevant to today. "...Talks of the places that we will go..." as college gets closer the number and length of conversations I've had with friends about the future has steadily increased. Last summer I remember do-nothing-afternoons spent discussing college and after graduation, while floating on pool rafts for hours on end. I see my thoughts in this song. I've longed detested New Jerseys weather system and this song says exactly what I want to do about it "...pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow." After going to Florida I'm convinced late winter/early spring weather does not have to be miserable and gray; and even If I don't make it to college in Florida or the west coast I'd like to attend school in a somewhat warmer climate. I feel like this song has a "for richer or poorer" attitude, wether it's sickness, money, or distance, nothing will keep us apart and we'll always be happy if we're together.
Bless the Broken Road- Rascal Flats
"I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you"
"Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms"
"I think about the years I spent, just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you"
"It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true"
"That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you"
---So I'm not a huge country fan, but when I heard this song I instantly loved it. I know it's kind of weird to say this at seventeen years, but I want this to play at my wedding. I believe in fate, by the time I'm ready to get married, I think I'll have experienced plenty of ups and downs in relationships and this song will mean even more. This song brings up lost time and struggle, but cites the ending is worth it all. As a positive everything-happens-for-a-reason-believeing-person, I believe I will have a happily ever after, even if it's not till I'm forty because, "It's all part of a grander plan."
With one thousand eight hundred and seventy two songs on my ipod, you would think it would be easy for me to pick out a few songs that depict how I feel about my life. Unfortunately, each additional song compounds my problem. How can i just pick two or three songs when there are so many great ones that speak to me? And, more importantly, what if I miss that one song that sounds like it was written exclusively for me? To me, music is a way of looking at life from different perspectives, from different backgrounds, from different feelings and emotions. The beautiful thing about music is you can escape to its melodies and harmonies no matter what you're going through, because there is always a song, or a verse, or a line, that puts into words exactly how you are feeling.I think that's why I don't have a specific favorite song, artist, or genre. Sure, there are a few that I listen to more than others, but I like having diversity in my musical choices. Put my ipod on shuffle, and you'll bounce from 50 Cent to Tim McGraw to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and everything in between. I almost wish I had less songs so it would be easier to choose one. But then I would miss out on so much great music that makes me wish i had about five thousand songs. While I couldn't really narrow down a favorite song, my ipod tells me that my most played music is by The Fray, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, and, of course, Taylor Swift, so I guess we'll start from there.
Jack Johnson - Flake
It seems to me that maybe
It pretty much always means no
So don't tell me you might just let it go
And often times we're lazy
It seems to stand in my way
Cause no one no not no one
Likes to be let down
I know she loves the sunrise
No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes
And I know that when she said she's gonna try
Well it might not work because of other ties and
I know she usually has some other ties
And I wouldn't want to break 'em, nah, I wouldn't want to break 'em
Maybe she'll help me to untie this but
Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie too
I chose this song for no particular reason, just that it's one of my favorite of his. In general, Jack Johnson's music helps me to relax, to enjoy life and not sweat the petty things. His lyrics are genius, and his laid-back approach is something that is not quite so common in today's music. He is one of the few artists who really appreciates the beauty of life and the little things that make every day great. I think this feeling resounds with me, because I try to focus not on what i don't have, but on the family, friends, and nature, and everything else that truly matters.
Quick break from my real choices... while listening to my ipod, I stumbled upon the song Hicktown, by Jason Aldean. Simply by its title, you can tell this song applies to my life. If you look up the word "hicktown" in the dictionary, its defintion is Port Republic. No lie.
Also while shuffling through my library, I came upon a song by Coldplay that is as close to “adequately encapsulating how I feel about life, my life” as any of the many song that I have listened to this week. The song is called Lost? There is also another version called Lost!, as well as a Lost REMIX for all you fiends out there who want to listen to three different versions of the same song. I, for one, did download three different versions of the same song, and while they are two are lyrically identical twins (the third is the triplet who came out with brown hair instead of blond (has some extra rhymes by Jay-Z( are you allowed to put a parenthetical remark inside another parenthetical remark?))) I am a bigger fan of Lost? because it is sung with only a piano, which more often than not sounds great. Here it is:
Coldplay - Lost?
Just because I'm losing
Doesn't mean I'm lost
Doesn't mean I'll stop
Doesn't mean I would cross
Just because I'm hurting
Doesn't mean I'm hurt
Doesn't mean I didn't get
What I deserved
No better and no worse
I just got lost
Every river that I tried to cross
Every door I ever tried was locked
Ohhh and I'm...
Just waiting 'til the shine wears off
You might be a big fish
In a little pond
Doesn't mean you've won
Cause along may come
A bigger one
And you'll be lost
Every river that you tried to cross
Every gun you ever held went off
Ohhh and I'm...
Just waiting until the firing stopped
Ohhh and I'm...
Just waiting 'til the shine wears off
(piano solo)
Ohhh and I...
Just waiting 'til the shine wears off
Ohhh and I..
Just waiting 'til the shine wears off
Something about music is that each piece can say something completely different to two people. You’re perception of this song, or any other for that matter, might be vastly different from mine. But isn’t that what makes it great? The ability to view a work of art in your own way, to have your own thoughts about something, is what makes it beautiful. To me, this song is about not giving up, not conceding defeat, always fighting no matter how high the odds are stacked against you. “Just because I’m losing, doesn’t mean I’m lost”. Whatever struggle you are facing, it is not over until you give up. No matter how many rivers you tried to cross, or doors you found locked, perservering through such adversity is what builds each and very one of us as people. Music is the greatest langauge that human beings can speak. It is the single most wonderful form of expression that can be created. Music is used to move us and connect us. Music is a common ground that all people share.
Toni M - I'm mad at myself for forgetting about "It's A Great Day to Be Alive". That song is definitely one of my favorite, and I wish I had thought of it. It really makes me take a step back and appreciate everything I've got.
In lyrics it’s easy to find ourselves wishfully thinking about ways we would like to feel about certain people, life, or circumstances. Time and time again I find myself looking through the radio to find a song that will make me blissfully and obnoxiously get me into that lightened and ‘cool’ mood. But some songs ‘hit the spot’, you could say, with their matter-of-fact meanings.
[Stephen Marley]
I’ve been gone awhile away from you
And I hope you overstand
That I’ve got to do what I must do
To be a better man
Cause if I was to just to act a fool
Do nothing with myself
Then all my blessings would be cursed
My world would crumble in
It’s a joy when I sit down and
Think of the good times that we have
And what we do to make it through
When the good turns to bad
Well I hope you’ll find it in your heart
And know these words are true
And please don’t fuss
Because I must go do what I must do
(Chorus)
Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cause if you thought that I was lost
I had to bare my cross
Now I’m free from all these Chains
A time, a space, a different place
How perfect we might be
I would be the wind that blows
You’d be that Willow tree
And I could never bear the thought of you not by my side
So I would be the warmth of day
You’d be the cool of night
And every day I pray to Jah that one day you will see
And overstand the fact I must fulfill my destiny
I hope you’ll find it in your heart and know these words are true
And please don’t cry
You know that I must do what I must do
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
Well and it’s not easy
Jah knows how I try, I try
So don’t you get irie
Jah knows how I try, I try
In the song ‘Hey Baby’, Stephen Marley goes above wishful thinking of the way he wishes life would go, and avoids a ‘happy’ message, in an effort to get down to the honest realities. The song Hey Baby was written as a love letter to his ‘baby’ explaining changes going on in his life. Among these changes are: finding out who he is, finding purpose, following his faith, and committing to sacrifice.
“I hope you overstand that I’ve got to do what I must do to be a better man. Cause’ if I was just to act a fool, do nothing with myself, then all my blessings would be cursed, my world would crumble in.”
The lyrical message bluntly states that in an effort to follow his faith he will drop his girl, his foolish lifestyle, and his own ‘world.’
“Cause’ if you thought that I was lost, I had to bear my cross, and now I’m free from all these chains.”
Above his message of following his faith, he tries desperately to explain his actions to his ‘baby.’ I believe that he does this for two reasons. One being that he wants to emphasize the individuality and separation of his actions; I believe he wants to emphasize to his reader the disconnection of himself and his current world by continuing to find himself. Secondly, I believe he tries to emphasize that what is taking place is something only understood by someone with similar conviction. His ‘baby’ not having the same conviction, will not understand what is on his heart, and therefore not understand what he’s trying to do.
The concept of dropping one’s life in order to pursue their faith is something extremely admirable to me. Through ideas of love, life, and relationships, Stephen Marley reveals to his audience the sacrifice involved in doing so. Rather than pursuing a lifestyle that compromises, he constantly reminds his listeners of the life he loves compared the life that he is meant to carry out. ‘Overstand the fact that I must fulfill my destiny.’ In the Rasta movement the word ‘overstanding’ replaces ‘understanding’ to convey enlightenment of the word. He constantly encourages his ‘Baby’, as well as his audience, to understand, or ‘overstand’, the reality of their destinies. Though I’m not a Rastafarian myself, I can definitely relate to having to push away people, relationships, and habits in order to find out who I am as well as go deeper in my own faith. I’d also like to add that Marley’s verses such as, “How perfect we might be, I would be the wind that blows, you’d be that Willow tree,” are full of metaphor and imagery that reveal his mindset and outlook towards the circumstances at hand. Nothing is bitter or rejected, but everything is accepted and optimistic.
Calm down my heart... don't beat so fast...
Don't be afraid just once in a lifetime
The love in you, it does not burn,
There is no lesson you can learn
And there are sounds you cannot hear,
And there are feelings you can't feel
Calm down my heart... don't beat so fast...
Don't be afraid just once in a lifetime
I don't pretend that I love you
And this time I'm not scared of you
Myra
-Although I’m not familiar with this song, these lyrics really stood out to me. It reminds me of how fragile and naive our hearts are. Our hearts being so sensitive, its hard to control our feelings, even though at times we may know better than to act upon what were feeling.
Hahaha my blog is too long for one post.
Okay. Since Blogger.com can not hold the two songs plus my response, I've decided to post the songs and then my response. so Song #1 "Evil Deeds" by Eminem
"Lord please forgive me for what I do
For I know not what I've done
[Chorus]
Father please forgive me for I know not what I do
I just never had the chance to ever meet you
Therefore I did not know that I would grow to be
My mother's evil seeding do these evil deeds
Momma had a baby and it's head popped off
(head popped off, head popped off, head popped off, head popped off, head popped off)
My momma don't want me, the next thing I know I'm gettin' dropped off
(gettin' dropped off, gettin' dropped off, gettin' dropped off, gettin' dropped off)
Ring ring ring, on the door bell of the next door neighbors on their front porch
(their front porch, their front porch, their front porch, their front porch)
But they didn't want me neither so they left me on someone else's lawn
(else's lawn, else's lawn, else's lawn)
Till somebody finally took me in, my great aunt, uncle Edna 'n Charles
(Edna 'n Charles, Edna 'n Charles, Edna 'n Charles, Edna 'n Charles)
They were the ones who were left in charge
My elementary they gang up on me and sang this song
(sang this song, sang this song, sang this song, sang this song)
It went a little something like Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb
Debbie had a Satan spawn, Satan spawn
Momma why do they keep saying this I just don't understand, understand
And by the way, where's my dad?
Predominantly, predominantly, everything's always predominantly
Predominantly white, predominantly black
Well, what about me, where does that leave me
Well I guess that I'm between predominantly both of 'em
I think if I hear that fuckin' word again I'mma scream
While I'm projectile vomiting, what do I look like, a comedian to you?
Do you think that I'm kidding?
What do I look like some kind of idi-wait a minute, shit, don't answer that
Why am I so misunderstood?
Why do I go through so much bullshit, it sucks bullshit, it's tush mull bish
Woe is me, there goes poor Marshall again
Whining about his millions and his mansion and his sorrow he's always drownin' in
And the dad that he never had, and how his childhood was so bad
And how his mom was a dope addict, and his ex-wife how they go at it
Man I'd hate to have it, as bad as that Mr. Mather's claims he had it
I can't imagine it, that little rich poor white bastard
Needs to take some of that cash out the bank and take a bath in it
Man if I only had half of it.
If you only knew the half of it
Evil deeds, while I plant these evil seeds
Please release me from these demons
I never had any of this shit planned ma, please believe
I don't wanna be Satan's spawn, never got the chance to say I'm sorry
Now look at all the pain I caused
Dear Santa Clause, why you not comin' this year again
What did I do that was so bad to deserve this
Everything could have been so perfect
But life ain't a fairytale, I'm about to be hoist up in the air
Forty feet below me, there's people everywhere
I don't even know what it feel like, they know me cause I'm in this ferris wheel
And all i wanna do is go to the mall and take hailie on the carousel
Without this crowd everywhere I go, but life is like a merry-go-round
Here we go now, doe see doe now, curtains up, the show must go now
Ring around the rosie, the shows over, you can all go home now
But the curtain just don't close for me, this ain't how fame is supposed to be
Where's the switch I could just turn off and on, this ain't what I chose to be
So please god, give me the strength to have what it takes to carry on
Till I pass 50 back the baton, the camera's on, my soul is gone
Song #2 "Where Is My Mind" by Pixes
Oh - stop
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin'
I was swimmin' in the Caribbean
Animals were hiding behind the rocks
Except the little fish
But they told me, he swears
Tryin' to talk to me, coy koi.
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin' ?
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
If there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Oh
Matty W- OH MY GOD YOU USED HERCULES YOU’RE MY HERO.
Leonor- OH MY GOD POCAHONTAS IS MY SECOND FAVORITE DISNEY PRINCESS EVEN THOUGH SHE’S NOT REALLY A PRINCESS. (mulan is my favorite, and she’s not really either.)
Hilary and Molly- I agree. I feel like at this point in my life, I’ve lost whatever used to hold me together. So I make do with tape and staples but they’re only temporary and I fall apart more often than I’m still together.
Janiru- AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Oh, and I love that song. <3
Alison- I know what you mean, about it being a little frightening. But to be honest, most days, I find it comforting. I would rather somebody see me clearly, even if it’s not me. On that note, whoever happens to read this, tell me what you think of me. Six months from now I’ll probably end up with a headache going “oh wow, they were totally right about me.”
Title: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out lyrics
So if you're lonely
You know I'm here waiting for you
I'm just a crosshair
I'm just a shot away from you
And if you leave here
You leave me broken, shattered, I lie
I'm just a crosshair
I'm just a shot, then we can die
This song is one I was introduced to not long ago by someone I dearly love. This person has been away from me for a long time now, but I still love them just as much and it means a lot to me because of it’s affiliation with them. The first part is the most obvious. If you’re lonely, I’m here for you, no matter who or where you are, I’m just a shot away. The use of the word shot is interesting. As if it’s kind of going “yeah, I’m close… maybe too close.” And this is very true to me. People need me, so I make myself accessable. And then, when they no longer need me, they leave me, broken and shattered as I realize they too didn’t really need me for me but for one of the many services I can perform, i.e. shoulder, mother, convenient chatty person, etc. So to summarize, I’m frequently getting close, too close, then left for dead.
Title: India Arie - Video
Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depend on how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul
I'm not the average girl from your video
and I ain't built like a supermodel
But, I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be the india arie
This song is pretty self explanatory and I listen to it mostly when I’m feeling self deprecating, because this is really the antithesis of me. While all of the first stanza is totally true about me, and most of the second is, I have not reached the supremely admirable level of love for myself that India has. In fact, most days I don’t even really like myself very much, but I suppose that’s pretty much the point. This is the ideal, one I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever reach.
Title: Sara Bareilles – Fairytale
[Chorus:]
'cause I don't care for your fairytales
You're so worried about the maiden though you know
She's only waiting on the next best thing
Snow White is doing dishes again cause
What else can you do
With seven itty-bitty men?
Sends them to bed and calls up a friend
Says will you meet me at midnight?
The tall blonde lets out a cry of despair says
Would have cut it myself if I knew men could climb hair
I'll have to find another tower somewhere and keep away from the windows
This song is almost as cynical as I am, and matches my minor obsession with Disney princesses. Rife with allusions to various fairytales, I like this song and feel it describes my life. Oh hey, Snow White. She brings to mind happy, nature-friend-ish images. But wait, she’s doing dishes? For the dwarves? What an odd convoluted mix of fantasy and utter, deadpan reality. And how much that sounds like both my life and my thought process.
TO clarify about earlier, by the way, I wasn’t trying to be all emo THERE IS NO HOPE and everything, I just don’t find I very often find myself hoping. I think somewhere along the line I realized that hope leads more frequently to disappointment than any other ending and just decided to stop, and because for some reason I have RIDICULOUSLY awesome control over my mind (I think it comes from all of the acting. All of that lying about who you are and how you feel has to have repercussions…) it worked. I haven’t hoped since, and as such, don’t really get very excited often, but also am less often disappointed than perhaps your average bear.
Somehow my response is too long also... I know I've written longer before.
Well at first I read this blog and thought about punching myself in the head for not reading it earlier, but then I realized this is a relatively simple blog. All it took was a little perusing through my brain for an artist that has had a life similar to mine. Lo and behold my search was completed when I landed upon a song from my favorite artist, and a song from my favorite movie. My first song is comes from a long lost and forgotten album by an artist who despite saying he retired has returned. I feel it is only right for Evil Deeds by Eminem to be discussed first since it is the one that can be delved into with the most depth. So let's start this analytical journey shall we?
(See Song #1)
Now I know that some people read my blogs every week and see either an anger filled rant about the lessers or an extremely depressed recollection from my childhood and are possibly expecting something new from me. Too bad, because now I can combine them in this one blog for double the trouble.
Eminem's words touch the chords of my heart on more than just an artist-listener plane; its more of a help-group member to help-group member. In case the analogy was missed, its as if I can relate to Eminem's words directly. Never in my life have I had a real relationship with my father, as he portrays in his first couple of lines. It was as if he never had any impact upon my life, and was and still is almost utterly nonexistent to me. As a small child I was subjected to multiple babysitter excursions, where I would frequently get dropped off at a random friend of my mother's for a day or two at a time whilst my mom went off to work and gallivant around with her friends. I can directly relate to Eminem's opening verse about how he was passed around a lot, considering almost the same process infected my childhood. His next stanza literally applies to me, talking about how in the world today everything is either black or white. This actually seems to appear as if it has a double meaning of just everything is either one way or another and literally the American culture is divided either white or black. Its as if there cannot be any thoughts or ideals in between white and black, or any thoughts outside of white and black. It's as if Eminem reaches into my life and just splices intelligent (conceptually not lyrically) thoughts together from its journey. The entire song sings anecdotes from my life up to this point, and possibly even speaks to future. He even goes to explain how the world is constantly talking and poking at his life, as if its their business to judge. This idea in itself connects with me, considering I have come to realize an astonishing fact about my life in the public's eye. Just as Marshall Mathers has to endure, every move I make becomes a public forum for open criticism , regardless whether how stupid or how many other people do it. Actually now that I've remembered this song and its conceptual symmetry to my life, I have become rather irate. As with Mathers, whenever I do something the world decides its time to crack down and decree it as blasphemous, however if anyone else did the same thing it would illicit a different response. For instance, the other day I said Fight Club was the best movie ever made. Within minutes I had at least four people screaming at me that I was being stupid and delusional. However, when anyone else decrees that their favorite movie is the best movie ever someone responds with a "Yeah that is a pretty good movie." This isn't the prime example I'd like to use, but as I've said in previous blogs I serve as a point for everyone to gang-up upon and relieve tensions, just as Eminem is. Anyway I digressed a tad bit, but I feel as if Eminem not only wrote this song with his own life in mind but with mine in mind also. The song expresses a time line of the shaping events throughout my life, except not on the stage of super stardom
Part 2
My second song is a little more out there and hard to assess. It's called Where Is My Mind by Pixes:
(See Song #2)
This song I must admit is a little out there and rather hard to interpret, but it just screams to me the meaning of my life. There are moments during the day where I sit and I think. And I think. And I think. But whilst I am off lost in this dreamlike world, my body continues to go through its earthly routines of conversation. Then when I snap out of my reverie it turns out a good six hours have elapsed. On the literal interpretation of the song this is where the comparison to my feelings of life come from, considering afterwards I am stuck questioning where my mind was these past hours. However on a much deeper scale, this song is a metaphor for the world being jumbled and confused. There are so many peaceful and serene things that the human could do naturally without the incorporation of video games, or roller coasters into our daily lives. The mind wanders off into areas of continual desires as the world is turned topsy turvey. Then when a human looks back upon it, there are so many ways to improve and make their situation better that they don't stop and think "Where is my mind? Is it here infiltrating this idea. Or is it over there reaping the benefits of what this offers." Nowadays the world is so rushed that people don't have time to sit and think what are the implications of newer ideas and thought processes. We are thinking and dreaming so fast we just perpetuate our ideas continually without thinking of the consequence. A clear example of this is the creation of more powerful weaponry and space technologies. Do people ever stop and think once this newer, more powerful hydrogen bomb is created we will use it to blow up each other until we are all dead? No they don't. They see it as lets expand. Let's do, do, do. Every thought process is rushed and the brain isn't being implemented as an extraordinary muscle, but it is now a tool. This is ultimately what this song conveys to me, and its almost out of sadness that I appreciate this song so much.
-Jen
"As an athlete, I'm prone to falling into slumps. I get down on myself pretty hard, but when I do I always sit in my room and put one song on repeat.
"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it—you better never let it go.
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime" "
That song is what fuels me the night before games. Although it doesn't seem to do much it is a mental booster to listen to Eminem right before games, considering his passion is conveyed through his music. In retrospect (since I write my comments after my blog response) I can't believe I neglected to think of that song for my life. Good choice.
Kinda think I should have used "On the Turning Away" by Floyd. Oh well.
And Meg, "Don't Worry be Happy" is by Bobby Mcferrin. Marley man died about 8 years before it came out...
Perhaps the most talented lyricist in his entire genre of music, 50 cent is able to combine the hard style of rap with an optimistic tone that I can relate to. I chose Patiently Waiting by 50 Cent.
“[Chorus]
I've been patiently waiting
For a track to explode on (yea)
You can stun if you want
And yo ass'll get rolled on (It's 50)
It feels like my flows
Been hot for so long (yea)
If you thinking I'ma fucking
Fall off your so wrong
[50 Cent]
I'm innocent in my head
Like a baby born dead
Destination heaven
Sitting political passengers from 9-11 (yea)
The Lords blessing left me lyrically incline (uh huh)
Shit I ain't even got to try to shine
God's a seamstress who tailorfitted my pain
I got scriptures in my brain
I can spit at your thang
Straight out the good book
Look niggaz is shook
50 fear no man warrior
Swing swords like Conan
Picture me pen in hand
Write lines knowin' THE SOURCE will quote it
When I die they'll read this
And say a genius wrote it
I grew up without my Pops
Should that make me bitter
I caught cases and got out
Does that make me a quitter
In this white mans world
I'm similar to a squirrel
Looking for a slut
Wit a nice butt to get a nut
If I get shot today my phone
Will stop ringing again
These industry niggaz ain't friends
They know how to pretend
[Chorus (2x)]
I've been patiently waiting
For a track to explode on (yea)
You can stun if you want
And yo ass'll get rolled on (It's 50)
It feels like my flows
Been hot for so long (yea)
If you thinking I'ma fucking
Fall off your so wrong
(It's 50!!)
[Eminem]
You've been patiently waiting
To make it through all the hate
Debating whether or not
You can even weather the storm
As you lay on the table
They operating to save you
It's like a Angel came to you
Sent from the heavens above
They think they crazy
But they ain't crazy lets face it
Shit basically they just playing sick
They ain't shit they ain't saying shit
Spray umh 50 [gun shots]
A to K get in the way
I bring Dre and them wit me
And turn this day into fucking mayhem
You staying wit me
Don't let me lose you
I'm not trying to confuse you
When I let lose wit this uzi
And just shoot through your Izuzu
You get the message
Am I getting through to you
You know it's coming
You motherfuckers don't even know do you
Take some BIG and some PAC
And you mix them up in a pot
Sprinkle a lil "BIG L" on top
What the fuck do you got?
You got the realest and illest killers
Tied up in a knot
The Juggernauts of this rap shit
Like it or not it's like a fight to the top
Just to see who die for the spot
You put your life in this
Nothing like surviving a shot
Y'all know what time it is
Soon as 50 signs on this dot
Shit what you know about death threats
Cause I get a lot
Shady Records was 80 seconds
Away from the towers
Some cowards fucked with the wrong building
They meant to hit ours
Better evacuate all children
Nuclear showers theres nothing spookier
Your now about to witness the power of fuckin' 50!”
This song reveals the hardships that 50 is willing to face; however, he knows that he will end up on top of whatever field he chose to pursue. He is willing to do whatever he needs to do to make his dreams come true. I am the same way. I will travel any avenue necessary to insure my success. I know that I will be a success in the field that I choose to pursue. I’m just patiently waiting for my time to immerge from the sheltered environment that my parents and other family has formed for me. The shear confidence and assured voice that comes through makes me feel as if I can and will make it. It is a big encouragement to listen to the struggles that 50 Cent went through, and that I will never have to put myself through. I believe that he would be a success in the business world regardless of his musical talent. He has the drive and ambition. If he can make a success out of himself, without a proper childhood or a support system, just think of what I can do with those things. When I hear this song I know that I am going to make it in the world and nothing can stop me.
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