I know we talked about personal philosophies a few weeks ago; guidelines you all use to determine your various paths and inform all your decisions, and some of you had some interesting things to say about that. Some others had a hard time trying to put into words exactly what their guiding principles are. I don't blame you--it's pretty hard to do.
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.
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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I am particularly excited to have a blog like this because lately, music has been my savior. One song, for example, is Raindrops Will Fall by Tamyra Gray. Some of the lyrics say:
"I was taught not 2 run away
Cuz raindrops will always fall on your face
When it seems like all hope is gone
Gotta get thru the storm
B4 you can see the dawn
This is all I am
This is all I know
And I won't never ever let go
No I won't let go"
The meaning of this is very clear. Don't let things stand in the way of who you are or what you want to do and if you hit a few obstacles, you can get through them. The message that these lyrics send is what really made me love this song. Especially now that me and my boyfriend have just broken up, it helps me keep my head up high and keep looking towards the future.
Another song that truly helps define my life is Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I'm not going to put the lyrics because it is a well-known song but the meaning of the lyrics apply to me. I'm living my life as if it is an unwritten page in a book and I'm doing it my way without anyone telling me to not be myself. This song also reminds me that I'm human and I make mistakes and I have to live my life as it goes on, which mostly everyone else does too. I make mistakes everyday and this song helps me say that that is okay.
Sometimes when I am stressed or upset, I tend to listen to gospel music. One song being He Still Loves Me from the Fighting Temptations soundtrack. The lyrics are :
"I used to wake up some days and wish I stayed asleep.Cause I went to bed on top of the world, now the world's on top of me. Everybody's got opinions. They ain't been in my position, but it breaks my heart when I hear what they have to say about me."
If you go further into the song, it let's you know that through all your mistakes, God still loves you. Not being so religious, I relate it in the way that I don't need to be perfect for my friends and family to love me. Love is a blessing and they love me in spite of my mistakes. When I'm stressed, this song reminds me of that and helps calm me down. This song is a big part of my life because of the fact that right now, I need a good pick-me-upper and it really helps me remember the fact that I am loved by a lot of people.
A lot of songs truly define me, but these three have been the most relateable (yes I made that word up) to me for various reasons. They have also helped me move on in life and understand myself better by their lyrics being so deep and moving. They help me look on the brighter side of things when I need it and define how I am feeling all the time or even just at that moment. For example, Raindrops Will Fall is how I am feeling right now, He Still Loves Me is how I feel all the time, and Unwritten is how I feel all the time. All of these songs define me in a certain way because of my wide range of personality traits that I tend to have (I know, BIPOLAR!), but anywho, I use these songs to help me remember who I really am and to come back to reality when I really need it most.
Bunje, I have found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place for this week's blog. The only problem with this blog is that most of the music I listen to has no words. It's instrumental and orchestral. It's background music. It's soothing and full of emotion. I could tell you how wonderful the chord progression is in my favorite Philip Glass song (glassworks is the musical equivalent of a fractal) or I could tell you that most of the music created and performed by Cirque du Soleil is some of the finest music I have ever heard. I could tell you that my favorite movie soundtrack is tied between the industrial mix of orchestra and synthesizers in The Island or the pulsating drum beats from Batman Begins. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard will go down in history as music idols in my mind.
I guess the point I am trying to make this week is that instrumental songs, similar to pictures, can contain a thousand words within themselves. Sometimes, it's better to say nothing at all.
A lot of this instrumental obsession is a result of band and my passion for music. However, my obsession stems deeper than anyone I know. I don't listen to rap in the car. I usually listen to instrumental music. Sometimes I listen to the occasional synth heavy daft punk and justice remixes I can find on the hype machine. (It's amazing how a CD of the same song remixed 20 times never gets old. It's one of the wonders of music. Anything is possible and it can be played in an infinite number of ways.) For me, rolling down the windows, turning up the bass and blasting Kronos Quartet is just more appetizing then blasting Crank Dat by Soulja Boy. I enjoy orchestral music because it is full of energy. Music has this ability to move you. It's so emotional. A soundtrack to a movie is so epic. It's an emotional journey. (Well...the good ones anyway.)
---Insert break for House and loss of train of thought--
I also enjoy instrumental music because I enjoy being able to tell someone the name of the song in the background of a commercial or a movie trailer. The music I love is the music that goes unnoticed to most of the world in the background of something that is visually stimulating. I get excited to watch a movie with a good soundtrack. I listen to the music more then I listen to the words spoken by the actors. I don't like musicals though. (Sorry drama kids! I still come to them though!) They aren't as...uh...exciting to me.
But less about me. I am going to wait for more people to do this so I can respond and make fun of everyone's taste in music.
(this is what I was talking about in the last blog on the list of things to do whoo! =])
When I was being interviewed for State Board, I was not sure on what questions were going to be thrown my way that I would have to create a strong response in seconds. Of course, there is one question that sticks out in my mind: what is the theme song for your life?
When they asked this question, at first, I was like what the heck? Why not ask me what three things would I bring on an island or something dumb like that but before my mind could concoct some in-depth, captivating answer, my mouth was already blurting out, “I Hope you Dance, by Lee Ann Womack.” I don’t know where that answer came from or how but before I knew it, the people’s heads were nodding and smiles were forming. This moment constantly pops into my mind and makes me think about the song and its meaning.
Maybe it was coincidence or maybe my brain is just one step ahead of my thoughts about my life but this song truly captures my view on what living is about. For my birthday, one little gift I received was a little book based off of this song with the CD inside. I guess telling my mom this story stuck out in her mind too.
Never give up…especially on life. This is one guideline I never stray away from.
“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. When one door closes I hope one more opens. Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”
Powerful words. Powerful meaning. Now, most people are very aware of the fact that I can’t dance but that doesn’t stop me from making this my ‘Theme Song’ for life. These words are guidelines I hope to follow throughout my lifetime and hope to carry on to my children.
Regardless of all the amazing opportunities and accomplishments I have gained, I will never consider myself to be above others. I know my place in this world and will strive to get bigger but not expect people around me to shrink. When I stand beside the ocean, I still feel small. This doesn’t mean I feel less important or not good enough. This is just to show that there are still so many things out there in life I have yet to experience or even hear about. Just because great things are happening to me, it doesn’t mean I’m anything bigger or better when compared to others. Everyone is special in their own way (I know, I’m sounding like Barney right now, but it’s true).
“Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along”…wow. What a perfectly summed up thought. This is how my life feels. It just keeps going, and going, and going, with new and exciting things happening but it never pauses or freezes or comes to a complete stop. My life is constantly on the go even when I wish I could just stop everything and take a break. But, deep down, I never want to. As much as I hate to admit it, the last thing I want is to have too much time on my hands. I like just rolling along, absorbing all the good, all the bad, all the difficulties, all the pleasures, and never staying in one place to dwell over one specific moment.
“I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance.” Some obstacles in life are intimidating and seem too high over my head, too impossible, or on a higher level, but the way I see it, is that these mountains are just a little more of a reach and attempt. If I want to get somewhere bad enough I will get there, regardless of what it takes. I make life’s impossibilities possible to the best of my ability.
My life’s music will keep on playing. If my life was one broken record player, this song would be on the record. I have been dancing. I am dancing. And ‘I hope I dance’ for the rest of my life.
Music really is the center of most of our lives. As I was searching for songs to use for this blog I came across an interesting discovery. My favorite songs seem to be the ones that can get me in a good mood no matter what, ones that will lift me up when I’m down, or ones I can blast when I’m angry knowing that someone is feeling the same way as me. But when it came down to it, it was the favorites of my songs that I listened to less frequently that were the ones that held truth about my life. For as long as I can remember Christmas music has been my absolute favorite. I knew one song that has always made me tear up and be thankful for what I have on any day and that song is Christmas Shoes:
“Sir I wanna buy these shoes for my Momma please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry Sir?
Daddy says there's not much time
You see, she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes will make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful
If Momma meets Jesus, tonight.”
It is so heart wrenching to think of a young child having to go through such a horrible thing and being so selfless, wanting only what is best for his sick mother. No matter what fight I may have gotten in with my parents over something stupid, this song immediately makes me appreciate them so much more. My life would truly be incomplete without one of my parents and I can not be thankful enough for them. I usually listen to this song after an argument with my parents because it reminds me of how infinitesimal our issues are when compared to something of this magnitude. This song also helps me to cope with death knowing that if a young kid can maintain a positive outlook while dealing with the soon death of his mother, then it is doable. Another song that demonstrates meaning in my life is So Small:
“It's so easy to get lost inside
A problem that seems so big, at the time
It's like a river that's so wide
It swallows you whole
While you're sittin round thinking about what you can't change
And worryin' about all the wrong things
Time's flying by, moving so fast
You better make it count, cause you can't get it back
Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing
Is just a grain of sand
What you've been out there searchin for forever
Is in your hands
Oh, When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Seem so small”
This somewhat incorporates the other song I mentioned but this song always reminds me to not “sweat the small stuff”. This is especially important in our crazy teen years when drama seems to consume our lives at one point or another. Us, being overly dramatic teens, see this as the world ending, when really these problems, in the grand scheme of life are nothing but “grains of sand” like the song says and are so small and unimportant. At the time though, things seems much more life altering. This song also holds special importance for me because I am often worrying about things I can not control or change, which is pointless. This helps me to remember to not over dramatize my life and demonstrates a worry-free life that I would very much want to live.
Like Leslie, I love the song I Hope You Dance. For me this is special meaning because this was the song my former dance teacher used for our finale the year she was retiring and challenged us to always “give faith a fighting chance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” This goes beyond the literal meaning of dancing, it means that we should always go for anything we have the opportunity to. When given an opportunity we shouldn’t just sit out, but we should “dance” or else we will never know the meaning of certain opportunities life has handed us.
When I first read this week’s blog, I thought it was going to be like one of the easiest ones to write. So, I opened up my iTunes and began looking for a song that represents what I want out of life and love and what really represents me. It’s an hour later and I’m really not satisfied with my choices, but I guess it will have to do, because after all, no song is going to fully capture anyone’s true emotions. The song 100 Years by Five For Fighting is the closest thing to what I want to achieve out of my life.
I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
I love the lyrics, cascading up the age ladder. It’s so true that you only have 100 years to live so you have to live each minute to it’s fullest potential, that of which I feel like I haven’t done. This song is just now making me realize how much time I’ve wasted worrying about things that I have no control of or trying to plan rather than just letting my life run it’s course. You can only do so much planning and organizing before you get caught up in your own world. This song brings me back to “earth” and reminds me to just slow down and chill.
Another song, like Leslie, is I Hope You Dance by Leeann Womack. I performed this song last year for Cabaret Night, not only because I think it’s a pretty song, but also because the connection between my Grammy and I was represented through it. She also gave me the CD with the little book attached so when the hosts announced that I would be singing I Hope You Dance, I told them to dedicate it to my Grammy. :) It’s always going to be something that shared between us and every time I hear that song I picture her telling me those lyrics. Some of which are:
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
I know that I have people who will always be behind the choices I make and that they believe in me. Love on the other hand is so hard to talk about. But all I know is that it’s definitely worth taking a chance because even if it doesn’t last forever, you will still always have the memories that will always remain in your heart. Now that I think about it, so much has happened in my life that I never thought would and it was because I took a risk. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you win. Every time I fail I just think to myself that I can’t win ‘em all, but without taking that risk, I could have been missing out. Basically, life is one big risk taker.
A lot of times a person's favorite song is the song they can connect to most. Granted, that's unless it's "Love In This Club" and it's only a favorite because it has a catchy beat...unless you CAN relate to it..in which case I would tell you that you would probably get kicked out of the club if you made love. But that's besides the point. Anyway, the song I relate to most is called "Walking On Water" by Paul Wright. Here's the lyrics:
"She wakes up and takes up her surfboard heads out out from the seashore and from the world in where she lives. She's got no fears or worries at all right there just the smell of salt water that's in the air and the sunrise.
She's walking on water, she's walking on water
Verse 1:
Imagine waking up no knowing if today is your last one tell me what would you say if you had somebody tell you that you're young but youre dying which is weird cuz you feel so alive and she has a dream to be queen of the ocean mad emotion showing her devotion on her surfboard fully in motion hoping for a miracle whn her eyes first open.
(Chorus)
Verse 2:
Face up toes in the sand surfah girl gave up trying to understand why some get to live and other have to die she's tired of goodbyes cuz they make her cry lookin in the sky blues as her eyes watchin the rising of the sun well how time flies when you're outside and your in love and your'e havin fun remember all the days when she was layin down on the sand with her fam and she had a plan bam to wake up at the daylight watch her rise like the sun on the run from the night sunrise feels so alive."
I know we were only supposed to put a piece of them on here, but I feel like I relate to every single line so I couldn't help myself. I can't even describe the feeling of being able to paddle out to the horizon on a surfboard, even if it's dead flat. It's like an out-of-mind out-of-body experience for me and is my form of meditating by sitting in room 204 with our hands and feet flat, focusing on the sound of the heater. This song descibes the experience, my emotions, and my idea on life for me in 2 minutes and 47 seconds and that's just amazing. That's besides the fact that it totally gives me the feeling of energizica.
I tend to like happy, upbeat songs (ask Em..it makes me crazy when we listen to our ipods on the bus and a slow, sad song comes on shuffle.) And, of course, I'm in love with Jack Johnson's music (ALL of it) because he's probably the chillest guy ever.
I also love the song "Float On" but Modest Mouse because it reminds me that sometimes I just need to kick back and take a breath. "I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well he just drove off sometimes life's ok
I ran my mouth off a bit too much oh what can i say
Well you just laughed it off it was all ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on ok
And we'll all float on any way."
Life goes on, no matter what happens, and sometimes you need to be able to go through life laughing at yourself.
Oh goodness, I am so obsessed with music. When I get grounded, my mom takes my ipod and cds, and that is pretty much enough to make go crazy. I have so many songs that when ever I listen to them I can just think, "This is me!" But, of course when it comes to actually choosing one, I couldn't think of any!
Fortunately, I was on the bus ride home today, and this one came on. Times Like These by Jack Johnson.
"In times like these
In times like those
What will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes
And there has always been laughing, crying, birth, and dying
Boys and girls with hearts that take and give and break
And heal and grow and recreate and raise and nurture
But then hurt from time to time like these
And times like those
And what will be will be
And so it goes
And there will always be stop and go and fast and slow
Action,Reaction, sticks and stones and broken bones
Those for peace and those for war
And god bless these ones, not those ones
But these ones made times like these
And times like those
What will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes"
This is just such a down to earth song. It is saying that life goes on through everything that people encounter. What ever happens will happen, but it will always go on, back to what is known of life, like laughing, crying, birth and dying. The cycles will never be broken, the lives will keep on moving.
Of course, every girl has a love song that they imagine what it should be like. Mine, atleast for today, would have to be Green Eyes by Coldplay. I love it!
"Honey you are a rock
Upon which I stand
And I come here to talk
I hope you understand
That green eyes
Yeah the spotlight shines upon you
And how could anybody deny you
I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter
Now I met you
And honey you should know
That I could never go on without you
Green eyes
Honey you are the sea
Upon which I float
And I came here to talk
I think you should know"
I think it is basically saying, that with out her, he wouldn't be as stable. She keeps him standing. She is his rock and the sea upon which he floats. I think love has a lot to do with needing each other, especially if the other person can see and appreciate how much that person means to them in their life. Its even better that she can listen to his "load" and make it better. I think it's kinda cute that he calls the girl green eyes too=].
I'm probably going to wish that I chose completely different songs by the time I exit out of this. But at least my new tactic helped me remember, Bunje!
This song may not be my favorite song, but it does have some parts in it that could tell the world what I think. This Is Who We Are by Cartel is the song that expresses something to me. These are some of the lyrics to this song.
Patience, child, it'll find you
Your deepest dreams will guide you
The moment that you're born
And all my fear inside will come through
Hiding right behind you
Don't let it get that far
Somehow
Breathe a little deeper now
Cause this is who we are
When we look into their eyes
Don't fly so high
So high, little bird
We'll get your wings clipped
Pick it up, pick it up
Now you've learned
Searching the moment that defines you
Your deepest dreams remind you
Get up before you're gone
Now that I'm here
Is what surrounds you
Push it up, get it up all around you
Never stop and you will find it all
So we decided
We decided
We decide this now
So find out how we can survive
We can survive
If we learn how to live our lives
If we learn how to live…
I believe this song expresses me because it tells about following your dreams and how you have to be patient. I believe if I am patient and I set my own dreams I WILL succeed and I will live my life the way I want to. And when it comes to fear, I can’t be afraid to fail and can’t let it get ahead of my dreams. Dreams to me are very important because I have set so many for myself and I want to complete all of them. I will continue to fight and move towards my dreams. I let my dreams influence my decisions and I have learned this is very successful because everyday I feel I am moving towards my dreams. And in harsh times I just think of what my dreams are and move on. Setting a guide to my life seems to be a very wise choice. Yes, I may go off track a few times, but I go right back and remember what defines me. I have decided what I want to do, and I will continue to live my life to get there. Decisions are very powerful; however they have to be made. And if you mess something up it’s life, just try and fix it. Overall, this song has all different things I think are necessary all put into one. Having patience, no fear, not going too far, striving, getting back on track, deciding, defining, and surviving are all things that are good to master. Take a deep breathe and send all the bad things packing and just remember the good things. And with all this, I think everything will go good and this is who I am based on the song This Is Who We Are.
I agree with Erin when she says that songs help her move on and reach inside herself by defining how she feels at times and bringing her back to reality. Songs really do help change emotions and sometimes help you understand things better.
So many wonderful songs how will I ever choose only two? I guess I’ll manage. Honestly music is my heart I can get through anything and it provides strength and comfort all at the same time. With that said I want to discuss two very personal songs that help me through, ok three but hey two wasn’t enough. The first is Petals by the Honorary Title if you are unfamiliar with this lyrical savvy and genius song please download it. I really like when he says:
Nothing you say can or will ever penetrate
These walls that I create
When you spew that barage of insulting words
In life we will encounter people who will try and bring us down and unfortunaley we do build walls to protect our feelings and heart. I can relate to this is more ways then one when it comes to boys, girls, my parents. Sooner or later I’ll be a fortress not just a wall.
Moving on we have a lot of ground to cover. Say (All I Need) by One Republic is so amazing. Let’s take a deeper look shall we:
Do you know where your heart is?
Do you think you can find it?
Or did you trade it for something
Somewhere better just to have it?
Do you know where your love is?
Do you think that you lost it?
You felt it so strong, but
Nothing's turned out how you wanted
Well, bless my soul
You're a lonely soul
Cause you won't let go
Of anything you hold
Well, all I need
Is the air I breathe
And a place to rest
My head
My sentiments exactly sometimes I feel like I’m losing my self and not always following my heart, simply not letting go whether it be with friends or guys mainly guys. This song is like a reality check saying what you need isn’t always what we think we need. Though I should listen to the song like it said I just can’t let go.
And last but not least Stop and Stare by One Republic another Niah Classic.
This sort of reminds me how fear can hold us back. Let’s take another look:
Stop and stare
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared
But I've become what I can't be, oh
I feel like sometimes fear holds me back and I’m at a standstill, no growth can take place which in return alters us into the one thing we sometimes vowed not to be. Stop and
Stare helps me relate to that feeling, you can’t always be scared because when you stop and look at your life and who you are you might lose yourself.
Like everyone seems to agree music is a way we can reach inside ourselves and create a realization that would've never been made. Music is an alternate way at looking at our lives through lyrics.
Just throwing it out there...Alli really is obsessed with music..in a good way. whenver you wanna hear a song that you've never heard of, just go over to alli and she'll give you a list of like 1000 to choose from. she has one for every situation you want to relate to, every mood your in, and every mood you want to get out of..DJ Alli Mac in the house!
This year especially, music has helped me through some pretty tough times. There is one song in particular that I can always listen to, and as soon as I turn it on, my mood completely changes. It doesn’t really describe my life, but it always makes me feel better. The song is “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart. Now, you’re probably thinking, ‘Rod Stewart? Wtf?’ But I have a reason for being totally in love with Rod Stewart. From infancy until I was four, I went to a babysitter five days a week from 7 in the morning to 7 at night who was seriously in love with Rod Stewart. From the time I got to her house to the time my mom came and picked me up, Rod Stewart was playing from some sort of speaker in the house and sometimes in the backyard. I knew all the words to “Forever Young” and “Have I Told You Lately” by the age of three. So really, I can’t help but love Rod Stewart.
I could go on and on with a list of songs that describe a part of my life or that accompany a great memory (such as Walkin’ On Sunshine, The Purple People Eater, Teddy Bear, If All the Raindrops and I Feel Like Dying to name a few), but I can’t think of one song that could encapsulate it all. And I know that’s practically impossible to do unless I wrote a song about my life. But I’m going to try and narrow the list down to a song or two. The first one is called “It’s Only Life” by Kate Voegele. This is the chorus and my favorite verse:
Don't look away
Don't run away
Hey baby it's only life
Don't lose your faith
Don't run away
Hey baby its only life
Yea it's only life
Take your hesitance
And your self-defense
Leave them behind, it's only life
Don't be so afraid
Of facing everyday
Just take your time, it's only life
I'll be your stepping-stone
No, don't be so alone
Just hold on tight, it's only life
This song has helped me to learn to not sweat the small stuff (well most of it) and appreciate the good things in life. Though I have to regularly remind myself that getting angry over something small and petty is not worth it, I’m definitely getting better at controlling it and keeping a level head.
The next song, “Instant Karma” by U2 (well actually the U2 version is only a cover), defines pretty well what I’ve learned about friendships and the way people should live their lives.
Instant karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
everyone that you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you're everywhere?
Come get your share
We all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
We all shine on
On and on and on!
Throughout life, everyone comes in contact with thousands, maybe millions of people, whether directly or indirectly. We form acquaintances, friendships, and bonds with these people. And through trial and error we figure out who are true friends are. That’s what I think about the first segment. The next part really got me. We’re not alive to fear everything to the point where we’re all too scared to do anything we want to do. We’re here to live our lives to the fullest, getting everything out of life we can. If you have a chance to go somewhere you’ve never been before, whether it be Paris, Thailand or Little Rock, Arkansas, don’t pass that chance up. Even if you’re going to Little Rock, don’t be upset that you’re not going somewhere exotic or foreign. Hey, Little Rock might surprise you. And finally, the last part. Everyone on this planet has a chance to shine and make a difference whether they realize it or not. All those kids on the “Feed the Children” commercials have the ability to be the next Prime Minister or President of their country, but they can’t because they’re not able to afford to go to school. The fact that we have all of these resources available to us should make us all that much more motivated to become something spectacular. :)
Commenting on Alli’s blog, I think I would die if my music got taken away from me for any period of time. I’m one of those people who listen to music in my spare time, any free moment I get. Music is a huge part of my life and I really can’t live without it. And Mikey, I know exactly what you mean about the instrumental music. I listen to a lot of that too, and there really isn’t words to describe the kinds of emotions that some of that music arouses. For me, it’s Rachmaninov, my favorite classical composer. Music is at the heart and soul of almost everything, and it should be a part of everyone’s lives.
This question isn't as easy as everyone made it out to be. Ok, so as soon as I read this blog question, I thought of nothing. I decided that to answer this question, I'd need my handy-dandy itunes library open. Scrolling down, staring at the screen with hundreds of title to songs, I just realized that close to all of them are love songs. What love song represents me? None. So I scrolled down to the gospel play list and there is was the song of my life. It's called "Can't Give up Now", by Mary Mary. It describes how you should never give up about anything. Even when it seems as if you back is against the wall, you shouldn't give up, and should feel good to know that God is with you at all times. My faith is God is really strong. No matter what happens, I will always keep my strong faith in him. The song also tells how there will be "mountains to climb" and "battles to fight", but not giving up is key. There have been times in my life when I was depressed or overwhelmed about something, and this song has made me feel better in knowing that I am not alone.
"Can't Give Up Now"
There will be mountains that I will have to climb
And there will be battles that I will have to fight
But victory or defeat, it's up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win if I never try.
I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me
Never said there wouldn't be trials
Never said I wouldn’t fall
Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go
But when my back is against the wall
And I feel all hope is gone,
I'll just lift my head up to the sky
And say help me to be strong
I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me
[Hook:]
No you didn't bring me out here to leave me lonely
Even when I can't see clearly
I know that you are with me (so I can't)
I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me
Another song is called "My Life", by Mary J Blige. This song is about being real with yourself. Saying what's on your mind will help you to release negative energy. I find this so true. Now, no matter what it is, if I feel funny about something, I'll speak on it. It seems so necessary now. I feel a lot better because of it too. It also says how you will realize that you need no one except the man up above, and that is God. I feel as though it's totally true because in reality, God is all I need to get by. People are born alone and you die alone, but I always know that God is with me.
Life can be only what you make it
When you're feeling down
You should never fake it
Say what's on your mind
And you'll find in time
That all the negative energy
It would all cease
And you'll be at peace with yourself
You won't really need no one else
Except for the man up above
Because He'll give you love
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
Take your time
Baby don't you rush a thing
Don't you know, I know
We all are struggling
I know it is hard
But we will get by
And if you don't believe in me
Just believe in "He"
Cause He'll give you peace of mind
Yes He will
And you'll see the sunshine
For real, yes you would
And you'll get to free your mind
And things will turn out fine
Oh, I know that things will turn out fine
Yes they would, yes they would
Even though these two songs don’t sum up my entire life, it’s pretty close. When it comes to stuff like this, I wish I could write my own songs. Then comes the hard part; what about my life? It seems as though I can’t find a song that fits me entirely because I am too complicated. The songs I have now are simple and have clear basic meanings. However, now with since we’ve done several blogs, I am finding myself, and slowly defining who I am as a person.
Wow, this is a good one Bunje!
As you said not just one song can encompass all that I go through, all my fears, all my wants and the list goes on. As a teenager many of us face different dilemmas. We are all on a rollercoaster of emotions. We all have that person that makes us upset and we all have that person that truly makes us happy. Sometime we just want to getaway and sometimes we just need that one person to shows us how to go on with life and all the obstacles we constantly face.
Sometimes I wish I could hide away
Looking for a place to getaway
Getaway from all the heartache and pain that life can bring
I really don't want to sound
Like I can't hold my ground
But everybody needs some time
That they can getaway
“Getaway”
Monica
This is the chorus of one of my favorite songs. Everyone goes through this point in their life when they feel like everything is overwhelming and they cannot withstand what life is throwing at them. You really just want to be invisible and have no fear or emotion. You want to be alone in solitude and have a sense of serenity.
I just wanna feel I belong,
I just need the strength to be strong,
Show me a way,
Won't you show me a way.
Show me which way to go,
Can't do this all alone,
I can't do this all alone.
Don't feel like I know how,
To make it on my own
Is anybody listening,
Can anybody answer my prayers,
Please say yes,
Does anybody feel the same.
And is there anybody who cares,
Life's unfair, its so unfair.
“Is Anybody Listening”
Danity Kane
Is Anybody Listening by Danity Kane is a song that almost all teenagers can relate to. At times it feels like I’m just not heard. We all need that guidance from that one person. For most girls they have their mom to run to for help or their loving father. For me it feels like I’m by myself all the time. I don’t really talk to anyone in my house and nowadays you can’t count on friends. My father has never been around so that’s completely out of the question. It feels like I’m alone at times and sometimes I just long for that guidance that your mom can give as a teenager. Don’t get me wrong its not that my mother is not caring its just she not like other mothers who have a mother-sister relationship with their daughters it strictly motherly talk.
Though these are not the only two songs that go with the individual I am it sure does go deep and some how gives you guys a clip of the emotions that run through me.
Thank you for saying you love Jack Johnson, Joanna. He’s my absolute favorite and a few weeks ago, my physics class had a discussion about how much they hate him. I won’t mention any names. Whenever I’m overwhelmed or sad or happy, basically always, I listen to Jack. His cds WOULD be in my car if I could get my freaking license plates. But anyway, after listening to any of his music, I calm down.
I find some kind of meaning in almost all of his songs that I can relate to, mainly because they’re all really good (don’t tell me they’re not, you haters). I personally like Inaudible Melodies. When I went to copy part of the lyrics, I considered highlighting the whole song. But here’s just part of it so I don’t bore you…
Slow down everyone
You're moving too fast
Frames can't catch you when
You're moving like that
Inaudible melodies
Serve narrational strategies
Unobtrusive tones
Help to notice nothing but the zone
Of visual relevancy
Frame-lines tell me what to see
Chopping like an axe and
Maybe Eisenstein should just relax
Especially around AP exam time, I get SO overwhelmed and I end up in either a bad mood or crying on a pretty regular basis. I feel like I have so much stuff to do and that it’s impossible to finish. This song always reminds me to just slow down and relax. Okay I keep thinking of more and more songs that I like but I’ll put this one too. Another Jack…of course.
it all happened so much faster
than you could say disaster
wanna take a time lapse
and look at it backwards
from the last one
and maybe that's just the answer
that we're after
but after all
we're just a bubble in a boiling pot
just one breath in a chain of thought
the moments just combusting
feel certain but we'll never never know
just seems the same
give it a different name
we're begging and we're needing
and we're trying and we're breathing
I like the whole “we’re just a bubble in a boiling pot, just one breath in a chain of thought” because a lot of times we don’t realize that and we act like the world revolves around us. Right now, the world is revolving around the idiot that I bought my car from because he won’t fill out the papers for my car the right way so I don’t have license plates and I bought it on Saturday and I’ve driven it for a full two minutes. I’M SO ANGRY. And you know what makes me feel better when I’m angry? Jack Johnson. I’m going to listen to my ipod. Bye.
This blog was hard for me. There a numerous songs that represent parts of my life in sections or in whole. Music is something i love to listen to and it most defianty keeps my relaxed. As i listen to music i often find my self putting the song into some revelance to my life whether it be me in particular or someone in my life.
"Since the day they got married,
He'd been praying for a little baby boy.
Someone he could take fishing,
Throw the football and be his pride and joy.
He could already see him holding that trophy,
Taking his team to state.
But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket,
All those big dreams changed.
CHORUS
And now he's wrapped around her finger,
She's the center of his whole world.
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American Girl.
Sixteen short years later,
She was falling for the senior football star.
Before you knew it he was dropping passes,
Skipping practice just to spend more time with her.
The coach said "Hey son, what's your problem? Tell me, have you lost your mind?"
Daddy said you'll lose your free ride to college, boy you better tell her goodbye.
CHORUS
But now he's wrapped around her finger,
She's the center of his whole world.
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American...
And when they got married and decided to have one of their own,
She said "Be honest, tell me what do you want?"
And he said "Honey, you oughta know... Sweet, little, beautiful... one just like you. Oh a beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American..."
Now he's wrapped around her finger,
She's the center of his whole world.
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American Girl.
Oh American Girl."
This song reflects my life because my dad really wanted a boy for his first child. Instead of a boy he got me. His little baby girl. Ever since I was younger I have always had my daddy wrapped around my finger and he spoils me with things and love. Now that I am growing older this love has broadened and has extended to that of my boyfriend. Though sometimes I don’t see that so much, the others around me see how much he is infatuated by me and will do anything and everything for me. Having these people around me who care and love me give me the inspiration to go on through life with my head held high to impress them and show them how well I can do. In my eyes I am that all American girl. Yes I have my own unique attributes, but I am categorized as normal. I guess I never thought out it that way but even though this song may depict the all american girls, it is also depicted their individuality and the relationships with their dads and boyfriends. Though at times it may not seem this way but no matter how much we doubt it, women seem to always have their men wrapped around their fingers, whether it is for one second or one year, it is just hard for a man to say no.
Usher:]
A Town's Down!
[Lil' Jon:]
Yeah, Ok! Lil' Jon!
[Usher:]
Yeah, Yeah Yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeaah
Yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeaah
[Usher (Verse 1):]
I'm in the club with my homies, tryna get a lil V-I, keep it down on the low key, cause you know how it feels.
I said shorty she was checkin up on me, from the game she was spittin my ear you'd think that she knew me.
So we decided to chill
Conversation got heavy, she had me feelin like she's ready to blow!
(Watch Out!, Watch Out!)
She saying come get me, come get me,
So I got up and followed her to the floor, she said baby lets go,
When I told her I said
[Usher (Chorus):]
Yeah (yeah) Shorty got down to come and get me
Yeah (yeah) I got so caught up I forgot she told me
Yeah (yeah) Cause if my girl new it'd be best to hold me
Yeah (yeah) Next thing I knew she was all up on me screaming:
Yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeaah
Yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeah yeah, Yeaah
[Usher (Verse 2):]
Shes all up in my head now, got me thinking that it might good idea to take her with me,
Cause she's ready to leave.
Now I gotta keep it real now, cause on a one-to-ten she's a certified twenty, and that just aint me.
Cause I do know if I take that chance just where is it gonna lead,
But what I do know is the way she dance makes shorty alright with me.
The way she getting low!
I'm like yeah, just work that out for me.
She asked for one more dance and I'm
Like yeah, how the hell am I supposed to leave?
And I said
[Chorus]
[Lil' Jon:]
Luda!
[Ludacris (Verse 3):]
Watch out!
My outfit's ridiculous, In the club lookin' so conspicuous.
And Rowl! These women al on the prowl, if you hold the head steady I'm a milk the cow.
Forget about the game I'm a spit the truth, I won't stop till I get em in they birthday suits.
So gimmie the rhythm and it'll be off with they clothes, then bend over to the front and touch your toes.
I left the jag and I took the roles, if they aint cutting then I put em on foot patrol.
How you like me now, when my pinky's valued over three hundred thousand,
Lets drank you the one to please, Ludacris fill cups like double d's.
Me and Ush once more and we leave em dead, we want a lady in the street but a freak in the bed to say
[Chorus]
[Ludacris (Bridge):]
Take that and rewind it back, Lil' Jon got the rhythm make ya booty go (clap)
Take that and rewind it back, Ursher got the voice make ya booty go (clap)
Take that and rewind it back, Ludacris got the flow make ya booty go (clap)
Take that and rewind it back, Lil' Jon got the rhythm make ya booty go (clap)
a let me see you do tha A town star
a do the A town star
and do the muscle
and do the muscle
and do the muscle
and do the muscle
a thunderr clap hey
a thunderr clap hey
a thunderr clap hey
a thunderr clap hey
and rock away
rock away
rock away
rock away
and turn!!
Good times, good times. When I was younger I was on this soccer team called the Airchargers. We played with a coach for a few years and then she quit so my dad took over. This song became our toast to a new beginning and an amazing ending. This song is my memory book of my past. From the time I hit my teen years this song was played at every chance possible. My friends and I all know the lyrics and have made up numerous dances, ones that usually don’t go in rhythm with the music or lyrics but are funny and a good time. This song was our pump up song before our soccer games and was something we all shared. It was the greatest song during its time and will always be remember and well known. The memories this song brings back into my mind fill me with joy and bring a smile to my face and to all the air charger alumni, you know who you are, YEAH!!!
Erin, i love that song, i can defiantly relate to that song as well. I love the way that song makes me feels inside. The song really makes me think.
I love reading other peoples blogs because i dont think two people will have the same songs. I guess we will have to wait and see.
Wow, a blog I actually like. What a pleasant surprise. I listen to a lot of India Arie. She‘s amazing. I would even be bold enough to say that Shakespeare has nothing on her! Her music isn’t even music, It’s poetry! She’s so real, and that’s what most appealing about her music. Every song talks about all these feelings that I didn’t know could even be defined. Every time I listen to her music I’m motivated and I feel happy. Everything she is, is what I want to be. I want to feel beautiful, I want to feel like I’m worth the trouble, I want to know and understand the truth about things, I just want feel secure in myself and in my decisions and that’s what I feel she represents, as well as the lyrics to this song. This song I feel pertains the most to the stage in my life right now. This song talks about a place called beautiful and it’s not literally a place you can jump in your car and go to it’s a place inside of you that you find. We all have it inside of us to go there, but the questions is How many people actually get there? And how long does it take? As I’m reading these lyrics more and more I guess I can infer that she’s talking about being at peace with yourself and all your insecurities and everything and everyone around you and learning forgiveness. Like an escape into yourself. I cant just put a couple verses because then you wouldn’t get what I was talking about soooooo;
“Beautiful“- India Arie
The time is right
I'm gonna pack my bags
And take that journey down the road
Cause over the mountain I see the bright sun shinning
And I want to live inside the glow
I wanna go to place where I am nothing and everything
That exists between here and nowhere
I wanna got to a place time as no consequence
The sky opens to my prayers
Please understand that its not that I don't care
But right know these wall are closing in on me
I love you more than I love life itself
But I need to find a place were I can breathe
I can breathe
I wanna go to place were I can hold the intangible
And let of the pain with all my might
I wanna go to a place where I am suspended in ecstasy
Some where between dark and light
Where wrong becomes right
…I wanna go to beautiful.
One other song that always gets me to think would be Alicia Keys’ Lesson learned I can’t get enough of this one part of the song because it’s an idea that I’m reluctant to admit, but am woman enough to say.
A Life perfect ain’t perfect if you don’t know what the struggle’s for
Falling down ain’t falling down if you don’t cry when you hit the floor
It’s call the past cause I’m getting past and I ain’t nothing like I was before
You oughta see me now..
I feel like in my life, I’ve seen and experienced a lot more than I would like to share, but I think the lesson I am slowly, but surly, learning in my life is that you can try and sugar coat things all you want and you can try and make things seem perfect, but everyone has their limits and breaking points. Everyone has vulnerabilities whether they show it or not, in my case I try to hide it as much as I can and not necessarily let people “in” and it takes a toll, but I think that’s why I’m so dependent on my boyfriend. Even though we go through a lot of little… “discrepancies” I would say that when I realize that everything can’t be perfect and I do hit the floor he really is my shoulder to lean on. I’ve grown so much from him as well as him from I. I think the biggest lesson that i've learned from him would be the art of just accepting things for what they are and moving on.
I'm in love with a stripper! Haha sike. I feel like these types of blogs for me are always kind of boring and repetitive because I always express the soft and sensitive side of me. I do listen to some hard rap and gangsta but I wouldn't say I love those songs, just like 'em alot. Mostly 50, twista, weezy, y'all know. But I have to say, coming from my sensitive womanly soft side, one of my favorite songs is I believe I can fly. I have little doubt that everyone has heard this song before, so I don't see too much need to include the whole song. The lyrics and melodies are just so uplifting and urging it makes me feel like I can do anything. "I believe I can fly", the name of the song says it all, and I guess it's part of my philosophy on life, to perservere and with determination any goal can be achieved.
On top of that I fell in love with the song "Back at One" by Brian McKnight the second i heard it. I love that song without a doubt. Maybe because I believe so strongly in treating my partner with so much respect and treating her like a princess. I am very straightforward with my feelings, which, sometimes, can be good or bad. This song, when I know how I feel about someone, amplifies this feeling and makes me want to do everything he says in the song.
"One, you're like a dream come true.
Two, just wanna be with you.
Three, girl it's plain to see that you're the only one for me.
Four, repeat steps one through three.
Five, make you fall in love with me.
If I ever believe my work is done, then I start back at one."
I'm so soft for this song and I hate it but I love it at the same time. Maybe I love it so much because I put my heart into every relationship and I believe so hard in my relationships, because if you don't they won't work. It is probably my ideal situation, to have someone that would fully appreciate everything I have to offer, but I might be getting ahead of myself because I am so mature about my relationships. But that's my philosophy and I'm not changing. I think I've finally found one who understands and is trying to accept what I have to give her but at the same time I've learned I have to relax and be patient even though I know my feelings and I'm not afraid to express myself.
"I believe I can fly"
Because I can and will do anything I want.
"Back at One"
Because that is how I will treat My Love.
As I sat down and thought about songs I like or songs that make me happy, I thought about which bands or singers I enjoy listening to. I realized that at different times in my life certain songs mean more to me than others. Sometimes I am in a certain situation and a song captures the same situation. But then I realized I really enjoy listening to music not always for the lyrics though but for either the voices or the music itself. Finally, I realized that Christian music is the music I enjoy most and relate to the most. I know most people do not even realize there is Christian music and they believe that there is only gospel or hymns. But there are Christian songs that sound just like any other song but with better meanings.
After realizing that I was going to use a Christian song I decided on a Kutless song. It is called Smile.
On a plane somewhere again
I take my place in line just like every other time
I slide into my window seat
She was sitting there
One seat over so I said "Hello, how are you today?"
With my smile I could see the hope within her eyes
And I knew that something's different today
[CHORUS:]
Though everything's the same inside there's something real
A faith which causes me to change. (But what's different now)
A spark is gleaming in my eye like diamond stars that fill the sky
I think a smile says it all
A smile says it all
The conversation presses on
As miles pass below, she said I have to let you know
You seem so different to me
There is a joy inside
The love of God is all I know from which this could originate
With one smile I could see, the faith we share inside
And I know that something's different today
[BRIDGE:]
I see what a smile can say about me
I know that words are not always what speak
Sometimes it's not what I say
That the world around me seems to understand
Originally, I was planning on putting down another song from them but I remembered when I went to their concert I heard this song and it reminded me of myself. They simply put it. A smile says it all. I agree with that statement a smile can say it all. It can brighten up other people’s days and even yourself. At first I was not going to put the whole song either but as I continued reading the lyrics I felt that I needed to these lyrics were actually more like myself than I realized.
But I do not only think that Christian songs summarize my life. There is one song that for some reason always brightens up my day. Daniel Powter, Bad Day, after yesterday I thought about this song and decided to forget about the terrible night.
Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to gray
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee you go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on
Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Will you need a blue sky holiday?
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on
Chorus
(Oooh.. a holiday..)
Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong
(yeah...)
So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
Chorus
I can always listen to this song and it cheers me up. Last night at my track meet I got hurt. Then later I went to the hospital and scarf iced time that I needed to study for the calculus test, but I thought of this song, told myself no stress, and was able to turn my bad day into a good day. This song allows me to realize everyone has a bad day and you just need to pull yourself through it because everything will be just fine. I could probably continue thinking of songs until my eyes get tired from looking at the computer screen but I feel these two songs describe my life the best. Brittany said, “My favorite songs seem to be the ones that can get me in a good mood no matter what, ones that will lift me up when I’m down, or ones I can blast when I’m angry knowing that someone is feeling the same way as me.” I agree with her the songs I choose help cheer me and allow me to realize the pain that everyone goes through and that I am not the only one. Music does help me get through the rough times that I go through and also summarize my life more than I realized.
Music is one of the most important aspects of my life. Without music I wouldn’t be anything. I like the lyrics of any song as much as the next person I also like to sing songs but the most important part of a song for me is the actual music. To me the lyrics are just an add on to the actual music. They are actually two different aspects to the song. I only say that because it is harder for me to relate with a song when I pay attention to the lyrics because the lyrics to the song are specific usually to the singer’s experiences. But music though there is just so much you can get from it when you make the music a part of yourself. Now that you know how I view music I can tell you a song that is most like my own personality.
For anyone who’s ever seen the movie the mask you’ve heard this song even though you might think you haven’t. The song’s name is Coco Bongo by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. This song is perfect for me because first of all I love the big band and jazz types of music. When you listen to the song you can hear that one of the effects their music has is a lot of times where they hit a note with a lot of power and the roll down the staff and getting quiet. To me this gives off the feeling of being unpredictable which if you know me I am all the time. In the beginning of the song there is a trumpet solo that to me seems all over the place when you listen to it but not in a bad way it’s just that the solo very sparatic and spontaneous. I am for the most part all over the place especially when telling a story, it makes scenes in the end but you have to wait till the end to get the whole picture. Then there is a tenor saxophone solo that adds soul and jazz to the song but is also quite complicated. While I can sometimes be a tough nut to crack once I’m open I try to add a little something to the group I’m in. Then in the middle of the song there is a part where the song becomes a little slower where the song seems to take a break which is necessary for everyone and I like to always just take some time to myself where I can just sit and relax. In most song this is the hardest part to hear but is the most important part of the song because it hold the whole song together. It is the bass beat and it is steady and unwavering. When helping out my friends I try to be a steady shoulder to lean on.
I agree with Mikey on his comment about musicals I though love musicals but on the aspect of the music I tend to pay more attention to the music of the play then the play part of the play but I do pay attention to both just the music more.
After thinking long and hard about which song could possibly some up my life, I decided it had to be “Bad Touch” by Bloodhound Gang. The lyrics are deep and can relate to my life in a lot of ways. No I am just kidding. It was hard for me to choose though. I am a person who likes songs with a good beat. But I decided that when I closely listened to the lyrics of the songs, I felt as if “Running Down a Dream” by Tom Petty was the best song that represented my life. I am always thinking about where I will be in ten years and what I will be doing with my life. One part states, “The last three days the rain was unstoppable. It was always cold, no sun shine.” Then it states, “Yeah runnin down a dream. That never would come to me.” There are times in my life that are not easy but I still look to get past those times and look to pursue my dream. At times I believe that my dream will never happen but then there are others times where I have a lot of confidence.
When the “good times” come around I feel good and feel as if I can accomplish anything. In the song it states, “I felt so good, like anything was possible. I hit cruise control and rubbed eyes.” A few lines later Petty states, “Workin on a mystery, goin wherever it leads. Im runnin down a dream.” There are times throughout the year where I feel like I am in “cruise control.” Everything falls into place. This is when I let things happen and let my life fall into place day by day. It is hard to stay motivated when times get rough. I get down on myself and start second guessing where I want myself to be in the future. The part in the song where it states, “It was always cold, no sun shine,” reflects these moments.
A song that hit home a couple of years ago was “I’ll Be Missin You” by P. Diddy. I lost my grandfather during the year that was supposed to be the “best.” Most of what he states I can relate to minus the hip-hopness added to it. It was hard to lose him because that was the first person who was close to me that passed. The lyrics, “Every step I take. Every move I make. Every single day. Every time I pray . I'll be missing you.” I think about him and what I wished I could have done before he had passed throughout my days. It taught me that life will throw some curveballs at you and you better be able to hit them. There’s too little time to wish it away. I find myself wishing that summer would come faster but I realized that I will do this every year unless I learn to enjoy the day I am living in.
Brittnay S. makes a good point when she said that music is the center of most of our lives. Whether it’s the lyrics or the beat, it defines who we are and our feelings. You can tell a lot about a person from the music they listen to.
This may be the hardest blog yet. Being both a lover and a student of music has given me reason to be open to many different genres, and they have a tendency to be very diverse. I listen to Justin Timberlake in the car. Rap is fine by me too. I have separate playlists on my ipod especially for my favorite musicals, and I sing loudly to them in the shower. And God knows when I’m watching a movie, the score is the biggest factor for me in the overall effect, like Mikey. But he forgot John Williams and Danny Elfman. They’re legendary. :)
--half hour break in which I’ve spent the time thinking—
It’s been awhile, and I can’t really come up with anything. I’ve gone through my music library, and most of my favorite songs are ones of simple and/or non-sensical lyrics that can only be relevant to the writer. I’ve certainly never tried to figure them out either. The majority of my music comes from musicals, my favorite being Wicked. I never tire of that one, and I’m positive my family got sick of it over a year ago. However, I think the only relevant song to my life from that musical is “Thank Goodness”. I doubt that many people have ever heard of it, let alone know which part I’m talking about, but I can never get over the melancholy in Glinda’s expression towards the end.
That's why I couldn't be happier
No, I couldn't be happier
Though it is, I admit
The tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated
But I couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier
Well - not "simply":
'Cause getting your dreams
It's strange, but it seems
A little - well - complicated
There's a kind of a sort of : cost
There's a couple of things get: lost
There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed
And if that joy, that thrill
Doesn't thrill you like you think it will
Still -
With this perfect finale
The cheers and ballyhoo
Who
Wouldn't be happier?
So I couldn't be happier
Because happy is what happens
When all your dreams come true
Well, isn't it?
Happy is what happens
When your dreams come true!
When she sang this, it was so sad and defeated, but she continued to fluff her confidence as the music built up to the end. She was contemplative and didn’t know if the important moments in her life that she had always wanted were worth the effort. She could be very shallow, yes, but she realized that her life was not perfect. Up until that moment, she got everything in her wildest dreams easily; however, she lost so much along the way. Was it worth it? Is she really happy?
I don’t even think I truly realized until like, when I was just typing it, that I feel the same way. I know I’m smart, and for most of my life, it’s been a walk in the park. But sometimes…well, now, more than ever…I don’t know if I’ve fulfilled my expectations. I’m satisfied with everything I’ve done and earned; I have a great life and I’m happy with it. But somewhere down the line, maybe in college or during my career, will I regret anything? Perhaps I’ll kick myself for not studying as much as I should or not taking voice lessons or continuing dance, or maybe I should have made better choices. Sometimes I already focus too much on my mistakes.
You know what though? I’m just like Glinda in “Thank Goodness” because soon thereafter, I continue to feel better. I dwell on the negative and switch right back to positive. I have so much to be thankful for, like awesome friends and talents that I wouldn’t give away for all the money in the world. I should be satisfied and continue to wear a smile. It masks the tears, so long as I don’t ignore and forget the mistakes I’ve made. You learn from the bad times and live with the good.
For the sake of ending on a similar theme but in a much lighter mood, here are lyrics from one of my favorite Belle and Sebastian songs that actually makes some sense!
Summer in winter,
Winter in springtime,
You heard the birds sing:
Everything will be fine.
I spent the summer wasting,
The time was passed so easily.
But if the summer's wasted
How come that I could feel so free?
I spent the summer wasting,
The sky was blue beyond compare.
A photograph of myself
Is all I have to show for
Seven years of river walkways,
Seven weeks of staying up all night.
I spent the summer wasting,
The time was passed so pleasantly.
Say cheerio to books now!
The only things I'll read are faces.
I spent the summer wasting
Under a canopy of
Seven weeks of river walkways,
Seven weeks of reading papers,
Seven weeks of feeling guilty,
Seven weeks of staying up all night.
Summer in winter,
Winter in springtime,
You heard the bird say:
Everything will be fine.
I guess there will be times that I feel guilty for not making better choices or accomplishing different goals, but in the end, my time will have been well spent. There are always going to be moments when I want to cry myself to sleep or throw a punch at the wall. Those times will sow the seeds of better feelings. I feel free and happy enough now in light of the amazing things I have right next to me.
PS- Please excuse the discursiveness! Having to evaluate my taste in music was a confusing feat because of my different tastes. But really, thanks for this blog. I feel a lot better now that I got a bunch of stuff off my chest.
I am not a big fan of music. At least, I am not so much these days. I don’t know what soothes me, what makes me happy, or what even makes me cry. When I am driving in my car, I just happen to put my iPod on shuffle, and spend the majority of my time flipping through the songs in order to find one that I might enjoy. Usually I can’t find anything, but once and a while I actually stumble across a song that I can listen to in its entirety. The problem for me lies within the fact that for me, music is a memory keeper. One song can bring me back to one specific instance or a particular emotion. One example would be any Linkin Park song in that it reminds me of Tangerine Altoids and warm Florida sun. Several songs for me bring me back to great memories of great friends, but when I am brought back, I remember how great it used to be and how it isn’t now. My summers, my days, my memories are all tied to this friend and these certain songs that were the soundtrack to my very own movie.
Here are some lines from a Better Than Ezra song by the name of “Briefly”.
Can you feel
Could you love
Are you further now from where you started
I bet you do enough just to get by
Don't you
Cause nobody wants to be the butt of every joke
And nobody wants to be the one who's full of hope
And a cop's light goes by
And the moon lights the night
And now I'm close
But not touching
And I'm cold
But not freezing
And I'm only alive
Only alive
Briefly
This song, one of my favorites from a lifetime ago, is kind of a surreal sort of song, basically stating that life is short so don’t take it for granted or mess it up.
The next lines are from “Even If It Kills Me” by Motion City Soundtrack (best band eva! Just saying…)
But I'm too tired to go to sleep tonight,
And I'm too weak to follow dreams tonight.
For the first time in a long time I can say that I want to try,
To get better and overcome each moment,
In my own way...
I'm not saying that I've given up.
I'm just trying not to think as much I used to,
'Cause never is lonely little messed up word.
Maybe I'll get it right someday.
For the first time in a long time,
I can say that I want to try.
I feel helpless for the most part, but I'm learning to open my eyes.
And the sad truth of the matter is I'll never get over it,
But I'm gonna try,
To get better and overcome each moment,
In my own way...
I so want to get back on track,
And I'll do whatever it takes,
Even if it kills me...
This song describes, more or less, the point I am at in my life. I am just so tired mentally and physically, but I can’t ever sleep because I am guilted in to doing more homework and studying. I am trying to get on track with my life, whatever that means.
I guess I was lying with the beginning of my blog. I do love music. I think I just need some new music. Something either completely obscure or brutally mainstream will do just fine. Like the Oakcrest Band’s remix of “Party Like A Rockstar”.
Like most people, I listen to songs based on how I am feeling at a given moment. For example, I listen to "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix or "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba before a soccer game to get me pumped, but if I am relaxing or thinking about a girl I'll listen to some Jack Johnson or ballad type of song. So, it was hard to think of a specific song to pick that would summarize my life because I went through many mood changes prior to writing this blog this week. Just take a look at what's been going on in my life: getting to school and seeing my friends (happy), getting my first detention (not so much. But, as you can imagine, I made my first one fun. Did you know that Amanda Corbin rearranged is "Brain and Coma" or "Main Cobra Nad"? Yeah, me neither.), and running in a track meet on Monday (pumped). So, after scouring my music collection, I finally decided on two songs that both exemplify my life - at least at the moment.
The first song, "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles aka Pete's favorite Beatles song, is symbolic of my recent history, as you would probably agree. Well, actually, just this one part:
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat.
The last part, in which Paul McCartney makes the bus in seconds flat, is more of a fantasy for me. However, because I continually wake up late and miss the bus and need my mother to drive me to school, I received a late detention for today. I mainly chose that song because I really wanted to include something about the detention in there. Yes, in case you were wondering, I still cannot get over the fact that I got a late detention.
Okay, so now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it’s off to the real song that I think symbolizes Jake Taylor. It is called "You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals. I've liked this song since it came out in the late 90s and I still listen to it today, mainly because it is a pretty motivational song. And it goes as follows:
Wake up kids
we got the dreamers disease
Age 14 they got you down on your knees
Souls polite, we're busy still saying please
Friendnemies, who, when you're down ain't your friend
Every night we smash their Mercedes-Benz
First we run; and then we laugh till we cry
But when the night is falling
and you cannot find the light, light
You feel your dreams are dying
Hold tight
Chorus:
---------
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give...
...Four a.m. we ran a miracle mile
we're flat broke but hey we do it in style
The bad rich
God's flying in for your trial
But when the night is falling
You cannot find a friend, friend
You feel your tree is breaking
Just bend
(chorus)
This whole damn world can fall apart
It'll be ok, follow your heart
You're in harms way I'm right behind
Now say you're mine
(chorus)
Don't let go
I feel the music in you,you,you YOU!
Fly ....... high .......!
What's real ....... can't die .......!
You only get what you give
Gonna get what you give
Don't give up
Just don't be afraid to live .......!
Basically, if you’re feeling down, don’t give up. You need to be like a willow tree and bend with the pressures of life, rather than breaking and falling apart. When you’re struggling with things, just remember that you have a reason to live and that eventually things will turn in your favor. And, most importantly, you only get out of life what you put into it! I feel that I have a very positive outlook on life and that I work hard in whatever I do, from athletics to academics. I try to make others happy so they don’t break from the pressures of their life by keeping the mood light even in the most tense of times. So, it only makes sense that this should be the theme song of my life. If you have any better suggestions, please drop them in my mailbox for further review. Thanks!
The song I chose that makes the most sense due to my life at this time was All Time Low- Stay Awake.
Caught in a cold sweat
Stuck splitting hairs and drinking too much
I'm on my way to striking out
Go to sleep with the pressure of everyone watching and waiting
They're yours for the taking, but I still have my doubts
Before you ask which way to go, remember where you've been
Stay awake, get a grip and get out
You're safe from the weight of the world
Just take a second to set things straight
I'll be fine even though I'm not always right
I can count on the sun to shine
Dedication takes a lifetime
But dreams only last for a night
The reason for me picking this song is some of the lyrics. The first verse implies that you really do not know where your life is going and spinning out of control or striking out. The last sentence of that verse though hits the closest to home though because it tells you to remember your past to go into your future or learn from your mistakes which I believe that all of us are at fault of sometimes. The line that made me choose this poem is “Dedication takes a lifetime, but dreams only last for a night” This line sums up my life. It’s about every impulsive decision you make and wish you could take back. The decision that can cost you the person you really care about or keep what you really want to happen from happening. It’s the only thing in my life that I have never been able to control, but yet have tried so hard to control. These obstacles in this song sum up everyone one of my weaknesses and make me second guess a lot of things.
Figure it out
Boy, you're tripping so pull yourself together
or you'll wash up like the rest
this ship is sinking
I'm thinking I'm done for
I'll watch as the sails disappear under water
'Cause I'm no captain yet
These lines also outline my life and how I feel sometimes. When he says I’ll watch as the sails disappear under water cause I’m no captain yet, makes me think about the time I have spent as captain on my team because before this year started we were one of the most respected teams in the state and compared to where we are now makes me feel like I am watching all the hard work go away, but I am the captain so I can see the sails going under the water because I go down with the ship. This song also reminded me of Miss. Bunje when it says boy you’re tripping. :)
“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,
That everything is alright.
Please tell me that you're alright,
That everything is alright.”
First of all, Motion City Soundtrack is my favorite band of all time. I actually had a hard time choosing just one of their songs because they have so many great lyrics, but I think this one fits me best. First of all, I have many nervous ticks that irk me very, very much. They are little things like organizing EVERYTHING in sight, or straightening something that looks crooked, or putting things all in piles, but they are constant quirks that get in the way of my everyday life.
Mostly, I pick this song specifically because I rely a lot on what other people tell me, like that it will all be alright. I am a very independent person; I am not someone who will go on gossip or the bad things that other people tell me. But I am the kind of person who needs a little boost and a little help when I am down, and I rely on other people to give me that boost. I can not count thing time that I have heard my friends tell me it will all be alright, and it has been. Hearing those words and knowing someone cares enough to say them means a lot to me.
It is true that not one song can sum up my life. Tomorrow I could be in a totally different mood and feel completely different about it. That is one of the reasons I also picked this song. It isn’t terribly positive, nor terribly negative, which is how I like to think of myself.
I was surprised to read Caitlin say that she isn’t really into music, because she is one of the people that got me most involved in what I listen to. Music is my LIFE. I sing, I play piano, and my iPod almost never leaves my purse except to be charged. I love the escape that music provides for me, yet it also connects people and brings back memories. Music is very powerful. I do agree with Cait in saying that sometimes music brings back memories that can make you very upset. For example, couples have songs, and when they break up, that song is like poison to the ears. It does not surprise me on bit that Cait chose Motion City Soundtrack because, as she said, they are the best band EVA. And I love the song she picked. GREAT CONCERT CAIT. See, some memories are great, like singing to that song with Cait in a room of hot, sweat people, loving the music just as much as we do.
So anyone in period 9/10 will know that music has become a significant part of my life recently. I wrote my whole occasional this marking period, relating my life at the time to a song. However, unlike last time, I promise I won’t relate it to my situation with boys since that situation is constantly changing. Plus, that’s not what the prompt is asking us for.
So life, a very complicated and ambiguous ideal. Right now, at this moment, I would have to say that the song that encapsulates how I feel about life is “Something To Be Proud Of” by Montgomery Gentry (WHO I GOT TO SEE LIVE!!!!) Anyway, the chorus goes like this:
“That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
You don't need to make a million
Just be thankful to be workin'
If you're doing what you're able
And putting food there on the table
And providing for the family that you love
That's something to be proud of
And if all you ever really do is the best you can
Well, you did it man
That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
That's a chin held high as the tears fall down
A gut sucked in, a chest stuck out
Like a small town flag a-flyin'
Or a newborn baby cryin'
In the arms of the woman that you love
That's something to be proud of
That's something to be proud of
Yeah, that's something to be proud of
That's something to be proud of
Now that's something to be proud of”
The story as a whole is told from the perspective of a son, who has grown up in the shadow of his father. When the son is eventually grown, he wants to make sure that his father is proud of the way he turned out. That excerpt is the father’s response.
Life is what you make it. You can let life happen, or you can make life happen. But either way, if you become what you want to me, do the best you can, and most importantly, are happy with the way your life turned out, than that’s something to be proud of.
Sometimes I sit in class and daydream about what all of our lives are going to be like when we all gather together for our ten year reunion. Mike Galli is going to be some rich engineer making tons more than any of us, and we are going to regret teasing him so much. Caitlin Mauk is going to be on her way to becoming the first female president (if Clinton doesn’t win, but either way, Caitlin is going to be in that White House). Laina Lusk is going to be a Nobel Peace Prize winner, I don’t know what for, but for something smart. Mike Townley is going to be some famous history professor at a prestigious university and people are going to come from all over the world to hear him lecture. And I’m going to be your local pharmacist that can help you with your medications.
Even though I know I’m not going to be famous, and known world wide, I know I am going to be proud of my life. All it takes to be happy in life is to become who you are meant to be. Some people in life are not meant to become rich and famous. Look at mechanics. There is nothing wrong with being a mechanic. Who would we go to when our car breaks down and we can’t fix it ourselves? (And plus, they tend to be really hot. Unless of course you get stuck with the old, fat, bald guy that should have said no to crack.) They deserve to be higher on the “social ranking.” I hate to say that because I hate to even admit that there is a “social ranking” in the world. But unfortunately there is. And people with low paying jobs are not seen as successful as those who make more money. But in my life, they deserve to be just as proud of their life as anyone else.
So life can take you anywhere. But if it takes you to other countries, states, or even if it only takes you to the next town over, it can be something to be proud of. All you have to do, is become what you want to become.
***I’m sorry if this is a little helter skeltered, my brain is kind of fried from the calculus exam this morning.
While I love John Williams and Danny Elfman, they aren't contemporary enough for me to consider them to be my favorite. They are what you said they are: legendary. Obviously, I love Danny Elfman. Edward Scissorhands is a great soundtrack. Ice dance is my favorite. That's why we are playing it for cabaret night. But then you have to start listing them all: Harry Gregson-Williams, John Murphy, John Ottman...(keeps going forever)
And so in research I have found a cool concept to put a name to words you hear in music that aren't any language at all. It's called a grammelot. It is basically a made up language which is meant to sound like a romance language. Cirque du Soleil calls it cirquish. Sigur Rós calls it hopelandic. A gammelot shows more musical talent, more emotion then any lyrics can portray. English, French, Spanish...whatever. When you can feel the music that is surrounding you and feel the power it has and suddenly blurt out a sound that has no meaning and have it fit perfectly, as if you are another instrument, then you are a musician and a singer.
JoJo from Across the Universe (the guy everyone thought was jimmy hendrix) said
“Music is the only thing that makes sense…”
Haha how interesting, my ipod just broke and I sent it in yesterday. I’m going through music withdrawal. I love my music! Since its been broken I haven’t truly relaxed. Music can put me to sleep with right playlist and song order. When I listen to music, sometimes it reflexs upon how I am feeling at the time. If I’m relaxed and happy I’ll listen to Coldplay, if I’m tired I’ll listen to songs from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, if I’m happy and around friends I’ll listen to Hold Me Now- by the Polyphonic Spree. If I just want to listen to a bunch of songs it could be any of playlists, Easy Listening, Rapish, or soul music. I love any kid of music. My favorite bands are Dr. Dog, Of Montreal, the Flaming Lips, Cold Play, the Beatles, and White Stripes. There is a lot more.
I wanna be the very best
‘Like noone ever was
To catch them is my real test
To train them is my cause
I will travel across the land
Searching far and wide
Each Pokemon to understand
The power that's inside
Pokemon!
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny
Pokemon!
Ooh, you're my best friend
In a world we must defend
Pokemon!
Our hearts so true
Our courage will pull us through
You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokemon
Gotta catch 'em all!
Every challenge along the way
With courage I will face
I will battle every day
To claim my rightful place
Come with me, the time is right
There's no better team
Arm in arm we'll win the fight
It's always been our dream’
This song in a way reflects my life. Ash, the song this is about, he’s a pokemon trainer. He wants to train pokemon but not only train them become friends and teacher eachother self confidence, and wants them to know no matter what they’ll always be friends. In my life when I make friends I always try to keep my friends happy and confident. When something is wrong I want to be there for them. I want to help my friends and be their friend. I don’t want to train my friends but you get the point. My friends are a big part of my life, my friends are almost like family. Like the song says, “Our courage will pull us through..” I’ve got my friends back no matter what happens.
“It happened sooner than soon,
made paper plants in your room,
then filled the sky with balloons
from your window.”
Architecture in Helsinki
This song is the song I listened to when me and my girlfriend first kissed. We weren’t dating and she was still in a relationship. I went in for the kiss cause I really liked her. Then she told me the truth, after drank coconut juice, “I’ve liked you for a long time zander.” I didn’t know what to say, it happened out of nowhere. The next few days I paced my room back and fourth while listening to this song. We had not talked because she lost her phone, which I didn’t know. I called her a billion times and I thought she was avoiding me. I didn’t know what to do at all. Then I Spartaned up and told her I had to talk to her about what happened. Funny thing is we never talked about it at all. Two day later she broke up with her boyfriend and a week later she started dating me. 1year and 5months later we are still together and I’m completely happy. This song is on a lot of playlists because it reminds me of Rebecca Hartline, my girlfriend. I’m so happy. This song defined how felt about her for the longest time.
Music is my life…
Alright, music. Well first off i need to open my iTunes. I have a general idea of what songs i think sum up how i feel about life or my life or whatever, but sometimes i forget so i need to look at some songs...Okay, i think I've found one. The title of the song is "It's All too Much" by the Beatles. I think that's how i feel about life. Well sometimes at least. Lately I have been. I know I'm not taking like 4 AP test or whatever like i know some people are, but I'm taking 1. In addition, I have cabaret night on Friday, then it's my birthday and prom on Saturday, and then on Sunday there's a crew regatta and it's also mothers day. That's only the weekend. On Monday i go to get my license and there's a track meet. Then on Tuesday I have to go to a big dinner with like 13 people i don't know. Then next Wednesday is the Language AP test and I'm going to my nephews baseball game... When does it end? I don't know is usually my answer.
Anyway back to the song. Just in the title it sort of describes how I'm feeling at the current moment. "It's all too much." The lyrics seem fitting as well.
It's all to much
It's all to much
When I look into your eyes, your love is there for me
And the more I go inside, the more there is to see
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around you
Everywhere, it's what you make
For us to take, it's all too much
Floating down the stream of time, of life to life with me
Makes no difference where you are or where you'd like to be
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around here
All the world is birthday cake,
So take a piece but not too much
Sail me on a silver sun, for I know that I'm free
Show me that I'm everywhere, and get me home for tea
It's all to much for me to see
A love that's shining all around here
The more I am, the less I know
And what I do is all too much
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around you
Everywhere, it's what you make
For us to take, it's all too much
It's too much.....It's too much
with your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue(x2)
you're too much
(mumblings)
Too much too much too much (fade to end)
Well i guess it sort of makes sense. Whenever I learn something new and i think i understand it, it goes and changes and i don't know what's going on anymore. In track, I thought i was getting better with the hurdling technique and the speed and whatever, but my times don't seem to be getting any better. But, oh well. I'm just going to keep working hard and hopefully i get the results I'm hoping for.
Also, i like the birthday cake reference in the song. It makes me laugh whenever I hear it. It reminds of when in the cartoons when the characters cut a piece of cake, and instead of taking the piece they cut, they take the whole rest of the cake. I did that once and i thought it was funny but not everyone else did. SO i should "take a piece but not too much" just like the song says.
There's another song that I really like that Usually describes me when I'm happy. I'm not sure if I'm doing this blog right but oh well. This song is called "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO. It's so good.
Sun is shinin' in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin' ev'rybody's in a play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day hey,hey
Runnin' down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly in the city
On the streets where once was pity
Mister blue sky is living here today hey, hey
Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?
Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race
A celebration, mister blue sky's up there waitin'
And today is the day we've waited for
Hey there mister blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you
Mister blue sky, mister blue sky
Mister blue sky
Mister blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way
Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?
Hey there mister blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you
Anyway... I guess that about wraps up my blog. I'm not really sure what else to write. Alright that's it. I'm done. Yeah.
I also listen to songs depending on the subtleties of my emotions at the time. Okay, that's overdramatizing it a little (a lot). I just listen to songs that can emote to a bumping backbeat whatever I'm feeling at the time. I love music when I'm feeling like myself. But when I'm not feeling like myself, music feels like an almost overwhelming pressure. It is such a perfect expression of self, finding music that you love and allowing your entire being to be immersed in it, letting it capture your essence in its pulsating sway and elevate your being to a superhuman status. But when you're not feeling like yourself, music can overwhelm you. I can only enjoy quality music when I'm feeling like myself. Otherwise, I feel like I'm doing a disservice to the song, which so wants to take my hand and lead me into a universe of elevated, wonderful things - but I can't let it if I'm not feeling up to the task. It would be wrong. I don't know if that's how you feel, Cait, but that's how I feel. I LOVE music. But I can't listen to it when I'm not ready to tackle it with all of myself, because that's not how the song would have it be.
That being said, the song that's described me lately, since I'm trying to get myself back into a place where I understand myself, is Believe by the Bravery.
The faces all around me, they don't smile, they just crack
Waiting for our ship to come but our ship's not coming back
We save our time like pennies in a jar
What are we saving for
Oh, what are we saving for?
There's a smell of stale feeling that's drinking from my skins
The drinking never stops because the drink absolves our sins
We sit and throw our roots into the floor
What are we waiting for
Oh, what are we waiting for?
[chorus]
So give me something to believe
Cause I am living just to breathe
And I need something more
To keep on breathing for
So give me something to believe.
This is because I've been apprehensive lately. I haven't been acting like my exuberant lil self, I've been anxious and fidgety, mentally pacing around in a frenzy, wanting to return to my old self, but waiting? I don't know what I'm waiting for. I think I'll be done waiting.
My favorite song is Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie, and Death Cab for Cutie is my favorite band in the entire world. (I'm going to see them on June 12 and am excited to proportions that have not been seen in the natural world since that expressed by mission control when man landed on the moon.)
Its first stanza embodies me.
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.
Ba-da-ba-da-ba-ba,
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba-da-ba-ba,
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba-da-ba-ba-da-ba-da-ba.
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.
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'll 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'll hold you near.
Cuz 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.
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.
I just pasted the whole song. I realized I couldn't stop with the first stanza. It is the most beautiful song in the world, and its lyrics are some of the truest that apply to me. That song soothes me, it lifts me up when I'm in a good mood or a bad mood. It's just, my absolute favorite.
As for how it explicates my innate beliefs, I want to in my life reach a harmony, a peaceful balance, an equilibrium, per se - in however chaotic or busy my life may be, a harmony. A tranquil, thoughtful, philosophical place. Enlightenment. And I'd like nothing more than to find a place where soul meets body, where I could let the sun wrap its arms around me and bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing and feel...and feel what it's like to be new.
I’m actually not going to complain about this blog today. I actually just had fun, although it was a little frustrating, trying to pick a song out of my iTunes library. (And by that I mean the thousands of songs I’ve downloaded illegally off of limewire. Bahaha!) So after a long, grueling process of song listening I’ve narrowed it down to three right now. “Low” by Flo Rida, “I’m so hood” by DJ Khaled, and “The Worlds Greatest” by my man R.Kelly. I probably don’t have to explain why, but I will anyway. You’ve probably all noticed my apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, and how whenever I go into the club they’re all looking at me. (And I get “low”, just wait until prom. I’m sure I’ll be doing just that more than 6 times.). Let’s not forget my baggy sweatpants and Reeboks with the straps I often sport at school. And I wear my pants below my waist er’ day of my life, so I’m obviously as hood as it gets. I’m pretty sure the R.kelly tune is self-explanatory since well, you’ve all met me haven’t you?
--------long pause---------
Alright alright.. I’ll get serious now.
“Forever Young,” by Bob Dylan is one of my favorites definitely. This song as a whole is something great to have in the back of my mind everyday. “May you always do for others and let others do for you,” is one line I find inspiring. I try to help those I care about in anyway I can, but sometimes I find it hard to accept help from those around me. Maybe it’s a pride thing, I’m not sure. I constantly am reminding myself that I need help sometimes and that I don’t have to do it all by myself, that’s why I have such great friends and other people I my life. Another great line, “May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung,” reminds me to live life without restraints. I’m young; I have room for errors and lessons to learn from these mistakes. If I reach for the stars, and don’t get there I will still be satisfied. I try to remember that opportunities are virtually limitless at this age and to never settle for ordinary. And the last line I’m going to pick out, “May you have a strong foundation, When the winds of changes shift.” In order to live a life I chose for myself I have to figure out who I am, what I believe, and hold my ground. There are a million different variables whirling around me all the time in attempt to knock me off my feet when I’m vulnerable and confused. I think it’s important to stand strong on my own two feet.
Leslieeeeeee! Since we’re the same person, I feel the need to comment on yours this week. I loveee that song. When I first read the blog that’s one of the songs that came to my mind too. I think I’m going to go listen to it now.
Peace out homies. But, before I close, I want to leave you with one last lyrics to remember me by...
“Im that star up in the sky
Im that moutain way up high.
Hey you made it
Im the worlds greatest
Im that little bit of hope in my backs against the rope I can feel it, mm
Im the worlds greatest”
...and don’t you ever forget it!
Music has always been a huge part of my family, at least my father’s side. So, I’ve been surrounded by music since I popped out of my mother’s womb. Whether it is Mozart or modern rock it’s been in my ears. Once I began to grow up I formed my own taste and music affiliations. Music is my life and it’s helped me understand those indescribable feelings. Like Hannah said, there are also those songs that I associate with specific events in my life like the song “Walking on Sunshine.” There are also those songs that I just listen to and I don’t understand what the heck they’re signing about and then I figure it out after I went through something similar. Anyway, if I could single out a song, which is extremely hard, I’d single out Fidelity by Regina Spektor.
I never loved nobody fully
Always one foot on the ground
And by protecting my heart truly
I got lost in the sounds
I hear in my mind
All these voices
I hear in my mind all these words
I hear in my mind all this music
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
And it breaks my heart
It breaks my heart
And suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Suppose I never ever let you kiss me so sweet and so soft
Suppose I never ever saw you
Suppose we never ever called
Suppose I kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall
Just to break my fall
Just to break my fall
Break my fall
Break my fall
I never fully understood this song until like now. This song encompasses my feelings towards relationships and considering my status right now, I thought this would be a perfect song. My problem with relationships is I never fully open myself to someone. There’s always something holding me back and whatever that something is, it gets the best of me. Usually I’m scared. Scared of fully loving someone or getting my heart broken. I guess because I’m still so young that falling in love with someone at this time isn’t a good idea; after love marriage is next and I’m definitely, definitely not ready. I’ve also had my heart broken and it was one of the worst things. I let it take over my heart and I get lost in music to help me cope with my feelings. However, I’ve been taking risks and letting more things happen because I don’t want to pass up a fascinating experience because of my sacredness of loving someone fully.
Well if this blog is late, which I am sure it won’t be, but just in case it is I was out shoe shopping and I just lost track of time But since I have an ample amount of time left I guess I should get started. Music and lyrics have this tendency to pull you in and I know for me at least when ever I put on my itunes on shuffle, the songs that play always seem to play into my mood. So if this blog was about picking lyrics for a certain situation, or a certain mood that you feel often it would be so much easier. But since you really like us to delve into the depths of our minds and get us thinking, I guess this blog does its job. Off the top of my head there is one song that is sticking out when I think “how do I feel about my life?”
That song is “right now” by van halen.
Dont wanna wait til tomorrow,
Why put it off another day?
One more walk through problems,
Built up, and stand in our way ,ah
One step ahead, one step behind me
Now you gotta run to get even
Make future plans, dont dream about yesterday, hey
Cmon turn, turn this thing around
(chorus)
Right now, hey
Its your tomorrow
Right now,
Cmon,its everything
Right now,
Catch a magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything
Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm,
And nothing falls into place, no
Only missed by a fraction,
Slipped a little off your pace, oh,
The more things you get, the more you want,
Just trade in one for the other,
Workin so hard, to make it easier, whoa,
Got to turn, cmon turn this thing around
(chorus)
Its enlightened me, right now
What are you waitin for
Oh, yeah, right now
(chorus)
Oh,
Tell me, what are you waiting for
Turn this thing around
This song came to me in seventh grade on my first trip down to North Carolina for nationals. On the way to the pool for prelims and finals every day there is this motivational video played that shows a bunch of clips of swimmers winning and pushing themselves and stuff like that. Well at the same time this song is playing in the background and just seems to fit perfectly to sports. So I was doing some thinking one day and I thought why should those lyrics relate just to swimming? Why can’t I live my life like that. It talks about looking ahead towards your future and not dwelling on the past and working through your problems towards your goals. Well that’s what I interpret the lyrics as anyway. And tying for second place in the song choosing are “life is good” –LFO and “love another day” – Rascal Flatts.
Life is good by LFO
Life is good
Life is great
Life is unbelievable
Life is hard, life is cruel
Life is so beautiful
Love another day- rascal flats
You’ll live to love another day
Happiness is on it’s way
Hold on, it won’t be long
I know the pain you’re living in
Sometimes you gotta lose to win
It’s ok, don’t you worry baby
We all live to love another day
I like both of these songs because the first one makes me realize that life is not always going to be great and perfect. Life has its vicissitudes but at the same time good will eventually come. The second song is somewhat the same except I like listening to it when I’m having a bad day. I think that the song is supposed to be about love but I like to think of it referring to life in general. That song always makes me think about the good to come in life and that eventually things will get better. Music helps me get through rough times and it is and will always continue to be my escape. Oh and by the way. I was going to use “bad day” by Daniel Powter, but as I was reading some of the responses before me I saw that Rachel had already used that song. Good choice Rachel and way to take my idea. JK! Lol. And Caitlin. I remember going over your house and you would be on aim and every time before you would sign off you would randomly think of a song find the lyrics and then make that your away message. I learned some good songs from you!
So Rachel texts me, “Have you done the blog yet?”
Of course I haven’t done the blog yet. If I wasn’t who I am I wouldn’t do the blog because of AP week. But since I am who I am, I might as well go ahead and complete this assignment. And I would like to mention two things right now: (1) I started off the weekend getting a hundred dollars from my dad for working last weekend; now I have seven dollars; (2) I actually forgot the second one already so never mind.
First, I would like to say that I agree with Brittany that Christmas Shoes always made me put my life in perspective. Next, like Caitlin, many of my nearly 4,000 songs have some memory attached from my life (which musically pretty much started in the summer before 8th grade.) I knew Caitlin would use somebody like Better Than Ezra or Motion City Soundtrack and I want to use the latter but it would be more of a memory song, and not a Gary song. I tend to like songs that usually don’t have very uplifting messages the most, just because I like how they sound. So once, again, not Gary. And this assignment calls for a Gary song.
So I guess I’ll use my favorite band. Now Relient K could be considered my favorite band, but they kind of are just my life band. Thousand Foot Krutch is my “favorite” band (surprisingly for a while now, they replaced Emery’s 3 year streak and now they’re on their second year). So here are the full lyrics of “Phenomenon” by said band. I could not choose any section because without one part, the song doesn’t sound right.
CHORUS
Down, here comes the sound,
Everyone pound, your feet, to this phenomenon,
Now, let's make it loud,
Let's show 'em all how, you move to this phenomenon
Roll! Open your soul, maybe lose control,
inside of this phenomenon,
Just, let yourself go,
and let everyone know,
you move to this phenomenon
Don't let these spiders, crawl up beside us,
They want to bite us, and inject the virus
Raise up your lighters, praise to the righteous,
We need you to guide us,
get..prepared..to..go
If you're like us, calling all riders,
All freedom fighters, let's unite us,
Switch on your nitrous, and..let's..go
Can't take it anymore,
Shake until we move the floor,
What are we waiting for?
Let's go!
I'm tired of bein' ordinary,
Don't care if there's people staring,
I'll rely on Your strength to carry me on
I'm not invisible like you,
next time things get a little messed up,
I'll shine, but I'll never be see through,
I'm fine, just tryin' to wake the rest up
But anyway, I need to add a verse from another song, “Wake Up, Get Up,” by Run Kid Run.
Now that we know familiar scribes
The motion of our lives
We realize our actions
Let's stop and make this happen
Here we are with so much confidence
But in the end will we be falling suddenly
And find our lives are nothing but the opposite
Of something confident
We are the ones
We are the ones to blame
So Wake Up! Now it's time, this is all we have
This is the sound of revolution
So Get Up! Get Up!
To the tune of the voice inside
This is the calling of a new life
I came to realize last summer that I have been greatly, greatly influenced by my old youth pastor, Steve Christiansen. In Mississippi during our devotion time at lunch, I became a sort of the prevailing speaker of opinions. Well, my opinions. Which surprisingly were key quotes and phrases that my pastor always preached. And not surprisingly, there was an answer for everything. He was like that. Well, he is like that. But the dominant motif, if I may call it, is that God should be the center of your life permeating every other level of your life. And it should just happen, and it did. Everything for me is influenced by my relationship with Jesus, and I thought I could just do this blog, but the music I actually like (and not just listen to) is Christian. And as a Christian, I don’t just want to live an ordinary life. I want to be part of the phenomenon. I want to live the new life that I have. I want to be awake as the second song calls for. “I'll shine, but I'll never be see through, I'm fine, just tryin' to wake the rest up,” I want to be a light, not some fake thing (see through) but something that can bring other people to God.
And I’ll end with a hymn-turned-worship song, “Come Thou Fount.” It just makes me happy every time I hear this song because it reminds me of how happy it makes my sister. Her life has been punctuated with intervals of near-depression where the crests of her life bring her troughs. And when you have to live with a female who has PMS two out of four weeks each month for most of your life, something, anything that makes her happy makes you happy.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
918 words. That may be a record for me
For me this was probably one of the hardest blogs in a long while. There are just so many songs I like that it’s hard to pick just one song that sums up my beliefs. A couple that came to mind early on were “He Wanted to Say,” from Ragtime, “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “One Vision” by Queen, “Typical” by Mutemath, and “Things I’ve Seen” by Goodnight or Sleep. So I was extremely befuddled about what song to pick until while flipping through my Itunes I ran into one of my favorite songs by Jars of Clay, entitled “Oh My God.”
“Oh my God, look around this place
Your fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain
All fools say, "Oh my God"
Oh my God, Why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don't bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase, and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friend
Oh my God.
Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief
Weddings, boats and alibis
All drift away, and a mother cries
Liars and fools; sons and failures
Thieves will always say
Lost and found; ailing wanderers
Healers always say
Whores and angels; men with problems
Leavers always say
Broken hearted; separated
Orphans always say
War creators; racial haters
Preachers always say
Distant fathers; fallen warriors
Givers always say
Pilgrim saints; lonely widows
Users always say
Fearful mothers; watchful doubters
Saviors always say
Sometimes I cannot forgive
And these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we're better,
Scales were gone and faces light
When we wake, we hate our brother
We still move to hurt each other
Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent falls below my heavy breathing,
What makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder
We all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder
Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up
All the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds
Hospitals that cannot treat all the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children - this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers - this is our greatest offense
Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God”
The second half of this song particularly hits me really hard, starting at “liars and fools.” At this point the song had basically gone to silence, and starts up again with just vocals. Throughout the rest of the song, the music just slowly builds in intensity with the lyrics, until it ends in the final desperate cries of “Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God.” This song to me, says a lot of the things, I have whispered in my own prayers. It’s about the desperation of man, and the way that we all seem to be united in this joint cry of need and longing to God. It’s about those moments of uncertainty and fear that make life meaningful.
(I know I wasn’t supposed to post the entire song, but I the best I could do to pair it down would have still left about 2/3 in the text, so I figured I would just leave it all.)
Everyone’s songs are so touching and lie in my iTunes as well. I love this blog. Yes, love. I love music and it’s what sends me off into my dreams (Death Cab for Cutie, Colin Hay, John Mayer, Bright Eyes or Joshua Radin) and it’s what wakes me up and sends me on my way (Mika, M.I.A, Rusted Root, Chris Brown, or The Dave Matthews Band). It sets my attitude. Before a soccer game, Kanye West’s “Stronger” gets me pumped or anything from the Ying Yang Twins or the Venga Boys (lol Jeannie). Music helps me connect with people, my family, and myself. Ok, did I mention this blog rocks?
I don’t think there is one song that can sum up my life to the least bit, but if I had to pick it’s have to be Duran Duran’s “What Happens Tomorrow”:
Child, don't you worry
It's enough you're growing up in such a hurry
Brings you down, the news they sell ya
To put in your mind that all mankind is a failure
But nobody knows
What's gonna happen tomorrow
We'll try not to show
How frightened we are
If you'll let me, I'll protect you
However I can
You've got to believe
It'll be alright in the end
You’ve got to believe
It’ll be alright again
Fighting because we're so close
There are times we punish those who we need the most
No we can't wait for a savior
Only got ourselves to blame for this behavior
I couldn’t just put one little tid bit from the song in here for it to make sense why it is the song that encompasses my life, or how I feel at this moment (The sad part is, I haven’t listened to this song since 8th grade). The first couple of lines of lyrics say it all. When I’m upbeat about something and then I hear sad news that probably isn’t worth caring about it brings me down. Then the song goes into lyrics that give hope to the listeners that something good will come about. In the last part of lyrics it gives the ultimate chore, just to believe and everything will work out in the end.
Song number dos would have to be New Radicals “You Get What You Give”:
Chorus-You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
I guess there is a similarity between songs, they both give hope to the listeners. Yeah, they aren’t the best songs ever created but they put me into a good mood and entice me to not lose hope that some people have already lost. I could find better songs but for now, this is fine. Putting my iTunes on random helped me come across these songs, so maybe another night might help me find others.
Just like Rebecca, I thought this blog was going to be easy but I opened my iTunes and put it on shuffle and came to find that this would be one of the hardest tasks that you, Bunje, have asked us to do. I wrote most of this last night but today I found other songs that fit. I spent most of tonight contemplating whether or not to rewrite this whole entire blog, but I like the two songs that I picked. Just know that there are many many many many songs that I wish I could put in here. I love this blog. :-)
P.S. I was out with Jeannie and we got caught in Macy's shoes.
...yeah, I can 100% back up Jo's claim about the iPod. That happens.
PS: Two days till her birthday. =)
It was the first song that came to my mind when I read the blog. It was the only song I could think of that speaks to me, and I understand it. On so many levels that I know I cannot possibly explain to you in a blog does this song make sense in my life. Its as if Jimmy Eat World crept into my mind and stole my thoughts, but expressed them with a style that made even more sense to me. “Always Be”, its my anthem.
Could've been a night like any other
One of us has to drive
One of us gets to think
I'll force a laugh to break the silence
It's gonna get harder still
Before it gets easy
You can't keep safe what wants to break
I'm alone in this
I'm all as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's all lost in this
She's all like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I was just a boy like every other
I thought I was something fierce
I thought I was ten times smarter
Love would be something that I just know
(Something I just know)
How you gonna know the feeling till you've lost it
I've been losing plenty since
I'm alone in this
I'm all as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's all lost in this
She's all like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
Maybe something else I'm missing
Something good and your the reason
It's a dream but there's a real long wedding
I'm alone in this
I'm all as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's all lost in this
She's all like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I'm alone in this
I'm all as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's all lost in this
She's all like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
From the second I heard it on the radio, I was like, wow, this is me in a song. Every time I heard it I understood it differently, in what felt like I discovered a new language and became instantly fluent in it. Its brilliant, poetic, and unbelievably true, so I will try to decode my reasoning for choosing this song.
It seems like this song highlights my life, and how I lived. “Its gonna get harder still, before it gets easy” speaks to the trails and tribulations, the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of being a teen, of being an AP kid, of being a kid on intellect trying to do the best he can. It reminds me to work through the hard times, because like they say, it will get easy, eventually. The very next line, epitomizes what seems to be the way I have been living my last half year of my life. Just let things happen. I have always felt that we cannot force things to happen, or else they will be screwed up, for lack of a better word. We cannot interfere with what is meant to happen, we have to learn to go with it, to trust it, to learn from it, to live by it.
Skipping to the second verse, ( I will talk about the chorus later) it is the verse that makes the most sense to me, The verse that tells me everything will be ok. The verse that quenches the spec of doubt that has crawled into my head, wondering if I made the right decision.
“Love would be something that I just know
(Something I just know)
How you gonna know the feeling till you've lost it
I've been losing plenty since”- After all that has happened to me this year, these three lines could not have “summed it up” more perfectly. I can’t even explain how this is the song that I live by. I learned from this song that things are going to be ok. That things are for the best. What happens to each and every individual is for a reason, and this song, particularly this part, made me truly believe in that, and I will carry that with me to the grave.
I think for a part of my life, I lost the philosophy that I once took tremendous pride in. However, that loss of philosophy was adopted by something else, something that is intangible, but is probably the most powerful thing in the world; love. Now, some say that if its love, then why must it end? Those who wonder that need to look at the situation in a different way, in a different perspective. We can learn form it, and take it at face value. Let it happen. Let it be understood. Let it go. That’s the most we can do with situations that are painful. And from there, we move on, not to better things, but to different things. To things that must be understood in order to fully appreciate life.
Jo's song by modest mouse is clinch. It as well as Always Be, encapsulates the most essentail idea in life, it goes on, so let it happen.
“And when you have to live with a female who has PMS two out of four weeks each month for most of your life, something, anything that makes her happy makes you happy.”
Haha! That made me laugh.
Also I want to add that TFK and Run Kid Run are both awesome. I would have expected nothing different from Gary.
Hmmm. Jeannie’s choice of Van Halen sort of surprised me. I did not expect Jeannie to be a Van Halen sort of person.
Oh and Joanna’s made me think of this one time a couple years back when Paul Wright played at my church. I think he was an opening act for Superchic[k] but it could have been a different show. He was a nice guy, and he was surprisingly tall.
Oh and I figured I’d add in just one Goodnight or Sleep lyric.
”You look like a space monkey abandoned by your mom,
Dropped off stag and naked at the frontsteps of your prom.
I feel like a manatee just walked in with a bomb,
Demanded all the money and made off with Major Tom.”
This Is Your Life
Switchfoot
As I stood amongst a crowd comprised of tightly packed teenage bodies last Thursday and listened to the awakening voice of Jon Foreman, these lyrics hit me head on and went right to the heart. Maybe it was because the music was so powerfully loud. Maybe it was because the crowd was singing along with the band like that is what they were put on this earth to do. Maybe it was because it was just one of those moments when words and music interconnect to evince flawless clarity. Yes, it was all of these number of things that added to the overall experience, but most of all it was the sheer veracity of the lyrics—and the emotional impact that it has on my life today.
Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
We can’t change things in the past and I do not want to live my life in regret. I’ve made mistakes in the past and done things that I’m not proud of, everyone has, but we can’t dwell over them—we can’t close our eyes. I’ve still got a whole long life ahead of me to live and I’ve got a chance to live it however I want to. We can’t let what has happened in the past or what is expected to become of the future limit us. All we have is the here and now.
This also has a religious connotation. I think it’s cool that this song has ambiguous meaning so that it can apply to the believer and the non-believer. It’s also saying that even though we’ve committed sins and wandered down the wrong path, there’s still hope. We can’t give up. We are the ones choose our actions and that starts with today, not yesterday or tomorrow. We have a second chance to be who we want to be and all we have to do is act upon it.
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This line left me kind of introspective. “This is your life”, he said. “Are you who you want to be?” he asked. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I felt like I was directly being asked this. I felt like after all I’ve been through and learned these past years that this was my final assessment—my own personal examination. High school, this year in particular, has brought a lot of change and discovery. I’ve broken away from most of the typical trends of my early teen years and have set certain standards for myself that I believe in. Little by little I’ve been finding out who I am. And I’ve been trying as hard as hell to open up in new ways—to see myself from different perspectives. I am no longer a slave to the past or a debtor to the future. And for the first time I’ve realized that for the most part I am who I want to be.
This is definitely my favorite blog so far. I am always listening to music as it seems to help me through every situation life brings me. Although I could relate what seems like a million songs to my life, I have two favorites that I am pretty sure will never change. Hearing these two specific songs makes me realize who I used to be, who I am, and who I hope to be someday.
This first song is Sympathy by the Goo Goo Dolls:
Stranger than your sympathy
And this is my apology
I killed myself from the inside out
And all my fears have pushed you out
And I wished for things that I don’t need
(all I wanted)
And what I chased won’t set me free
(all I wanted)
And I get scared but I’m not crawlin’ on my knees
- The Goo Goo Dolls are my favorite band and this is my favorite one of their songs. I first heard it in the movie "A Cinderella Story" and loved it ever since. The lyrics are strong and meaningful, and I as if I gain a sense of power when I hear it. I have interpreted it as a song dealing with mistakes, realization, and wisdom. It has taught me that through the many challenges and heartache life may bring, never give up. All you can do in life is learn from your mistakes and look back on them in the future.
The next song I chose is called "The Outside" by Taylor Swift:
I didn't know what I would find
When I went looking for a reason, I know
I didn't read between the lines
And, baby, I've got nowhere to go
I tried to take the road less traveled by
But nothing seems to work the first few times
Am I right?
[Chorus:]
So how can I ever try to be better?
Nobody ever lets me in
I can still see you, this ain't the best view
On the outside looking in
I've been a lot of lonely places
I've never been on the outside
- I can relate a lot of my life to Taylor Swift's music, probably along with many other girls my age. Her lyrics, espescially this song, inspire me and give me hope when everything seems to be going wrong. This song talks about going through life not knowing what to expect, what choices to make, or where you will end up. As a sixteen year old junior in high school, I am certainly in this situation. Between friends, boys, family, and school, I feel like I am so far from my destination. No matter what I do, I still feel like theres something missing or something stopping me. I think that the greatest lesson this song portrays is to always be strong and make the choice that makes you happiest. At least thats what I get out of it. Sometimes I feel like it's me against the world, and most of the time it probably is. This song helped me to realize its my decisions that will shape who I am, even though it may feel like a lonely journey it will all pay off in the end.
I could go on forever, but these two songs hold the most meaning to me right now. They are two songs that I never get sick of and that always make me feel better when things are tough.
And Joanna, I was extremely tempted to pick Love In This Club simply because it has to be the best song on this earth (espescially part 2!) I do agree, though, that the catchy beat makes it a really good song, but its meaning isn't the deepest of all...i'm still obsessed though. And maybe its because i'm in love with usher and going to marry him one day? I don't know, suchhhhhhh a good song though. :)
So, the past three days, since I found out our blog was about music lyrics I was actually really excited. Usually, I am always putting blogs off because I never have any answers. Well this time, I have too many answers. Picking just one or two or even just ten songs could never seem like enough. I honestly went down the line on most people's blogs, youtube'd it and read the lyrics as I listened to the song. I'm not even kidding. And then subsequently, usually ended up liking the artist and finding other songs and now I have 7 front and back post-its with like 50 new songs I want to put on my ipod. haha wow I really care about studying for ap history, don't I?
But anyway, there were tons of songs that could apply to my life but at different times in different moods. There were of course a million Goo Goo Dolls that I liked and then the random new songs that are good and old songs from when we were like 10. I really love, the song I hope you dance, Leslie. I was seriously going to do that one because, well, to me it applies literally and figuratively. Also, I was at dance and asked my friends what they would answer to this and they said 100 years and I agreed, and I think that was Bec. So I agree that's a great song.
God, I ramble sooo bad in blogs. But what I narrowed it down to. I found a song that will put me in an amazing mood no matter what. It's one that my mom, my sister, and my aunts and cousins, the 7 girls who always do everything together in my family, love Wicked. Yes, those of you who read Courtney Sherman's blog might be having a flashback. But honestly, on the way back from Broadway no matter what play we just saw we always play the Wicked soundtrack and blast one song screaming at the top of our lungs....Defying Gravity. So, anyway, geez I am bad at getting to the point. The song is when Glinda(good witch) and Elfaba(bad witch) are getting ready to go see the Wizard and aren't sure if they will accept Elfaba because, well, she's green. So here it is:
Elphaba:
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down...
Glinda:
Can't I make you understand, you're having delusions of grandeur...?
Elphaba:
I'm through accepting limits
'Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But 'till I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love - I guess I have lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down...
Elphaba:
So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately -
Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me -
Tell them how I
Am defying gravity!
I'm flying high
Defying gravity!
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!
and honestly, youtube the song and listen to it. It has soooo much more power if you listen to it with the song. But to me it doesn't matter because this song is so empowering. It really makes me realize that no matter what other people or we tell us we can't do, we can. You can overcome anything in life and no one can ever bring you down if you don't let them. It's awesome.
Sorry Bunje that this is ridiculously long, but I'm putting another song, too. One about love. One about having someone that will be there for you, forever. This song along with all the other heart-wrenching songs people have picked give me hope that outside the stupid walls of Oakcrest, there is a perfect somebody for everybody. So here it is and really you should read the whole thing because it's amazing.
Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
When I see your smile
Tears run down my face I can't replace
And now that I'm stronger I've figured out
How this world turns cold and breaks through my soul
And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
It's ok. It's ok. It's ok.
Seasons are changing
And waves are crashing
And stars are falling all for us
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter
I can show you I'll be the one
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
Cuz you're my, you're my, my true love, my whole heart
Please don't throw that away
Cuz I'm here for you
Please don't walk away,
Please tell me you'll stay, stay
Use me as you will
Pull my strings just for a thrill
And I know I'll be ok
Though my skies are turning gray
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
I love this song. So much. That's all I can say.
such a great blog by the way =) !
and amazing choice of sympathy danielle =) i wrote in mine about goo goo dolls and then saw yours.
I agree with Erin that I’m pretty excited about this blog, even if mine is pretty late, but I have to say that I know no one is going to have my song. Hehehe Well, I can say that Byul (Star) by Kim Ah Joong is the one song that really fits me well. The song came from the movie 200 lbs of Beauty. The song talks about how she knows she couldn’t receive his love but she treasures the fact that she loves him and that the stars keep her company.
Well the song is in Korean (I’m not Korean, I’m Vietnamese =D) and I thought it was a very deep song that really reminds me of how I sort of live my life in a weird love-ish way. I know that the guy I like would probably never think of me the same, but all I know is that I treasure the fact that I loved him. I really like the chorus of the song which is…
goshi mo-thal man-kum hime gyowa apa-wado
(though I’m exhausted to the point where I can’t walk)
nun-muri a-peul kar-yowado
(though my tears blur my vision)
gatchi-mothan nae sarang apedo na usul-lae-yu
(even if Love's not meant for me)
cham-shira-do gyote
(I will keep on smiling)
haeng-bo-khaet-don giok-turul
(Even though our happy times were short)
ga-sume gan-ji-khal-kkeyo
(I’ll treasure it deep inside my heart)
tunune sunoh-a-jin cho pyol-deul-cho-rom yongwonhi
(like those countless number of stars, forever)
It talks about the comforting stars and the relaxing feeling you can get from it. The stars at night really can comfort you, especially when you’re in a bad mood. I love going outside and staring at the bright stars, but I really hate the biting mosquitoes. Yuck! Hehehe The real pain of love is hard to grasp on but I think when you get through all that you get stronger like what the song said in the end that she wouldn’t cry anymore and that she wanted to laugh like the stars. In a way I think both the singer and I have a very childish side to ourselves because we both try to be strong and laugh all those pains away, plus we’re both pretty stubborn seeming. I really like the lyrics to this song, it’s really sweet and it makes me feel stronger inside, even if love’s pain is harsh.
Another song that I feel resembles me is the song Mata Ashita (See You Again), it was from an anime called Ouran High School Host Club. It’s about how friends may leave but they will always be there for you even when they’re not there at that very moment. It’s a really jumpy song that I want to let you guys all hear because we’re not all going to be together forever and that even if it’s sad that it’ll all be okay and we should just say “see you again tomorrow!”
See you again tomorrow! So that we can meet you who smiled
Like the clouds floating in the serene, blue sky
Let’s bask in sunlight to the fullest and start walking
With me
The main reason why this song resembles me is because I’m not going to see you guys next year, but I’ll always know that we’ll be together in spirit. Oakcrest has been like family and I can’t imagine life without people like you all. =[
It took me a long time to find songs and the translations for them. I was in a bad mood earlier so I couldn’t really get into the mood of finding songs, but I feel better now. I didn’t want to put depressing songs on to describe me, I want to be positive! Sorry Bunje for my blog being late!
I know without a doubt I am going to embarrass myself from the songs that I chose. Usually I can think of tons of songs that would explain my life but, of course since I need to think of some now none will come to mind, so here’s the best I can get for now. First I will make a mention of the song “What a wonderful World”. I don’t know why but it is the first song that came to mind and the song really makes me put my life into a retrospective viewpoint.
“Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
Theyre really sayin......i love you.
I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
Theyll learn much more.....than Ill never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world”
It is too often that we take advantage of life and overlook the simple things that truly are amazing. The things that make our existence great aren’t the material goods we acquire throughout our time being here. What’s more important and spectacular is how lucky we just to be alive and the things that go on around us, as well as the things we learn. No one can ever take away our knowledge, so we must embrace what we are given because they are truly glorious.
“I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.”
We have to teach ourselves to love the world around us, because it is magnificent and too often do we take these things for granted, and this is what I think about almost every single day. I try to reflect upon how I can enjoy everything that I am given and not let it go unrecognized.
I figured that since two songs came to mind instantaneously I shall enlighten you with what the other song is. =P… This song is by The Postal Service, and I must say I love every one of their songs and that they all have an importance on my life and what I think describes me.
“I am thinking it's a sign
that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images
and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate
that God himself did make
us into corresponding shapes
like puzzle pieces from the clay”
So sure this sounds like a love song, and it may very well be. Well actually I am about 98% sure it is a love song, BUT since I am not in love I believe there is something else to be said about this song. I believe that there is that perfect someone for us all somewhere, because life is one big puzzle, we just have to find the corresponding piece. Told you I’m a geeky loser! Oh well you asked, so I answered. I wish I could talk about more songs but I don’t want to annoy you too much Bunje by talking about every song that has a meaning to me. The End.
* and Jake! How did you remember that is my favorite Beatles song!!?!?!?!?!?!? i love you (no homo)
even though its hard to believe since i chose such a un-manly song
Finally a music blog. There are many lyrics that can express what I feel about life. The band that can best capture my life philosophies is Modest Mouse. From well over a hundred and twenty songs, there are many to choose from. The first song that came to mind was this song i came as a rat.
Walking around in my bare feet
I do not need you to tell me that I am not a cat
I caught a ride, we caught some air
He's never going to cut his hair
It takes more time to make a fake
We night-swam down in the lake
Washed the dirt off our intentions
Prattle on about bad inventions
I came as ice, I came as a whore
I came as advice that came too short
I came as gold, I came as crap
I came clean and I came as a rat
It takes a long time, but God dies too
But not before he'll stick it to you
Well, I don't know, but I been told
You never die and you never grow old
I came as a call, I came as flat
I came too soon so I came back
I came as flowers, I came as nice
I came as dirt and I came as its price
It takes a long time, but God dies too
The chorus where he sings about the various things he "came" as, it reminds me of all the differents paths through life you can go to and still end up at the same place. I know it sounds depressing, but it’s not, I think life is great that you can take any route you want. You could "come" as any of them things, or even all of them. Also, Modest Mouse sang the truest thing in the history of songs, "Woke this morning and it seemed to me
That every night turns out to be
A little bit more like Bukowski." I have read numerous Bukowski books ( I lost count after ten) and its true! Life is like how Bukowski describes it. I also want to give credit to the White Album that is a story of life in itself; death, success, love, lust (in the street), youth, elderliness, revolution, and your birthday.
I just realized I did not comment on anyone's blog yet. whoops. Okays, so commenting on those who picked Beatles songs, kudos! I think there should be a separate blog to discuss Beatles songs, and we should watch Across The Universe. (I will probably mention in every subsequent blog that we should watch Across The Universe) Also, Gary, thank-you for making me feel predictable.
Well, I guess I should admit that when I first read this blog, I was mad, because this is way hard for me. And I don’t want to do anything today except sit on my 10 ft x 10 ft piece of front lawn and not sit at home by myself for practically the entire day. Nad I still don’t like this blog and as of 9:12 I still haven’t thought of a single song that comes close to describing my life, and I think that I probably like it that way. And I’m also mad at music and all work in general, because I feel my ipod should have a brain and play exactly the song I subconsciously want to hear, which I think is like the emotion Caitlin feels with her music now. And by the way I definitely thought Caitlin was being sarcastic when I read the first sentence of her blog. Ok, and not to mention my ap calculus test raped my mind and I didn’t even realize it until I entered the locker room, late, so that I wouldn’t end up losing points, having missed lunch and wanting to go home or skip class the rest of the day. Which I did not do. So, in other words, I studied for my history test for about 2 minutes today and have been completely unmotivated, esp. to do this blog.
Now that I’ve pretty much finished complaining about my day, I’ll explain why I don’t like this blog/can’t do it. I don’t listen to songs for their words. Now I love the lyrics of some songs and like to sing to them or whatever, but generally if they even make sense they don’t relate to my life. I think I just listen to it as sort of an escape, as just an encompassing mood or feeling. The lyrics and singing is just another piece of the music, another instrument. The meaning changes my perception of the song, but it’s not the words that I really care about. I guess I don’t even like songs that I feel are too sentimental or describing a personal experience, for some reason I end up getting mad and feel like they’re just complaining about their life, or they’re just going on and on about how happy they are when I don’t feel the same. I think how I feel is something like a combination of Courtney Sherman’s, Caitlin’s and Mikey’s blogs (because they were some of ones I happened to read), which isn’t so surprising seeing they sort of encompass the kinds of music I listen to, too.
Ironically, itunes just froze and made my computer freeze, so I had to manually restart it. Anyway, I did manage to come up with something just before my computer had a breakdown. It doesn’t really apply to how I feel right now, but it generally does.
Ah yes. Apparently it’s no longer copied to the clip board now.
Stay the way I am today is certain more disaster
He can tell a fairy tale it's happily ever after
Just relax and greener grass will grow here for a change
Maybe then we'll last a million years or more or more or more
And go all the way up to heaven
And go all the way back home
This is part of the song “all the way up to heaven” by Guster. Whom I love, as does Courtney Tomasello. Well, I’m pretty sure. It applies to my life in 2 ways, but the out-of-context of the song one I like better. I sort of feel like I always need to look out and make sure I don’t slip into an unchanging state, not caring about becoming a better person/friend/whatever, and bad things always come along then. When I always try to focus on what I need to do, and look to what God has planned for me, things always work out best. Like, I really will get that sort of fairy-tale ending or the greener grass I’ve been waiting for. I just have to relax and trust that everything is the way it should be and will turn out fine, and probably way better than I could ever make it when I worry or attempt it myself or speculate on what will happen. But I just have to keep growing with my life, and never give up. I actually do feel better now, and I’m glad I didn’t give up on finding a song. :)
After rigorously scanning through my Ipod and searching through the collection in my head I finally came up with some great songs. The first one is by Mary j Blige when in doubt Mary always something that I can relate to happy of sad. So the name of the song I s Take Me As I Am. It is a song that basically says don’t change yourself for no one when your finally figure out who you are and what your planning to do with your life. It inspires me to tell people to take it or leave it because regardless of how you feel about the things I decide to do I’m still going to do what makes me happy in the end. She says how in life the things you do which you might feel as though make you a bad person are really help to build strength and character and also every circumstance good or bad is worth going through. Sometimes you find yourself being bogged down by all the bad peoples silly judgments of you but life goes on after people and their critiques because the sun always comes out in the end and people are not there to determine your worth. What matters in the end is that you strive in making yourself feel happy and complete. People sometimes fall into stereotypes and confine to a certain stereotype but you do not need to that as long as your happy with yourself. This songs teaches your self worth.
Next I go to my girl Beyonce. The sing is called flaws and all. In this song she basically says that she knows that she is flawed but no matter how imperfect you may be or your life might seem you will always have those people there who will there to have your back and not get yourself down over the things you can not change and those who don’t take your for everything you are.
Lastly is Mariah Carey’s Through the Rain. Sometimes I find my self in situations and I feel like I cannot go on anymore and am I ready to give up. I have to remind myself that behind every dark cloud is a better ending. I cannot give up easily because when you preserver the outcome is always worth the pain you go through to make it to the happier side of things and that you’ll be standing on your own two feet in no time. God never puts you in situations he doesn’t believe you can handle. In the end you will only be a better and stronger person because of your struggle.
And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
And it's someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child that saved this world
And there's 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
"Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
I think people in this world are a bit too negative and self-centered. This song urges people to work together for a common good. It gives this message pretty bluntly in the second verse.
This song is meant to attack peoples morals and is trying to incite a change and an appeal to people's consciences. It gives this message but then sends the positive feeling in the line “But tonight’s the night the world begins again.” It is saying that everyone is given a second chance.
The reference to prayer brings religion into the song, which is also very important to me. It does this in a way that isn’t forceful, but still sends a strong message. To me, this is how religion is supposed to be used – religion is meant to inspire people to do good for the world and make it a better place.
It ties both of these ideas together perfectly as well. “Cause everyone is forgiven now” sends the message of a second chance with an allusion to penance. This idea of a second chance gives a positive feeling to the listener and the feeling that no matter what goes wrong, and no matter what this person did that was “wrong”, there is always a chance to be forgiven and saved. There is always an opportunity for a second chance. To me, second chances are one of the most important things a person can give or receive, as I have taken many and have proven that they can change a relationship for the better. Whether it be a friendship or a relationship with a significant other, second chances build ties between people, as the person that gave the chance gains an infinite amount of faith from the receiver. In previous relationships I haven’t been quite as faithful as I should have been, but when I asked for forgiveness, both girls forgave me and although I had to work to gain their trust back, I eventually did gain it back. To me, this was the best thing that these two ever did for me, and our relationship grew beyond that of a fling to one of friendship that survived better through trials than a feeble bond of “puppy love”.
Believe it or not, this is one of the harder blogs for me. Sure, I love music and know the words to tons of songs, especially Elvis, but I couldn’t think of any that truly applied to me personally. Well, except for one. The following song has been my personal theme song since the day I heard it, it more or less could have been written about me, except for the fact it is referring to a relationship, whereas I’m pretty cold to everyone. It’s called “Cold” by Crossfade.
Looking back at me I see
That I never really got it right
I never stopped to think of you
I'm always wrapped up in
Things I cannot win
You are the antidote that gets me by
Something strong
Like a drug that gets me high
What I really meant to say
Is I'm sorry for the way I am
I never meant to be so cold
And I'm sorry about all the lies
Maybe in a different light
You could see me stand on my own again
Cause now I can see
You were the antidote that got me by
Something strong like a drug that got me high
I never meant to be so cold
I never really wanted you to see
The screwed up side of me that I keep
Locked inside of me so deep
It always seems to get to me
I never really wanted you to go
So many things you should have known
I guess for me there’s just no hope
I never meant to be so cold
The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory, and I doubt I need to explain them or how they apply to me, because I’m sure you all know I’m a jerk 90% of the time. For that though, I’m truly sorry, hence this song being my personal theme song. I’m having a extremely hard thing coming up with a second song that applies to my life now. When I think of good songs, I think of songs like “November Rain” and “Paradise City”, but songs like this don’t apply to me very much at all. Well I guess I’ll just have to settle for “Trouble” by Elvis Presley since I can’t seem to find anything else more suiting.
If you're looking for trouble
You came to the right place
If you're looking for trouble
Just look right in my face
I was born standing up
And talking back
My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack
Because I'm evil, my middle name is misery
Well I'm evil, so don't you mess around with me
I've never looked for trouble
But I've never ran
I don't take no orders
From no kind of man
I'm only made out
Of flesh, blood and bone
But if you're gonna start a rumble
Don't you try it on alone
Because I'm evil, my middle name is misery
I’m sure you’re all wondering how in the world this song applies to me, because after all, I’m not much of a fighter. With that being said, I’m still quite evil and I don’t take any orders, so I guess you could say I’m trouble and I surly do cause my good share of misery. And defiantly do my own share of talking back.
I would just like to compliment Dave on his good choice in music, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a great band.
I just want to start off by saying i love this blog topic almost as much as I love Ms. Bunje.. but ofcourse it can't be as much as I lovee her becuase she is the most amazing best teacher EVER to walk or be on this or any other planet in the universe. =D
But moving back to the blog...
Whenever someone asks me what kind of music I listen to I never know what to say. I honestly like pretty much every type of music.. It’s the songs that I get picky about. I try to look for more than the “I love you I need you” kind of thing.. And lately my preference has leaning more towards country songs. As far as songs that can sum up the way I feel about life I am stuck. I feel so limited having to narrow it down to one of two, it was hard enough narrowing it down to four.
One of the songs is “Mountains” by Lonestar. He uses the metaphor of life lessons being mountains. The chorus is:
“There are times in life when you gotta crawl
Lose your grip, trip and fall
When you can't lean on no-one else
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walking's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ole hiils'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains
So we could learn how to climb
This world ain't fair
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up”
Whenever I hear this song it lifts my spirits and reminds me that I will get no where if I just sit there after a hard fall and the quicker I get back up the more I can learn.
Carrie Underwood’s “Lessons Learned” is probably the song that most closely resembles my outlook on life. It talks about how everything that once hurt just served as a lesson learned and the best thing you can do is learn form it and keep moving on with your life.
“There's some things that I regret,
Some words I wish had gone unsaid,
Some starts,
That had some bitter endings,
Been some bad times I've been through,
Damage I cannot undo,
Some things,
I wish I could do all all over again,
But it don't really matter,
Life gets that much harder,
It makes you that much stronger,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus:]
And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,
Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,
Every change, life has thrown me,
I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,
I'm grateful, for every scar,
Some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were lessons learned.
There's mistakes that I have made,
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus]
And all the things that break you,
Are all the things that make you strong,
You can't change the past,
Cause it's gone,
And you just gotta move on,
Because it's all,
Lessons learned.”
These two songs both help me a lot when I am upset and on the verge of tears. They make me think about things from a different perspective and help me to see the good that can come from every bad situation. They keep me optimistic. =D
The other two songs I eliminated to narrow it down to two were “Crazy Dreams” by Carrie Underwood, and “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. These four songs are not the only songs I use as my scapegoat from my reality. Sometimes I listen to hundreds of songs to block out the world when I get upset or mad. Without music I would probably have read every single book in the entire world because I would have no other way to get over things that upset me.
=D
PS.. Bunje this is for you… if for any reason I do not come back to your class Monday 12th period you can blame it Tony.. Assume he never took me home from prom.. and you can find him in 327 during that period lol
Amber the third verse of your song is really good. It sounds really motivational. Joes first song suites him pretty well considering we spends 3680799056345 minutes a day (even if that’s not mathematically possible) throwing “daggers” at people. =P
I just want to start off by saying i love this blog topic almost as much as I love Ms. Bunje.. but ofcourse it can't be as much as I lovee her becuase she is the most amazing best teacher EVER to walk or be on this or any other planet in the universe. =D
But moving back to the blog...
Whenever someone asks me what kind of music I listen to I never know what to say. I honestly like pretty much every type of music.. It’s the songs that I get picky about. I try to look for more than the “I love you I need you” kind of thing.. And lately my preference has leaning more towards country songs. As far as songs that can sum up the way I feel about life I am stuck. I feel so limited having to narrow it down to one of two, it was hard enough narrowing it down to four.
One of the songs is “Mountains” by Lonestar. He uses the metaphor of life lessons being mountains. The chorus is:
“There are times in life when you gotta crawl
Lose your grip, trip and fall
When you can't lean on no-one else
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walking's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ole hiils'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains
So we could learn how to climb
This world ain't fair
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up”
Whenever I hear this song it lifts my spirits and reminds me that I will get no where if I just sit there after a hard fall and the quicker I get back up the more I can learn.
Carrie Underwood’s “Lessons Learned” is probably the song that most closely resembles my outlook on life. It talks about how everything that once hurt just served as a lesson learned and the best thing you can do is learn form it and keep moving on with your life.
“There's some things that I regret,
Some words I wish had gone unsaid,
Some starts,
That had some bitter endings,
Been some bad times I've been through,
Damage I cannot undo,
Some things,
I wish I could do all all over again,
But it don't really matter,
Life gets that much harder,
It makes you that much stronger,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus:]
And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,
Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,
Every change, life has thrown me,
I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,
I'm grateful, for every scar,
Some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were lessons learned.
There's mistakes that I have made,
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus]
And all the things that break you,
Are all the things that make you strong,
You can't change the past,
Cause it's gone,
And you just gotta move on,
Because it's all,
Lessons learned.”
These two songs both help me a lot when I am upset and on the verge of tears. They make me think about things from a different perspective and help me to see the good that can come from every bad situation. They keep me optimistic. =D
The other two songs I eliminated to narrow it down to two were “Crazy Dreams” by Carrie Underwood, and “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. These four songs are not the only songs I use as my scapegoat from my reality. Sometimes I listen to hundreds of songs to block out the world when I get upset or mad. Without music I would probably have read every single book in the entire world because I would have no other way to get over things that upset me.
=D
PS.. Bunje this is for you… if for any reason I do not come back to your class Monday 12th period you can blame it Tony.. Assume he never took me home from prom.. and you can find him in 327 during that period lol
Amber the third verse of your song is really good. It sounds really motivational. Joes first song suites him pretty well considering we spends 3680799056345 minutes a day (even if that’s not mathematically possible) throwing “daggers” at people. =P
I just want to start off by saying i love this blog topic almost as much as I love Ms. Bunje.. but ofcourse it can't be as much as I lovee her becuase she is the most amazing best teacher EVER to walk or be on this or any other planet in the universe. =D
But moving back to the blog...
Whenever someone asks me what kind of music I listen to I never know what to say. I honestly like pretty much every type of music.. It’s the songs that I get picky about. I try to look for more than the “I love you I need you” kind of thing.. And lately my preference has leaning more towards country songs. As far as songs that can sum up the way I feel about life I am stuck. I feel so limited having to narrow it down to one of two, it was hard enough narrowing it down to four.
One of the songs is “Mountains” by Lonestar. He uses the metaphor of life lessons being mountains. The chorus is:
“There are times in life when you gotta crawl
Lose your grip, trip and fall
When you can't lean on no-one else
That's when you find yourself
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walking's easy when the road is flat
Them danged ole hiils'll get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains
So we could learn how to climb
This world ain't fair
It can knock you on your butt
You can just lie there
Or you can get back up
You gotta get back up”
Whenever I hear this song it lifts my spirits and reminds me that I will get no where if I just sit there after a hard fall and the quicker I get back up the more I can learn.
Carrie Underwood’s “Lessons Learned” is probably the song that most closely resembles my outlook on life. It talks about how everything that once hurt just served as a lesson learned and the best thing you can do is learn form it and keep moving on with your life.
“There's some things that I regret,
Some words I wish had gone unsaid,
Some starts,
That had some bitter endings,
Been some bad times I've been through,
Damage I cannot undo,
Some things,
I wish I could do all all over again,
But it don't really matter,
Life gets that much harder,
It makes you that much stronger,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus:]
And every tear that had to fall from my eyes,
Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night,
Every change, life has thrown me,
I'm thankful, for every break in my heart,
I'm grateful, for every scar,
Some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were lessons learned.
There's mistakes that I have made,
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
[Chorus]
And all the things that break you,
Are all the things that make you strong,
You can't change the past,
Cause it's gone,
And you just gotta move on,
Because it's all,
Lessons learned.”
These two songs both help me a lot when I am upset and on the verge of tears. They make me think about things from a different perspective and help me to see the good that can come from every bad situation. They keep me optimistic. =D
The other two songs I eliminated to narrow it down to two were “Crazy Dreams” by Carrie Underwood, and “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. These four songs are not the only songs I use as my scapegoat from my reality. Sometimes I listen to hundreds of songs to block out the world when I get upset or mad. Without music I would probably have read every single book in the entire world because I would have no other way to get over things that upset me.
=D
PS.. Bunje this is for you… if for any reason I do not come back to your class Monday 12th period you can blame it Tony.. Assume he never took me home from prom.. and you can find him in 327 during that period lol
Amber the third verse of your song is really good. It sounds really motivational. Joes first song suites him pretty well considering we spends 3680799056345 minutes a day (even if that’s not mathematically possible) throwing “daggers” at people. =P
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