What It's Like

What It’s Like (Censored Music Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCZ1YteCv5M

What It’s Like (Uncensored Lyric Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPoEA43cqKc

This week, depending on how I feel about this Blog…may be my last, but I’ve chosen a great song to end this with. The song is What It’s Like by Everlast from the album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (1998). This song was the top hit from the album, and was hailed as a genre-crossing lead single. It will make you really think, and has very powerful lyrics. WARNING: CONTAINS SOME EXPLICIT LANGUAGE. The explicit language is meaningful however, making the song more powerful.

                The song itself doesn’t follow a story like some of the others I’ve talked about, but rather gives three examples of situations you’ve heard insulted time and time again and makes you see them in another perspective. The first is about a beggar, the second is about a teen pregnancy, and the third is about the family of a drug dealer. Everlast sings how you could never understand what they’ve been through, yet we still shun them. If we “God forbid…ever had to walk a mile in her shoes,” or “had to wake up to hear the news,” then maybe we “might know what it’s like” to sing the blues, to choose, or to lose. The song struck a chord with me because I’ve thought badly of people in these situations before, and I assumed I knew their situation. This song showed me that I was wrong.

                The Interlude is equally as important. Everybody falls down in life, and we’ve all seen “the good side of bad, the down side of up, and everything in between.” Bad things happen to every one of us, and Everlast wants us to understand that through this song. We can be against abortion, but until our life and future hang in the balance of a choice, we can’t understand what the right thing to do is.

                I love this song, its message, and its power, and I hope this song hit you hard too. And who knows, you might see another post sometime soon…until next time!

What It’s Like Lyrics:

We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change 
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange 
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes 
"Get a job you f****n' slob," is all he replies 
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes 
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues 

Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 

Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom that said he was in love 
He said, "Don't worry about a thing, baby doll 
I'm the man you've been dreaming of." 
But 3 months later he say he won't date her or return her calls 
And she swear, "God d**n, if I find that man I'm cuttin' off his balls." 
And then she heads for the clinic and 
She gets some static walking through the door 
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner 
And they call her a whore 
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes 
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose 

Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 

I've seen a rich man beg 
I've seen a good man sin 
I've seen a tough man cry 
I've seen a loser win 
And a sad man grin 
I heard an honest man lie 
I've seen the good side of bad 
And the downside of up 
And everything between 
I licked the silver spoon 
Drank from the golden cup 
And smoked the finest green 
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times 
Before I broke their heart 
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start 

I knew this kid named Max 
Who used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs 
He liked to hang out late 
He liked to get s**t-faced and keep the pace with thugs 
Until late one night there was a big gun fight and Max lost his head 
He pulled out his chrome 45, talked some shit, and wound up dead 
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of this pain 
You know it crumbles that way 
At least that's what they say when you play the game 
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news 
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose 

Then you really might know what it's like 
Then you really might know what it's like 
Yeah then you really might know what it's like 
To have to lose

Travelin' Soldier

Travelin’ Soldier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRbo9FJ-yM

This week I’m going to talk about a song a bit out of the norm for me. It’s by the Dixie Chicks, one of the few country bands I like, and this and their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide are my favorite two songs by them. The Song is called Travelin’ Soldier, from their 6^th album Home (2002).

I’ve heard this song since it came out, but then it seemed to disappear for years…until I heard it again this week.  The song’s lyrics tell a powerful story of the love that grows between two strangers waiting to be reunited. The story begins when a boy and a girl sitting on a pier right before he leaves for the army. He tells her “I got no one to send a letter to. Would you mind if I sent one back to you.” The unnamed boy is reaching out to this girl he doesn’t even know in hopes for a connection, and the chorus shows that the connection quickly turned into love.

The chorus is my favorite part of the song because of the emotion and personality the Dixie Chicks put into their singing. I can almost feel the sadness the “pretty little girl with a bow in her hair,” which a girl as young as her should never be burdened with. Her commitment to him is evident, and though she is fictional, she’s a reminder of how important our relationships with others, especially those we love, are. The majority of us will never understand the hope, pain, sadness, and power of men and women that are “waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ soldier,” but the song gives me a glimpse into their emotions. The last part of the chorus changes the sadness and pain to happiness though when the girl receives the letter saying her love is coming home.

I hope everyone who has a loved one in the military receives that letter too, and I thank everyone who has served for the dedication to us and our country. I could go on and on about this song, but the rest is for you all to discover and appreciate. Until next week.

Travelin Soldier Lyrics:

Two days past eighteen 
He was waiting for the bus in his army green 
Sat down in a booth at a cafe there 
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair 
He's a little shy so she gives him a smile 
And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while 
And talking to me, 
I'm feeling a little low 
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go 

So they went down and they sat on the pier 
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care 
I got no one to send a letter to 
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you 

Chorus: I cried 
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy 
Too young for him they told her 
Waitin' for the love of the travelin' soldier 
Our love will never end 
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again 
Never born to be alone when the letter said 
Soldier's coming home 

So the letters came from an army camp 

From California then Vietnam 
And he told her of his heart 
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of 
He said when it's getting kinda rough over here 
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier 
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile 
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for awhile 

[Chorus] 

One friday night at a football game 
The lord's prayer said and the anthem sang 
A man said folks would you bow your heads 
For a list of local vietnam dead 
Crying all alone under the stands 
Was a piccolo player in the marching band 
And one name read and nobody really cared 
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair 

I cried never gonna hold the hand of another guy too young for him they told her waitin' for the love of the travelin' soldier our love will never end waitin' for the soldier to come back again never more to be alone when the letter said soldier's coming, {repeat chorus}

The Good Left Undone

The Good Left Undone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRmbcqp5Dbc

            This week, the song I chose is by a great band that infuses incredible meaning into every one of their songs. The band is called Rise Against, and the song is called The good Left Undone from their fourth Album The Sufferer and the Witness (2006).

            The meaning of this song took me a while to figure out because of the poetic nature of the lyrics. Once I finally did however, I thought they were about life and relationships, like many rock songs are. The first verse is about a flower among fields and fields of weeds, which is a metaphor for the good in the world among an ocean of bad. The flower itself represents a woman that the narrator fell in love with, and throughout the song, Tim McIlrath, the singer of the band, sings about the changes she brought to his world. The final verse says "All because of you, I believe in angels. Not the kind with wings, no, not the kind with halos, the kind that bring you home, when home becomes a strange place." Before meeting her, he thought the world was a darker place, but now he sees the good the people around him can bring.

            The love is only half the song though. The other half is about their breakup. He hasn't "slept in so long," and when he does he "dreams of drowning in  the ocean, longing for the shore." he can't sleep, and when he does, he only has nightmares. The man in this song can't let go and appreciate the changes she stirred in him. For many of us, people, possesions, and memories are hard to let go, and just like in last week's song Boys of Summer, the better and happier the memory, the more desperately we cling to it.

            Hope you all enjoyed the song! It's one of Rise Against's best! see you next week.

The Good Left Undone Lyrics:

In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
I found a flower at my feet,
Bending there in my direction,
I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’d been missing,

But I know…
So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong.
There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.

All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.

Inside my hands these petals browned,
Dried up, fallen to the ground
But it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
Returned this flower to the dirt,
So it could live. I walked away now.

But I know…
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel this burn.
There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.

All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long,
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.

All because of you…
All because of you…

All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
Inside these arms of yours.

All because of you,
I believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
No, not the kind with halos,
The kind that bring you home,
When home becomes a strange place.
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.

Boys of Summer

Boys of Summer Music Video: http://vimeo.com/38296751

This week, the song is by a great artist by the name of Don Henley, a man who used to sing and play drums for The Eagles. The song is called Boys of Summer, one many of you have probably heard on the radio at some time or another, and it was released in 1984 on the album Building the Perfect Beast.

                The meaning of this song is pretty straightforward, unlike many of the other songs I’ve posted on this blog. It’s about nostalgia, lost love, and growing up. He begins the song by describing the emptiness of the “road,” “beach,” and “streets,” which reveal the emptiness he feels without his past relationship. The chorus speaks of the great memories he had, and how his love continued indefinitely, even when the beaches and bikinis were gone. He comes to the realization halfway through the song that he can’t keep living in the past; he tells himself “don’t look back, you can never look back” to try to convince himself to move on. It’s hard to move on though, whether it’s from a relationship or simply a happy memory that once was. Henley shows this by ending the song with his chorus of happy memories. He feels those memories are more important than letting go because they aren’t just a failed relationship but his life and his youth. He was once a “boy of summer,” and as we grow up, we don’t want to give that away.

                This is a great, powerful song, and I hope you get as much out of it as I do every time I hear it. The music video fits perfectly with the song, creating an air of nostalgia that can almost be pictured. Until next time!

Boys of Summer Lyrics:

Nobody on the road 
Nobody on the beach 
I feel it in the air 
The summer's out of reach 

Empty lake, empty streets 
The sun goes down alone 
I'm driving by your house 
Though I know you're not home 

But I can see you 
Your brown skin shining in the sun 
You got your hair combed back and your 
Sunglasses on baby 
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong 
After the boys of summer, have gone 

I never will forget those nights 
I wonder if it was a dream 
Remember how you made me crazy 
Remember how I made you scream 
Now I don't understand 
What happened to our love 
But babe I'm gonna get you back 
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of 

I can see you 
Your brown skin shining in the sun 
I see you walking real slow 
Smiling at everyone 
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong 
After the boys of summer, have gone 

Out on the road today 
I saw a deadhead sticker on a cadillac 
A little voice inside my head said: 
"Don't look back, you can never look back" 
I thought I knew what love was 
What did I know? 
Those days are gone forever 
I should just let them go but, 

I can see you 
Your brown skin shining in the sun 
You got the top pulled down 
Radio on baby 
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong 
After the boys of summer have gone 

I can see you 
Your brown skin shining in the sun 
You got your hair slicked back and those 
Wayfarers on, baby 
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong 
After the boys of summer, have gone

I'm Still Here

I’m Still Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z-l9IUBOqM

I fell in love with this song the first second I heard it, and I could listen to it every day and never get tired of it. I originally heard it from the animated Disney movie Treasure Planet (2002), and the song I’m Still Here, from Treasure Planet’s soundtrack, and from then on it’s been cemented as one of my favorite songs (you’ve probably noticed I have a whole bunch of favorite songs). The song is the only single by John Rzeznik, the singer and guitarist of The Goo Goo Dolls, an American rock band formed in 1986.

The lyrics are very powerful for anyone who had ever felt insignificant to the world. The song explains the story of a young man trying to find his place in the world, yet constantly being pushed down. Just when he is about to give up, someone comes into his life and changes him completely. He finds himself, and he is finally able to face the world and say that “I’m Still Here.” It’s interesting to note that, though I assumed the person who changed his life was a girl, the song doesn’t specify anything about the person who helped him, showing that anyone can be a catalyst for change in someone’s life. As a Christian, I’ve had people that were male, female, family, and friends that have all helped me along the way to becoming a better person and impacting the world. Everyone wants to feel like that matter in the world, but in their own way. Rzeznik says that “I’ll never be what you want me to be,” because “they don’t know me.” He realizes though, that “they can’t break me as long as I know who I am,” which was powerful and moving to me.

The story begins with the man telling himself “I’m not here,” but he changes his life for the better. Hopefully, one day everyone will have a person in his or her life that can be that catalyst of change. Hope you liked the song, see you next week!

               

I’m Still Here Lyrics:

I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment
That's held in your arms

And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be what you want me to be

And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man
You can't take me
And throw me away

And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

Chorus:
And I want a moment to be real
Wanna touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

And you see the things they never see
All you wanted I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid

And I want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am

Chorus

They can't tell me who to be
Cause I'm not what they see
Yeah, the world is still sleepin while I keep on dreaming for me
And their words are just whispers and lies thatI'll never believe

Chorus

I'm the one now
Cause I'm still here
I'm the one
Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here

Californication

Link to Californication: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQYJRw4R4-Q

                This week I'm writing about a song by one of my favorite bands. Known by the majority of America nowadays, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a sound unlike any other, and lyrics that range from crazy and ridiculous (like  Sir Psycho Sexy) to deep and meaningful. The band consists of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), Chad Smith (drums), and John Frusciante (guitar). One such meaningful song is Californication, which is the one I chose for this week. It's from their album by the same name and was released in 1999. Freshman year, this band hooked me, and every time I think I've heard all they have to offer, I hear another song by them that I hadn't heard before, or they release a new song or album. Just like that, I'm hooked again.

                Californication  is one of their slower, less funky songs, and for the most part, the song describes the bad, dark side of Hollywood, California. Yeah, the city contributes immensely to the entertainment business, but as time passes, the people and celebrities become faker and faker, and the way aspects of life are being twisted is becoming worse and worse. Kiedis makes references to Hollywood's lies by singing "Psychic spies from China try to steal your mind's elation," and "Space may be the final frontier,
but it's made in a Hollywood basement."

                The way Kiedis spins the idea of Hollywood is the most interesting part though. Through the whole song the negatives of Hollywood are clearly stated, yet he still "dream[s] of Californication." In a way, the meaning can broaden past Hollywood to encompass everyone because people in general, including myself at times, envy fame and fortune, even if we realize its fake and shallow. The deep meanings, along with a masterful performance by the band places this song near the top of my list. Hope you like it too! check back next week!

Californication Lyrics:

Psychic spies from China
Try to steal your mind's elation
Little girls from Sweden
Dream of silver screen quotations
And if you want these kind of dreams
It's Californication

It's the edge of the world
And all of western civilization
The sun may rise in the East
At least it settles in the final location
It's understood that Hollywood
sells Californication

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Celebrity skin is this your chin
Or is that war your waging

[Chorus:]
First born unicorn
Hard core soft porn
Dream of Californication
Dream of Californication

Marry me girl be my fairy to the world
Be my very own constellation
A teenage bride with a baby inside
Getting high on information
And buy me a star on the boulevard
It's Californication

Space may be the final frontier
But it's made in a Hollywood basement
Cobain can you hear the spheres
Singing songs off station to station
And Alderon's not far away
It's Californication

Born and raised by those who praise
Control of population everybody's been there
and
I don't mean on vacation

[Chorus]

Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girl's guitar
They're just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldn't save the world
From Californication

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Sicker than the rest
There is no test
But this is what you're craving

[Chorus]