Blah-ditty-blah

i realize that these next few are slightly less revealing then the first two posts of the same nature. . . . but oh well. . . deal!

here is my life through music, part 3, the strength album

32 flavors (ani difranco) now, this may seem like a soft song, maybe too soft sounding to be strong. . . . but that isn't so. if you can listen to her words, they are very strong. it seems to me that for every emotion i have, ani has a way of expressing it perfectly and poetically. "squint your eyes and look closer, i'm not between you and your ambition, i am a poster girl with no poster. i am 32 flavors and then some, i am beyond your peripheral vision, so you might want to turn your head." the musicality of it is soft, and her voice is soft. . . . there doesn't seem to be anger or bitterness there. it seems like more of a self realization. . . that you are worth a lot, and if someone doesn't notice it now, they will later.

don't tell me to stop (madonna) ok, so when i first heard this song, i thought there was something wrong with the radio station. . . or something had happened to their copy. it sounds like it's skipping a little at first, then i realized it was intentional and i thought it was really clever. the sound is actually getting cut short while she's singing about being told to 'stop' i don't have any really revealing story to tell about this one. it's just another strong (and female) but fun sounding song. "don't tell me to stop, tell the rain not to drop tell the wind not to blow, cause you said so."

fly away (lenny kravitz) so, this song got a lot of play in my car before i left virginia. it got a lot of play, really loudly too. "i want to get away, i want to fly away." which is, frankly, how i felt. i knew my time there was done, and although i missed my friends there, and still do, i felt really trapped, like i could barely breathe. i used to drive (fast) wherever i was going simply because it made me feel more like i was getting somewhere. . . and this song was great in the car. it still is. . . . but i don't need to drive fast anymore.

drive (incubus) ok, this song doesn't sound terribly strong either, in fact, i guess it is technically called a ballad. . . and honestly, one of the first times i heard it (while driving in virginia) i cried i thought it was so beautiful. "whatever tomorrow brings i'll be there, with open arms and open eyes" it's a nice image. at first i thought it was a sentiment for someone else mearning no matter what i'll be there for you- but it's not. . . . but don't worry it's just as good. the song is for the self. . . meaning i'll be ready to greet anything that comes tomorrow. and you have to make yourse;f responsible for you own life. "sometimes i feel the fear of uncertaintly stinging near, and i can't help but ask myself how much i let the fear take the wheel and steer. it's driven me before and it seem to have a vague haunting mass appeal, lately i beginning to find that i should be the one behind the wheel. " or don't let your fear of the unknown take control of your life. . . yeah, it's another softly strong song. . . but i think it speaks with a lot of volume.

joyful girl (ani difranco------yes! again!) i've always thought so many of her songs would translate well into modern dance. one of my friends in virginia did one dance piece to one of her more poetic numbers. . . and this song was used for one of the student dance concerts at kent. i think it was 4 or 5 girls in pajamas, and towards the end, they undid their shirts slowly to reveal more sking and their bras underneath----i thought it fit really well. "i wonder if everything i do, i do instead of something i want to do more. . . . and when everything else seems unclear, i guess at least i know, i do it for the joy it brings, cause i'm a joyful girl, cause the world owes me nothing, we owe each other the world, i do it cause it's the least i can do, i do it cause i learned it from you, do it just because i want to." again, it sounds maybe too soft and too sad, but it's another internal realization song. (there seems to be a lot of those here. . . maybe i'm pushing inner strength. . . yeah, that sounds good!)

knock on wood (the mighty mighty bosstones) this one is a little more upbeat. in fact, it kinda makes me want to jump around, dance, and laugh. something that i find kind of fun. . . is thinking of music like this in really tense situations. . . like when someone around me is really angry in general. . . or even better, when they are angry at me--which i admit, i don't think happens very often. . . . thinking of this music gives me an internal smaile that seems to shine a bit in my eyes, and the person usually becomes more frustrated with me and the fact that i seem to be happy when they aren't. plus it keeps me from getting really angry and acting stupid. "have you ever been close to tragedy or close to folks who have. have you ever felt a pain so powerful, so heavy you collapse. . . . i never had to knock on wood, but i knew someone who has." yes, again it's an internal kind of thing, but this song is so jump! it's also a great song to listen to if you have to stay up really late. it will give you that extra energy and strength to stay awake.

one step closer (linkin park) so. . . sometimes you've given yourself all the internal strength you can take, and it's just not enough- you need to break, smash, punch, throw, perhaps blow up something. . . anything. for instance, i tested the strength of my nalgene water bottle (which caled itself nearly indestructable) against a brick wall, over and over and over and over again. they were right. that thing could really take a beating! and yeah, this is a song that i played a lot my last year at kent. "i cannot take this anymore, saying everything i said before." i remember one particularlu cathartic student meeting, people were shocked, people were angry, people were crying, and i was handing out the lyrics to this song. . . .an angry sounding theme song! one of my favorite parts is. . . "shut up when i'm talking to you! shut up! shut up!" and " everything you say to me sends me one step closer to the edge, and i'm about to break. i need a little room to play." around this time, me, and some of my friends became fascinated and developed a new love for any movie that involved lots of explosions. . . . Jack Ass, XXX, and there was that terrible one with the skiers going against the terrorists. . . but that cutie rufus sewell . . . Extreme ops. . . and several others. anyway. . . i think you get my point. lots of anger, lots of frustration. . . those who were there remember, and this song is a great compliment.
pvc iv (blue man group) so, besides the fat that i'm notoriously in love with the blue man group and all that they do, this song doesn't hold any great significance. i do usually have it on the music mixes i use when i work out. . . because even without words, this music pushes me. rhythmic and driving. . . and i end up speeding up on the treadmill, or whatever. i guess it's also a reminder, whenever i'm feel like i'm working on a crappy project. . .that there are really cools things to do somewhere. . . even if i'm not doignthem, i can listen or watch and be inspired. -yes kind of cheesy, but completely true.

come on eileen ( i have no idea) so this is the ska remake of a fun 80's song. i think i just put it in there as another fun, jump on you bed and shake your head wildly kind of song. it can be a good way of ridding youself of frustrations. so, the next time someone gets up in your fave about anything, think of this song and envision yourself dancing crazily to it. . . you'll start to giggle a little which will frustrate the other person more. . . and i think that mean you win! cause you kep your cool. . . while they freaked out. stupid fuckers! HA!

the sun (they might be giants) yep, andother jump around the room fun one. . . . and this one is educational too. it teaches you all about the sun. it is also good for 'sleep impaired' working.

this is hell (elvis costello) this was a favorite among my emerson friends. that opening line is soooo wonderful. "this is hell, this is hell i am sorry to tell you it never gets better, or worse. but you get used to it, after a spell." -not if i can help it! yeah, three or four years into any educational system seems like hell, or at least that has been my experience. . .and it has been shared, so i know i'm not the alone in the whole thing. . . and i've been really glad for that. not much else. it's just kind of fun being able to sing along with a song saying "this is hell"

fire escape (blue man group) "all i see is not for me, what i want you have not got. try to go the way you told me, but each time i got lost." -this song has a little more of an edge to it. . . even though it's got that plucky blue man group sound to it. "but i'd rather look at the sky then wonder why i let you take my time." -see, it's a moving on song. getting past the thing that made you weak, or angry, or whatever. . . and it has that tremendous blue man sound that works really well at the gym too!

walkin on the sun (smash mouth) -used this song a lot as my sound check at emerson- yeah for some reason i did a lot of sound. this was a great song to use because it seems to insight fun. even the production manager teacher came out on stage and asked me to crank it up. - so i guess it falls under another fun, jump around kind of song. whoop-dee-do!

anyway, i guess that's all for now. . . take care.