My Song

“Us”

I remember how it used to be

When it was only you and me

And no one knew a thing or two

About the way I felt for you

Those summer nights still call to me

The moon, the lake, everything

My heart, it still longs for you

Like back before you told me ‘We’re through’

I remember how we got away

Away from life everyday

The fun we had on every date

Made me think that “Us” was our fate

Things I see bring me back to you

Like the burning sun, the daily news

I can’t believe it was so long ago

When we told each other we would never let go

Those summer nights still call to me

The moon, the lake, everything

My heart, it still longs for you

Like back before you told me ‘We’re through’

I remember everything I had that I don’t have now

No love, no hope, and I can’t help now

Every windy, rainy night

Brings me to that life-changing fight

You told me you were leaving so long ago

I still haven’t forgotten our names in that snow

My thoughts for you still run like mad

Like way back when when you were what I had

Those summer nights still call to me

The moon, the lake, everything

My heart, it still longs for you

Like back before you told me ‘We’re through’

Those summer nights still call to me

The moon, the lake, everything

My heart, it still longs for you

Like back when you said ‘We’re through’

Bruce Springsteen

Interesting facts:

·         He skipped his own high school graduation ceremony

·         He attended Orange County College but he dropped out

·         He was inspired by Elvis Presley

·         When he was 13 years old his first guitar cost only $18, his second cost $60 when he was 16

·         He has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide

·         He has won 21 Grammy Awards

·         He is ranked as Rolling Stone’s 23^rd Greatest Artist of all time

·         He started his music career in 1969

·         He plays the guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, banjo, piano, drums, and keyboard

·         He endorsed Barack Obama in his 2008 Presidential campaign

Songs:

·         Born in the U.S.A.

·         Born to Run

·         Independence Day

·         Backstreets

·         Glory Days

Video Footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM&ob=av2e

My Top 20 Songs

20. The Beatles. (1970). “Let It Be.” Let It Be. This song is not only known by pretty much everyone, but it is very uplifting. Everyone has troubling times that are hard to get through and this song teaches you that things like that will happen and you just need to “let it be.” If you do that, then you can get through your problems. Many people can relate to this song in terms of their lives and I think “Let It Be” can touch many people emotionally/mentally. I am not a big Beatles fan, but I like this song.

19. Oasis. (1996). “Champagne Supernova.” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? The way this song sounds just fascinates me. The way the words are spoken and the instrumentals are sort of calming to me in a way. I just like this song and enjoy listening to it, even though I absolutely hate the sound of the ocean in the beginning. That part irritates me and I really do not know why.

18. Rascal Flatts. (2007). “Take Me There.” Still Feels Good. I have no particular reason for choosing this song except for the fact that it reminds me of when I was younger. I was 11 years old when this song was released and I just fell in love with it. Now, whenever I hear it I think of my “younger” days.

17. Hinder. (2007). “Better Than Me.” Extreme Behavior. First of all, I am a big fan of Hinder. In my opinion, this is one of their best songs (which is why it’s on this list). I love the way that Austin Winkler, the lead singer, sings this song and I can just play it over and over again all day long.

16. Red Hot Chili Peppers. (1992). “Under the Bridge.” Blood Sugar Sex Magik. I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and was debating between putting “Under the Bridge” and “Dani California” here. Either one would have worked because I really like Anthony Kiedis’ voice. Really any RHCP song would have worked here.

15. The Script. (2008). “Breakeven (Falling to Pieces).” The Script. This song is just a happy sounding song. The lead singer of The Script has a voice that I like very much just like the lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His voice alone is the only reason that The Script has a spot on this list.

14. Theory of a Deadman. (2008). “Not Meant to Be.” Scars & Souvenirs. I love Theory of a Deadman. I tend to like a lot of bands that society looks down upon (Theory of a Deadman, Nickelback, Creed, Hinder…). I think this song is a beautiful song overall. The words are great and I like the musical elements of the song. Once again, I am also a fan of Tyler Connolly’s voice.

13. Train. (2001). “Drops of Jupiter.” Drops of Jupiter. I think this is a beautiful song that a ton of people love. It is a song that can be listened to and enjoyed no matter what mood you are in. “Drops of Jupiter” just makes me feel happier when I listen to it.

12. 3 Doors Down. (2001). “Be Like That.” The Better Life. This has been one of my favorite songs ever since the first time I heard it. It sends a good message and tells a wonderful story to the listener. Listening to it makes you think about how good you have it and how grateful you should be for everything you have.

11. Oasis. (1995). “Wonderwall.” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? This song is, in my opinion, the best song from Oasis. This is because the way it sounds. I don’t know exactly why, but I think the way the instruments and the vocals come together makes an amazing sounding song. The rhythm is very catchy and I will find that it gets stuck in my head for a very long time whenever I listen to it. There is no other real reason for this being here.

10. Journey. (1983). “Faithfully.” Frontiers. This is a beautiful song. It is just another one of Journey’s power ballads. The way Steve Perry sang the song is amazing to me. You can tell he is passionate about the words he is speaking. Being on the road in a rock band is something that many people dream of and Journey’s “Faithfully” tells exactly what life on the road is like in a powerful, touching way.

9. Lennon, John. (1971). “Imagine.” Imagine. This song is a very popular, powerful song. The lyrics just make you think about pretty much everything. Now, I am not a huge fan of John Lennon, his voice, or the way that he sang his songs. He actually kind of irritates me. But this song is worth being at number nine on my list.

8. Lifehouse. (2005). “You and Me.” Lifehouse. I am a fan of Lifehouse and this is my favorite song by them. It is a simple, slow song that I enjoy very much. I think the lead singer’s voice is beautiful for singing and the lyrics are great in this song. Lifehouse deserves a spot on my top 20 list and I just thing number eight is an appropriate spot for them.

7. Linkin Park. (2001). “In the End.” Hybrid Theory. “In the End” might be Linkin Park’s best song. I love the way that they blend rock and rap in their songs, even though I am not much of a rap fan. Also, I think the piano that is in the background, usually during the rap part of the song, is an interesting addition to a hard rock/rap song. I can play this song over and over again and never get tired of it. This is, has always been, and probably will always be one of my favorite songs ever.

6. Theory of a Deadman. (2010). “All or Nothing.” Scars & Souvenirs. Again, I love Theory of a Deadman. This song has also been one of my favorite songs ever since it was released. I just think this is a great song and it definitely deserves a spot at number six.

5. Green Day. (2005). “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” American Idiot. This is definitely Green Day’s most beautiful song. I love the way the lead singer’s voice sounds in this song since he usually sings faster, very different songs. Also, September has been a good month for me in and it reminds of some of the best times that I have ever had in my life. Not only does it have a great meaning for me, but I simply love Green Day.

4. Guns N’ Roses. (1987). “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Appetite for Destruction. Everything about this song is awesome. Axl Rose definitely has a very unique voice which adds to the uniqueness of this song. Slash’s guitar skills make this song different from every other rock song as well. Everything about the song shows the virtuosity of the musicians in the band. Even though the guitar solo in this song may not show the best that Slash can do, it is still better than almost all guitarists could even dream of doing. This song is definitely one of the greatest of all time.

3. Nickelback. (2008). “Gotta Be Somebody.” Dark Horse. I absolutely love Nickelback and this is my all-time favorite song by them. The lyrics are so true and I think everyone can relate to it. Nickelback will forever hold a spot in my heart and at number three on my list of top 20 songs.

2. Cook, David. (2008). “Light On.” David Cook. In my opinion, David Cook has an amazing voice that I absolutely love. I love when artists get really into their songs and you can tell that they feel passionate about the lyrics that they are singing. That is what I get from “Light On.” David Cook gives the song everything he has and it makes the song, in my opinion, amazing.

1. Hinder. (2006). “Lips of an Angel.” Extreme Behavior. The number one song was extremely hard to choose. The top three songs on this list, in fact, could all be number one. Hinder just might be my favorite band and, if I had to choose one of their songs, it would be “Lips of an Angel.” Absolutely everything about this song is amazing to me. Again, I think that Austin Winkler’s voice is perfect. He also gets very passionate and into his songs when he sings them, making them that much better. If I had to choose one song to listen to over and over again for the rest of my life, this would be it. I never ever get tired of hearing this song and probably (hopefully) never will. I love this song even if I can, in no way, relate to it. The music is neither over nor under played, making it perfect. Hinder, Winkler’s voice, and “Lips of an Angel” are perfect.

Don't Stop Believing (Fiction)

            It’s dark and cloudy. The rain is hammering against the windows and you can practically see your breath. Today’s weather reflects exactly how you feel. It’s a miserable, depressing day. Your life has been cluttered with problems and your pessimistic thoughts have been weighing you down for the past few years. The only difference between you and the weather is that the weather changes and yet your feelings stay the same. You can see the blue sky off in the distance physically, but not emotionally. You just don’t see your weather clearing up any time soon.

            This afternoon you are to get on a flight to Nebraska for a business trip. You feel even more depressed as you pack your bags for what is, in your opinion, a waste of time. All you can think of is everything that you could be getting accomplished in the next week if you were home, not in the middle of nowhere. You figure, though, that you can survive the next seven days but can only hope to stay sane while doing so.

            Hours later after monotonously waiting in the never-ending lines in the airport, you are sitting in the uncomfortable seat that’s on the verge of breaking behind the guy who has already reclined his as far as it will go. You have never been in a tin can so small and it brings you to contemplate the wonderful possibility of it falling out of the air. You have pretty much no personal space and are extremely uncomfortable in the middle seat of your row between two men who can barely fit into their own seats and are starting to take up yours. You now think of how tedious the flight will be until your train of thought shifts back to the problems you have been having in your life in general. All of the bills you have stacking up and the little money you have to pay them. Your car that needs more maintenance than there are mechanics to fix its problems. The fact that you just can’t keep up with life and all that it presents you with.

            You finally land and, after sitting in the plane for hours on end, you make it into the airport.  Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse it does. On top of all the problems that you already have, you encounter just one more bump in the road. You discover that your luggage didn’t make it on the same flight as you, so you are now stuck in the middle of nowhere with barely any possessions. The people in the airport tell you that they are trying their best to locate your things, but in your mind, it’s another lost cause. You can just ask yourself if it can get any worse.

            Seven days of monotonous work pass by. You still have no luggage and there isn’t a single person who works for the airline that knows where it is. By now, you forget about that hurdle and move on to the next one that gets in your way. You pack up the new clothes that you bought into the new luggage that you also purchased as a result of your missing belongings. Your credit card happened to be in your luggage that is now gone, so you must pay for everything with the cash you brought. Because of this, you don’t have enough money to buy your plane ticket to get back home. You arrange for a cab to bring you to the nearest bus station. The ride there is far shorter than you expected. This makes you happier momentarily. That is until you figure out that that could only mean the bus ride will be even longer than you initially intended and hoped for. You arrive at the bus station with just enough time to buy a ticket and find your seat.

            As you climb the stairs on the packed bus you have a frown on your face. You you’re your feet as you walk down the aisle of a bus numbered 24 to the only empty seat, towards the back. You sit down and as you stare out the foggy window in anticipation of the uncomfortable ride ahead, a slightly older lady makes her way towards you and takes the unoccupied seat directly next to you. You are not in the mood for any human contact or conversation whatsoever, so you continue to blankly stare out of the icy window. The woman tries to strike up a conversation with you by asking why you look so upset. She decides to try and make you feel better. You sigh and slowly turn towards her, humoring her. She tells you of a time in her life when she was in a similar situation as you. She was once depressed because of hard times. This catches your attention and you decide that you might actually benefit from listening her. You learn that she was poor, she lived in her car for a short time, she could never land a job, and there was no one at all in her life to help her. After quite some time of being exposed to the hardships that the lady has faced, she gives you some valuable advice. Look at the positives in everything.

. . . . . . . .

            It’s been a year since you were sitting on that bus talking to that complete stranger when you learned that very important lesson. You never did catch her name and you regret it every day. You just wish that you could thank her for making your life so much better.

            You open your eyes after a good night’s sleep, sit up, and think. You think about your life. You think about all the problems you’ve ever had. You think about your past. Your experiences. Your troubles. Your hardships. You just think. You ask yourself. Why? If you asked yourself this question any time in the past, you would feel sorry for yourself. You would have created more problems for yourself and you would have made everything in your life seem even worse. Now, everything’s changed. You look out the window and see the beautiful sky as you hear the chirping of the birds that woke you up just outside your window. Why? Why did you drag yourself down all the time? Your entire life up until now made no sense to you. But the past is the past and you can’t weigh yourself down thinking about it.

            Within the past year, starting from the second you took a step off of bus number 24, you turned your life around. The luggage that never made it with you on your flight was behind you, the car that needed fixing was in the past, and the pessimistic thoughts that ran through your head were no longer there. There are always bills on the table and the problems keep coming, but you don’t see them as problems. Every time you were ever optimistic about any situation, you knew you could get through it. All because of that one time, that one conversation, that one bus ride, that one lady, that one sentence she told you. Her exact words on that dismal day still stay with you, still mean something to you. Even on days when the sun is out and there are no clouds in sight. That one little sentence she gave to you right before you stepped off the bus, never to see her again. Your life will always be great as long as you remember those three little words. Don’t stop believing.

Pink Floyd vs Boston

            Though both “Have a Cigar” and “Rock n’ Roll Band” are about the road to fame for musicians, Pink Floyd incorporates a cynical tone and stereotypical symbolism in order to show that record executives only care about “Riding the Gravy Train,” while Boston utilizes a reminiscent tone and characterizing symbolism to convey what a band experiences when they are “goin’ to be a sensation.”

            The types of tone used in both of the songs contradict each other even if the subject of the two works is the same. The cynical tone in “Have a Cigar” helps to show the intentions of the record executive. First, the man starts the conversation by saying, “Come in here, Dear boy, have a cigar.” This commandment is used as a way for the executive to put the band in their place which he believes is lower than him. Also, the executive says, “We’re so happy we can hardly count.” To the band, this might mean the fans that go to watch them, but the way it is intended by the executive is that he can hardly count the money. This shows that the man is cynical in that he only cares about the money he gets from the shows, not the band or the fans. On the contrary, the tone in “Rock n’ Roll Band” is happier and reminiscent. The band is talking about the good old times when they were struggling through life trying to get famous. Boston says, “We barely made enough to survive but when we got up on stage and got ready to play, people came alive.” The band reminisces about the fun times that they had on stage, even if they barely had anything. Also, they mention the time when a record executive confronted them to make a deal with them. The rich man tells them, “You know I’ve got great expectations…you’re goin’ to be a sensation!” this makes the band members happy when they think back to the times when they were trying to make it big. The way the members of the band look back at their struggling times makes them feel happy while in “Have a Cigar,” they only know about the cynical tone from the record executive.

            The examples of symbolism in the two songs both carry very different meanings. In “Rock n’ Roll Band,” the symbolism is used to characterize a typical band just trying to make it big. Boston says they were “playin’ all the bars, sleepin’ in our cars.” This is typical of many people who want to become famous musicians. The road to fame is not easy and many bands experience the same hardships in the process. Also, the band was localized to one area. They mention “Boston,” “Hyannis,” and “Rhode Island.” This means that the band did not have enough money or power to travel to many places, so they just played where they could locally. These messages symbolize the struggles that many bands face in becoming famous rock stars. On the other hand, “Have a Cigar” has different kinds of symbolism. It is very stereotypical in the way that Pink Floyd characterizes the record executive. First, the executive mentioned has a “cigar,” something that is very stereotypical of rich people who are heads of companies. The cigar itself could be a symbol of any rich person in general. Also, the man likes “Riding the Gravy Train.” This is a symbol of many greedy, rich people as well. Sitting back and watching their money come to them is something that makes “everybody else…just green” with envy. Many wealthy, greedy men would love to be riding the gravy train. The personality of the rich man in “Have a Cigar” and the experiences of the band in “Rock n’ Roll Band” both symbolize the stereotypical ways of a wealthy executive and a band on their rise to stardom.

            Whether a band has many happy and exciting memories of their rise to stardom or they have faced harsh, cynical record executives, they have many stories to tell when all is said and done. With the help of cynical tone and stereotypical symbolism by Pink Floyd and reminiscent tone and characterizing symbolism by Boston, “Have a Cigar” and “Rock n’ Roll Band” describe what musicians and bands go through when they are “gonna go far” and they are “goin’ to be a sensation.”

"Funny the Way It Is"

            Along with the use of oxymoronic situations in “Funny the Way It Is,” Dave Matthews Band utilizes conflicting imagery, depressing irony and paradox, and a wishful tone to show how much is wrong with the world when you “remember how it used to be.”

Throughout the song, Dave Matthews Band uses a lot of imagery to help convey the point they want to get across. There are many descriptions of happy and beautiful scenes. The beginning of the song goes, “Lying in the park on a beautiful day, sunshine in the grass, and the children play.” This paints a picture of a wonderful day where everything is cheerful and bright. A second example of happy imagery is, “Like a pretty bird on a breeze or water to a fish.” This also creates a picture of a lovely situation. On the contrary, there are also lines in the song that convey images of disastrous or depressing scenes. The line right after the previously mentioned one is, “A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor.” This is by far the opposite of the beautiful scenes that Dave Matthews Band also uses throughout the song. This contradiction of situations helps to prove the narrator’s point that the world has changed. The differentiation of the examples of imagery in the song set up ironic situations that help to determine the universal idea in “Funny the Way It Is.”

There are many examples of irony and paradox that are expressed throughout the song to show conflicting events that happen in the world. A line in the song that shows irony is when Matthews says, “On a soldier’s last breath his baby’s being born.” This shows irony because as a man is dying, his son is being born. No one ever expects this sad event to happen. If anything, people would be happy to wait for the time when the man comes home so he can meet his newborn child. In another instance, this example could also be argued. Since the man is fighting in a war, there is always the chance that he could be killed. One cannot expect a soldier to come home safely because they face the ever present threat of never being able to go home again. Another example of irony is in the line, “Someone’s house is burning down on a” beautiful day. If the weather is great and the day is beautiful, no one expects a fire to ruin everything. A paradox in the song is when a “war song is playing, ‘why can’t we be friends?’” War is a theme that goes hand in hand with enemies. In war there is death and suffering, things that are not involved with friendship. The line is a comparison of two situations that are opposite of each other. The use of irony and paradox in the song are used to show the different things that are going on in the world that contradict each other.

The wishful tone that is present in “Funny the Way It Is” conveys the feeling that the narrator has for the happenings in the world. Dave Matthews says, “It must’ve been much harder when there was no bridge just water.” He means that life now is much easier than it was back when. If there was no bridge, it would be very difficult to get across the water unlike now, when it is very easy to cross the bridge. Also, he says, “Now the world is small, remember how it used to be.” The oxymoron of the world being small shows the wish that the narrator has to have everything back to how it was; back to normal. The line, “Funny the way it is, not right or wrong” means that the contradictions in the world are ironic, but they do not make everything in the world wrong or bad. By saying that it is not right says that the narrator wishes that the world did not change how it did. No matter what goes on throughout the world, the things that happen are the things that make the world what it is. If there were no bad situations, then there would be no good situations. If there was nothing sad, there would be nothing happy. The wishful tone given by Dave Matthews Band helps to explain the reasoning for all the happenings, good or bad, in the world.

When you remember how everything “used to be,” you can see just how “funny the way it is.” As happy events are taking place in one part of the world, depressing scenes are being played out in another. The change that the whole world has been through may not be pleasing to everyone, but it must be accepted by everyone. This is shown in “Funny the Way It is” through Dave Matthews Band’s use of conflicting imagery, depressing irony and paradox, and wishful tone.

Song Analysis 1

Breaking up with someone you love can be a difficult thing to do. Depending on the length of the relationship and the connection the couple had, dealing with a break up can be very hard to cope with. With the help of a depressing tone in the song “Not Meant to Be,” Theory of a Deadman uses extreme hyperboles, demoralizing similes, and symbolic allegories to show the sadness felt by a man when he finally realizes that he cannot mend the relationship he had with his ex-girlfriend even though the two are “not meant to be.”

The extremities of the hyperboles throughout the song help to convey the severity of the sadness felt by the speaker. At one point in the song, Tyler Connolly says “I might just disappear.” The meaning of this line is figurative; it does not mean he will literally disappear. It means that the narrator is so depressed from the failed relationship that he might as well disappear. Also, there is a line that says, “I can’t give you what you want and it’s killing me.” The fact that the narrator cannot give the person they are talking to what they want is not going to physically hurt them at all. It is an exaggeration to express the amount of love that the narrator felt for their ex. In addition, there is one part of the song where Connolly says, “There’s no way out for you and me.” This is a stretch from the truth because there is a way out. It just means that it is impossible to fix the relationship between the two characters. The hyperboles in the song also contrast other lines from the song. In one instance, the narrator tries to fix the relationship but in another, he finds his efforts useless. At one point, the narrator says, “There’s still time to turn this around.” The hyperboles are all saying that the actions to help the relationship still lead to the fact that “There’s no way out for you and me.” Even though the hyperboles show the hopelessness of the man’s efforts, they contradict other aspects of the song. The use of hyperboles throughout the song by Theory of a Deadman helps to convey the seriousness of the problems that the couple being talked about is having.

The comparisons in the song “Not Meant to Be” help greatly to stress the sadness felt by the narrator. At one point, there is a comparison made between the failed relationship and a situation that gets nowhere. The simile says, “It’s like one step forward and two steps back.” If one does this, the result will be further back than when that person started. This situation is being compared to the relationship; it is heading in the wrong direction and the narrator wishes that it was not. A second situation that the relationship is being compared to is, “It’s like trying to turn around on a one way street.” The difference in this simile is that turning around on a one way street is possible, it is not, however, a good idea. This helps to show that even though the narrator could try to turn the fate of the relationship with his ex-girlfriend around, it is not a good idea. It would most likely end in failure again, just like it did previously. The comparisons in the song are very meaningful and they express the depressing truth that the narrator must face.

There are many allegories throughout the song that show the harshness of the struggle that the narrator is experiencing. One allegory in the song is, “I’m caught between what you wanted from me and knowing if I give that to you I might just disappear.” The part that says, “I’m caught between” does not mean that Connolly is physically “caught” in between anything. He is just in a situation where he is forced to make a difficult decision. Another line from the song that is an allegory is “There’s still time to turn this around.” “This,” being the troubled relationship, cannot literally be turned around. The expression is a saying that the outcome can be changed; the relationship can be saved. A third example of an allegory from the lyrics is, “Should we be building this up instead of tearing it down.” “This,” again being the relationship, can neither be built up nor torn down. It is not a concrete object. The phrase, “building this up instead of tearing it down” means that the narrator wants to try to fix and mend the relationship rather than terminate it altogether. The allegories throughout the song contradict each other in a way. Some of them are saying that the relationship can be fixed while others say that it cannot be fixed. The use of allegories in the song serve the purpose of showing the desire that Connolly has to fix the relationship and the depressing truth that he finally sees.

The frequent use of hyperboles, similes, and allegories in the song “Not Meant to Be” by Theory of a Deadman helps to convey the desire of the narrator to fix the relationship he used to have with his ex-girlfriend. The narrator wants to fix the relationship even though he knows in the back of his mind that it is just not possible. Even though splitting up with a loved one might be difficult, the truth just may be that letting go is the best thing to do for a relationship.