The Music Blog

If you haven't noticed, I get REALLY bored here. Since it's Sunday and I don't do jack on Sunday (Who's Jack?.... Badoom chic) I decided to write a little something about music. Mostly, what I'd like to do is share a couple of tunes with you that mean a little something to me. Like-to-hear-it-here-it-go....

"Here In My Room", Incubus
You know gosh darn well there is going to be several Incubus songs on this list so get over it.
This song is about love on a broken hearted, nearly douche bag level. About a guy who has given up on the feeling of love and has decided to make it an verb in the physical sense. It's no longer a feeling, it is an action. " For those of you that know the bitterness side of love - those of you that have been hurt, that have felt that dagger in your heart one too many times, this song will speak to you like no other. "If only the lights would dim a little/I'm weary of eyes upon my scars". That shits deep. The last verse even contains a little connotation about what exactly he's talking about. Take a listen and see if you pick up on that. The only problem I have with it is that it promotes those kind of acts that my moral beliefs won't allow me to - using sex as a form of pleasure rather than something that's supposed to have a background. Call me a pussy all you want but there has to be something there for me. But as far as the reasoning behind turning that corner from giving up on that four letter word and doing it maliciously to someone else isn't necessarily crossed here so I'm going with it. Party on, Brandon Boyd.

"Everybody Hurts", R.E.M.
This is a pretty old song, but you all know I'm still living in the 90's. Before I paid attention to this song's lyrics, I used to think this was a very depressing song. I thought it was about pain and hanging onto it. It wasn't until years later that I realized this about staying up. It's about not feeling alone. Most of you know where I come from with those kind of stories - that feeling of being alone is pretty strong. Being in a crowded room and feeling like not one of them understands you is one of the worst feelings in the world. What this song says is, "don't throw your hand". Why, because everybody hurts. Everyone knows that feeling. It may not be that same feeling and it may not come from the same place, but damnit... EVERYBODY hurts. So when you think you've had too much of this life... hang on.

"It Don't Matter to the Sun", Garth Brooks
As a song off of the Life of Chris Gaines album, I can see where this is automatically tagged as a stupid song. But if you listen to this song, it's about knowing that outside of you, the world keeps turning, the moon still shines, the sun still rises and it doesn't matter to the rest of them... but it matters to me.

"Lose Control", Missy Elliott
I gotta switch it up a little for my girl, Missy. There is not another female musician that has the kind of beats like Missy got. Everyone of her songs makes me wanna get up and shake my ass like a salt shaker. The reason I love this song so much is that it is so up beat that I am even typing faster right now, listening to it. Table dancing like a champ. You can't HELP but move to this shit. "Music make you lose control". That it do. Which is why I'm writing a blog about this shit - COUNT IT!
I also just realized that if I'm writing about hip hop, I start talking hip hop. "That it do", really? Ha. Wait until I talk about country music. I'll start writing with a Texas accent...

"She Is His Only Need", Wynonna Judd
This is just a sweet song. It reminds me a lot of my friend Andrew and a relationship he had back in the day. When my man, Andrew loves, he LOVES. Which is something that I really envy about him - because he's in it when he's in it. Nothing else matters. During this particular relationship, it was one of the first that meant something. And when I heard this song when this was starting for him, that immediately popped into my head and it fit. And knowing him and knowing where he was and hearing this song... it had such a connection to me that I have had this song in my song bank since. To me, this song spells out love - "Cause without her, where would he be/See it's not for him/she is his only need". That shit's deep.

"The First Day of My Life", Bright Eyes
Another song about love, it's the sweetest most simple love song I know. It's about that one day that you wake up and realize that everything is sweeter; that the sun is brighter, the trees are greener, that the grass is softer - all because you are in love with this one person and they love you back. Throwing all caution to a heartbreak, "I'd rather be working for a paycheck/than waiting to win the lottery", it's about just loving and being loved in return. If you've ever been in love, you know that as soon as that moment happens, as soon as you realize that it's real... man, there is nothing else. "As if I just woke up".

"They Looked Like Strong Hands", Bayside
Everyone puts on a front at some point. "They Looked So Strong" is just about that - it's about them being what is expected of them. "This isn't who I am/from confidence to self-doubt/in 60 seconds/storming stages and stereos". From the outside looking in, it always looks better. It's the trying to look from the inside out and thinking it's the same is the issue. That self-conscious being that lives in all of us is a lot stronger than we'd like to admit. And if we think that THAT person is the one everyone is seeing, eff a bunch of that! It's like a lemon pretending to be a grapefruit - no matter how close skin color could be, nigga you're still a little guy. "I look so strong/when the weight of all the world/don't take it's toll". Dig it.

"Let's Go Crazy", Prince
It is definitely party time. This was written about Y2K, but could absolutely be used for every other world-ending phenomenon since 1996 - INCLUDING 2012. Promoting getting "crazy" since we're all gonna die anyway, this song lights a fire under you to throw caution to the wind and even though shit happens, well, let's go crazy. It's all ending anyway. Why spend time upset about some shit when we could spend the last days "going crazy" and having fun. And the ending guitar solo.... makes a nigga wanna throw up the two finger hand.

"Falling Apart", Travis Muscatell
"Maybe it's I'm crazy/maybe it's because I can't honestly tell you what I want". About love strained because of inner demons - this song is kind of the counter part to the "First Day of My Life". It's about the self loathing part of feeling that kind of love. Shit sometimes ends because of inner turmoil. No, it's not fair, but the truth hurts. What this song does is allows it to be expressed outside instead of in. And NOT just because he's one of my best friends, his voice portrays that with such feeling that it's almost too much to bare. listen to the live version of him (every Monday at Dino's in NRH - ahem) and it'll water your eyes for sure. Just saying.

There are about a billion other songs that are in queue right now to discuss but rather than explain my entire catalog to you, I'll let it be for now. But best believe there will be more of these. You don't have to look these songs up. Just suggestions out of my favorites.

What am I kidding, yes you do. You will be tested.

Until next time...