Annotated Playlist Final - Amelia Lorenzo

Amelia Lorenzo
English 102
Annotated Playlist

Roll to me, Del Amitri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUQWAR5UKaA

Del Amitri was a band that was founded by lead vocals and bassist Justin Currie and guitarist Ian Harvie in Glasgow, Scotland in 1982. Del Amitri had multiple guitarists and drummers over the course of its twenty year life until the band broke apart in 2002. Roll to me was written in 1995 by Currie for their CD Twisted and managed to make it into the top ten singles on the United States’ Hot 100 songs list in 1995. It continues to be heard on mixed radio stations and can be enjoyed by anyone who likes upbeat, pop-rock songs with catchy lyrics from the 90s. While this song would not be considered controversial, the lyrics are meaningful and relatable to anyone who has ever needed someone to roll to.
I chose Roll to me because of the comfort in its meaning. The person who is singing wants to convey the message to his friend that if she ever needs anything or is having a bad day, she can always roll to him for support. He promises to always be there for her, even if she needs to stay up the whole night to talk. I relate to this song because I know that there are a handful of my friends and family members who would drop anything to offer advice, or even just a shoulder to lean on, if I was having a bad day or found myself in a bad situation. This song also identifies me in that sometimes I am the person my friends roll to for advice or if they need to talk about something. I like this song because it reminds me that my closest friends will always be there for me if I need them and that by lending an open ear, I have made them feel better in their times of need.

Where You Lead (I Will Follow), Carole King and Louise Goffin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKXIoKYDdo4

Carole King is a famous singer-songwriter whose career peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She co-wrote many popular songs during that time, such as Don’t Bring Me Down, made popular by the Animals, and Pleasant Valley Sunday, made popular by the Monkees, with her then husband Gerry Goffin. Her singing career peaked with the release of her album Tapestry, which included some popular hits such as (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and You’ve Got A Friend. She co-wrote Where You Lead in 1971 with Toni Stern and rerecorded it more than twenty years later with her daughter, Louise Goffin, to make it the soundtrack for the television series Gilmore Girls. The song has mixed folk and pop styles that were popular in the 1970s but can still be enjoyed today by anyone who likes sweet, almost lullaby-like music.
I chose this song because of its connection to Gilmore Girls, which was a show I used to watch every Tuesday night with my mom. The show follows three generations of women in the Gilmore family who endured many hardships but somehow always managed to find humor in tough situations and understood the importance of family. Now that I am in college, I do not have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my mom, especially one-on-one time like we used to have. Tuesday nights always provided us with at least an hour long block to catch up on each others’ days, share funny stories, and just enjoy each others’ presences while we watched Gilmore Girls. I feel mixed emotions when I hear this song; I am happy because I know those times on Tuesday nights were well spent, regardless of how much homework I would have to do later that night, and I will always value them, but I am sad because I miss that one-on-one time with my mom. I identify with the message in this song; I know my mom will always be there and would do anything for me.

Joy to the World, Three Dog Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xB4W8thG28

Three Dog Night’s hit Joy to the World was written in 1971 and premiered on their album Naturally. It was the top song of the year in 1971 in Billboard Magazine and continued to be a popular song, being covered by the bands Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Supremes in the 70s. Written by singer-songwriter Hoyt Axton as a joke, the lyrics were never intended to stay with the melody, but the opening line, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog!” continues to be the most popular part of the song. The song is upbeat, happy, and fits into the classic rock genre of music.
Joy to the World is on my playlist for several reasons. Two of my very best friends, Rachel and Allie, who do not know each other, both share my love for this song and have belted it out with me numerous times. When I was thinking of songs that identify me, this was the first one that popped into my head since two of the closest people to me love this song and have sung it with me multiple times, even though they have no connection to each other. This song is about good friends being able to share good times with each other and just be joyful, which are two things that I believe define my friendships with Rachel and Allie. I have more good memories with each of them than I can count, and they are two of the only people in my life that I can do absolutely nothing with and still have a great time. If I am ever having a day where I feel lonely or in need of a pick-me-up, I will listen to this song because it reminds me of the awesome friends I have and that they will always be there for me.

Carolina in my Mind, James Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXmgkvIgc0w

James Taylor is a famous classic and soft rock artist whose popularity and success peaked in the 1970s, although he continues to be popular today. His song Carolina in my Mind was written in 1968 and debuted on his self-titled album James Taylor. He wrote it because he felt homesick while he was in the United Kingdom recording with the Beatles. Taylor grew up in North Carolina, and his song has been considered the unofficial song for UNC Chapel Hill, as well as for the state and the south in general. This song is a slow, yet uplifting, piece in which Taylor reminisces about the parts of North Carolina he misses. It blends soft and classic rock with a little bit of folk and country to produce a song that anyone can enjoy.
I chose this song because, as cliché and corny as this sounds, it was the first song I listened to when I found out I got into Chapel Hill a little over a year ago. Like many people, UNC was my first choice, and when I found out I was accepted, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, and I could not wait to graduate and start college. As the first person in my immediate family to go to college, being accepted to UNC was a really big deal. Now that I am here, I cannot imagine being able to identify with any other college, which is why I chose this song. Listening to Carolina in my Mind reminds me of how thankful I am to be here and why I love UNC so much.

Bigger Than My Body, John Mayer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2EIIVpfB9g

Bigger Than My Body premiered on John Mayer’s second album Heavier Things in September of 2003. Mayer is a well known guitarist and singer-songwriter who was originally from Connecticut but began his music career out of Atlanta, Georgia. He is famous for a plethora of Billboard hits, such as Why, Georgia?, Your Body is a Wonderland, and No Such Thing, as well as for dating many high profile celebrities. Bigger Than My Body is not one of his most popular songs, but it is a clear representation of his typical style – pop mixed with rock and a little bit of blues. This song has strong guitar influences, both electric and acoustic, and a solid drum beat in the background.
I identify with this song because of its message about being so much more than people except me to be. In it, Mayer sings “I’m surrounded by all this pavement, guess I’ll circle while I’m waiting…someday I’ll fly, someday I’ll soar, someday I’ll be so damn much more, because I’m bigger than my body gives me credit for.” There have been multiple incidences in my life where people have not taken me seriously or have not expected me to achieve all that I have, and this song always reminds me that “I’d gladly go down in a flame, if a flame’s what it takes to remember my name.” This song is about doing more than anyone ever expected you to and realizing that at some point, ignoring the negativity that surrounds their opinion of you is the only way to get ahead and prove to them that you truly are bigger than you seem.

Learning to Fly, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WowZLe95WDY

Tom Petty co-wrote Learning to Fly, which premiered on the album Into The Great Wide Open, in 1991 with his writing partner, Jeff Lynne. While Tom Petty is a well known solo artist, producing famous songs such as Free Fallin’, he is also recognized as being a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a band that was created in 1974. Petty cites the Beatles and Elvis Presley as his major musical influences that jump started his career, one that continues to be successful and consists of listeners from every walk of life. Learning to Fly is an upbeat yet mellow song that fits into the rock genre with some blues mixed in. The electric guitar is prominent in the song, as is the constant drum beat in the background.
I picked this song for my playlist because, like Bigger Than My Body, it focuses around being successful and realizing that most things in life will not be handed to you; in turn you have to work hard to have them. In this song, Petty sings about how “life will beat you down, break your heart, steal your crown” but in the end, trying your hardest is what will enable to you be successful. He sings about not having the wings that most people would consider necessary for flying, but he is still trying to learn. He realizes that falling from his success, which he worked so diligently to obtain, is the hardest part of the entire process, but he also recognizes that sometimes it is necessary to make mistakes. I identify with these concepts and can relate to surpassing expectations that people have set for me when they did not think I had the means or abilities to do so.

Meet Virgina, Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C4sUTg_kZw

Train is a band that formed in San Francisco in the early 90s by lead vocalist Patrick Monahan and guitarist Rob Hotchkiss. In 1996, they were turned down by the major record label Columbia Records, but a year later they were touring with major bands like the Barenaked Ladies and the Counting Crows. Meet Virginia premiered on Train’s first album, self-titled Train, in 1998 and was a top twenty hit on the Billboard 100 hot songs list. Like Joy to the World, it is a bit nonsensical and random, but nevertheless has an important meaning to me. It has an upbeat, pop mixed with rock style that encompasses powerful guitar solos during the dramatic parts of the song.
The reason I identify with this song is because in a way, I want to be whoever Virginia is. In the song, she is described as the kind of girl who “doesn’t own a dress, her hair is always a mess…she never compromises, loves babies and surprises.” In the song, Virginia is portrayed as being a free-spirited, strong, and original person who finally realizes that the way she is living her life is not the way she wants to, and she decides to do something about it. I think everyone aspires to be the kind of person who is brave enough to realize that, if at some point in their life they decide to change things up because they are unhappy, it is okay to start over and do what you really love and be who you really want to be. While I am not unhappy with the way my life is, sometimes I wish I was more original or more willing to show others who I really am instead of giving them permission to categorize me according to who they think I may be.

Here Comes the Sun, the Beatles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVyt7Wd9Bp4

The Beatles were a rock band from England who formed in 1960, and although they broke up ten years later, are still considered to be one of the most, if not the most, successful and popular bands in the history of music. Their music was, and still is, considered controversial yet brilliant, and they continue to hold the record for most albums sold in the United States. Some of their more famous songs include Let it Be, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Help!. Here Comes the Sun was released on their 1969 album Abbey Road and was sung by band member George Harrison. It is an upbeat and encouraging song filled with mostly the same guitar and drum notes as well as vocal harmonies that help to move the song along.
This song always makes me think of my dad, not only because he is a huge Beatles fan, but also because he always seems to find something positive in every situation. Whenever I am in the car with him, or if we are just listening to music together somewhere, he always has the Beatles taking up the majority of his playlist, and this song in particular is one that he seems to favor. Regardless of the situation, my dad always seems to find a way to take something bad and produce something good. Even if he is mad at me or one of my sisters, he will always remind us to learn from our mistakes and to move on because dwelling on negative things never allows us to move forward, which is something he is constantly pushing us to do. In general, this song just reminds me that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if I am unable to see it, and that by pushing through whatever hardship I am enduring, I can move forward.