“I’m Yours” by: Jason Mraz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A
This song, typically classified as reggae, was released on Jason Mraz’s third album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Soon after, the song gained global popularity and became a hit in not only the United States but Great Britain and Sweden as well. Although his song was a success, Jason Mraz was hesitant to make a music video because he didn’t want an elaborate video for his mellow song, which is created with the constant strum of the ukulele, guitar and drums. After some thought, he made the video, which stayed on VH1’s Top 20 for 20 weeks until it was retired. Success that followed included the nomination of “I’m Yours” at the Grammy’s for “Song of the Year” and “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.” In all, this song has sold over 4 million copies. I believe that the song is successful because everyone would ideally like to live their lives according to his lyrics. Essentially the lyrics tell us that we should focus less on vanity and being cool and focus more on living with an open mind. Jason Mraz also mentions that if we are brave enough to be ourselves then we are sure to find love and other opportunities. As his lyrics state:
“Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours”
During the summer of my senior year, I would blast this song almost as if it were the anthem to my life. Although this song constantly played on the radio, almost as if on replay, I couldn’t help but sing along. I believe that I took this song so naturally because I am someone who tries to live life freely and not worry so much of what others think or say about me. I feel that by not worrying about negative criticism that I am never hindered by insecurities of my physical appearance. To this day, I feel that I could never get enough of these lyrics because it’s a song that explains a portion of my identity or how ideally I’d like to perceive myself. As Jason Mraz sings,
“I guess what I'm be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue.”
“My Watch Tonight” by: Mike Corrado
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJesfljJ1vk&feature=related
In 2004, Mike Corrado released his song “My Watch Tonight” to Jacksonville, North Carolina’s local radio host Greg Brady, who hosts 96.3 the former HOT FM. After many locals had heard this song, it began to gain popularity all through out Swansboro, Jacksonville, and neighboring cities in North Carolina (This is due to the fact that the largest military base on the Eastern Coast is situated in Jacksonville, NC). In 2005, the song was officially released on his soft rock album Falling Awake. Although the song never gained national popularity, the song was still considered a success because of the strong message of patriotism. This song has great meaning because Mike Corrado, a United States Marine, tells the story of how a young man is made into a Marine and the struggles he faces in order to keep his family and the country safe. I feel that the family members and friends of the men and women who serve identify with the song most because the song is directed towards loved ones on the homefront.
As I look back at 2004, I remember my awkward middle school years and how like every other child I was faced with wearing braces and having acne. Unlike most children though, I was also forced to deal with a father that had to deploy. You see, my father is in the United States Marine Corps and every few years he is asked to serve our country. 2004 was one of those years that he was deployed for seven months; during this deployment a local song had gained popularity. The song was “My Watch Tonight.” It was very powerful and brought me to tears quite often, but it made me stronger because it allowed me to realize that I wasn’t the only one faced with the concept of losing a loved one. Even now, every time I hear that song I think back to the year my dad deployed and I remember how he always reassured us that everything would be ok. As the song says, “Don’t worry about me; I’ll be all right/ Just care for your children and sleep tight/
I'll keep you safe/ On my watch tonight.” This song will always remind me of how I must be strong and how I am proud to be the daughter of a United States Marine.
“Your Love” by: The Outfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N1iwQxiHrs
The Outfield first placed this song on their 1986 debut album titled Play Field, which consisted of rock. The very same year “Your Love” made it to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Since the mid 1980s, the song has been covered by an array of artists including Wycleaf Jean and Katy Perry. This song tells the story of a young man who has taken up an affair with an older woman while his girlfriend is away. During the affair, he wants to live in the moment and have the woman’s complete and undivided attention. For Example:
“You know I'd do anything for you
Stay the night - we'll keep it under cover
I just wanna use your love tonight
I don't wanna lose your love tonight.”
Growing up I was exposed to a lot of eighties music because my parents are part of a younger generation, which was heavily influenced by the 1980s. From the songs I have been introduced to, “Your Love” is one of my personal favorites from the eighties because of the vibrant beat through out the song. The melody begins with a constant strum of the guitar, but by the second verse the tempo of the song speeds up as the drums begin to beat. The song’s distinct crescendo gives body to the song and really builds excitement. Since this song is so dynamic, I hardly ever grow bored from it and for that reason I can still blast that song and enjoy it every single time.
“Girls” by: Destiny’s Child
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIszesDaK9U
“Girls” was introduced on Destiny Child’s 2005 album titled Destiny Fulfilled. This R&B group gained much success from albums such as Survivor and Destiny’s Child. Although this particular song was not one of their greatest singles, it did in fact make it to the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. This song’s theme consists of best friends looking out for one another by preventing each other from making constant mistakes of dating lousy boyfriends. As can be seen with this excerpt:
“Girl, Take A Good Look At Yourself
He Got You Going Through Hell
We Ain't Never Seen You Down Like This
What You Mean You Don't Need Us To Help?
We Known Each Other Too Well”
This song pertains to my life well because I have two of the closest friends, Abby and Anna, who constantly find themselves in problematic situations with boys and need advice. We have been very close since the 8th grade and even though I moved away for the majority of my high school career, we have all constantly emailed one another through out the years. I can honestly say that if I am genuinely concerned about one of them that my opinion will never be reserved. Our friendship has no shame, and I pride myself in this bond that we have created because it’s rare. I am a person who values the strength of friendship and who cares entirely too much for the well being of my friends.
“Running” by: No Doubt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H2l9Lo-jPk
No Doubt’s Album Rock Steady was released in 2003 and featured the song “Running.” Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, who previously were romantic, wrote the song, like many of their hits. The album soon became very popular and released many singles that were acclaimed as hits. Although the album was considered a success, their final single released was “Running,” which did poorly on the music charts. Many may find that the lyrics are too slow and not catchy enough, but I feel that the synthetic sound and electronic keyboard give the song a different vibe from their typical music.
This song bluntly states that the female has lost her way in their relationship and is starting to fall out of love. In order to avoid breaking up, she needs help from her partner so that they can make it into the future. As Gwen Stefani sings, “Out of all the people/ You wanted me the most I'm so sorry that I'm falling/ Help me up let’s keep on running/ Don't let me fall out of love.” I identify with this song in the sense that it reveals one of my biggest fears in the idea of commitment. I am afraid that once I find the person I am in love with that they could eventually fall out of love with me. It’s a situation that is out of my hands and that concept scares me. I have seen my aunt crushed by her ex-husband as well as other couples around me. It may seem dumb to think so far into the future, but I think that that situation would be one of the hardest to deal with as far as relationships are concerned. The idea that you don’t have full control of the stability of a relationship can be nerve-wracking.
“I want it that Way” by: the Backstreet Boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fndeDfaWCg
The single was first released in 1999 on their album Millenium. This song was one of the most popular songs to ever hit the charts for the boy band. It became so popular that it reached number one in over 25 countries. Although it has been over ten years, this song is still frequently recognized as one of the most iconic songs/videos of the decade and is still played on the radio from time to time. Even though their music was most popular in the 1990s, they have recently released two albums and made several appearances at local venues in North Carolina.
. I remember that as an eight year old I was in love with the backstreet boys and I admit, even cried once when I didn’t get a ticket to their concert. At the time, the Millenium CD had just been released and along with designating Nick as my boyfriend, I had deemed “I want it that Way” as my favorite song of all time. I remember that my mom even bought me an address book with their picture from the song’s music video. This was a period in my life when all I did was idolize these boy bands. I even remember one memory in particular. I was at my grandmother’s house sitting around with my uncle and his eccentric friends, who had all just graduated high school, and they began to mimic the moves of the music video. Immediately I begged them to teach me the specific hand gestures. Looking back I laugh because I have this odd feeling that they found humor in mocking my idols. Most importantly, I find that “I Want it that way” marks my years of being a naïve adolescent. To this day, I can honestly say that that song still pops up in my Shuffle play list and I sing along to it every time. Each word reminding me of the simplistic happiness I experienced in my younger years.
“What I’ve Done” by: Linkin Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMePM9Q-bYk&feature=fvst
“What I’ve Done” may be most recognized as the song in the closing credits of the movie Transformers but originally, it was released in their album Minutes to Midnight, which was released in 2007. This rock band uses this song in order to introduce their transition from a previous sound in older CDs. As the band said in an MTV interview, “So, in a way, it's us saying goodbye to how we used to be...The lyrics in the first verse are 'In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi,' and right away, you'll notice that the band sounds different.”
“What I’ve Done” describes the process of one person realizing their mistakes and hoping that they can start over. I identify with this song because I feel that I have made several mistakes in my life that I wish I could take back in order to start over. They also explain that it may be hard to look at the person you’ve become but once you recognize your flaws then you’re able to move on because you can forgive yourself. I feel that this message is brilliantly simple but hard to actually follow through on because no one wants to single-out their flaws. Although this advice may be hard to follow, I feel that it is advice that others should pay close attention to.
“For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!!”
Toto’s “Africa”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuA7AripfU
As the piano and drums begin to play in the song “Africa,” I can’t help but to think of the night I was sitting in my friend Liza’s living room with about 14 of my really close friends. It was my junior year in high school and my third and last year living in South Africa, so I wanted to make it memorable. After many nights of talking with my closest friends and family, my friends and I decided that we would travel to Tanzania and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. This adventure would be something that would forever change my life. Throughout the training, we became a family and bonded over many things such as the song “Africa.” To this day, every time I hear this song I think of all the memories this song carries and I just smile.
“Africa” was originally written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro for the band Toto. Paich was inspired by a documentary about Africa that not only moved him but also hurt him because of the condition of the people. This song was introduced in their 1982 album Toto IV, but many would be surprised to know that this song was almost omitted from their 1982 album. Ironically, it became number one on the Billboard 100 and later became one of the most popular songs this rock band has ever recorded. It was later covered by many artists, which include Howie Day as well as the Clef Hangers here at Carolina. I feel that this song is about love for a woman and an honest confession of curiosity and admiration for a mysterious continent. I relate to this song well because I feel that although Africa has lots of culture and history it is a continent that is easily overlooked and left behind. As the band sings:
“I stopped an old man along the way,
Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say, Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you”
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