Final Playlist

“Jumper” Third Eye Blind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdgCajndgNw

Third Eye Blind (3eb) is an alternative rock band that formed in the early 90’s. Although the band got off to a rough start, they eventually landed a gig opening up for Oasis. Afterwards, 3eb had no trouble finding a record label. Their first CD contained the hits Semi Charmed life and Jumper. Jumper was written by the lead singer Stephan Jenkins after his manager shared a story about a homosexual friend who jumped off a bridge because he was not accepted by society. Stephan, a misfit at his high school whose parents had divorced, knew what it felt like to be in pain and be considered an outcast by society. The song is about a person that wants to commit suicide but according to Stephan, it is not only about suicide. As the chorus states, “Everyone’s got to face down the demons. Maybe today we can put the past away” the song is primarily about the challenges we face in life and the not letting the past dominate the present.
Every group has an anthem. For us it was Jumper. The lyrics were not relevant to our lives, at least not literally. None of us were on the verge of committing suicide and none of us knew anyone who was. Of course we all had our own problems that we had to conquer and put behind us, but that is not the reason Jumper was our anthem. It all started when a few of the guys in our group began reminiscing about songs they listened to as kids. Jumper was mentioned and almost all of them knew the song. From that day on you could hear them singing the song throughout the hallways at school. Soon enough all of us knew the song and we began to sing it too. In the beginning it was just something we did to entertain ourselves but I believe that eventually the song began to represent all the fun times we had together. Every time we hear the song, we think of each other and all the times we burst out in song when the hallways were fullest. We would yell the chorus at the top of our lungs and although people looked at us like we were crazy, we knew they were just jealous that they weren’t a part of our fun little tradition.



“Address in the Stars” Caitlin and Will
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I35_B_5htnI

This song by Caitlin and Will was written by Caitlin after the death of her aunt. Released in their self titled 2009 debut album, the song talks about the difficulty of losing a loved one. The lyrics are sincere and hit home. "I stumbled across your picture today. I could barely breathe" "I'm screamin' at the sky cause it hurts so bad." I feel so many different emotions when I hear this song, such as heartbreak, longing, pain and sympathy. The central focus of the song is how the narrator has so many things left to say to her loved one but will never have a chance to say them no matter how hard she tries because there's no address in the stars. Although neither the song nor the group has made it big yet, the song did make it to the US Hot Country Billboards starting at number 60 in March 2009 and making its way to 42 by June 2009.
When I first heard the song I had no idea who Caitlin and Will were, but my cousin made me listen to them anyway. Address in the Stars instantly became one of my favorite songs. I loved the combined sound of the vocals and the country aspect of the song. I liked the fact that it wasn't a typical boy meets girl, girl loves boy, and boy leaves girl kind of song. In the beginning I simply enjoyed listening to the song because it made me feel and those are the songs I love listening to the most. However, my connection with the song quickly became much more personal. College began in August and I left behind the majority with the promise of visiting. There was no doubt in my mind that I would see every last one of them again. We had all been in the same classes since eighth grade and were considered each other family. As September rolled around, I received the worst possible news. Our little family had lost a very valuable member. Stephanie passed away on September 16th in a car accident on her way to school. I was devastated. That is when Address in the Stars went from a favorite song to a song that hit close to home. Every day all I can think is "What do I do with all I need to say? There's so much I wanna tell you every day. It breaks my heart. I cry these tears in the dark. I write these letters to you but they get lost in the blue cause there's no address in the stars."


“Sunday Morning” Maroon 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Cti12XBw4

Sunday Morning was released in Maroon 5’s album Songs About Jane. The song is easy on the ears. There are no dark chords or harsh instrumentation and that along with the lyrics, gives the song a care free feeling.

Fingers trace your every outline
Paint a picture with my hands
Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm
Change the weather still together when it ends
That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

The lyrics refer to Sundays as a time when we have no worries and we can sit around doing nothing but keep each other company all day. It is impossible to feel heavy hearted at the end of the song.
I worked as a waitress at Ruby Tuesday’s for eight months before college began. When I first began working there, I hated the elevator music that played on constant repeat. Every day my coworkers and I listened to the same ten or so songs play hour after hour after hour. I soon realized that I needed that elevator music to keep my sanity. Some costumers were so irritating and the soothing music that played in the background kept me in a very calm mood. My favorite of these songs was Sunday Morning because no matter how stressed or unhappy we were, my best friend and I would instantly become light-hearted and our mindless tasks of carrying trays, refilling drinks and taking orders would take on a rhythm. It was almost as if our actions were choreographed to the song. Moments like that made my job well worth it. I believe that Adam Levine’s semi raspy vocals along with the piano in the background are what made us go deep into our memories and find a happy place. Sunday Morning is a very reminiscent song.


“Hollywood’s Not America” Ferras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAsj87rhy6Q

Most of us go through a phase in life where we want something more from our life than what we have. That is what Ferras sings about in this song. The girl in the song longs to be famous and when she finally makes it big, she changes her name and becomes a whole new person that she can hardly recognize. My favorite lines of the song are:

You could make a million dollars, but you might lose yourself
And you can take the heat will your heart go cold

Sometimes we get so caught up in reaching our goals that we forget to see if we’re hurting anyone (including ourselves) in the process. The chorus of the song suggests that the girl return home and reminds her that Hollywood is not all there is to America.
My cousin and I heard this song on the radio and we fell in love with it instantly. The smooth vocals and runs really caught our attention as well as the instrumentation. The piano part is my favorite and, in my opinion, it is what makes the song so enjoyable. At the time we discovered the song, both of us were going through difficult times in our lives. We were both changing and sometimes the choices we had to make were difficult. Like the girl in the song, we both wanted more out of life and it was very easy to lose ourselves in all the changes we were making. This song spoke to us on a personal level and reminded us to never let go of our identities.


“Little House” The Fray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qDRZ7LkTPA

The Fray uses piano as the primary instrument in all of their songs and Little House is no exception. Released in 2005, the song begins with only the piano but the drums and guitar join in at the chorus creating a rock sound. The quiet eeriness of the first verse is built up to the chorus where the drums and guitar burst in as the words “something’s scratching its way out” are sung. It gives the song more effect by making it seem like something is literally trying to be set free. The song is about an experience that you are afraid of sharing with others. You just want to forget it ever happened but you can’t because you feel that your secret is always on the verge of being discovered.
Although it didn’t involve some secret experience I wanted to keep hidden, Little House described the way I felt when I first heard the song. I was always the quiet, shy bookworm at school. People knew me because I was smart and I was always reading, but I got tired of being that girl. I knew there was so much more to me than that, and it was time to be known for something different. No one knew what I was like outside of school. I was always a very introverted person, and I found it very difficult to open up to let people see who I really am. It made me feel vulnerable but I decided that high school was the chance for me to come out of my shell. Something was scratching its way out of me and it was an outgoing, confident person with a love for music. This song marked a new chapter in my life. I became a leader rather than a follower.


“You Were Mine” Dixie Chicks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttggMJeUAo4

You Were Mine is a song included in the Dixie Chicks 1998 Wide Open Spaces album. At the time the Chicks were still singing country and you can definitely hear it in Natalie’s voice and the violin/guitar accompaniment. The song was written by the Erwin twins who play the violin and guitar in the band. Their parents divorced when they were young and their mother never got over it. The song talks about the new woman and how the old wife is left with two very young children to provide with answers.

He’s two and she’s four and you know they adore you
So how can I tell them you changed your mind?

There is a very personal story behind the reason this song is on my playlist. My mother was in a relationship when I was born. He wasn’t my biological father but he loved me as if he was and much to my mother’s surprise, he even signed my birth certificate as my real father. By the time I was two my parents were engaged. However, the engagement was abruptly called off when I was three and suddenly my mom was placed in a very difficult position. How do you tell a three year old that her dad decided he didn’t want to them to live together anymore? I don’t remember many of the details but I do remember the hurt I felt when my mom tried to explain to me that we would no longer be living with my dad. I saw him on my birthday and Christmas the next year, and then he married another woman. I did not see him again for two years. I know it was difficult for my mother just as it was for me. By the time You Were Mine came out, I was old enough to understand the situation better than I did before. I still missed him and hoped he would come back but deep down I knew he never would. As we listened to the song, my mother and I created a bond. We never had to say anything because we both knew what the other was thinking about. As the lyrics say, “it was a time of love and laughter and happily ever after”. Although my mom is happily married now, I know that every time she hears this song, she will think of all the suffering we went through seventeen years ago.


“Lucky” Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acvIVA9-FMQ

Jason Mraz is best known for “I’m Yours” but I like this song much more. I love the way male and female voices mesh together, especially if it’s two artists I already love on their own. The guitar in this song is very smooth, giving the song a romantic sound. The song is in the form of a call and response with Jason singing the first verse and Colbie singing the second verse. The melody switches between the two creating a better balance in the song. It is truly a duet rather than a song with male enhancements or a song with female enhancements. The song is not sung in a generic pop style and that is one of the reasons I like it so much.
Lucky is a love song about two friends that fall in love and that makes me think of me and my boyfriend. We’ve been best friends since sixth grade and started dating a year ago. This song is like a biography of our story.

I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

He has always been the first one I go to when I need cheering up no matter what the problem may be. We, of course, had a few issues with people who thought we were crazy and didn’t understand why we wanted to be together. They tried to cause problems but eventually they realized that we were not just going through a phase. As the song says, we really do care about each other.

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

Every time I hear Lucky, all the years we’ve known each other flash before my eyes and I get a feeling of nostalgia.

“Amigo Bronco” Bronco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRWCyNuwDtU

Bronco is a group from Apodaca and Nuevo Leon, Mexico that sings Norteño style music. The group is highly successful among the Spanish speaking community around the world. The four men in Bronco sung together from the early 80’s to the late 90’s when they decided to retire. However, they came back a few short years later in 2003 strong as ever. Their instrumentation consists of guitar, keyboards, bass, and accordion. The instrumentation along with Lupe Esparza’s vocals, form a combination that speaks to the heart of the listener. To me there is no male Spanish singer with a more beautiful voice than Lupe Esparza.Amigo Bronco was released in 1990 and is a song about a horse named Bronco. The narrator is telling a story of how he and Bronco were more than master and horse. They created an indestructible friendship. Bronco loved speed and would never let the fastest train out run him. “Pero tenía que perder alguna vez” (But he had to lose sometime). The narrator had to shoot Bronco to take him out of his misery. The song speaks about the power of friendship and the sacrifices we make for our friends.
Friendship is an important aspect of my life and this song describes how I feel about honoring my friends. Another reason I love this song so much is that I am reminded of my culture and how much I being multiracial. The song always makes me think of my family and all the fun times we have together. Although my mother’s family is large and we all have very distinct tastes in music, Amigo Bronco is a song that we all enjoy. For some reason it speaks to all of us. For me the video makes the song even more enjoyable because Lupe Esparza favors one of my uncles that moved away when I was still a child. I used to pretend that it was my uncle in the video and that he was the coolest man ever. Every time I heard the song, I would think of the line “nos vamos a encontrar.” The line means “we will find each other.” As a child I knew that even though my uncle was far away, we would see each other again someday.