Risa Dalsing's Annotated Playlist

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN86d0CdgHQ

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is considered a country song that is performed by John Denver, Bill Danoff, and Taffy Nivert. It was included in their album “Poems, Prayers, and Promises” that was released in 1971. The Album soon became number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This song is slightly upbeat and the singer has a soothing voice that is almost nostalgic. The song is about a man who sings about how he’s been far from his home in West Virginia, and how he needs for the Country roads to take him “to the place where [he] belong[s].” This song has received great attention from West Virginians, and has been played at every home football pre-game show at West Virginia University since 1972.

This song is important to me because, although I am not originally from West Virginia, I connect it to my home in North Carolina. I consider myself to be living in “the South” and this song helps me to remember my origins and where I grew up. I love North Carolina, its mountains, its plains, and its beaches and its history, so I am able to identify with the song as it describes, “Almost heaven, West Virgina/Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River/ Life is old there, older than the trees/ Younger than the mountains, flowing like the breeze." I also appreciate the “country” genre aspects of this song. I really enjoy many different types of music, but I personally identify with country music because of where I grew up.

“One More Day” by Diamond Rio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uibwcic-UfA

This song is performed by Diamond Rio, and was released in their CD “One More Day” in 2001. This song is considered to be in the country genre and the CD was placed number 5 on the Top Country Albums Chart in 2001. The lead singer is Marty Roe, and he has a soothing, and sad voice in this song. This song is about a person who lost the one that he loved, and how he wished that he had “one more day” with that person. The song progresses with him describing all of the things that he would do to show how much he loved that person during that one day.

I added this song to my playlist because it reminded me of the difficulties that I had with my parent’s divorce. My parents got divorced before I could remember, and I would visit my dad and his new family once every summer until I turned eighteen. This song has special meaning to me because it accurately portrays the feelings that I felt as I went through the transitions from being with my dad, to being with my mom.

“See the Glory” by Steven Curtis Chapman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxz8koz1SOQ

This is a Christian song sung by Steven Curtis Chapman. It was released on his certified gold album Declaration that was released in 2001. It is an upbeat song that contains music of a Gameboy and tells about how most of God’s followers are not realizing how glorious God is. “Its like eating candy sitting at a gormet feast,” the way that people settle for less than if they would just, “wake up and see the glory” of the LORD. The song was co-written by Steven Curtis Chapman and his son, Caleb Chapman.

This song is on my playlist because I feel that this song represents my spirituality. Even as a Christian, I sometimes get all caught up in the somewhat trivial things of life and forget to focus on God and what he has done for me. I believe this song accurately describes my spirituality when its like, “I’m playing Gameboy standing in the middle of the Grand Canyon,” and all I need to do is, “wake up and be amazed” at the Glory of God.

“The Hampster Dance Remix” by Hampton the Hamster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwSBwOmOkso

This is an upbeat techno song that has very few lyrics. It was created by the Canadian art student named Deidre LaCarte in 1988. The song was originally created for a webpage called “Hampton’s Hamster House” dedicated to her pet hamster Hampton Hamster. This song is a sped up sample of the song “Whistle Stop” by Roger Miller that can be found on Disney’s movie, “Robin Hood” released in 1973.

I feel that this song identifies me, because it reminds me of anime. Anime can be described as Asian cartoons. I really enjoy watching anime and reading manga (Asian comic books); and this song reminds me of anime because of its upbeat, techno, and happy mood. Anime fanatics, such as myself, my friends and sister can definitely be described as being upbeat like this song whenever we talk about anime.

“Lose Control” by Evanescence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_Bxv09JGY

“Lose Control” is sung by the band, “Evanescence.” It was released on Evanescence’s CD “The Open Door” in 2006. This CD was proclaimed Platinum, and was rated number one in the US, Australia, Germany, Greece, and Switzerland. Evanescence is best described as a gothic rock band, and the lead singer, Amy Lee, has usually a high-pitched voice. Some of their songs include guest singers as backup singers, including the Millenium Choir, and singers such as Carrie and Lori Lee. The CD “The Open Door” sold 447,000 copies its first week of release.

I can relate to this song, because every once-in-a-while I just want to “lose control.” All my life, I have been considered a ‘good girl.’ I am not the type of person to get into fights, or to curse someone out. Whenever I get exceedingly angry, I just internalize my anger and slowly let it go. However, just like the lyrics in this song, every once-in-a-while, I feel that it would be good just to “lose control” with those one or two people who completely make my life horrible. Being able to let that person making me angry know exactly how I feel would probably make me feel a lot better than just bottling up the anger if it gets really bad. However, just like with this song, to “lose control, just once” would be enough.

“Mitternacht” by E Nomine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPDahFDchDw

“Mitternacht” translated “Midnight” is sung by the German band E Nomine. This gothic-style song preformed by E Nomine is sung in German with background vocals in Latin. It apart of the CD called “Finsternis” which was released in 2002.

I identify with this song because it is both sung in German and represents my “darker side.” The majority of my family was from Germany and that part of Europe, so I can identify with it because it is sung in German. Also, my mother and one of my best friends also speak German, so German is a big part of my life, and I can appreciate the association with this song. The dark mood of this song also is a good representation of my “darker side” that listens to gothic-style music, and watches blood and gore-type movies.

“My Shiny Teeth and Me (Shiny Teeth)” by Chip Skylark (From “Fairly Odd Parents”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSj2G1PwAt4

This song, featured on the TV show “Fairly Odd Parents” is about a person, who, whenever he’s “feeling lonely/sad as [he] can be” he can be happy with his “shiny teeth and me.” It is performed by Chip Skylark and is an upbeat song using many “C”, “D,” “Am” and “G” chords.

I associate this song with my teeth after all of the orthodontics that I went through in High School. When I was in High School, I got braces, I had my wisdom teeth taken out, and I went through a hellish time with a dentist who, I felt, was bent on using their drills to filling every one of my teeth. With all of this work, time, and money put into my teeth, I can only hope that they are “shiny teeth.”

“The Reason” by Hoobastank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGs8vtjDxxY

This song, preformed by Hoobstank, was released on the band’s second album “The Reason” in 2004. It was labeled double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, rated number one on the Modern Rock Tracks, and 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This song appears on the video games “SingStar Pop” and “Karaoke Revolution Volume 3.”

This song represents my transition to college. When he sings about a transition, and how he’s learning, I feel that these lyrics tell of how I am coming to college, “I’ve found a reason for me/to change who I used to be/a reason to start over new.” However, “I’m not a perfect person,” but “I’ll continue learning” and doing my best at this university.