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28 songs for the month of February. The soundtrack of my life in 2022. |
I'm making a solid attempt at the Soundtrack of Your Life challenge  for February. I'll be honest that with my schedule, a daily writing challenge is quite difficult. But I love music so this challenge is right up my street.Buckle up and be prepared for possible musical whiplash. Hopefully you'll discover something new. ![Merit Badge in Music
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| Entry number 23, my final entry for February's "Soundtrack of your Life" challenge. "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" by the Andrew Sisters We thought that love was over, That we were really through, I said I didn't love him, That we'd begin anew And you can all believe me, We sure intended to, But we just couldn't say goodbye. The chair and then the sofa, They broke right down and cried, The curtains started waving For me to come inside. I tell you confidentially, The tears were hard to hide, And we just couldn't say goodbye. The clock was striking Twelve o'clock, it smiled on us below, With folded hands it seemed to say, "We'll miss you if you go." So I went back and kissed him, And when I looked around, The room was singing love songs, And dancing up and down. And now we're both so happy, Because at last we've found. That we just couldn't say goodbye. Well, it looks like we've come to the end of the road. It's been a wild musical ride this month. We've heard everything from classic rock to Acapella to R&B, to string quartets and swinging jazz. I didn't quite make it to 28 entries, but 23 ain't that bad. And now I've got the sweet crooning harmonies of the Andrew Sisters to sing us out. I didn't want to end with anything too heavy. We've had a full 22-course meal and now it's time for a little bite of dessert, a pallet cleanser, to leave you with a sweet aftertaste in your mouth. And nothing could be sweeter than the voices of these sisters in perfect three part harmony. Besides maybe the lyrics. This was a lot of fun, but I don't think I'll be attempting another daily challenge again for a while. I just can't keep up with that, to be honest. Maybe a weekly challenge would be more reasonable. And now that this challenge is over, I want to get back to writing other things for my portfolio. I have a few ideas in mind. But don't worry, this won't be the last time I blog on here. Because I just couldn't say goodbye. Anni |
| I believe this is Entry 22. "The Boy's Gone" by Jason Mraz The boy's gone The boy's gone home The boy's gone The boy's gone home What will happen to a face in the crowd When it finally gets too crowded? What will happen to the origins of sound After all the sounds have sounded? Well, I hope I never have to see that day But by God I know it's headed our way So I better be happy now 'cause the boy's going home The boy's gone home What becomes of a day for those who rage against it? And who will sum up the phrase for all left standing round in it? Well, I suppose we'll all make our judgement calls We will march, we will fall So we better be happy now that we'll all go home We'll all go home Be so happy with the way you are Just be happy that you made it this far Go on, be happy now Please be happy now Because you see that this, this is something else All right, you see that this, this is something else It's all right, this is, this is something else Ohh, this is, this is something else Well I tried to live my life, I tried to live it well When it's over, is it heaven or is it hell? I better be happy now, 'cause no one can tell 'Cause nobody knows I'm gonna be happy with the way that I am I'm gonna be happy with all that I stand for And I'm gonna be happy now 'cause the boy's going home The boy's gone home Yeah, the boy's gone home Jason Mraz, a.k.a. Mr. A-Z, is one of best live performers out there, and he doesn't even need anything besides his voice and a guitar. I've never heard him do a song the same way twice. He's a wordsmith and a master at improvisation, especially vocally. You might have heard one of his more popular songs on the radio before, but you haven't really heard his music until you've heard him play live at Java Joe's with Toca backing him up on bongos and harmonies. It's a whole different experience. Unfortunately, his style has changed pretty drastically since his Java Joe days and he doesn't really make music like this anymore. His newer stuff is not really on the same level, in my humble opinion.I believe this song was written about his friend who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Likely the same friend that his first major hit song "The Remedy" was written about. Cancer is a subject that hits hard for me right now in my personal life. All I'll say is, "f*** cancer". The lyrics pretty much speak for themselves, as he's clearly struggling with the idea of mortality. Listening to this now makes me feel very nostalgic. It brings me back to a very specific time in my life when I had just discovered his Live from Java Joe's album (for a dollar in a box of random CDs for sale) and I listened to it literally non-stop for years. Those were better and worse times. Jason Mraz has helped me through a lot in my life, and I've never even met him. I think it's pretty amazing that music can have such a far reaching effect. Anni |
| Entry number 21. "War" by Edwin Starr War, huh, yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, uh-huh, uh-huh War, huh, yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again, y'all Oh war, I despise 'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives War means tears to thousands of mothers' eyes When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives I said, war, huh, good god, y'all What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreak War, friend only to the undertaker Oh, war, is an enemy to all mankind The thought of war blows my mind War has caused unrest within the younger generation Induction then destruction, who wants to die? Oh, war, huh, good god, y'all What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it, say it, say it War, huh, uh-huh, yeah, uh What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, it got one friend, that's the undertaker Oh, war has shattered many a young man's dreams Made him disabled, bitter and mean Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days War can't give life, it can only take it away Oh, war, huh, good god, y'all What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, friend only to the undertaker Peace, love and understanding, tell me Is there no place for them today? They say we must fight to keep our freedom But lord knows there's got to be a better way Oh, war, huh, good god, y'all What is it good for? You tell me, (nothing) say it, say it, say it, say it War, huh, good god, yeah, huh What is it good for? Stand up and shout it (nothing) The only song that felt appropriate for the current moment. A timeless song with a powerful message that still rings true today. As I write this, Russia is moving in on Kyiv, the capitol of Ukraine. They have been attacking residential areas, hospitals, schools, shops, etc. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country, and even more are left behind in Ukraine, taking shelter overnight in basements and subways as make-shift bomb shelters. To be clear, there is no reason for this war besides a pure power grab by Putin. I don't normally talk about politics on here, but we are watching history unfold. The consequences of this attack will be far reaching, in Europe and here in the U.S. This conflict has created a refugee crisis that is only just beginning, with an estimated millions of Ukrainians expected to flee into other countries. Economically, much the world depends on Russia for energy and gas. It's not a coincidence that this war is being waged in the middle of winter, when dependence on that energy for heating and gas is highest. Time will only tell what happens next. We are one move away from the NATO alliance getting involved (including the U.S.), potentially leading to another World War. This time, with nuclear options on the table. "War can't give life, it can only take it away." I can only hope those making the big decisions right now will keep the immortal words of Edwin Starr in mind. Anni |
| For entry 20, a musical interlude. Cover of the Eagles’ "I can't tell you why" by the Vitamin String Quartet Original Lyrics ▼ Another one of my favorite Eagles songs, but with a twist. The Vitamin String Quartet does string covers of popular songs and they do them very well. They are also quite prolific, so chances are pretty good that they have covered your favorite song on the radio. However, I will say that not every song they chose to cover translates well to strings... especially songs that are musically simple (even if they're lyrically complex or meaningful). Which, let's face it, describes a lot of popular music. But, there are some songs that are much improved when composed as a string quartet. This one makes me feel all the feelings at once. The Eagles' slow, wistful, almost mournful melody and harmonies work really well on the strings.I included the lyrics of the original song above to give some context, but I almost prefer it without the lyrics. The meaning is left up to the imagination and the sound alone, so the mind can wander to fill in the holes and create your own narrative. Because strings are so similar to voice in tone, they can still get the feeling of the lyrics across without the words. In some cases, even better than words can. Words can be limiting. This is one of those songs that takes you on a journey and then spits you back out at the end. And I think everyone's journey will be different. Maybe I have a soft spot because I used to play the violin back in middle school. I have since forgotten everything I ever learned and probably couldn't even play "Hot Crossed Buns" on the violin anymore. But sometimes, when I hear things like this, I wish I'd kept up with it longer. For those who have somehow never heard it, here's the original song , which is just as good but in a different way.Anni |
| I've gotten a bit behind now, but this is entry number 19. "Earth" by Imogen Heap Baby, behave, we'll make it work (Are you with me?) You're not golden And I'm getting tired Act like you own the place When really you've only just arrived I caught first glimmers In hides and skins Look who's all grown up Black-swanning about the solar winds You're gonna lose it all And find yourself on your knees So, get a grip and you might Flow-reverse the great, slow bleed I've tried patience, but You always want a war This house won't tolerate any more Stop this right away Put that down and clean this mess up End of conversation Put your back in it and Make it up to me now The cold shoulder Folded arms and looking up You've never listened And carry on careless, regardless This is not a fire drill and If we hold any hope It's harmonic connection And stereos in symbiosis These Lego land empires Choking out mine now You're everywhere, everywhere Multiplying around me, child A strain on my heart This rock can't tolerate any more Stop this right away Put that down and clean this mess up End of conversation Put your back in it and Make it up to me now Baby, behave, we'll make it work (x8) (Are you with me?) Whoa, oh, oh, oh You're only what you give back (x5) Stop this right away Put that down and clean this mess up End of conversation Put your back in it and Make it up to me now Are you with me? You're only what you give back (x5) Did I mention that I love vocal harmonies? Well, I do. I also love the planet Earth and would like it to continue to be habitable for human beings in the future. Wouldn't that be nice? I think so. That might be a controversial take. Some folks are ready to abandon Earth for Mars, I hear, but it sure seems a lot simpler to fix the current planet than to trash it and have to colonize a whole new one from scratch, which we will proceed to immediately trash. I mean, we've already littered space so much that at some point we may not be able to fly anything in near Earth orbit anymore due to the threat of space debris projectiles. Yes-- first the land, then the oceans, and now space. Humans are the opposite of King Midas. Everything we touch turns to garbage.This masterful piece is a tapestry of layered vocals with a not-so-subtle message. I'm not sure exactly how many layers this took, but it sounds like hundreds at some points. (I'm pretty sure it's not, it just sounds that way.) That combined with the vocal percussion really gives the song more depth and dimension than you would expect is possible from a single person's voice. Because it sounds like Imogen did all the vocal parts herself, which is why everything blends together so well. I think it's pretty clever that she wrote this from the Earth's perspective, and Mother Earth is not happy with us. "Put that down and clean this mess up." As a note, people talk about how we’re "destroying the Earth", but that's not really what's going to happen. The Earth, as a planet, will continue to exist and orbit the sun. What we're actually doing is causing our own extinction, along with the extinction of most of the other forms of life currently on the Earth. But the Earth, she's going to be just fine without us. Anni |
| I missed yesterday's entry, so this is entry number 18. "Jackie and Wilson" by Hozier So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight So deep in the swirl with the most familiar of swine For reasons wretched and divine She blows out of nowhere, roman candle of the wild Laughing away through my feeble disguise No other version of me I would rather to be tonight Lord, she found me just in time 'Cause with my mid-youth crisis all said and done I need to be youthfully felt, 'cause God I never felt young She's gonna save me, call me baby Run her hands through my hair She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily Better yet, she wouldn't care We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives Ride round picking up clues We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson Raise them on rhythm and blues Lord, it'd be great to find a place we could escape sometime Me and my Isis, growing black irises in the sunshine Every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside Sit back and watch the world go by Happy to lie back, watch it burn and rust We tried the world, good God, it wasn't for us She's gonna save me, call me baby Run her hands through my hair She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily Better yet, she wouldn't care We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives Ride round picking up clues We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson Raise them on rhythm and blues Cut clean from the dream at night, let my mind reset Looking up from a cigarette, and she's already left I start digging up the yard for what's left of me and our little vignette For whatever poor soul is coming next She's gonna save me, call me baby Run her hands through my hair She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily Better yet, she wouldn't care We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives Ride round picking up clues We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson Raise them on rhythm and blues The title of this song is a nod to R&B singer Jackie Wilson. Apparently, Hozier is a big fan of his. "We'll name our children Jackie and Wilson / Raise them on rhythm and blues". The song itself isn't one of Hozier's most popular, but I really like it. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who throws themself all in to their relationships. It's just him and this woman against the world, and she's going to save him (from himself). And as soon as she leaves him, he's already thinking about "whatever poor soul is coming next" to save him. It doesn't seem like it took him long at all to completely move on from this woman who was going to save him, who knows everything about him and saw through his disguises, who he wants to have children with. Come to think of it, this could be describing an entirely imagined potential relationship with a random woman seen in a bar, not an actual reciprocal relationship. That would make more sense. If this is meant to be about himself, then this is an impressive level of self awareness. If it's not, then this is an impressive level of empathy to be able to put yourself in another's shoes like this. Given his other songs, like "Take me to Church", he is obviously quite capable of creating a very strong and convincing narrative that's not about himself. Hozier's lyrics are always deep and layered, and this song is no exception. He has clear references to the ancient Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris here. Osiris was killed and cut into tiny pieces which his wife Isis, in her grief, scours the entirety of Egypt to collect, put back together, and resurrect him. Clearly, in this metaphor, the narrator is Osiris and he's looking for his Isis to put him back together. His pieces, different versions of himself, are "dead and buried in the yard outside". The same metaphor works its way into a lot of the other lyrics too, like when he says "ride 'round picking up clues". He's relying on her to find himself and make himself "whole". Interestingly, black irises are one of the rarest flowers in the world, thus they often represent the authentic and real. It seems that's what this narrator is really searching for, but is unable to find. Also, one of my favorite lines of all time: "We tried the world, good God, it wasn't for us." I feel that, Hozier. I feel that. Anni |
"I should probably go to bed" by Dan + Shay All of my friends finally convinced Me to get out of the house To help me forget, to help me move on Then I heard you're back in town In a crowd of strangers and lovers Someone told me that you were comin', so I should probably go to bed I should probably turn off my phone I should quit while I'm ahead I should probably leave you alone 'Cause I know in the morning I'll be callin' Sayin' sorry for the things I said So I, yeah I should probably go to bed So I don't undo the got-over-you That it took so long to find 'Cause all it would take Is seeing your face and I'd forget I should probably go to bed I should probably turn off my phone I should quit while I'm ahead I should probably leave you alone 'Cause I know in the morning I'll be callin' Sayin' sorry for the things I said So I, yeah I should probably go to bed Before I question my decision Is it love? I know it isn't Now I'm all up in my head again 'Cause I know I don't Have the self-control To walk away if you walk in... I know, I know, I know, I know I should probably go to bed Ooh, I'm all up in my head (I'm all up in my head) Ooh, I, I should go to bed (go to bed) Ooh, I'm all up in my head (go to bed, go to bed) Ooh, I, I should go to bed In a crowd of strangers and lovers Someone told me that you were comin', so I should probably go to bed I stumbled across this song at random last year and have been listening to it ever since. Not just because of the gravity defying visuals and pleasing aesthetics in the video, which give it a very dream-like feel. I love the melody and the piano part, and of course those vocals. Let's just talk about those vocals for a second. The runs in the breakdown at the end are pure perfection, not to mention those harmonies in the "oohs" with the slow motion impact and red lighting. It all comes together into a very attention grabbing and interesting experience. I need to find a way to make this song my alarm, so I can can play it every night as a reminder to go the f*ck to bed. I was born a night owl and I've always had trouble with my sleep schedule, so this song really speaks to me on a personal level. If left to my own devices, I will be up at 3am just living my life. And it's not really insomnia; it’s a conscious decision that I always regret in the morning. I believe it's called "revenge bedtime procrastination" , a real phenomenon where one refuses to go to bed because one's life is so busy and overwhelming during the day that night time is the only time one has to oneself. And by "one", I of course, mean "me". Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't live on that schedule so I still have to get up early for work in the morning. I've been averaging about 5 hours a night lately, which is not really enough to function. People tend to underestimate how important proper sleep is. In fact, you will die if you don't sleep. Which means... I should probably go to bed. Anni |
"Youth" by Daughter Shadows settle on the place that you left Our minds are troubled by the emptiness Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time From the perfect start to the finish line And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones 'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs Setting fire to our insides for fun Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong The lovers that went wrong We are the reckless, we are the wild youth Chasing visions of our futures One day we'll reveal the truth That one will die before he gets there And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones 'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone We're setting fire to our insides for fun Collecting pictures from a flood that wrecked our home It was a flood that wrecked this home And you caused it And you caused it And you caused it Well, I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette I'm a lifeless face that you'll soon forget My eyes are damp from the words you left Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one 'Cause most of us are bitter over someone Setting fire to our insides for fun To distract our hearts from ever missing them But I'm forever missing him And you caused it And you caused it And you caused it Here is a beautiful dance routine set to a beautiful song with beautiful lyrics. It was choreographed by Bonnie Su, who did a great job of capturing the energy and angst of "youth" in the movements. The way the dancers seemingly spontaneously break off into groups and then all come back together creates a really cool effect. The choreography really ties in with the song's meaning and captures the essence of the music. The interruption and incorporation of the phones was an interesting addition. It's a highly recognizable and salient sound that causes an automatic reaction in most people. It seems that Bonnie meant this as a commentary on technology and phones taking control of people's lives. Although I don't really think that's what the song was originally about, it is an interesting take on it. At face value, the lyrics seem to mostly be about the end of a relationship (or multiple relationships). "Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time / From the perfect start to the finish line." I've definitely felt that way before. There's also-- as the title would suggest-- an undercurrent of "youth" and a look at the perspectives and struggles of the younger generation. I see references to a nihilistic generation who don't see a future at all; Who don't believe they will even live to see it because of the state the world is in. I see references to vaping ("Setting fire to our insides for fun"), social media, intense pressure and general anxiety, fears about climate change ("It was a flood that wrecked this home / and you caused it"), modern dating, social isolation, a lot of issues that the youth are grappling with. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that's the feeling I get. And that's the beauty about art, everyone will interpret it through their own personal lens and take their own meaning from it. Anni |
| You say it's your birthday. It's my birthday too, yeah.  The Beatles have sung me Happy Birthday every year for as long as I can remember. It started as a tradition where my parents would play this for me and my siblings on the morning of our respective birthdays, while we all ran and danced around the living room in celebration. Now I play it for myself every year and run and dance around my own living room. It just doesn't feel like a birthday otherwise. Even if this weren't specifically a birthday song, I would listen to it any day of the year. It's just so much fun. The Beatles sure knew how to write a hook. I believe this one is the work of Sir Paul. (Indisputably my favorite Beatle). I've probably heard this birthday song more often than the original birthday song, to be honest. And, let's face it, the original Birthday Song is one of the worst songs ever written. I have no problem saying that, as the chances that the person who wrote that song is currently reading this Blog entry are near zero. If you are reading this and you happen to be the one who wrote "Happy Birthday", I'd love to hear the thought process behind writing that particular melody. Hardly anyone can actually hit the random high note on "birthday", and no one knows what key to start in or what the timing will be. It doesn't even feel celebratory to me. It's just a weird ritual we have now. I vividly remember my best friend's one year old bursting into tears when everyone suddenly gathered around him to set a cake on fire, stare and sing at him in unison, and then clap for him afterwards on his first birthday. I can't blame him. In any case, I've got an important piece of Black Forest cake to finish. Anni |
| A love song, for Valentine's Day. "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles Head underwater And they tell me To breathe easy for a while The breathing gets harder, even I know that Made room for me it's too soon to see If I'm happy in your hands I'm unusually hard to hold onto Blank stares at blank pages No easy way to say this You mean well, but you make this hard on me I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you asked for it 'Cause you need one You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this If you're on your way I'm not gonna write you to stay If all you have is leavin' I'ma need a better reason To write you a love song today I learned the hard way That they all say Things you wanna hear My heavy heart sinks deep down under You and your twisted words Your help just hurts You are not what I thought you were Hello to high and dry Convinced me to please you Made me think that I need this too I'm trying to let you hear me as I am I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you asked for it 'Cause you need one You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this If you're on your way I'm not gonna write you to stay If all you have is leavin' I'ma need a better reason To write you a love song today Promise me That you'll leave the light on To help me see With daylight, my guide, gone 'Cause I believe there's a way You can love me because I say I won't write you a love song 'Cause you asked for it 'Cause you need one You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this Is that why you wanted a love song? 'Cause you asked for it 'Cause you need one You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song 'Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this If you're on your way I'm not gonna write you to stay If your heart is nowhere in it I don't want it for a minute Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that There's a reason to write you a love song today Sara actually wrote this song as an FU to her music producers, who kept telling her she had to write a pop-style love song for them. Well, she did, and ironically it turned out to be a big hit. I much prefer the live version to the overproduced radio edit. She's got some impressive lungs. I also like the lyrics and I think they're very fitting for a mass-produced, overly commercialized holiday like Valentine's Day. I wouldn't call myself a romantic, but I'm definitely not anti-romance either. I just think that, like the theme of this song, it shouldn't be expected or forced or it completely loses the meaning. "If your heart is nowhere in it, I don't want it for a minute." And for some reason, big romantic gestures almost always feel... fake... to me. Too good to be real. Also, the pressure and expectations of planning a big romantic event and expensive gifts for Valentine's day has just gotten out of control. Maybe it makes a little more sense on an anniversary or a date that is actually meaningful, not just an arbitrary date when everyone is supposed to celebrate romance and love, whether or not they are actually in a relationship at the time. Imagine how hard this day is for people who are single and lonely, or who've just recently broken up, or left a bad relationship. That's no small percentage of the population, either. That said, I'm far from bitter and I enjoy seeing happy couples being together, so, celebrate away! And let's not forget about all the other types of love we should be celebrating beyond romantic love. I saw that Shadow Prowler-Spreading Love  is doing a writing challenge to write a story about a non-romantic form of love, and I love that idea. If you're interested, the deadline is midnight tonight.Anni |
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