Songs for the Aries

ARIES: The look on your face will be priceless when you find that forty-pound watermelon in your colon. Trade toothbrushes with an albino dwarf, then give a hickey to Meryl Streep. -Weird Al Yankovic

Oh, Weird Al, you silly goose. Thank you for making us laugh. We’re already on our third Astrology Playlist: Aries! There’s a lot of really strong emotions kind of all over the map in this playlist, which fits in nicely because Aries feel big emotions all the time. They’re enthusiastic, passionate and temperamental, and always interesting.

bad guy by Billie Eilish (written by F. O’Connell, B. O’Connell)
https://amzn.to/33DZmih
Eilish shows a lot of strong emotion in this song, intimidating the other party with her strong personality. While’s she’s being flirtatious, she’s also showing a competitive nature by putting the other party in their place.
I like it when you take control/Even if you know that you don’t/Own me, I’ll let you play the role/I’ll be your animal/My mommy likes to sing along/With me, but she won’t sing this song/If she reads all the lyrics/She’ll pity the men I know/So you’re a tough guy, like it really rough guy/Just can’t get enough guy, chest always so puffed guy/I’m that bad type, make your mama sad type/Make your girlfriend mad type, might seduce your dad type/I’m the bad guy, duh

Just Be Held by Casting Crowns (written by B. Herms, M. Hall, M. West)
https://amzn.to/2xVM4lc
Completely switching gears for this next one, here’s a personal selection from my sweet, wonderful Aries friend Ben:
“My favorite song is Just Be Held by Casting Crowns! [My friend] showed it to me right after [my brother] passed away and it just lets me know that no matter that God has always got my back! I don’t need to worry or fret, I just need to breathe and be held. It is so refreshing every time I hear it now because of the transition I am about to go through and it helps me stay grounded and in the moment instead of being so fearful of the future!”
Hold it all together, everybody needs you strong/But life hits you outta nowhere and barely leaves you holding on/And when you’re tired of fighting, chained by your control/There’s freedom in surrender, lay it down and let it go/So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away/You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held/Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place/I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held/Just be held, just be held

Tiny Dancer by Elton John (written by B. Taupin, E. John)
https://amzn.to/2xhkS00
This is definitely one of my favorite songs from absolute musical legend (and Aries) Sir Elton, both the original and Tim McGraw’s cover. The woman in the song is so flirtatious, passionate, and interesting, showing off her talents and stealing the narrator’s heart.
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band/Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man/Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand/And now she’s in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand/Jesus freaks out in the streets, handing tickets out for God/Turning back, she just laughs, the boulevard is not that bad/Piano man, he makes his stand in the auditorium/Looking on, she sings the songs, the words she knows, the tune she hums/But oh, how it feels so real, lying here with no one near/Only you, and you can hear me/When I say softly, slowly/Hold me closer, tiny dancer/Count the headlights on the highway/Lay me down in sheets of linen/You had a busy day today

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton (written by E. Clapton)
https://amzn.to/3agDETR
Famed Aries musician Eric Clapton has had not only a great solo career, but can work successfully in a group as well, having been the guitarist for both The Yardbirds and Cream. Wonderful Tonight is such a great love song – it’s more subtle in its enthusiasm than some of the other songs on this list, but it’s still passionate, flirtatious, and optimistic. I love that the narrator keeps giving his lover little mini “pep talks” just by telling her she looks wonderful.
It’s late in the evening/She’s wondering what clothes to wear/She puts on her makeup/And brushes her long, blonde hair/And then she asks me, “Do I look alright?”/And I say, “Yes, you look wonderful tonight”/We got to a party/And everyone turns to see/This beautiful lady/That’s walking around with me/And then she asks me, “Do you feel alright?”/And I say, “Yes, I feel wonderful tonight”

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People (written by M. Foster)
https://amzn.to/2Uu5Lbr
Put down your pitchforks, I’m fully aware of the fact that this song is about a school shooter. I find myself in a similar situation with Pumped Up Kicks as I am with My Sharona that I talked about in a previous post – the lyrics are no doubt problematic, but the beat is catchy as hell so this song is admittedly a guilty pleasure for me. It popped up on an Aries playlist I found while doing Pinterest research, and I get it – the subject of this song is obviously temperamental, throwing a sort of temper tantrum (in a way?), and is, in their mind, putting people in their place.
Robert’s got a quick hand/He’ll look around the room, but won’t tell you his plan/He’s got a rolled cigarette/Hanging out his mouth, he’s a cowboy kid/Yeah, he found a six-shooter gun/In his dad’s closet, in a box full of fun things/I don’t even know what/But he’s coming for you, yeah, he’s coming for you/All the other kids with the pumped up kicks/You better run, better run, outrun my gun/All the other kids with the pumped up kicks/You better run, better run, faster than my bullet

A Little Bit Longer by Jonas Brothers (written by N. Jonas)
https://amzn.to/2UytyH9
I really, really love this song for a lot of reasons. 1) It’s the title track for my favorite JoBros album. 2) It really showcased Nick Jonas’s songwriting ability as a teenager, because the lyrics really do hit hard when you listen to them – he wrote this song about being diagnosed with Diabetes and how it turned his whole world upside down. Despite the obvious fear in this song, he still stays optimistic and knows he needs to confront the illness head on, which can be true for any listeners battling any number of demons.
Got the news today, doctor said I had to stay/A little bit longer, and I’ll be fine/When I thought it’d all been done, when I thought it’d all been said/A little bit longer, and I’ll be fine/But you don’t know what you got until it’s gone/And you don’t know what it’s like to feel so low/And every time you smile, you laugh, you glow/You don’t even know, no, no/You don’t even know

Butterflies by Kacey Musgraves (written by K. Musgraves, L. Laird, N. Hemby)
https://amzn.to/2woGFmy
My Kacey pick for this playlist is a super chill one. Musgraves has said she wrote this song about the early days of her relationship with her now husband Ruston Kelly, and the optimistic tone is impossible to ignore. She’d been minding her own business and was kind of used to be the one who was put in her place, but this love came along and turned all of that on its head.
I was just coasting, never really going anywhere/Caught up in a web, I was getting kinda used to staying there/Then out of the blue/I fell for you/Now you’re lifting me up ‘stead of holding me down/Stealing my heart ‘stead of stealing my crown/Untangled all the strings ’round my wings that were tied/I didn’t know him and I didn’t know me/Cloud Nine was always out of reach/Now I remember what it feels like to fly/You give me butterflies

Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson (written by C. Aguilera, K. Clarkson, M. Morris, R. Lawrence)
https://amzn.to/2QG2uEQ
I know in a previous post I proclaimed my undying love for this song, but I can’t help it – it’s so.damn.good. Clarkson is going to be a new staple on these playlist for sure. This song hits so many Aries checkmarks it’s almost funny – the “character” of Miss Independent is passionate, she has super high expectations, she doesn’t apologize for who she is, she’s used to being the best at everything she does, she puts people in their place, she intimidates people with her strong personality, she’s competitive, and tends to overthink.
Misguided heart, Miss Play It Smart/Miss, if you wanna use that line, you better not start, no/But she miscalculated, she didn’t want to end up jaded/And this Miss decided not to miss out on true love/So by changing her misconceptions, she went in a new direction/And found inside, she felt a connection, she fell in love/What is this feeling taking over, thinking no one could open the door/Surprise, it’s time to feel what’s real/What happened to Miss Independent, no longer need to be defensive/Goodbye, old you, when love, when love is true

A Whole New World by Brad Kane & Lea Salonga (written by A. Menken, T. Rice)
https://amzn.to/2WER3RU
Jasmine is here to represent the Disney Princesses for Aries, and she truly fits the bill. This girl is passionate and temperamental, she has super high expectations because she knows what she’s worth, she takes initiative where she can in her life, and she intimidates all her suitors (yes, even Aladdin) with her strong personality.
Unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings/Soaring, tumbling, free wheeling through an endless diamond sky/A whole new world, don’t you dare close your eyes/A hundred thousand things to see, hold your breath, it gets better/I’m like a shooting star, I’ve come so far/I can’t go back to where I used to be/A whole new world, every turn a surprise/With new horizons to pursue, every moment red letter/I’ll chase them anywhere, there’s time to spare/Let me share this whole new world with you

When it Rains it Pours by Luke Combs (written by J. Walker, L. Combs, R. Fulcher)
https://amzn.to/2vFRqAi
This song is another personal pick, this time by my sweet sister-friend Mackenzie:
“My favorite song changes almost daily so I’m struggling. This week, I’m on a country kick with When it Rains it Pours. I love music but to pick a favorite anything has always been a struggle. I tend to lean toward songs that have a catchy tune but explore some piece of my reality. Any song that puts into words a feeling I’ve felt, always is a favorite.”
Sunday morning, man she woke up fighting mad/Bitching and moaning on and on ’bout the time I had/And by Tuesday, you could say that girl was good as gone/And when Thursday came around, I was all alone/So I went for a drive to clear my mind/Ended up at a Shell on I-65/Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch-off ticket, bought two 12 packs and a tank of gas with it/She swore they were a waste of time, oh, but she was wrong/I was caller number 5 on the radio station, won a four-day, three-night beach vacation/Deep sea, señorita fishing down in Panama/And I ain’t gotta see my ex-future-mother-in-law anymore/Oh Lord, when it rains, it pours

Tightrope by Michelle Williams (written by B. Pasek, J. Paul)
https://amzn.to/2QBE4MM
This is my favorite song from The Greatest Showman, so I’m hella jealous that it gets to go to Aries. The character of Charity Barnum is so passionate here – she has super high expectations for she and PT’s future because they’re both achievers, just not always on the same page. They both look towards their next adventure, she just looks a little less far ahead than he does. I love Tightrope as a love song because at its core, it’s about a wife who wants to confront any problems that occur head on as long as it’s with her husband.
Some people long for a life that is simple and planned, tied with a ribbon/Some people won’t sail the sea ’cause they’re safer on land, to follow what’s written/But I’d follow you to the great unknown/Off to a world we call our own/Hand in my hand and we promised to never let go, we’re walking the tightrope/High in the sky, we can see the whole world down below, we’re walking the tightrope/Never sure, never know how far we could fall/But it’s all an adventure that comes with a breathtaking view, walking the tightrope with you

Lasso by Phoenix (written by C. Mazzalai)
https://amzn.to/2QCGmeM
This was another Pinterest playlist find and it took a second to grow on me. The lyrics I think definitely lean towards the Aries characteristics of overthinking and focusing on their latest fleeting obsession.
Where would you go, not long ago, I’ve been thinking out loud/Why so suddenly, don’t you know/Don’t do it, what you do, what you do to me/Forever is a long, long time when you’ve lost your way/Trying to follow your ideals, oh, sorry but your so called life, it is such a waste/Wear your real eyes, no, you don’t realize/Where would you go, where would you go with a lasso/Could you run into, could you run into, could you go and run into me/Where would you go, where would you go, tied up to a lasso/Could you run into, could you run into, could you go and run into me

Transcending by Red Hot Chili Peppers (written by A. Kids, C. Smith, D. Navarro, M. Balzary)
https://amzn.to/2QEVGYa
This Pinterest playlist find comes out swinging straight out the gate with no apologies whatsoever. The narrator is passionate, temperamental, argumentative, and their cut off game is strong. I really like the first part of this song a lot, the ending gets a little weird for me but it’s still alright despite being a little long.
You are my god, you are my dog/You kept me close, love never lost/I called you hippie, you said, “Fuck off”/Said your brother’s a real punk rocker/Something gonna happen/Something very soon/Transcending flesh could be a breeze/Sending me up over the moon

Casper by Russian Red (written by L. Hernandez)
https://amzn.to/2WzbqQl
This was another unique find from Pinterest research. It’s definitely an interesting song, playing with different tempos and keys vocal styles all within the confines of this one song. The narrator is passionate and interesting, likely a bit intimidating to others as well.
There was one, and there were two/And then I probably lost the count/But I can’t even see their faces/Can’t remember any sound/And the sweetest smell was/Always something kind of dark/That’s the good love coming for you/It will give you good advice/You shook me like nobody, fooled me like nobody/Nobody, nobody, nobody ever had/You shook me like nobody, fooled me like nobody/Nobody, nobody, nobody ever had

Dreaming of You by Selena (written by F. Golde, T. Snow)
https://amzn.to/39dnwkL
The ’90s Latina legend Selena was tragically taken from us way too soon at the age of 23, but her career definitely didn’t die with her. The narrator of one of her best known songs is incredibly passionate and flirtatious, talking to her love that she is unable to be with.
Late at night, when all the world is sleeping/I stay up and think of you/And I wish on a star/That somewhere you are thinking of me, too/’Cause I’m dreaming of you tonight/Till tomorrow, I’ll be holding you tight/And there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be/Then here in my room, dreaming about you and me

Eyes Open by Taylor Swift (written by T. Swift)
https://amzn.to/3afNeGx
My Taylor pick for the Aries is one of the singles she wrote and released for the 2012 film The Hunger Games. Swift narrates as though she’s speaking directly to main character Katniss Everdeen, who is a pretty good example of Aries traits herself. Katniss, while in the Arena, always has to have her eye on her next terrible “adventure,” and even before she Volunteered she took initiative to save her family by learning how to hunt. She stands up for underdogs like her sister Prim, Rue, and even Peeta. She gives herself very aggressive pep talks to keep confronting her problems head on and motivates others like Rue and Peeta to do better. She showcases her talent with a bow to the Gamemakers and when it comes down to it, gets competitive in order to stay alive.
The tricky thing is yesterday, we were just children/Playing soldiers, just pretending, dreaming dreams with happy endings/In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords/But now we’ve stepped into a cruel world where everybody stands and keeps score/Keep your eyes open/Everybody’s waiting for you to break down/Everybody’s watching to see the fall out/Even when you’re sleeping, sleeping/Keep your eyes open

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston (written by G. Merrill, S. Rubicam)
https://amzn.to/2QCnGeP
My final song this week is a personal pick from my adorable friend Jayna:
“Favorite Song: I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston. It’s my favorite because it’s a great dance song in the car, at home or at weddings and I love to dance! It’s my fun, go-to, let-loose song. Plus, I heard they played it at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception :)”
Clock strikes upon the hour, and the sun begins to fade/Still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away/I’ve done alright up ’til now, it’s the light of day that shows me how/And when the night falls, the loneliness calls/I wanna dance with somebody/I wanna feel the heat with somebody/Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody/With somebody who loves me

Happy Aries season, little rams! I hope ya’ll get some fun listening out of this (whether you’re an Aries or not). See ya’ll next week!

Pour One Out for Kenny Rogers

A blog post not on Monday? What is going on?? Special times call for special circumstances, and last night on March 20th, 2020 the music world lost a true legend in the form of 81-year-old country music star Kenny Rogers.

Kenneth Ray Rogers was the fourth of eight children born to Edward and Lucille Rogers in Houston, Texas on August 21st, 1938. In a career we can trace back to the 1950s, Rogers had influences in Rock & Roll, Psychedelic Rock, and finally (and thankfully) Country music. He’s been a part of bands and a solo artist, a vocalist and an instrumentalist, a songwriter, an entrepreneur, and a record producer. The man could play guitar, bass, harmonica, and fiddle. He won 3 Grammys, 7 ACMs, 6 CMAs (including the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award), and 13 AMAs just to name a few. He’s a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame (Class of 2017) and the Country Music Hall of Fame (Class of 2013). He was a man of many talents, and I needed to take a special post to celebrate him.

For me personally, I can clearly remember my first conscious encounter with Rogers’ music. I was about eight years old, living in Colorado, when I heard The Greatest come on the radio while I was in the car with my mom. I was completely enraptured. This man’s voice was so comforting, telling me the story of this little boy playing baseball. Soon after I was introduced to Buy Me A Rose and I decided I loved Kenny Rogers.

To celebrate his life and memory, here’s a highlight of some of Rogers’ greatest hits for you to listen, remember, and enjoy.

The Gambler (written by D. Schlitz)
https://amzn.to/2U6LREz
Can you talk about Kenny Rogers without talking about The Gambler? Even people who don’t know him know this song.
On a warm summer’s evening, on a train bound for nowhere/I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep/So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness/’Till boredom overtook us, and he began to speak/He said, “Son, I’ve made a life out of reading people’s faces/Knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes/So if you don’t mind my saying, I can see you’re out of aces/For a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice”/So I handed him my bottle, and he drank down my last swallow/Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light/And the night got deathly quite and his face lost all expression/He said, “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right/You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em/Know when to walk away, know when to run/You never count your money when you’re sitting at the table/There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done

Islands in the Stream with Dolly Parton (written by B. Gibb, M. Gibb, R. Gibb)
https://amzn.to/397QPVN
Another staple in the repertoires of both Rogers and Parton.
Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown/I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb/I was soft inside, there was something going on/You do something to me that I can’t explain/Hold me closer and I feel no pain/Every beat of my heart, we got something going on/Tender love is blind, it requires dedication/All this love we feel needs no conversation/And we can ride it together, uh huh/Making love with each other, uh huh/Islands in the stream, that is what we are/No one in between, how can we be wrong/Sail away with me to another world/And we rely on each other, uh huh/From one lover to another, uh huh

Coward of the County (written by H. Wheeler, R. Bowling)
https://amzn.to/2U68x7M
Such a classic Rogers song, both in musicality and lyrics.
Everyone considered him the coward of the county/He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong/His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow/Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong/He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison/I looked after Tommy ’cause he was my brother’s son/I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy/Son, my life is over, but yours has just begun/Promise me, son, not to do the things I’ve done/Walk away from trouble if you can/It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek/I hope you’re old enough to understand/Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man

Lady (written by L. Richie)
https://amzn.to/39b07Ag
Such an absolutely beautiful love song. You can hear the influences of both Rogers and Lionel Richie blending together beautifully.
Lady, I’m your knight in shining armor, and I love you/You have made me what I am, and I am yours/My love, there’s so many ways I want to say I love you/Let me hold you in my arms forevermore/You have gone and made me such a fool/I’m so lost in your love/And oh, we belong together/Won’t you believe in my song

The Greatest (written by D. Schlitz)
https://amzn.to/2xayiuJ
My favorite Rogers song. My introduction to his music. One of the first music videos I remember watching on CMT.
Little boy in a baseball hat/Stands in the field with his ball and bat/Says, “I am the greatest player of them all”/Puts his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up his ball/And the ball goes up and the ball comes down/Swings his bat all the way around/The world’s so still, you can hear the sound/The baseball falls to the ground

Buy Me a Rose ft. Billy Dean & Alison Krauss (written by J. Funk, E. Hickenlooper)
https://amzn.to/2UaKl4h
My other favorite Rogers song.
He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants/Three car garage, her own credit cards/He pulls in to wake her up with a kiss goodnight/If he could only read her mind, she’d say/Buy me a rose, call me from work/Open a door for me, what would it hurt/Show me you love me by the look in your eyes/These are the little things I need the most in my life

She Believes in Me (written by S. Gibb)
https://amzn.to/2Up7IWO
Another beautiful love song.
While she lays sleeping, I stay out late at night and play my songs/And sometimes, all the nights can be so long/And it’s good when I finally make it home all alone/While she lays dreaming, I try to get undressed without the light/And quietly, she says, “How was your night”/And I come to her and say, “It was alright,” and I hold her tight/And she believes in me, I’ll never know just what she sees in me/I told her someday if she was my girl, I could change the world/With my little songs, I was wrong/But she has faith in me, and so I go on trying faithfully/And who knows, maybe on some special night, if my song is right/I will find a way, find a way

Through the Years (written by M. Panzerr, S. Dorff)
https://amzn.to/2J7pnNg
Ending this nostalgia trip with another beautiful love song.
I can’t remember when you weren’t there/When I didn’t care for anyone but you/I swear we’ve been through everything there is/Can’t imagine anything we’ve missed/Can’t imagine anything the two of us can’t do/Through the years, you’ve never let me down/You turned my life around/The sweetest days I’ve found, I’ve found with you/Through the years, I’ve never been afraid/I’ve loved the life we’ve made/And I’m so glad I’ve stayed right here with you through the years

Rest In Peace, Kenny. We’ll miss you.

St Patrick's Day

Even despite our current situation with social distancing, St Patrick’s Day never fails to be a hell of a good time every year. We’re all wearing green, we’re all drinking beer, we’re all listening to Irish music…or maybe that’s just me, idk.

Obviously I have a playlist created for March’s main holiday – you can view it in full by following me on Apple Music @audioaesthetics – and I’ve chosen a few selections to showcase this week.

Sing Irishmen, Sing by Corrib Folk (Traditional)
https://amzn.to/2ITrQLo
Shown right away by the fact that we aren’t even sure who wrote it, this song is a very traditional sounding Irish ballad. It’s easy to picture a bunch of guys together in a bar holding their glasses and swaying side to side with their arms over reach others shoulders in time to the beat.
I dream of a beautiful picture/No more need we think of the past/They’re singing and dancing in Ireland/And the people are happy at last/Sing, Irishmen, sing/So the sound of your voices will ring/And let the world know, it really is so/Sing, Irishmen, sing

I’m Shipping up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys (written by A. Barr, J. Lynch, K. Casey, M. Orrell, M. Kelly, W. Guthrie)
https://amzn.to/2WgFOi3
I know I’m late to the party, but I started really liking Dropkick Murphys about two years ago when I heard their song Rose Tattoo for the first time. I’m Shipping up to Boston is from their fifth studio album The Warrior’s Code and despite its lyrical simplicity, it’s still pretty hype to listen to. It’s also one of the band’s most well-known singles, being featured on the soundtrack for the Academy Award winning Martin Scorsese film The Departed.
I’m a sailor peg and I lost my leg/Climbing up the top sails, I lost my leg/I’m shipping up to Boston, whoa/I’m shipping up to Boston, whoa/I’m shipping up to Boston, whoa/I’m shipping off to find my wooden leg

The Galway Races by Firkin (Traditional)
https://amzn.to/3cX0D8a
Another traditional Irish tune, this cover has a very different energy than Sing Irishmen, Sing. Firkin adds a much harder rock sound to the song while still incorporating the fiddle and other traditional Irish instruments. The Galway Races are an actual real thing as well – an Irish horse racing festival held annually on the last Monday of July (so for 2020, we’d be looking at July 27th).
As I rode down to Galway town to seek for recreation/On the seventeenth of August, my heart was elevated/There were multitudes assembled with their tickets at the station/Me eyes began to dazzle and I’m going to see the races/With me whack-fa-the-da-for-the-diddle-ee-iddle-day/There were passengers from Limerick and passengers from Nenagh/The boys of Connemara and their flair of married ladies/There were people from Cork City who were loyal, true, and faithful/Who brought home the Fenian prisoners from dying in foreign nations

The Devil’s Dance Floor by Flogging Molly (written by B. Regan, D. King, D. Casey, G. Schwindt, M. Hensley, N. Maxwell, R. Schmidt)
https://amzn.to/38Zdy6d
Full disclosure – my husband is not super pleased that this is the Flogging Molly song chosen for the blog, but hey, a true number randomizer on the Internet can’t be argued with. I personally really dig this song – it’s very fast paced and would be a ton of fun to dance to. Like Dropkick Murphys, I would say Flogging Molly is one of the more well-known Irish music bands to most Americans. This song was featured on their 2000 debut album Swagger, and for those familiar with the British sitcom Derry Girls, it was featured in S1E5.
Her breath began to speak as she stood right in front of me/The color of her eyes was the color of insanity/Crushed beneath her wave like a ship, I could not reach her shore/We’re all just dancers on the devil’s dance floor/Well, sing a little more, little more o’er the merry-o/Swing a little more, a little more next to me/Swing a little more, little more o’er the merry-o/Swing a little more on the devil’s dance floor

Drink the Night Away by Gaelic Storm (written by S. Twiggerr, S. Wehmeyer)
https://amzn.to/2Uc9OJu
First and foremost, I love the drum beat in this song. All the instruments weave together so well throughout, but the drum beat is what really sells it for me here. Gaelic Storm is a Celtic band that was founded in California in the mid-1990’s and appeared in the blockbuster film Titanic as well as having a few songs on the soundtrack. This song is from their 1999 second studio album Herding Cats.
We set sail at half-past morn/Looking for a new tomorrow/Don’t know when we’re coming home/So we’ll drink and we’ll dance and we’ll drown our sorrow/Weigh-hey, hey, laddie, hey/Weigh, hey, hey, we’ll drink the night away

Irish Celebration by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (written by B. Haggerty, R. Lewis, Z. Condon)
https://amzn.to/3b4Otsh
Honestly, there’s still a small part of me that to this day is surprised that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are commercial successes, but I can definitely accept it. This song ended up being a nice surprise for me – released as a single in 2013, it’s a shootout to Ben “Macklemore” Haggerty’s Irish heritage. I really like the beat more than other Macklemore & Ryan Lewis songs out there, and it’s just a good time to listen to.
I’m an Irishman, leathered, weathered Irish skin/Beard orange as the sunset or the flag in the night sky/We fly it in, proud for the life we fight to live/History, I write with it, spit it with the dialect/And this is a celebration, of course/The green, white, orange/And when they pulled up on that shore, first generation born/Toast to those that made it on a boat to New York/And when the English came, the colonizer came/They filled up bottles of gasoline, turned ’em into balls of flames/And hurled ’em to protect what’s ours, don’t touch these lucky charms/A bunch of Irish screaming, fuck the London Guard/I’m kidding, not to some of them this bloody raw/But go against the Irish and get a bloody jaw/Preach non-violence, but remind us of the scars/And the bias, put a pint up while they sing this song/We put our glass to the sky and lift up/And live tonight, ’cause you can’t take it with ya/So raise a pint for the people that aren’t with us/And live tonight, ’cause you can’t take it with ya

The Galway Girl by Steve Earle (written by S. Earle)
https://amzn.to/2TTOZDr
I did a little bit of a double take on this song when I discovered it, because like most other millennials who went to college in Texas I know Steve Earle due to Copperhead Road and had to check and make sure this was the same guy. I really enjoyed this song a lot – it still has Earle’s country sound while incorporating a very Irish feel to it as well. This song is featured on his 2000 album Transcendental Blues and features Irish musician Sharon Shannon on accordion.
Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk of a day-i-ay-i-ay/I met a little girl and we stopped to talk of a fine soft day-i-ay/And I ask you friend, what’s a fella to do/’Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue/And I knew right then I’d be taking a whirl/Around the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl

Hopefully this gives you some fun music to listen to during our time of social distancing. Stay safe, Happy [early] St Patrick’s Day, and see you next week!

Words of Worship: Blessing

blessing – noun
the act or words of one that blesses; a thing conducive to happiness or welfare; grace said at a meal
Synonyms: benediction, benefit, boon, felicity, godsend, good, manna, windfall
Antonyms: affliction, bane, curse, evil, plague, scourge

It can be very easy to mistake blessings for good luck, as though they’re random happenstance or that you or the universe had something to do with it. Certainly someone can give their blessing to something, or like in the Merriam-Webster definition someone can pray over a meal, but blessings really and truly come from the Lord – and that is something to sing about.

I contributed a few verses this past week regarding the topic of blessings to a worship event at my home church, which will be some of the verses listed below. Meditating on this theme for a few weeks while I’ve been researching for this post has been so uplifting and a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness to us, and hopefully you are able to feel some of the same as well.

Blessed Be Your Name/Everlasting God by Caleb and Kelsey (written by M. Redman, B. Redman, B. Brown, K. Riley)
https://amzn.to/2IymXqY
This mashup from Caleb & Kelsey Grimm’s 2018 album Timeless Worship fits together so well. Both of these classic worship songs are ones that I grew up singing in church, and listening to them now as an adult adds another layer to the experience. This song serves as a reminder that when (not if) the dark times come around, we should still give thanks and praise to God for all He has done and will continue to do.
Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful/Where streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name/Blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place/Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name/Our God, You reign forever/Our hope, our strong deliverer/Blessed be the name of the Lord/Blessed be Your name/Blessed be the name of the Lord/Blessed be Your glorious name
Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Break Every Chain/Revelation Song by Caleb and Kelsey (written by W. Reagan, J. Riddle)
https://amzn.to/2W0d7pw
With their second entry on this week’s list, The Grimm’s do a really beautiful mash up of two slightly more contemporary songs (I mean, as compared to the last two) on their 2018 album Worship. Revelation Song is one of my favorite worship songs of all time, and mixed with the liberating lyrics of Break Every Chain becomes an even more powerful reminder that God can do anything, and one day all creation will sing praises for the blessings He has bestowed.
There is power in the name of Jesus/There is power in the name of Jesus/There is power in the name of Jesus/To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain/To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain/Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty/Who was and is and is to come/Oh, with all creation, I sing praise to the King of kings/You are my everything, and I will adore You
Isaiah 6:3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Chris Rice (written by J. Wyeth, R. Robinson)
https://amzn.to/2wHmEaq
This is our first three-timer on this blog, but who cares? A classic hymn with a classic message, it’s hard to talk about the theme of God’s blessings without at least thinking of this song – I mean, blessing is right there in the title!
Oh, that day when freed from sinning/I shall see Thy lovely face/Clothed it then in blood washed linen/How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace/Come my Lord, no longer tarry/Take my ransom soul away/Send Thine angels now to carry/Me to realms of endless day
Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

Desert Song by Hillsong Live (written by L. Gerrard, B. Perry)
https://amzn.to/2vIcfLK
In all genres of music, I love songs that have almost a primal or tribal beat to them because they’re easy to dance to. This song is no exception – the drums and the guitar and the piano all doing their things here put my heart in such a beautiful state of worship that I can’t help but smile, whether I’m singing it on stage, in my car, or at home. The different prayers for different circumstances that make up the verses of this song are such sweet reminders that God is with us in every season and will bless us where we are.
This is my prayer in the desert/When all that’s within me feels dry/This is my prayer in my hunger and need/My God is the God who provides/And this is my prayer in the fire/In weakness or trial or pain/There is a faith proved of more worth than gold/So refine me, Lord, through the flame/And I will bring praise, I will bring praise/No weapon formed against me shall remain/I will rejoice, I will declare/God is my victory and He is here
Psalm 60:12 With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman (written by J. Myrin, M. Redman)
https://amzn.to/39IqpeA
Another “freebie” with the word bless right in the title, this song still gets me every time I hear it even though it’s been out and about for quite a long while now. I listened to this song a lot after my grandmother passed away last April, and ended up submitting it to be played during her funeral service. We are called to worship and praise the Lord to our very last breath on this earth, and He blesses us in ways that we may not even realize at the time but will all become clear at the end of the road.
The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning/It’s time to sing Your song again/Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me/Let me be singing when the evening comes/Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul/Worship His holy name/Sing like never before, O my soul/I’ll worship Your holy name
Psalm 103:1-5 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Doxology by Passion ft. David Crowder Band (written by T. Ken)
https://amzn.to/2wKLSod
Another classic hymn, David Crowder just knocks this cover out of the park. It’s so simple yet so powerful, and his added chorus of Amen throughout the song just adds to the worship experience. God truly is the one from whom all blessings flow, and everyone from the rocks of the earth to the angels in Heaven will one day sing his praise all together.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow/Praise Him, all creatures here below/Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts/Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost/Amen, amen/Amen, amen
Romans 11:36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen

Psalm 16 (Fullness of Joy) by Shane & Shane (written by S. Barnard, J. Rigney)
https://amzn.to/2Q0eSzj
Fellow Texans Shane & Shane have been a favorite group of mine since I first saw them at a DiscipleNow concert when I was in the 7th grade. Their Psalms albums have become staples for listening on my phone, and this interpretation of Psalm 16 is really, really something special to listen to. God’s presence provides joy, and His right hand provides blessings and treasures to His children forever.
Preserve me, O God/For I find rest in You alone/I say to the Lord/You are the Lord, I have no good apart from You/All sons and daughters/Brothers, sisters, my delight/Let’s sing together/No other gods shall satisfy, God, You satisfy/In Your presence, there is fullness/Of joy, of joy
Psalm 16:5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.

I hope that in some way, this blog post blesses you as you go about your week and gives you some good music to meditate, pray, and worship to. See ya’ll next Monday!

Diva Spotlight – Taylor Swift

I will be the first person to tell you that I did not like Taylor Swift when she first appeared on the scene with her single Tim McGraw. In fact, I am a firm believer that Tim McGraw is, to this day, the worst song that’s ever been written. Then, praise the Lord, Teardrops On My Guitar was released on the radio and all was forgiven. I am now a die-hard Swiftie and have been since I was about fifteen years old. Do I understand why some people don’t like her music? Sure, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. However, I wholeheartedly believe she is a fabulous lyricist – probably my all time favorite, honestly – and a talented performer, and that’s why she deserves a spotlight.

In case you’re one of the three people in the world who don’t know who Swift is, allow me to present you with this quick crash course:
-Currently 30 years old
-Grew up in Reading, PA where her family owned a Christmas tree farm
-Signed with Big Machine records at age 15
-Has been in a relationship with actor Joe Alwyn since 2016
-Has, as of now, released 7 studio albums and multiple EPs
-Has, as of now, won 312 awards, including 8 American Country Music Awards, 29 American Music Awards, 23 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Country Music Association Awards, 10 Grammy Awards, and 12 People’s Choice Awards

A little different from my last Diva Spotlight, I’ll not only go through each album and list my three favorite songs from each, I’m going to actually rank the albums in the order that I like them best – 7 being the lowest, 1 the highest. The albums will still be listed in chronological order, but the numbers in front of each album title will be my “official” (haha) ranking.

#7 – Taylor Swift (2006)
https://amzn.to/3amYj8A
Yes, Swift’s debut album is definitely my least favorite, and yes, that’s partially because it includes Tim McGraw. This album is a big one in helping me understand why a lot of people don’t like Swift’s music, especially her earlier country stuff – the music definitely showed her young age and immaturity (she was only 17 when this record came out) – but at the same time, the lyricism even at this point in her career I have to say was pretty good. The album was released October 24th, 2006 and produced by Big Machine Records. It’s a mix of country, country pop, and pop rock according to Wikipedia, although I don’t agree with the pop rock aspect in the slightest – this album is pure country. It has been certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA for selling 7 million copies worldwide and is the longest charting album on Billboard’s 200 of the 2000s at 277 weeks total. The bonus track version of the album runs about 54:09 in length and produced 5 singles – Tim McGraw (6/19/06), Teardrops On My Guitar (2/19/07), Our Song (9/9/07), Picture to Burn (2/3/08), and Should’ve Said No (5/18/08). After my inaugural listening through of the album (FYI this is the ONLY Swift album I had not listened to in its entirety ever before), here are my three favorites.
Track 3: Teardrops On My Guitar (written by T. Swift, E. Wagner)
I had to include Teardrops not only because it was the song that made me love her, but also because at the time I had a HUGE classic high school crush on a guy that I knew didn’t feel the same way about me and it crushed me to my very core. For a fellow teenager, it was really nice to hear a song that talked about how I felt in my favorite genre of music. Also, I still the fact that she name dropped the actual name of the actual Drew in this song, he came to her and asked her out after she became a big deal, and she said “Nah, brah, you missed your chance.”
Drew looks at me/I fake a smile so he won’t see/That I want and I’m needing/Everything that we should be/I bet she’s beautiful, that girl he talks about/And she’s got everything that I have to live without/Drew talks to me/I laugh ’cause it’s so damn funny/That I can’t even see/Anyone when he’s with me/He says he’s so in love, he’s finally got it right/I wonder if he knows he’s all I think about at night/He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar/The only thing who keeps me wishing on a wishing star/He’s the song in the car I keep singing, don’t know why I do
Track 7: Tied Together With a Smile (written by T. Swift, L. Rose)
I fell in love with the lyrics of this song when I heard it for the first time this past week. Yeah, it could be construed as a “classic” self-love song, but it honestly depicts a girl who I think a lot of people can relate to no matter how old they are. The narrator really just can’t figure out any reason why she should love herself, and some days that’s just how I feel, but the narrator goes on to say that none of the thoughts going through her head are true and just to keep pushing forward because it’s going to get better.
Seems the only one who doesn’t see your beauty/Is the face in the mirror looking back at you/You walk around here thinking you’re not pretty/But that’s not true, ’cause I know you/Hold on, baby, you’re losing it, the water’s high, you’re jumping into it/And letting go, and no one knows/That you cry, but you don’t tell anyone, that you might not be the golden one/And you’re tied together with a smile, but you’re coming undone
Track 11 – Our Song (written by T. Swift)
If I had to award a gold medal to a song on this album, this one would be it. It took one listen of this song when I was 15 for me to fall head over heels in love with it, and I still sing it constantly to this day. I actually auditioned for Johnnie High Music Revue with this song, and even though I didn’t get a callback, I loved performing this song live so much – it’s just really difficult to be in a bad mood listening to it.
I was riding shotgun with my hair undone in the front seat of his car/He had a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, the other on my heart/I looked around, turned the radio down, he said, “Baby, is something wrong”/I said, “Nothing, I was just thinking how we don’t have a song”/And he said, “Our song is a slamming screen door, sneaking out late, tapping on your window/When we’re on the phone and you talk real slow, ’cause it’s late and your mama don’t know/Our song is the way you laugh, our first date, man, I didn’t kiss her and I should have/And when I got home, ‘fore I said amen/Asking God if He could play it again”

#3 – Fearless (2008)
https://amzn.to/3aiYu4D
I received Fearless as a gift for my seventeenth birthday and I cannot even tell you how happy it made me. Love Story had been out for a while and was (and still is) one of my favorite music videos ever and I couldn’t wait to (almost) wear that CD out. The album was released November 11th, 2008 and was produced by Big Machine Records. It is undeniably a country pop album, and actually is the most awarded album in the history of country music. Swift became the youngest artist ever (as of 2008) to win the Grammy for Album of the Year, and Fearless ended up being the best selling album of 2009 AND is certified Diamond by the RIAA, having sold 71.8 million copies worldwide. The Platinum Edition of the album runs about 79:19 in length and produced five singles – Love Story (9/12/08), White Horse 12/7/08), You Belong With Me (4/19/09), Fifteen (8/30/09), and Fearless (1/3/10). Still knowing every word to every song on the track list, it was extremely difficult to narrow my favorites down to just 3 but I did my best.
Track 9: Love Story (written by T. Swift)
Oh, my heart holds such a special place for Love Story. No, my then-boyfriend-now-husband and I didn’t have anything remotely resembling a Romeo & Juliet type romance, but the overdramatic 17-year-old me loved to imagine that we did (ew I don’t know how anyone tolerated me at all). I love her literary imagery in this song with not only Romeo & Juliet but also The Scarlet Letter.
We were both young when I first saw you/I close my eyes and the flashback starts/I’m standing there, on a balcony in summer air/I see the lights, see the party, the ballgowns/I see you make your way through the crowd to say hello/Little did I know/That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles/And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”/And I was crying on the staircase, begging you please don’t go/And I said, “Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone/I’ll be waiting, all there’s left to do is run/You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess/It’s a love story, baby, just say yes”
Track 13: Breathe ft. Colbie Caillat (written by T. Swift, C. Caillat)
I thought this song was deep when I was 17 and dammit, I still think this song is deep. Even now when I have much more life experience under my belt than I did the first time I heard it, I think this song does an amazing job of describing grief. Grief doesn’t have to just come up when there’s a death or a traumatic event in your life – it can come from something as “simple” as the loss of a friendship.
I see your face in my mind as I drive away/’Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way/But people are people, and sometimes we change our minds/And it’s killing me to see you go after all this time/Music starts playing like the end of a sad movie/It’s the kind of ending you don’t really wanna see/’Cause it’s tragedy and it’ll only bring you down/And I don’t know what to be without you around/And we know it’s never simple, never easy/Never a clean break, no one here to save me/You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand/And I can’t breathe without you, but I have to/Breathe without you, but I have to
Track 13: The Best Day (written by T. Swift)
Take my word for it, I’m getting a little misty-eyed listening to this song right now. Swift wrote this song as a surprise for her mom, playing it for her on Christmas Day after the album had been put together. Just about every single story in this song reminds me of an almost identical instance in which MY mom was there for me as my rock and support system, and I’ll always consider this my song for her just like Swift does with her mom.
I’m five years old, it’s getting cold, I’ve got my big coat on/I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run/Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold/I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home/I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall/But I know you’re not scared of anything at all/Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away/But I know I had the best day with you today

#5 – Speak Now (2010)
https://amzn.to/39iDpXQ
Speak Now is definitely Swift’s first step away from country and towards pop. It has a very happy overtone to it despite several of the songs being on the sadder side. The album was released October 25th, 2010 and was produced by Big Machine Records. It’s a mix of country pop and pop rock, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart – Swift’s second consecutive chart-topper in the U.S. This was the 5th biggest debut in history for a female artist, and the album is now certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA, having sold 5 million copies worldwide. The Deluxe Edition runs about 101:10 in length and produced 6 singles – Mine (8/4/10), Back to December (11/15/10), Mean (3/13/11), The Story of Us (4/19/11), Sparks Fly (7/18/11), and Ours (11/22/11). I don’t have a huge emotional attachment to this album, so I was pretty surprised that I had a hard time narrowing my favorite songs from this era down to 3, but here they are.
Track 5: Dear John (written by T. Swift)
DISCLAIMER: NO, MY LOVE OF THIS SONG HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT MY HUSBAND’S NAME IS JOHN. Praise the Good Lord I found an amazing man who would never gaslight me the way the guy does the narrator in this song. Swift pretty famously wrote this song about her split with fellow music superstar John Mayer, to which he responded with his single Paper Doll. This song is one that’s evolved with me over time – when I was 19, it reminded me of a very special friendship I’d had that had ended very messily. Now that I’m older, it reminds me of a hugely toxic relationship I ended not very long ago that I’m still dealing with the emotional repercussions of.
Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you/Counting my footsteps, praying the floor won’t fall through again/My mother accused me of losing my mind, but I swore I was fine/You’d paint me a blue sky, then go back and turn it to rain/And I lived in your chess game, but you changed the rules every day/Wondering which version of you I might get on the phone tonight/Well, I stopped picking up, and this song is to let you know why/Dear John, I see it all now that you’re gone/Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with/The girl in the dress cried the whole way home/I should’ve known
Track 10: Better Than Revenge (written by T. Swift)
Yes, yes, YES. At the time this was the closest we’d gotten to a really obviously ANGRY TSwift song and I was HERE for IT. The chorus of this song especially helped me deal with a bad roommate situation I found myself in at the time – and by deal with, I mean I ran to this song in the gym a lot after she would seriously piss me off so I could get rid of some of that negative energy.
The story starts when it was hot and it was summer and/I had it all, I had him right there where I wanted him/She came along, got him alone, now let’s hear the applause/She took him faster than you could say sabotage/I never saw it coming, never had suspected it/I underestimated just who I was dealing with/She had to know the pain was beating on me like a drum/She underestimated just who she was stealing from/She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think, she’s an actress, whoa/And she’s better known for the things that she does on a mattress, whoa/Soon she’s gonna find stealing other people’s toys on the playground won’t make you many friends/She should keep in mind, she should keep in mind, there is nothing I do better than revenge
Track 11: Innocent (written by T. Swift)
This song just hits a little different. I’ve got a few people in my life right now that I wish could get out of this song what I do and have – I pray it for them every day. You. Are. Not. Your. Past. It sucks right now, but it’s only temporary.
I guess you really did it this time/Left yourself in your war path/Lost your balance on a tightrope/Lost your mind trying to get it back/Wasn’t it easier in your lunchbox days/Always a bigger bed to crawl into/Wasn’t it beautiful when you believed in everything/And everybody believed in you/It’s alright, just wait and see/Your string of lights is still bright to me, oh/Who you are is not where you’ve been/You’re still an innocent/You’re still an innocent

#2 – Red (2012)
https://amzn.to/2TgbGS7
In my honest opinion, Red showcases Swift’s absolute best songwriting ability to date. The lyrics in every single song are just out of the park, all of the songs are so raw and emotional and real, and the album, while somewhat “calmer” than the others, is just a total homer for me. The album was released October 22nd, 2012 and was produced by Big Machine Records. A mix of pop, rock, and country, it was Metacritic’s 15th most critically acclaimed album of the 2010s. Swift’s third consecutive #1 album, it has been certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA, having sold 6 million copies worldwide. The deluxe edition runs about 90 minutes in length and produced 7 singles – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (8/13/12), Begin Again (10/1/2), I Knew You Were Trouble (12/10/12), 22 (3/12/13), Red (6/21/13), Everything Has Changed ft. Ed Sheeran (7/16/13), and The Last Time ft. Gary Lightbody (11/4/13). I thought I’d have a harder time picking favorites on this album because I love it so much, but it was actually surprisingly easy.
Track 2: Red (written by T. Swift)
I tend to assign colors to things to describe how I feel about them or remember them, so hearing the lyrics to this song was totally right up my alley. I honestly wish she hadn’t used this song as her “tour” music video, because I would’ve loved to have seen a more visually artistic version of this song.
Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street/Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly/Loving him was like trying to change your mind when you’re already flying through the free fall/Like the colors of autumn so bright, just before they lose it all/Losing him was blue like I’d never known/Missing him was dark gray, all alone/Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you’d never met/But loving him was red/Loving him was red
Track 4: I Knew You Were Trouble. (written by M. Martin, K. Shuster, T. Swift)
Wooooooow I love this song so much. One thing I’ve always wanted to do is an acoustic piano version of this song, a little more slowed down and sad than angry like the original version of this song is. I just love everything to do with this song – the guitar, the lyrics, the heavy hitting chorus, all of it. It reminds me a lot of a relationship with a college friend that ended up being very one-sided, and it was pretty apparent to everyone except me.
No apologies, he’ll never see you cry/Pretends he doesn’t know that he’s the reason why/You’re drowning, you’re drowning, you’re drowning/Now I heard you moved on from whispers on the street/A new notch in your belt is all I’ll ever be/And now I see, now I see, now I see/He was long gone when he met me/And I realize the joke is on me, yeah/’Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in, so shame on me now/Flew me to places I’d never been ’til you put me down/Oh, I knew you were trouble when you walked in, so shame on me now/Flew me to places I’d never been, now I’m lying on the cold, hard ground/Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble/Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Track 5: All Too Well (written by L. Rose, T. Swift)
I’m learning to play this song on my ukulele right now so it’s on my mind a lot, and I truly think the lyrics in this song are the best Swift has ever written. It’s been pretty widely speculated that this song was written about Swift’s breakup with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and it’s just really heartbreaking to listen to. It also includes what I think is one of the greatest lyrics ever written by anyone: You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest. And now I need to go cry, sorry, brb.
I walked through the door with you, the air was cold/But something ’bout it felt like home somehow/And I left my scarf there at your sister’s house/And you still got it in your drawer even now/Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze/We’re singing in the car, getting lost upstate/The autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place/And I can picture it after all these days/And I know it’s long gone, and that magic’s not here no more/And I might be okay, but I’m not fine at all/’Cause there we are again on that little town street/You almost ran the red ’cause you were looking over at me/Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well

#6 – 1989 (2014)
https://amzn.to/2VEbRIo
1989 finishes out Swift’s transition from country to pop. For me, this was a little bit of a weird transition because not only is this album pop, it’s basically ’80’s pop, which was not what I expected from her at all. The album was released October 27th, 2014 and was produced by Big Machine Records. Her first synth pop album, Swift won 2 Grammy Awards for this work and can showcase a 9x Platinum certification from the RIAA for 10.1 million copies sold worldwide. The Deluxe Edition runs about 68:37 in length and produced 7 singles – Shake It Off (8/18/14), Blank Space (11/10/14), Style (2/9/15), Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar (5/17/15), Wildest Dreams (8/31/15), Out of the Woods (1/19/16), and New Romantics (2/23/16). While this album isn’t my favorite as a whole, it definitely has some great songs on it, my favorite three listed below.
Track 2: Blank Space (written by T. Swift)
I’m obsessed with this song. I’m obsessed with this video. I’m obsessed with the whole package. What else is there to be said?
Nice to meet you, where you been, I could show you incredible things/Magic, madness, heaven, sin, saw you there and I thought/Oh my God, look at that face, you look like my next mistake/Love’s a game, wanna play, hey/New money, suit and tie, I can read you like a magazine/Ain’t it funny, rumors fly, and I know you heard about me/So hey, let’s be friends, I’m dying to see how this one ends/Grab your passport and my hand, ’cause I can make the bad guys good for a weekend/So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames/You can tell me when it’s over, mm, if the high was worth the pain/Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane/’Cause you know I love the players, and you love the game/’Cause we’re young and we’re reckless, we’ll take this way too far/It’ll leave you breathless, mm, or with a nasty scar/Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane/But I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your name
Track 4: Out Of The Woods (written by T. Swift, J. Antonoff)
I really liked this song when it first came out, but my appreciation of it has grown as I’ve gotten older. It depicts a more mature relationship than we were used to hearing from Swift – not already over, and not perfect rainbows and bubbles, but a relationship in turmoil that’s worth saving.
Looking at it now, it all seemed so simple/We were lying on your couch, I remember/You took a Polaroid of us, then discovered/The rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color/And I remember thinking/Are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods/Are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet, in the clear yet, good/Are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods/Are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet, in the clear yet, good/Are we out of the woods
Track 14: Wonderland (written by M. Martin, K. Schuster, T. Swift)
I really liked this song when I first got the album, but I don’t think I realized how much until I discovered how often this song got stuck in my head. As I said earlier, I really like when Swift uses literary analogies in her songs, in this case pretty obviously Alice in Wonderland.
Flashing lights, and we took a wrong turn and we/Fell down a rabbit hole/You held on tight to me, ’cause nothing’s as it seems/I’m spinning out of control/Didn’t they tell us don’t rush into things, didn’t you flash your green eyes at me/Haven’t you heard what becomes of curious minds/Oh, didn’t it all seem new and exciting, I felt your arms twisting around me/I should’ve slept with one eye open at night/We found Wonderland, you and I got lost in it/And we pretended it could last forever, eh, eh/We found Wonderland, you and I got lost in it/And life was never worse, but never better, eh, eh

#1 – reputation (2017)
https://amzn.to/2VD2zMX
Ya’ll I’m sorry but holy shit, I love this album so much. As much as I hate the circumstances that drove her to it, it was ABOUT TIME Swift released a no-holds-barred angry album. It was released November 19th, 2017 and was produced by Big Machine Records. A mix of pop, electropop, and synth-pop, this was the best selling album of 2017, an impressive feat considering it was released with only a month and a half to go before the new year started. It has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA with 4.5 million copies sold worldwide. It runs about 55:38 in length and released 7 singles – Look What You Made Me Do (8/24/17), …Ready for It? (10/24/17), End Game ft. Ed Sheeran & Future (11/14/17), New Year’s Day (11/27/17), Gorgeous (1/12/18), Delicate (3/12/18), and Getaway Car (9/7/18). I really only hate one song on this album (looking at you, End Game), but here are my top 3.
Track 6: Look What You Made Me Do (written by F. Fairbrass, J. Antonoff, R. Fairbrass, R. Manzoli, T. Swift)
People seriously HATED, like borderline violently HATED, this song when it was released, but I loved it from the moment I watched the lyric video because it explained every damn thing I felt about the toxic relationship I was in that I mentioned earlier. Like, when I was around this person, I would sing it in my mind to keep myself calm. It samples I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred which a lot of people didn’t like much either, and is pretty famously and obviously about her very public feuds with Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, and Katy Perry.
I don’t like your little games, don’t like your tilted stage/The role you made me play, of the fool, no, I don’t like you/I don’t like your perfect crime, how you laugh when you lie/You said the gun was mine, isn’t cool, no, I don’t like you/But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time/Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time/I got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined/I check it once, then I check it twice, oh/Ooh, look what you made me do, look what you made me do/Look what you just made me do, look what you just made me/Ooh, look what you made me do, look what you made me do/Look what you just made me do, look what you just made me do
Track 13: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (written by J. Antonoff, T. Swift)
Another song about her public feud with Kanye and Kim, this song was basically Swift’s explanation for disappearing off the radar for a couple of years. I don’t think she really owed anyone an explanation, but it produced an epic song so it’s fine. Also – check that literary reference, Great Gatsby fans.
It was so nice throwing big parties, jumping to the pool from the balcony/Everyone swimming in a champagne sea/And there are no rules when you show up here, bass beat rattling the chandelier/Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year/So why’d you have to rain on my parade/I’m shaking my head, I’m locking the gates/This is why we can’t have nice things, darling/Because you break them, I had to take them away/This is why we can’t have nice things, honey/Did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me/This is why we can’t have nice things
Track 15: New Year’s Day (written by J. Antonoff, T. Swift)
This is one of the most beautifully simple songs I’ve ever heard. It reminds me a lot of myself and my husband, especially because we do the three hand squeeze thing ourselves.
There’s glitter on the floor after the party/Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby/Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor/You and me from the night before/But don’t read the last page/But I stay when you’re lost and I’m scared and you’re turning away/I want your midnights/But I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day

#4 – Lover (2019)
https://amzn.to/2vnXvl1
I’m putting Swift’s most recent album right in the middle of the pack for now since it’s only 6 months old. It’s the only one of her albums that sounds similar to another one to me (in this case, 1989). It was released August 23rd, 2019 and was produced by Republic Records, her first one not with Big Machine after her very public split with them last year. A mix of pop, synth-pop, electropop, and pop rock, the record is already certified Platinum by the RIAA, having sold 1.2 million copies worldwide since its release. The total run time is about 61:48 and has so far released 4 singles – ME! ft. Brendan Urie (4/26/19), You Need To Calm Down (6/14/19), Lover (8/16/19), and The Man (1/27/20). I had a difficult time on this one as well narrowing down my top 3, “but nevertheless, she persisted.”
Track 1: I Forgot That You Existed (written by T. Swift, L. Bell, A. Feeney)
Listening to this song fresh out the box on that early morning in August was like a breath of fresh air. I can TOTALLY relate to multiple instances where people who caused me so much mental and emotional grief no longer have a hold on me, and it’s such a HUGE relief.
I forgot that you got out some popcorn as soon as my rep started going down, down, down/Laughed on the schoolyard as soon as I tripped up and hit the ground, ground, ground/And I would’ve stuck around for ya, would’ve fought the whole town, so yeah/Would’ve been right there, front row, even if nobody came to your show/But you showed who you are, then one magical night/I forgot that you existed/And I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t/And it was so nice/So peaceful and quiet/I forgot that you existed/It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference
Track 8: Paper Rings (written by J. Antonoff, T. Swift)
I’ll just say this – as much as I adore my stunning engagement ring he designed for me, I’d marry my husband in a heartbeat today if he made me a paper ring because that’s what he had. And that, my dears, is true love.
In the winter, in the icy outdoor pool, when you jumped in first, I went in too/I’m with you even if it makes me blue/Which takes me back to the color that we painted your brother’s wall, honey, without all the exes, fights, and flaws/We wouldn’t be standing here so tall/So kiss you once ’cause I know you had a long night/Kiss you twice ’cause it’s gonna be alright/Three times ’cause you waited your whole life/One, two, one, two, there, four/I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings/Uh huh, that’s right, darling, you’re the one I want/And I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this/Uh huh, that’s right, darling, you’re the one I want/In paper rings, in picture frames/In dirty dreams, oh, you’re the one I want
Track 17: It’s Nice To Have A Friend (written by T. Swift, L. Bell, A. Feeney)
Another simply beautiful song like New Year’s Day, I can totally relate to the story of this song moving from friends to lovers with someone. My husband is absolutely my best friend, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Light pink sky, up on the roof/Sun sinks down, no curfew/Twenty questions, we tell the truth/You’ve been stressed out lately, yeah, me too/Something gave you the nerve/To touch my hand, it’s nice to have a friend/It’s nice to have a friend

Thank you for joining me on this long Swift journey. Happy listening, and see ya’ll next week!

The #1's of the 1970's – A Decade Study

I can’t believe we’re already almost 3 months into this new decade – it’s already going by so fast. This week I’m coming back with another “decade” study, this time for the 1970’s, which produced some really excellent music.

I think when a lot of people think about the ’70s, they automatically think either psychedelic or disco, which to be fair did play a big part in this decade. However, I think a lot of people don’t realize that some of the top songs in history came out in the ’70s, thinking they were either more ’60s or ’80s. Therefore, let’s dive in and give the ’70s their due.

Like my previous Decade Study post, the following songs were the #1 songs on Billboard’s Year End Hot 100 list for the respective years.

1970 – Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel (written by P. Simon)
https://amzn.to/38WQHt5
Ya’ll, not only was this the #1 song of 1970 and the #1 song of Simon & Garfunkel’s career, it’s also one of the best songs of all time (don’t @ me). Released as a single in January 1970, this song was included on Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 Album Bridge Over Troubled Water and ended up walking away with 5 Grammy awards, 6 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Year End Hot 100 Chart, and #48 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. To be very candid, this last week was not a pleasant one for me emotionally, and this song just kept coming up on my playlist as I was listening and researching and each time, the lyrics and piano just filled my heart with hope.
When you’re weary, feeling small/When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all/I’m on your side when times get rough/And friends just can’t be found/Like a bridge over troubled water/I will lay me down/Like a bridge over troubled water/I will lay me down

1971 – Joy to the World by Three Dog Night (written by H. Axton)
https://amzn.to/2Te1dVV
I can’t consciously remember the first time I heard this song, but I know I was a pretty young child and from that very first listen this has been one of my favorite songs of all time. Released as a single in February 1971, this song was featured on Three Dog Night’s 1970 album Naturally. Not only did it spend 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1, it is also certified Gold by the RIAA. Described by the band as a silly children’s song, I think it’s literally impossible to be in a bad mood listening to it. You HAVE to sing it at the top of your lungs, and you HAVE to dance at least a little (I’m doing a head bob listening to it as I type this right now).
Jeremiah was a bullfrog/Was a good friend of mine/I never understood a single word he said/But I helped him drink his wine/And he always had some mighty fine wine/Singin’ joy to the world/All the boys and girls, now/Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea/Joy to you and me

1972 – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack (written by E. MacColl)
https://amzn.to/37WIvYp
I think this might be one of the most romantic songs I’ve ever heard in my life. Released as a single in March 1972, this song was featured on Flack’s 1969 album First Take. The song was originally written for and sang by Peggy Seeger, the then mistress and eventual wife of songwriter Ewan MacColl. Flack’s cover ended up receiving 2 Grammy awards and spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1. Confession time: I had never heard this song until Lea Michele, Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, and Jenna Ushkowitz covered it on Glee but I fell in love with it immediately. The lyrics about falling in love with someone at first sight just hit you right in the heartstrings.
The first time ever I saw your face/I thought the sun rose in your eyes/And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave/To the dark and the endless skies/The first time ever I kissed your mouth/I felt the earth move in my hand/Like the trembling heart of a captive bird/That was there at my command, my love

1973 – Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Tony Orlando & Dawn (written by I. Levine, L. Brown)
https://amzn.to/3a26VBm
Omg what a bop. Released as a single in February 1973, this song was featured on Dawn’s album Tuneweaving, which was eventually renamed Tie a Yellow Ribbon due to the commercial success of this song. Billboard has listed this song as their 46th biggest song of all time on their 2018 list, having spent 23 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #1. I had heard of Dawn but had never heard this song before preparing for this post, but what a happy, upbeat melody with a moderately depressing meaning. The song ends on a happy note, but the narrator’s anxiety of whether or not his lover is still waiting for him after 3 years makes you really nervous for him.
I’m coming home, I’ve done my time/Now I’ve got to know what is and isn’t mine/If you received my letter telling you I’d soon be free/Then you’ll know just what to do if you still want me/Oh, tie a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree/It’s been three long years, do you still want me/If I don’t see a ribbon ’round the ole oak tree/I’ll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on me/If I don’t see a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree

1974 – The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand (written by A. Bergman, M. Bergman, M. Hamlisch)
https://amzn.to/2T8VqRC
I love a good song by Queen Babs. Released as a single in September 1973, this song was featured on Streisand’s 1974 album The Way We Were, as well as being featured in the movie of the same name starring Streisand and Robert Redford. This song walked away with 2 Academy Awards, a Platinum certification from the RIAA, and 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1. This song is so beautiful and so sad – the narrator and her former partner care so deeply for one another but just can’t be together because they’re too different. They don’t want to forget what they had, even though it hurts to remember.
Memories light the corners of my mind/Misty watercolor memories of the way we were/Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind/Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were/Can it be that it was all so simple then/Or has time rewritten every line/If we had the chance to do it all again/Tell me, would we, could we

1975 – Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille (written by N. Sedaka, H. Greenfield)
https://amzn.to/2Vmk7g7
To me, Captain & Tennille are quintessential ’70s artists. Released as a single in April 1975, this song was featured on their 1975 album Love Will Keep Us Together. Songwriter Neil Sedaka actually recorded this song in 1973, but Captain & Tennille’s cover ended up spending 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1. This is another absolute bop – I’ve got the head and shoulders going again as I’m typing while listening to it – not to mention it’s got some killer piano going on as well.
Love, love will keep us together/Think of me, babe, whenever/Some sweet-talking girl comes along singing a song/Don’t mess around, you just gotta be strong/Just stop, ’cause I really love you/Stop, I been thinking of you/Look in my heart and let love keep us together

1976 – Silly Love Songs by Wings (written by P. McCartney, L. McCartney)
https://amzn.to/39Yuta6
I’ve made it abundantly clear how much I love the Beatles in previous posts, so I love this song by default thanks to the one and only Sir Paul. Released as a single in April 1976, this song was featured on the 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. My favorite piece of trivia researched for this blog, and currently my favorite piece of music trivia ever, is that McCartney and his wife actually wrote this song as a sort of middle finger to fellow Beatle John Lennon and multiple music critics accusing McCartney of only being able to write “silly love songs” and “sentimental slush.” This song ended up becoming McCartney’s 27th #1 as a songwriter (which, by the way, is an all-time record for most #1’s achieved by a songwriter), and it spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #1. Just like its spiritual successors Love Song by Sara Bareilles (written when her label told her she needed to write more love songs if she wanted a career) and Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5 (written after the band was feeling smothered by the demands of their record label), don’t EVER tell Paul McCartney what he can or can’t do, because he’ll do it 100% more than you could’ve imagined and then be able to rub it in your face for all eternity.
You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs/I look around me and I see it isn’t so/Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs/And what’s wrong with that, I’d like to know/’Cause here I go again/I love you, I love you/I love you, I love you

1977 – Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) by Rod Stewart (written by R. Stewart)
https://amzn.to/38QKLSh
Not gonna lie, I was very surprised that this song is the one that was the big number from Stewart’s career. Released as a single in May 1976, this song was featured on the 1976 album A Night to Remember. The song ended up spending 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 List, with 8 of those weeks being at #1 (his all time high as an artist), and listed as Billboard’s 19th biggest song of all time on their 2018 list. The lyrics have the narrator talking to his partner about them spending their first night together, and I’m on board with it until close to the end when the random woman starts speaking awkwardly in French which doesn’t mesh with the rest of the song at all with the exceptiion of a lyric at the very beginning.
Stay away from my window/Stay away from my backdoor, too/Disconnect the telephone line/Relax, baby, and draw that blind/Kick off your shoes and sit right down/Loosen off that pretty French gown/Let me pour ya a good, long drink/Ooh baby, don’t you hesitate/’Cause tonight’s the night/It’s gonna be alright/’Cause I love you, girl/Ain’t nobody gonna stop us now

1978 – Shadow Dancing by Andy Gibb (written by B. Gibb, R. Gibb, M. Gibb, A. Gibb)
https://amzn.to/37TYM08
I was vaguely famiiliar with this song and never realized it was the one Gibb brother who wasn’t in the BeeGee’s. Released as a single in April 1978, it was featured on the 1978 album Shadow Dancing. Written by teen-heartthrob Gibb and his three older brothers, the song spent 25 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 (7 of those weeks beiing at #1), and ended upu being certified Platinum by the RIAA. This song is I think what most people think of when they think 1970s music – it’s VERY disco in every sense of the world and could easily pass for a BeeGee’s song.
You got me looking at that heaven in your eyes/I was chasing your direction, I was telling you no lies/And I was loving you when the words are said/Baby, I lose my head/And in a world of people, there’s only you and me/There ain’t nothing come between us in the end/How can I hold you when you ain’t even mine/Only you can see me through, I leave it up to you/Do it light, taking me through the night/Shadow dancing, baby, you do it right/Give me more, drag me across the floor/Shadow dancing, all this and nothing more

1979 – My Sharona by The Knack (written by D. Fieger, B. Averre)
https://amzn.to/2HR8aan
Remember at the beginning how I said some people think certain ’70s songs sound more ’80s? I will admit, that’s been me and this song. Released as a single in June 1979, this song was featured on the 1979 album Get the Knack. This song can admittedly get pretty problematic pretty quickly when you consider that it’s written about the time band member Doug Fieger (who was 25 at the time) met 17 year old Sharona Alperin, whom he eventually went on to have a 4 year relationship with. While its origins could be a little…icky… it’s also become one of the most popular rock songs from this era. The song spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 (6 of them at #1) and ended up being certified Gold by the RIAA. I actually danced to this song my sophomore year in high school on drill team, and still dance around to it to this day.
Ooh my little pretty one, my pretty one/When you gonna give me some time, Sharona/Ooh you make my motor run, my motor run/Got it coming off of the line, Sharona/Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind/I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind/My, my, my-y-y, whoo/M-m-m-my Sharona

Hopefully this was a nice trip down memory lane for some and a good way to explore some classic music for others. See ya’ll next week!

Songs for the Pisces

PISCES: Try to avoid any Virgos or Leos with the Ebola virus. You are the true Lord of the Dance, no matter what those idiots at work say. -Weird Al Yankovic

Now that I’ve let Weird Al set the mood, let’s talk about our next astrological sign: the Pisces. Pisces may be the sign that I know the fewest people in, though I’m not exactly sure why. This playlist that I’ve put together has a very dreamy-type vibe that I definitely dig. Like with the Aquarius Playlist, it’s comprised of existing playlists I found on Pinterest and various websites through Internet research, famous musical artists who are Pisces themselves, and favorite songs of my friends and family who are Pisces.

ocean eyes by Billie Eilish (written by F. O’Connell)
https://amzn.to/3bEUYmJ
Eilish’s first big hit from her 2016 album dont smile at me has a lot of typical Pisces aspects to it. The ocean imagery is very reminiscent of the fact that Pisces is a water sign and also represented by the fish. Pisces are also extreme romantics who tend to see the best in everyone, which is very apparent in the lyrics of this song.
I’ve been watching you for some time/Can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes/Burning cities and napalm skies/Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes/Your ocean eyes/No fair/You really know how to make me cry when you gimme those ocean eyes/I’n scared/I’ve never fallen from quite this high, falling into your ocean eyes/Those ocean eyes

Millionaire by Chris Stapleton (written by K. Welch)
https://amzn.to/2SPlAc5
This song is a personal Pisces pick by my beautiful and amazing cousin Alexis:
“Right now I’m really into Millionaire by Chris Stapleton. I just love the sound of his voice, he’s up there with my favorite artists like Josh Turner and Dierks Bentley. I like meaningful songs that either bring memories or have some meaning to me! Most of the songs I listen to on Spotify are throwbacks probably for that reason…can’t find a ton of songs these days that make me smile as much as the ones we grew up with (obviously) and I feel like not a lot of artists sing as meaningful songs anymore!”
When we ride around, ride around this ol’ town/In a beat-up car with the windows down/People look at her and they look at me/They say that boy is sure living in luxury, sweet luxury/’Cause love is more precious than gold/It can’t be bought, no, never could be sold/I got love enough to share/That makes me a millionaire

Pink + White by Frank Ocean (written by Breaux, P. Williams)
https://amzn.to/37Cbr7T
This song was a find during Pinterest research and I definitely dig it. I like Ocean a lot as an artist, and this song has a very fluffy, dreamy vibe to it that makes for very easy listening. Both the lyrics and the melody take on that very romantic, emotional air that Pisces are known for.
That’s the way everyday goes/Every time, we have no control/If the sky is pink and white/If the ground is black and yellow/It’s the same way you showed me/Nod my head, don’t close my eyes/Halfway on a slow move/It’s the same way you showed me/If you could fly, then you’d feel south/Up north’s getting cold soon/The way it is, we’re on land/So I’m someone to hold true/Keep you cool when it’s still alive/Won’t let you down when it’s all ruin/Just the same way you showed me, showed me/You showed me love/Glory from above/Regard, my dear/It’s all downhill from here

Nocturnes, Op. 9 by Frederic Chopin (written by F. Chopin)
https://amzn.to/3256y5X
One of the most well-known composers of the Romantic Era, Chopin was born March 1st, 1810 and lived to the not quite ripe, definitely not old age of 39. If any era of music is fitting for a Pisces born composer, Romanticism is so fitting it’s almost cliche. Romanticism is my favorite style of classical music because it’s some of the earliest music we hear that is “allowed” to express feelings and emotions through the melodies. Merriam-Webster defines the noun “nocturne” as “a work of art dealing with evening or night, especially a dreamy pensive composition for the piano.” Chopin’s Opus 9, performed on this recording by the late French pianist Brigitte Engerer, is one of his most well-known works and is typically split into 3 movements: No.1 in B Flat Major Larghetto (the Italian adverb meaning to play in a fairly slow tempo), No. 2 in E flat Major Andante (the Italian adverb meaning to play at a moderately slow tempo), and No. 3 in B Major Allegretto (the Italian adverb meaning to play at a fairly brisk tempo).

My Sweet Lord by George Harrison (written by G. Harrison)
https://amzn.to/39HWBy0
The late, great Pisces singer/songwriter/music & film producer/lead guitarist of one of the greatest bands of all time, also known as The Quiet Beatle, was born February 25th, 1943 and lived to the not old enough age of 58. I’ll go ahead and shamefully(?) admit that I associate My Sweet Lord less with Harrison and more with the scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 where they first see Ego’s planet. That imagery from that scene of having that surreal experience on this one of a kind planet mixed with Harrison’s lyrics definitely creates that Pisces atmosphere of dreamy, mysterious energy that creates a beautiful visual effect.
My sweet Lord/Hmm, my Lord/Hmm, my Lord/I really want to see you/Really want to be with you/Really want to see you, Lord/But it takes so long, my Lord

The Greatest Show by Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya, & The Greatest Showman Cast (written by B. Pasek, J. Paul, R. Lewis)
https://amzn.to/2V1rrxw
I can’t believe I didn’t think to add a song from The Greatest Showman to the Aquarius post (honorable mention – the Aquarius song is A Million Dreams Reprise), so here it is making its debut with Pisces. If you’ve seen the film (and by now it’s been out so long you really have no excuse because it’s phenomenal), you know this song is literally Jackman’s character of P.T. Barnum’s dream coming to life as both the opener and closer of the story. This song is also AMAZING for a workout playlist or a hype playlist because you can’t help but get pumped up listening to it.
Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for/Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor/And buried in your bones, there’s an ache that you can’t ignore/Taking your breath, stealing your mind, and all that was real is left behind/Don’t fight it, it’s coming for you, running at ya/It’s only this moment, don’t care what comes after/Your fever dream, can’t you see it getting closer/Just surrender, ’cause you feel the feeling taking over/It’s fire, it’s freedom, it’s flooding open/It’s a preacher in the pulpit and you’ll find devotion/There’s something breaking at the back of every wall it’s holding/I’ll let you know, so tell me, do you wanna go/Where it’s covered in all the colored lights, where the runaways are running the night/Impossible comes true, it’s taking over you, oh, this is the greatest show/We light it up, we won’t come down, and the sun can’t stop us now/Watching it come true, it’s taking over you, oh, this is the greatest show

S.O.S. by Jonas Brothers (written by N. Jonas)
https://amzn.to/2SyGtJC
My favorite boys make the Pisces playlist with their hit single S.O.S. from their 2007 self-titled album. This song still gets such an INTENSE reaction at their live shows, it never fails to be a hell of a good time. This song embodies a lot of Pisces traits such as feeling the need to “fix” their loved ones and being sensitive and emotional.
I told you I made dinner plans/For you and me and no one else/That don’t include your crazy friends/Well, I’m done with awkward situations, empty conversations/Ooh, this is an S.O.S./Don’t wanna second guess, this is the bottom line/It’s true, I gave my all for you/Now my heart’s in two, and I can’t find the other half/It’s like I’m walking on broken glass, better believe I bled/It’s a call I’ll never get

High Horse by Kacey Musgraves (written by K. Musgraves, T. Schleiter, T. Dabbs)
https://amzn.to/2SU9wGm
The Musgraves pick for the Pisces from her 2018 album Golden Hour exhibits similar energy to that of S.O.S. The narrator is over trying to fix this person in their life and being around that negative energy that’s emanating from them, so at this point it’s better to call it and walk away for their own sake.
Oh, I bet you think you’re John Wayne/Showing up and shooting down everybody/You’re classic in the wrong way/And we all know the end of the story/’Cause everyone knows someone who kills the buzz/Every time they open up their mouth/Yeah, everyone knows someone who knows someone/Who thinks they’re cooler than everybody else/And I think we’ve seen enough, seen enough/To know that you ain’t ever gonna come down/So why don’t you giddy up, giddy up/And ride straight out of this town/You and your high horse/You and your high horse

Flight 22 by Kali Uchis (written by A. Rowe, K. Uchis, W. Gordon)
https://amzn.to/2uJsxU8
Flight 22 is another song I came across doing Pinterest research, but unlike Pink + White this one took a few listens for me to decide how I felt about it. It’s definitely got a dreamy vibe to it, and the lyrics describe the narrator falling for someone she met at the airport “rose-colored glasses” style.
Been a lot of places, seen a lot of faces, yeah, but nothing like you/Oh, I met you at the airport, Flight 22/I want you to have it all/Oh, I want you to have it all, oh, oh, oh/I wonder if you really know what I’d do for you/To have it, I’ve had it with waiting and hesitating/So pack all your bags, don’t gotta ask where we’re going to/Don’t wanna be anywhere if it ain’t with you/Nowhere in this world can compare, boy, that’s the truth/To wherever we’re going on Flight 22

Spaceship by Kesha (written by A. Pearson, K. Sebert, P. Sebert)
https://amzn.to/37CDfsC
This song from Kesha’s 2017 album Rainbow is a very different sound from the one I usually attribute to her, but I totally dug it. I’d definitely call this song an anthem of self-love, dreaming about the day you feel you’re finally back where you belong and where you can truly feel like you can be yourself.
I always said when I’m gone, when I’m dead/Don’t lay me down with the dirt on my head/You won’t need a shovel, you don’t need a cold headstone/You don’t need to cry, I’m gon’ be going home/I’m waiting for my spaceship to come back for me, it’s coming back for me/I don’t really care if you believe, it’s coming back for me, yeah/I’ve been living in a lonesome galaxy, but in my dreams I see ’em come and rescue me/Look up in the sky and there they’ll be, I bet you’ll think of me then

And I Love Her by Kurt Cobain (written by J. Lennon, P. McCartney)
https://amzn.to/2OWtIq3
The tragic Pisces Nirvana frontman and rock icon was born February 20th, 1967 and lived to the WAY too young age of 27. While this song isn’t his original work, Cobain’s acoustic cover of this Lennon-McCartney song is hauntingly beautiful and raw. The lyrics are classically Pisces – sensitive, dreamy, emotional – and so simple, but make such an impact while you’re listening to just Cobain’s voice and guitar.
She gives me everything, and tenderly/The kiss my lover brings, she brings to me/And I love her/Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky/I know this love of mine will never die/And I love her

An Unusual Prince/Once Upon a Dream by Mary Costa, Bill Shirley & Sleeping Beauty Chorus (written by P. Tchaikovsky, J. Lawrence, S. Fain)
https://amzn.to/2SBoyls
Princess Aurora has been chosen to represent the Pisces, which to me makes total sense. Aurora (or Briar Rose as she is called at this point in the movie) has spent her childhood dreaming of meeting someone to take her away from her “boring” life of living secluded in the forest with only her “aunts” (the Good Fairies) and the forest animals for company. Like many sixteen year old girls, Aurora is consumed by daydreams of romance, and meeting Prince Philip in the forest that day makes for a beautiful duet inspired by The Garland Waltz from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Sleeping Beauty.
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream/I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam/Yet I know it’s true, that visions are seldom what they seem/But if I know you, I know what you’ll do/You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

Red Room by Offset (written by K. Cephus, L. Wayne)
https://amzn.to/2UVbDfT
I shall now provide to you the exact transcript from my Pisces brother, Josh, as to why he chose this to be his personal pick:
Josh: Red Room could be up there as one of my favorite songs.
Me: Ok. Tell me why that is.
Josh: It’s a good song.
Me: Why do you like it?
Josh: The beat is exquisite.
There you have it, folks. Enjoy 😉
I’m a maniac, go crazy for the cash/Green Lamborghini, paper tag/Riding through the city, thirty mags/N***** snitching, they the police with no badge/How I grew up, my mama was my dad/So when I blew up, I put her in a pad/I like to throw up when I think about the crash/Nightmare when I hit the tree, I smelled the gas/Looking at the sky, think about my past/When I used to kick in doors, shoot you for the cash/Everybody hit the floor ‘fore you make me mad/Devil had a n**** soul living too fast/Praying to the Lord, my soul to keep/Controlling me, take ahold of me/Bitches ain’t shit, got exposed by E!/So naive, cold on the street, sleep in my feet

Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (written by A. Taccone, B. Holland, F. Gorman, J. Hill, Portugal. The Man, R. Bateman)
https://amzn.to/39LM7xx
This was my surprise find from my Pinterest research since I already knew this song pretty well, despite the version I listen to regularly being the Pentatonix cover. This song is very much a bop – I do love the beat and find it very danceable. I interpret this song as kind of a romanticized look at how the narrator sees himself, daydreaming of how he’d really like to be.
Can’t keep my hands to myself/Think I’ll dust ’em off, put ’em back up on the shelf/In case my little baby girl’s in need/Am I coming outta left field/Ooh, I’m a rebel just for kicks now/I’ve been feeling it since 1966 now/Might be over now, but I feel it still/Ooh, I’m a rebel just for kicks now/Let me kick it like it’s 1986 now/Might be over now, but I feel it still

Mean by Taylor Swift (written by T. Swift)
https://amzn.to/37BVv5F
A single from her 2010 album Speak Now, this is one of my favorite Swift songs and music videos of all time. Despite not being a Pisces myself, I can totally relate to this song on a personal level for several different people I’ve come into contact with in my life. Pisces are known for being empaths, and being so emotional can cause them to feel like they get picked on quite a bit. This song has such a positive message of not letting people get you down, because your big dreams and positive attitude will cause you to overcome.
You, with your words like knives and swords and weapons that you use against me/You have knocked me off my feet again, got me feeling like I’m nothing/You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard, calling me out when I’m wounded/You, picking on the weaker man/Well, you can take me down with just one single blow/But you don’t know what you don’t know/Someday, I’ll be living in a big ol’ city/And all you’re ever gonna be is mean/Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me/And all you’re ever gonna be is mean/Why you gotta be so mean

Whether you sincerely believe in astrology or not, and whether you’re a Pisces or not, I hope you find some new music to enjoy from this post. See you next week, and happy Pisces season!

Valentine's Day

Even when I was single, I loved Valentine’s Day. Yes, a large part of it was the excellent selections of Valentine’s candy, but there’s so much more to love then just the romantic aspect. My mom is still the type of mom who always sends a Valentine’s card and my favorite type of candy (either M&M’s or mini Reese’s cups), and that always made me feel so special. My husband, with whom this year I will be celebrating our 11th Valentine’s Day together as a couple, always makes sure the day is special. I always text my close girlfriends to wish them a Happy Galentine’s Day because dammit, they deserve it. I also love the color pink, so a day basically dedicated to that color is always okay in my book.

It is a holiday, so naturally I have a playlist that I play the week leading up to February 14th to really get and stay in that love type mood. I picked a small sample of songs to highlight here for you to get the feel of it, and hopefully you get enjoyment out of listening to them no matter what type of romantic situation you’re in.

i love you by Billie Eilish (written by F. O’Connell, B. O’Connell)
https://amzn.to/2SfA9q5
This song from Eilish’s 2019 album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? tells the story of the beginning of a relationship where one party tells the other that they love them, and that second party has to take some time to process that before coming to the conclusion at the end of the song that they love their partner back. It’s so real in today’s society where so many people are afraid of feeling those deeper feelings towards someone else for fear of getting hurt, and the song itself is just very calm and beautiful and easy to listen to.
It’s not true, tell me I’ve been lied to/Crying isn’t like you, ooh/What the hell did I do, never been the type to/Let someone see right through, ooh/Maybe won’t you take it back, say you were tryna make me laugh/And nothing has to change today, you didn’t mean to say I love you/I love you, and I don’t want to, ooh

One Kiss from You by Britney Spears (written by S. Lunt)
https://amzn.to/2SxnZbh
I’m not even sorry, I still know every single word to every single song on my favorite Spears album, Oops!…I Did It Again from 2000. As a 9 year old Spears fan when this album came out, I thought this song was so incredibly romantic. Now, twenty years after its release (wtf, by the way, I can’t even believe that), I still really enjoy the sweetness of this song. With some more life experience under my belt, I remember the beginning of my relationship with my husband (we’re high school sweethearts) and feeling just like Spears says at the beginning of the first verse that she doesn’t want people to tell her she’s too young to realize that she’s in love.
I don’t wanna hear that I’m too young/To know it’s love that makes me feel this way/’Cause I don’t have to feel the heat of the sun/To know it’s shining on me every day/When it’s warm outside, and the look in your eyes/Is longing to show me the way, no, no/I don’t want to wait/Just one kiss from you, and suddenly/I see the road laid out in front of me/You give me strength, you give me hope/And when you hold me in your arms, you make me whole/And I don’t know just what I would do without one kiss from you

Clumsy by Fergie (written by B. Troup, S. Ferguson, W. Adams)
https://amzn.to/2HnJiqF
I am still a fan of Fergie’s 2006 debut solo album The Dutchess. I remember buying it at Target when I was 15 and listening to it almost non-stop for probably a solid month. Clumsy was a single from the record, so it got played a lot on the radio as well. I think it’s such a fun song about falling in love with someone and how you just feel like an absolute goofball and the total opposite of cool, but you really don’t care because you’re so happy.
The first time that I saw your eyes/Boy, you looked right through me, mmm mmm/Play it cool, but I knew you knew/That Cupid hit me, mmm, mmm/You got me trippin’, stumblin’, flippin’, fumblin’/Clumsy ’cause I’m falling in love, in love/You got me slippin’, tumblin’, sinkin’, fumblin’/Clumsy ’cause I’m falling in love, in love/So in love with you

Before Your Love by Kelly Clarkson (written by C. Dennis, D. Child, G. Burr)
https://amzn.to/2volqjW
This was one of Clarkson’s first singles straight out of American Idol along with A Moment Like This, and it’s still so incredibly good. Featured on her 2003 debut album Thankful, this song describes the feeling of being in the type of love that causes you to forget what life was like before that person entered your life, forever changing you for the better.
I wonder how I ever made it through a day/How did I settle for a world in shades of gray/When you go in circles, all the scenery looks the same/And you don’t know why, then I looked into your eyes/And the world stretched out in front of me, and I realized/I never lived before your love/I never felt before your touch/I never needed anyone to make me feel alive/But then again, I wasn’t really living/I never lived before your love

When I Fall in Love by Kristin Chenoweth (written by E. Heyman, V. Young)
https://amzn.to/3bqs9u7
Chenoweth’s cover of this classic love song is featured on her 2019 album For the Girls, and it’s so perfect for her voice. From the first time it was recorded by singer Jeri Southern in 1952 for the film One Minute to Zero, this song has been played at innumerable weddings and in countless romantic films, and why not? The lyrics about not wanting to fall in love unless it’s 100% are so relatable to so many, and wanting to have that type of devotion to your partner is, in my opinion, the ultimate goal in love.
When I fall in love, it will be forever/Or I’ll never fall in love/In a restless world like this is, love is ended before it’s begun/And too many moonlight kisses seem to cool in the warmth of the sun/When I give my heart, it will be completely/Or I’ll never give my heart/And the moment I can feel that you feel that way, too/Is when I fall in love with you

I Love You by Martina McBride (written by A. Follese, Keith Follese, Tammy Hyler)
https://amzn.to/38hhX5d
I fell head over heels for this song when it was featured in the 1999 film Runaway Bride. I still own that soundtrack and know all the words to almost all the songs on it. This song is another great example of falling crazily in love with someone, acting the fool and not caring, and that nothing feels like it could ever go wrong so long as the love lives on.
The sun is shining every day/Clouds never get in the way for you and me/I’ve known you just a week or two/But baby, I’m so into you, can hardly breathe/And I’m in, so totally wrapped up emotionally/Attracted so physically/Acting so recklessly/I need you so desperately/Sure as the sky is blue/Baby, I love you/I love you

Faster by Matt Nathanson (written by M. Weinberg, M. Nathanson)
https://amzn.to/37gRDa2
I’m pretty sure I was first introduced to this song by a free Song of the Week download when Starbucks was still doing that, and I immediately loved it and put it on a ton of my playlists. It’s so upbeat and danceable, and the lyrics about what makes this man so insanely in love with his partner and the physical reaction of his heartbeat is quite lovely.
You’re so delicious, you’re so soft/Sweet on the tip of my tongue/You taste like sunlight/And strawberry bubblegum/You bite my lip, you spike my blood/You make my heart beat faster/Own me, you own and rattle my bones/You turn me over and over, ’til I can’t control myself/Make me a liar, yeah, one big disaster/You make my heart beat faster

I hope all of you remember to celebrate all of the different kinds of love in your life this week as Valentine’s Day approaches this coming weekend. See you next week!

Yes, My [Future] Kids Will Watch Cinderella

I think it’s fair that if you say the words “Disney Princess,” the first character people will associate with that phrase will be Cinderella. It’s her castle gracing the center of Walt Disney World in Orlando, her soundtrack is one of the most famous, and she was also one of the first Disney movies to get a live action remake. When I was younger, I didn’t hate Cinderella, but I never would’ve said she was my favorite (part of it may have been the bias that she was blonde and that’s why so many girls liked her, I don’t know). However, watching Cinderella as I’ve gotten older, I have so much more respect for her, and I have no problem stating that when my husband and I eventually have kids (again, no matter the gender), they will be introduced to Cinderella.

Cinderella was released March 4th, 1950 – 12 years after the release of Disney’s first princess movie, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. With a budget of $2.9 million, it ended up making $263.6 million at the box office, helping to recoup from previous box office losses Disney had suffered like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi.

Our girl Cindy is around 19 years old when the story starts, and she’s seen in the opening scene waking up in her drafty attic bedroom that she’s forced to sleep in by her evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine, since her father passed away some years prior. Now when I was 19, my biggest concerns were surviving my freshman year of college, making friends in my new sorority, and learning how to study music properly. Cinderella at 19 is in a very similar situation to that of Snow White – her stepmother (and in this case stepsisters Drizella and Anastasia) is jealous of her beauty and gentle spirit, so she keeps her as downtrodden as possible with a patented mixture of very difficult chores (different from Snow, the Tremaines don’t appear to have ANY other servants besides Cinderella – is this on purpose??) and verbal and emotional abuse. Despite this dreary existence, Cinderella keeps her beautiful heart and gentle spirit, doing everything she’s told and being kind to the animals in the house with the outstanding exception of Lady Tremaine’s evil cat, Lucifer.

In today’s world, we might say, “Cindy, you are 19 years old. You are a legal adult. You do NOT have to take this BS from these horrible women just because your dad made a mistake in love before he died.” However, think about the setting of the film. It’s 17th century France. She is the only daughter of a man who passed away, leaving her in his second wife’s care. Lady Tremaine greatly abuses this power by treating Cinderella horribly. Cinderella doesn’t take this abuse lightly – she takes it because at this point in history, she has no choice. She could leave, but she’d have no inheritance, nowhere to go, and no social standing – she’d be homeless and would likely die on the streets. So she makes the worst of a crappy situation and tries to keep herself uplifted because she knows that as bad as it is in here, it would be worse on the outside.

We also have to talk about the romance here, or as I’ll be calling it from now on The Elsa Test. If you watch this movie carefully, Cinderella does not spend one moment of the beginning of this movie daydreaming about being rescued by a man. When the invitation to the Prince’s Reception comes, she’s excited not for the chance to meet Prince Charming, but for the chance to get dressed up and have a night off work to fully enjoy herself in a way that she hasn’t been able to in years. Fast forward past getting Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’d by the Fairy Godmother, she shows up at the Reception and meets this crazy handsome guy who seems to really like her and pays attention to ONLY her ALL NIGHT – when was the last time that happened? Probably never. She doesn’t even realize he’s the Prince, she just knows this sweet guy helped her make an amazing memory. After she runs away and the spell breaks before she can even get home, she thanks the Fairy Godmother not for helping her find love, but for having the night of her life.

Before we get to the music, I have to talk about my favorite scene in the entire movie – the Cindy Sass. Towards the beginning of the movie, Gus the Mouse gets chased under a teacup by Lucifer the Cat, and an unknowing Cinderella takes the teacup up to her stepsisters and stepmother, not knowing that one of them is about to get an unwelcome surprise. Drizella is the unlucky one to get the cup, screeching to Lady Tremaine that Cinderella hid Gus under there on purpose. Lady Tremaine calls Cinderella into her bedroom for punishment, asking her if she has time for “vicious pranks.” Cinderella looks her stepmother in the eye and says “Oh, please, you really don’t think that I-” before being rudely interrupted. I LIVE for that moment every time I watch the movie because it’s Cinderella showing that she knows exactly what type of life she’s being forced to live, but she’s not just going to take it laying down. She has her breaking point, too, which makes her very relatable and respectable.

Yes, yes, now it’s music time. I listened to the soundtrack all the way through and picked out my three favorite songs to highlight here.

A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes by Ilene Woods & Cinderella’s Mice Chorus
https://amzn.to/38Zt6Hy
Not only is this arguably the most well-known song from Cinderella, it’s probably one of the Top 5 most well-known Disney songs of all time. It’s so hopeful and can apply to so many people in so many different ways, and it’s your first look into Cinderella as a character to see how beautiful she is not just on the outside, but the inside as well.
A dream is a wish your heart makes/When you’re fast asleep/In dreams, you can lose your heartache/Whatever you wish for, you keep/Have faith in your dreams and someday/Your rainbow will come smiling through/No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing/The dream that you wish will come true

The Music Lesson/Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale/Bad Boy Lucifer/A Message From His Majesty by Ilene Woods, Oliver Wallace, Paul J. Smith, & Rhoda Williams
https://amzn.to/2uWOuyC
This song is a key example of the differences in how Cinderella and her stepsisters are treated by Lady Tremaine. Drizella and Anastasia are upstairs in the music room with their mother in an ill-fated music lesson with Drizella [attempting to] sing and Anastasia [poorly] playing the flute. Cinderella is downstairs scrubbing the massive entry hall and singing the song from memory in her truly beautiful voice. This has always been one of my favorites because when Cinderella takes over the vocals, I was always entranced by the beautiful harmonies they created with her in the bubbles.
Oh, sing, sweet nightingale/Sing, sweet nightingale/High above me/Oh, sing, sweet nightingale/Sing sweet/High above

Reception At the Palace/So This Is Love by Ilene Woods, Mike Douglas, Oliver Wallace, & Paul J. Smith
https://amzn.to/392O34t
What a sweet, romantic love song So This Is Love is. Both Cinderella and Prince Charming seem sweetly taken aback that they didn’t really know what love felt like, just what they expected it to be. I love the movie scene that goes with this song, with the two of them walking together in the garden and just enjoying being together.
So this is love, hmmm/So this is love/So this is what makes life divine/I’m all aglow, hmm/And now I know/They key to all heaven is mine/My heart has wings, hmmm/And I can fly/I’ll touch every star in the sky/So this is the miracle that I’ve been dreaming of/Hmmm, hmmm/So this is love

Like I said after my last Princess Post, if you haven’t watched Cinderella since you were a child, do yourself a favor and go watch it now with more mature eyes. It’s a sweet, beautiful movie with a sweet, beautiful message and some really excellent music to boot. Thanks fo reading, and see you next week!

Music Around the World: Afghanistan

My junior year of college, my Music History class was assigned a project to research the native music of a foreign country we’d never visited to present to the entire class. I never in a million years would’ve guessed that I’d like doing that project, but I LOVED it. It was so fascinating to learn about different instruments that I wasn’t used to and different musical styles and vocalizations, and I worked so incredibly hard on that project and was so proud of it. I decided to do something similar to that here on the blog – our first country, Afghanistan, was not the country that I chose for my project, so I looked at this musical culture with fresh eyes and have really enjoyed it over the last week.

Here’s a few quick facts about Afghanistan for those not super familiar with the country itself:
Capital City: Kabul
Official Languages: Dari, Pashto
Ethnic Groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, and others
Religion: 99.7% Muslim
Government: Unitary presidential Islamic republic (currently under the leadership of President Ashraf Ghani)
Originally formed in 1709 by the Hotak Empire
Land Area: 251,830 square miles
Estimated Population as of 2019: 32,225,560 (44th largest nation)
They do drive on the right side of the road for anyone who was wondering.

Afghan music is noted for having Persian, Indian, Pashtuun, Tajik, and Hazara influences. Prominent instruments include tablas (an Indian percussion instrument which looks like a pair of small drums with goatskin heads), lutes (a guitar-like stringed instrument), and rubabs (similar to a lute or guitar, one of the national instruments of Afghanistan), and primary languages include Dari (variety of the Persian language) and Pashto (known in Persian literature as the Afghani language). I picked eight songs that I’ve been listening to for the past week and have really come to enjoy to highlight here.

Leili-Jan by Ahmad Zahir
https://amzn.to/30Z3ec5
Ahmad Zahir was an Afghan musician, songwriter, and composer known for being the first (and currently only) Afghan “superstar.” Born in 1946, he primarily sang in Dari and Pashto and experimented in multiple styles of music such as Indian classical, Iranian, Pashto, English, Qataghani, and romantic Logari. He is still considered to be an Afghan musical icon for being a huge pioneer of rock and pop music, sometimes referred to as the “Elvis of Afghanistan.” He passed away in 1979 at the age of 33, with the media reporting he was killed in a tragic car accident. Leili-Jan is one of his most well-known songs, and is still widely known, appreciated, and played throughout his home country. The lyrics below are translated to English from the original Pashto.
Leili, Leili, Leili-Jan, you ruined my heart/You didn’t come to this village, killed having this wish/Black eye like a crow, may your mother won’t see your wounds/Mother may see or not, lover shouldn’t see your wounds/It’s raining, lover is coming to the corridor/I asked for a kiss, her eyes were full of tears

Bache Kabul by Aryana Sayeed
https://amzn.to/2uH9qJF
Aryana Sayeed is an Afghan singer, songwriter, and television personality who, similar to Zahir, sings in both the Dari and Pashto languages. Currently residing in London, she is one of Afghanistan’s most famous musicians, and she performs at concerts and festivals both in her native Afghanistan as well as out of the country. Her single Bache Kabul was released in 2019, and I definitely felt like it was song that’s very easy to dance to and enjoy. It did get a little repetitive for sure, but so do a LOT of English pop songs, so it wasn’t anything super different. The lyrics below are translated from the original Arabic to English.
I have such a sweetheart, a loyal sweetheart/He steals my heart with just a glance/I want to spend the rest of my life with him/I’m feeling better whenever I see him/I have such a sweetheart, a loyal sweetheart/He stole my heart with just a glance/I want to spend the rest of my life with him/I’m feeling better whenever I see him/He has two deer eyes, his smile has magic/This boy from Kabul is playing with my heart/He has two deer eyes, his smile has magic/This boy from Kabul is playing with my heart

Salaam Afghanistan by Farhad Darya
https://amzn.to/2GusUnK
Farhad Darya Nashir, known by his stage name Farhad Darya, is an Afghan singer, composer, and music producer, also serving as the UNDP National Goodwill Ambassador for Afghanistan. Darya is a big name in Afghan music for his patriotic music, and his fan base is not only located in his home country but also Southern Asia, Central Asia, and Tajikistan. Like Sayeed and Zahir, Darya also sings in Dari and Pashto, but sings in Uzbek, Persian Hindi-Urdu, and English as well. Salaam Afghanistan is a good example of his patriotic brand of music. The English translation of the lyrics is listed below.
From this vagrant soul, the wandering traveler/From this land of loneliness, this prison, hail on dear Kabul, hail on Afghanistan/I’m in a timely journey of wandering, far away from the skirt of Kabul River/Weary hearts’ pilgrimage is calling me, where to go to escape the grief of my heart/The heavens is punishing me for no sin, I am an orphan in a murderer’s claw/I am the voice of a martyred nation, I am the aged rabab of wound and endurance

Afghanistan National Anthem by Finsbury Orchestra
https://amzn.to/2tXbihr
I think it’s important when talking about a country to address their national anthem because it’s such a huge symbol of pride for many of that country’s population. Adopted in 2006, “the national anthem shall be in Pashto with the mention of ‘God is Greatest’ as well as the names of the various tribes of Afghanistan’ (per the country’s constitution). With lyrics by Abdul Bari Jahani and music by Afghan-German composer Babrrak Was, the lyrics are translated below in English from its original Pashto.
So long as there is the earth and the heavens/So long as the world endures/So long as there is life in the world/So long as a single Afghan breathes/There will be this Afghanistan/Long live the Afghan nation/Long live the Republic/Forever there be our national unity/Forever there be the Afghan nation and the Republic/Forever the Afghan nation, the Republic/And national unity, national unity

Kataghani by Homayun Sakhi
https://amzn.to/2O3vsxo
This instrumental piece is my second favorite piece that I listened to this week. Homayun Sakhi is an Afghan Rubab player, actually regarded as more of a “master” of this instrument for his techniques he’s perfected over the years. Born in Kabul, he currently resides in California’s Little Kabul near Fremont and teaches music at the Afghan children’s school that he opened there. He revealed in a 2013 NPR interview that he will practice the Rubab between 8-12 hours a day, which is when he develops many of his unique techniques.

Baalkada by Lucky, Naghma, & Jimmy Khan
https://amzn.to/2tLNs8B
Naghma Shaperai is an Afghan singer who has been around since the early 1980s, starting her musical career with her ex-husband Mangal as half of a popular Afghan musical duo until the early 1990s. She primarily sings in Pashto, but will also record in Dari. Her fanbase is very prominent in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and among the Pashtun people of Pakistan. She is considered to be the voice and face of Pashtun traditional music in Afghanistan. The song Baalkada was featured on season 11 of the Pakistani show Coke Studio in 2018 with fellow musicians Lucky and Jimmy Khan. I honestly loved the beat here, it was not what I was expecting at all and ended up being a lot of fun to listen to. I tried to get the English translation of the lyrics to include here, but the translations all kept messing up and looking like just straight nonsense words, so sorry about that bummer.

Mola Mamad Djan by Mahwash
https://amzn.to/2Gtea8t
Farida Gulali Ayubi, now known by her stage name Ustad Mahwash, is an Afghan singer. In 1977, she is the first woman to have been conferred the title Ustad, which is an honorary title that means Masterr in the Dari language. Born in Kabul, she now lives in Fremont, California and tours internationally with her all-star ensemble known as Voices of Afghanistan. Mola Mamad Djan was a song that took me a few listens to really appreciate it, but it has that very uniquely Afghan feel to it and I did end up liking it quite a bit. Finding the lyrics to this song proved to be extremely difficult, but I was able to find that the English translation of the song title is Mola Mamad, My Beloved.

Rubab Solo by Mohammad Omar
https://amzn.to/2t1VEkt
THIS classical instrumental piece was my favorite of the entire week for sure. Born in 1905, Ustad Mohammad Omar was an Afghan Rubab player who began his musical career by studying under his music teacher father. He ended up becoming the Director of the National Orchestra of Radio Afghanistan, which made him responsible for bringing together various folk musicians from the different regions and communities of Afghanistan. Omar received a Fulbright-Hays Foreign Scholar Fellowship in 1974 to teach at the University of Washington, which made him the first Afghan musician to teach at a major university in the US. He passed away in 1980 at the age of 75. This piece (recorded in 1961) is so intricate and beautiful, I was completely mesmerized every time I listened to it.

Hopefully you enjoyed this slightly nerdy history lesson blog – I’m really looking forward to doing more of these in the future to education myself and others about international musical cultures. See ya’ll next week!

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