For this week's blog post, I'll be talking about the song "My Wish" by the band Rascal Flatts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4irLbcFfpYU
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is another song that makes me think about growing up and having to leave home. The lyrics sound just like a parent wishing the best for their child as they go off into the world on their own. For instance, there's the line "If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile." Tell me that doesn't sound close to a mother telling her child to wear a jacket because it's chilly out.
And then there's the part where he sings "I hope you never look back but you never forget all the ones who love you and the place you left." This relates back to what I talked about in my very first post about never forgetting where you come from no matter where you go in life. I think that's a very important thing to remember always. As the saying goes, home is where the heart is.
I went to a Rascal Flatts concert back in 2009. I remember them playing this song and I just got up from my seat and started singing along at the top of my lungs. It was a great experience and I had the time of my life.
Overall, I think the songs talks about just being a good person and making the best choices no matter what life throws at you. I think that's the best anybody can wish for for someone else, especially parents.
"My Wish" is definitely a song I would play for my kids on graduation day.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
"Never Grow Up"
Here's another song that strikes a serious chord with me. It's Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6D3abgQEos
If you couldn't tell by now, I am a very nostalgic person. I love to revisit my past, whether it's music, movies, TV shows, or just anything that gives me a warm pleasant feeling. I first heard this song in my senior year of high school and I won't lie, it got me pretty emotional.
As I said, it was my last year of high school, which meant I would be going off to college soon and eventually, out into the world to live on my own. It's stressful thinking about having to take on so much responsibility for my own life. I knew I wasn't quite ready for it and, heck, I still don't feel quite ready. It's times like this when I wish I could just go back to being a young kid because, when you're that young, life is so much simpler, just as the song says. Swift sings about how, when you're young, you've got your whole life ahead of you and you don't have to worry about things like finding a well-paying job, managing your own taxes, or getting a driver's license. Your responsibilities are usually limited to school work, household chores and friends. Sometimes I wish everything could be the same as it was when I was a kid.
But there's also another point to be made here. It's one thing to be nostalgic, but it's another thing to live in the past. I don't think there's anything wrong with looking back on fond memories of childhood. In fact, it's where I get most of my inspiration for my writing. However, I believe there has to be a limit. Everybody says that if you're always looking back, then you can't see what's right in front of you. I believe that to be true, but for me, it's easier said than done. Sometimes, the present gets to be just too much and I just need a nice trip down memory lane. I think everybody does from time to time.
I think this song is not about just plain never growing up (like in a Peter Pan sort of way), but about retaining that childlike wonder into adulthood and staying faithful to your inner child. I'm a child at heart and I still enjoy lots of the same things I did when I was younger. I know I have to grow up and learn to make my own way in the world, but I don't think that means I can't still have the spirit of a little kid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6D3abgQEos
If you couldn't tell by now, I am a very nostalgic person. I love to revisit my past, whether it's music, movies, TV shows, or just anything that gives me a warm pleasant feeling. I first heard this song in my senior year of high school and I won't lie, it got me pretty emotional.
As I said, it was my last year of high school, which meant I would be going off to college soon and eventually, out into the world to live on my own. It's stressful thinking about having to take on so much responsibility for my own life. I knew I wasn't quite ready for it and, heck, I still don't feel quite ready. It's times like this when I wish I could just go back to being a young kid because, when you're that young, life is so much simpler, just as the song says. Swift sings about how, when you're young, you've got your whole life ahead of you and you don't have to worry about things like finding a well-paying job, managing your own taxes, or getting a driver's license. Your responsibilities are usually limited to school work, household chores and friends. Sometimes I wish everything could be the same as it was when I was a kid.
But there's also another point to be made here. It's one thing to be nostalgic, but it's another thing to live in the past. I don't think there's anything wrong with looking back on fond memories of childhood. In fact, it's where I get most of my inspiration for my writing. However, I believe there has to be a limit. Everybody says that if you're always looking back, then you can't see what's right in front of you. I believe that to be true, but for me, it's easier said than done. Sometimes, the present gets to be just too much and I just need a nice trip down memory lane. I think everybody does from time to time.
I think this song is not about just plain never growing up (like in a Peter Pan sort of way), but about retaining that childlike wonder into adulthood and staying faithful to your inner child. I'm a child at heart and I still enjoy lots of the same things I did when I was younger. I know I have to grow up and learn to make my own way in the world, but I don't think that means I can't still have the spirit of a little kid.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
"On Track"
This song is much more recent than the last two, but it's also probably one of the most obscure. It's entitled "On Track" and it's performed by Matthew Pantano (aka dBPony).
The lyrics are pretty straightforward. If you want something to good happen, you've gotta get off your butt and make it happen instead of just sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. That's what "living deliberately" is all about. "Carpe Diem," as they say.
This has been my biggest take away from reading about Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin was a man who accomplished so many different things in his lifetime because he knew how to take advantage of his own life and make things special and meaningful. It's a message that really resonates with me on a personal level.
I look around this school and I see my fellow classmates getting hired on real film sets, talking with working professionals and winning awards for their work on indie movies. I've been going to school here for almost three years and I don't really have a lot to show for it. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for my friends' accomplishments. I just sort of wish I could share in their success. I don't expect to get recognized for doing nothing, as I've tried many times to write a script that's at least good enough to be made into a student film. I try to treat each flop as a learning experience, but it kind of starts to weigh on you.
I don't like going through life as just a spectator. I have been taking steps recently to change. I'd love to take a more active approach to life, but I know it's not gonna happen overnight, partly because I lack one of the core elements to do so: motivation. I want to change my life for the better, but I'm just too lazy to take bigger steps. I know I'll get there someday, though. I just have to be patient.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
"Friend Like Me"
Today, my song of the week is "Friend Like Me" from Disney's Aladdin, sung by the late, great Robin Williams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw
Disney in general is special to a lot of people. There are few living today who didn't grow up watching the animated films from the House of Mouse. I, myself, am no exception. I have seen just about every animated Disney film ever made and I always love to go back and revisit them whenever I get the chance.
Although, I do have a confession to make. The first time I watched Aladdin was when I was about three years old. I was so afraid of the Cave of Wonders that I didn't go back and watch it again until I was 10. I already owned the soundtrack to the movie and I simply adored the songs, especially "Friend Like Me." My love for that song was what made me decide to finally give the movie another chance and once I did, I fell in love with it.
I believe that was the first time I can remember being so totally obsessed with one single song. It's just so incredibly catchy that whenever it started to play, I just had to sing along. The outrageous musical stylings of Robin Williams really make this Disney song unique among all others. His comedic randomness combined with the rhythm and tempo make for a really catchy tune that won't be leaving your head any time soon.
To many people of my generation, Robin Williams was one of the voices of our childhood. To me, he was also a personal hero and inspiration. Fortunately, his legacy still lives on through his film and television work, including this amazing piece of Disney history, which will always have a special place in my heart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Op1TaXmCw
Disney in general is special to a lot of people. There are few living today who didn't grow up watching the animated films from the House of Mouse. I, myself, am no exception. I have seen just about every animated Disney film ever made and I always love to go back and revisit them whenever I get the chance.
Although, I do have a confession to make. The first time I watched Aladdin was when I was about three years old. I was so afraid of the Cave of Wonders that I didn't go back and watch it again until I was 10. I already owned the soundtrack to the movie and I simply adored the songs, especially "Friend Like Me." My love for that song was what made me decide to finally give the movie another chance and once I did, I fell in love with it.
I believe that was the first time I can remember being so totally obsessed with one single song. It's just so incredibly catchy that whenever it started to play, I just had to sing along. The outrageous musical stylings of Robin Williams really make this Disney song unique among all others. His comedic randomness combined with the rhythm and tempo make for a really catchy tune that won't be leaving your head any time soon.
To many people of my generation, Robin Williams was one of the voices of our childhood. To me, he was also a personal hero and inspiration. Fortunately, his legacy still lives on through his film and television work, including this amazing piece of Disney history, which will always have a special place in my heart.
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