Listening Blog Twelve...

 This weeks song is "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars 

First off who hasn't listened to this song? I'm a sucker for Bruno Mars, so I may be a bit biased when I say this song is soo good! The beat and the lyrics make this song immaculate. It has that distinct sound that comes with most 2000s music. The scratchy record in the back and the classic drum to pair with it. Outside of the beat, the lyrics make every girl want a man like this. Someone that just hypes you up nonstop. Bruno Mars really hits 'em where it hurts. He talks about the girl's beauty and how she stands out from the crowd with her smile. He talks about how there isn't a thing that he would change when he looks at her. These lyrics can melt any girl's heart! When this song comes on in the car you already know that every girl in the car is going to belting this song. The lyrics bring to light what everyone wants from love. Which is for someone to love and admire them for the way that they are. Especially when it's love, not lust. When all this admiration comes from the heart it hits different and makes one feel on top of the world! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

Listening Blog Eleven...

 This week's song is "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson.

"Gone Country" is a classic story about a city girl and a country boy. The girl realizes that she doesn't enjoy what the city has to offer. Not to mention she's not getting any younger. So she decides to take a chance and try herself out in the country. The boy commutes the city, but the hustle and bustle isn't the life for him. So he sticks to his roots. Showing that everyone has a little country living in them. This type of storytelling that Alan Jackson does makes it easy for everyone to enjoy his kind of music. It's got a little something for everyone out there. Outside of the storytelling, the song has a basic melody throughout. It has a basic beat and doesn't have any instrumental solos that stand out. It's something that you'd want to listen to on a mellow summer day. Not the type of song that I see hyping the crowd up. It's more of a song that would be played on a Friday night drive cruising main. Upbeat but not all up in your face like some songs can be. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-ja75bFvI

Listening Blog Ten...

 This weeks song is "Graceland" by Paul Simon 

My first impression of this song was how it made it feel like you are returning home after being gone for so long. A very joyful feeling, anxious to get back and see loved ones. Makes me want to get up and go explore the roads that are out there and meet the people at every stop. Traveling in a van with the wind flowing through my hair and not a care in the world. It makes me think of the movie "Into the Wild" because of the way the producers portray the way Chris McCandless travels. Chris McCandless traveled in a carefree way, depending on his skills and what the land provided him within an attempt to find the Graceland. The instruments to this song, however, are deceiving. Even though it appears to be a carefree easygoing song it has a deep and sad meaning behind it. The lyrics talk about losing love and how it's like a window in your heart. But then again it goes to talk about how we will all be received in Graceland. So even though it discusses a lot of sad topics it continues to talk about how we won't have to stress or be upset in Graceland. So that is something to rejoice in and be excited about. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH5WVmaZFNE

Listening Blog Nine....

 The song this week "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)" by Parliament

The lyrics in this song seem to serve no purpose other than getting listeners in the mood to dance. The lyrics do a great job of getting you to groove right along with the beat. Even though the lyrics are the same throughout the song, saying, "We want the funk, give off the funk, we need the funk, we gotta have the funk." The lyrics do a great job of carrying the beat and getting the listeners to tune in with the beat. I would have to say that the beginning of the song is my favorite part. It begins very subtly with the lyrics and then builds to more of an upbeat tune. It reminds me of the song "Band On The Run," by Paul McCartney and Wings. Both have the build, the climax, and the resolution. "Band on the Run" is a bit more dramatic than "Give Up The Funk" but the way they build up gets the listener sucked in. The build and the climax of "Give Up The Funk" just flow together so seamlessly.  This song is built for the dance floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od-5gCO_PGE

Listening Blog Eight...

 This weeks song is "Here You Come Again," by Dolly Parton

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil were really on to something, composing a song so catchy and beautiful. The combination of instruments puts the listener in a trance, making them want to sway and get lost in the rhythm. Right from the start, the song gives off an upbeat tune that makes you feel so hopeful. If I was going to put this song's vibe into words, I think the lyrics do the best job. "Here you come again, Just when I'm about to make it work without you, You look into my eyes and lie those pretty lies, And pretty soon I'm wonderin' how I came to doubt you," when I heard these lyrics with the tune, it just makes sense. The hopeful and upbeat rhythm is just like how a relationship begins to feel, full of hope and optimism overlooking their faults and seeing the best they have to offer. This song does a great job of relating almost everyone's experience with past relationships that didn't work out. Just when you begin to collect yourself and move on, they show up tearing down all that progress you've made along with your defenses. It amazes me how songs like this one can express universal feelings in such a unique way. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflkeWVTNk0

Listening Blog Seven...

The song this week is, "Walk on By," by Dionne Warwick 

While listening to this song, I thought about was how it's a sad song. The tune is more mellow and not as lively as other songs. It allows the listener to ponder and drown in the beat along with the lyrics. Something that you'd turn on when you are on a late-night drive or in your feelings. When it comes to the lyrics they do an excellent job of expressing the feeling when passing a past love. The love that you has since been replaced with anger and sadness. The difficult thing is no one wants to show they're weak in front of them. We want to show our past love that we are thriving and enjoying life to the fullest. When in reality we are in pain and miss them dearly. I enjoy about this song is how the lyrics state, "Walk on by (Don't stop)," it's so easy to make excuses to stop and talk to them. But for us to recover from the hurt that they caused, we can't stop. We just have to keep living our lives even though it is so difficult at times. That's how I interpret this song, which promotes us to allow ourselves to heal from the damage of a goodbye. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO073fekFfA

Listening Blog Six...

 This weeks song is "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes

    "Be My Baby" is a song that carries so many memories with it. This song wasn't an uncommon one to hear around my household. The upbeat rhythm helped me get the chores done with some enthusiasm. The mixing and dubbing of this song add to the vocals. The dubbing is fundamental to the hype of the rhythm. Without even noticing, the listener begins to tap their foot as if it was involuntary. Even though the lyrics don't change a lot throughout it, this doesn't take away the fact that it is easy to get lost in the beat. The vocals almost seem to melt away when the chorus kicks in, letting the instruments star in this verse. 

In the summer, this would be the song that would be playing at your local diner, enjoying a few ice creams, laughing, and chatting it up with friends. Whether at the beach or on a car ride with a bunch of friends, this gets everyone swaying. With summer love in the air, this seems like it would be fitting to play during the summer season. Often, this song takes me to another world where I'm in the honeymoon phase with that special someone. Where everything seems to be working out, and nothing could go wrong. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPpbOGnFgk