30 Day Song Challenge - Day 3

Note: Starting today I figured out how to work the url command in blogspot, so just click on the song title to go to the youtube video of the song.

Day 3: A song that makes you happy

This is going to be an odd one. I'll list the winner first and then give an explanation, because a lot of you are going to listen to this song and just...scratch your head.

Winner: I Wanna Be (Stance Punks)

Listen to this song first, then read my description below.

Ok, so, assuming you listened to the song, I can probably imagine what you're thinking. "It's just screaming. There's nothing musical about it. This is a horrible song!" This was pretty much my first impression of it. "I Wanna Be" is the first ending/credits theme from an animé called Soul Eater (one of my favorites). The first time I heard it, I went out of my way to avoid the ending credits of the series. But after a few episodes, a miraculous thing started to happen...I started to listen to it more and more.

There is something primal about this song, even before you get to the lyrics and the translation (I didn't even look up the translation for months after I started listening to the song). It has always sounded somewhat affirming--even defiant--to me, like the singers are screaming at everything that is bad and unpleasant in life, everything that would hold them back and tell them "you can't do this" or "you're not good enough". I can't help but be uplifted. I always imagine the singers saying "we can't sing, but screw that, we're going to do it and have fun with it!" (I imagine they are better singers than this song would have us believe, of course).

This probably means little to you, dear reader, but isn't that sort of what music is? Something deeply personal and internal to each of us? I don't expect you to understand. But try and give the song another listen, keeping in mind my feelings on it and see if you think the same. Here, I'll even give you the translation (thank you, animelyrics.com).

Edit: Due to formatting issues, the best I can do is link the lyrics and their translation. Click here.

I don't expect to have converted anyone to liking this song, really. It's one of those quirky things unique to me, I imagine (well, I'm sure there's others in the world who like this song, but I doubt anyone I know would). But in the end, this is a song that makes me feel happy and uplifted and even optimistic. So I would be remiss to not give this day to it.

Runner Up: Someday I'll Be Saturday Night (Bon Jovi)

For those of you who didn't like my previous choice (which I imagine is all of you...and I don't hold it against you. It's an acquired taste), you can feel free to imagine this song as my "winner". This one's a bit more straight forward. It's a lot of the same emotions as "I Wanna Be," but a little less obscure, a little less bizzare, a little more musical, and a little less Japanese. It's pretty straight forward. Life is hard. I'm down on my luck. But damnit, someday things are going to be ok.

Runner Up: Sunscreen (Baz Luhrman)

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 2

So here we go, day two of the 30-Day Song Challenge. Today's is relatively uninteresting:

Day 2: Your least favorite song

Ok, so...as with anyone, there are a lot of songs here that I could list. I can't really even think of many simply because I just don't listen to songs I don't like (funny how that works, in'it?). I could list a lot of artists I don't like (Bieber, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry...though even saying those artists, I can think of one or two of their songs I don't mind...well, except Bieber), but specific songs are elusive. One song always kind of stuck in my craw for a very specific reason, however, so I suppose I should give that one the award.

Winner: Follow Me (Uncle Kracker) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg4np7GUcSw

I hate this song, but it's not so much the song as the message, glorifying adultery, unfaithfulness, and cheating on one's spouse. My hatred for it has cooled over the years, and I do have to admit, the melody is catchy (which is part of the reason I hated/hate it...I don't want to remember this song, but I just can't get it out of my head!), but since I remembered, to this day, how much I once loathed this song, I guess it better get the award for my least favorite.

That being said, I did have to stop the Youtube video from playing...I still don't want to listen to it...

Runner Up: None that I can think of.

It may seem odd that I can't think of songs that I hate, but as I said before, I simply don't listen to songs that I don't like. I don't listen to the radio much, and when I do, I simply change the station quickly if I know I do not like the song I'm listening to. That being said, I'm sure there are plenty--rap music especially--that I dislike. They just aren't coming to mind.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 1

It's been awhile since I've "blogged". I warned you (all, what, two of you?) that I don't do well witht hings I am expected to update regularly, but here's something I saw that I kind of liked. It's something I found on Facebook (see, something good /can/ come out of Facebook!) thanks to my Sister, Amber, "participating". It's called the 30-day Song Challenge.

Now, along with video games, I am kind of a music nut. I'm not into the "pretentious" indie scene or heavy metal or rap or classic rock or classical or anything like that--except to say that, in a way, I'm into all of that stuff. I enjoy all music and have a rather extensive collection that I have gathered throughout the years (most legally...some less so). So this challenge tweaked my interest just right since I have so many songs to choose from. Besides that, I enjoy using music to enhance my moods and emotions and that's pretty much exactly what this is.

So, before I begin, here are the "rules". If you want to do it yourself on Facebook or whatever, I'll list the days and their themes. Play along at home!

Day 01 - Your favorite song

Day 02 - Your least favorite song

Day 03 - A song that makes you happy

Day 04 - A song that makes you sad

Day 05 - A song that reminds you of someone

Day 06 - A song that reminds you of somewhere

Day 07 - A song that reminds you of a certain event

Day 08 - A song that you know all the words to

Day 09 - A song that you can dance to

Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep

Day 11 - A song from your favorite band

Day 12 - A song from a band that you hate

Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure

Day 14 - A song that no one would expect you to love

Day 15 - A song that describes you

Day 16 - A song that you used to love but now hate

Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio

Day 18 - A song that you wish you heard on the radio

Day 19 - A song from your favorite album

Day 20 - A song that you listen to when you’re angry

Day 21 - A song that you listen to when you’re happy

Day 22 - A song that you listen to when you’re sad

Day 23 - A song that you want to play at your wedding

Day 24 - A song that you want to play at your funeral

Day 25 - A song that makes you laugh

Day 26 - A song that you can play on an instrument

Day 27 - A song that you wish you could play

Day 28 - A song that makes you feel guilty

Day 29 - A song from your childhood

Day 30 - Your favorite song at this time last year

I was going to do this all in one day just as a single blog...but it turned into quite an undertaking and I got hung up at about Day 5, so I suppose I should stick to the rules and do one day at a time. I guess I didn't stop to think how long a single blog with 30 days of music and commentary would be.

So, without further ado:

Day 1: Your favorite song

I don't really like that this is the very first day. Ask anyone this question and I'll bet 90% of the people asked won't be able to answer unless you allow them a couple of picks, so, as will become a common theme in this list, I will give a couple of my "favorite" songs. After all, this changes every year, week, and most days. Generally, how I judge my "favorite song" (and I do often think about what songs are my favorites) starts with songs I rarely, if ever, skip on my MP3 player (or change the station on the few times I listen to the radio). You'd be surprised at just how much this narrows the field down...

"Winners": Drive (The Cars) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrKdDLhtvls and Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-O3kYrDPbI

Both of these songs are just viral to me. The melodies have been in my head for years and I just can't help singing along with them. Nothing in particular about either of these songs resonatewith me, emotionally or whatever, they're just the kinds of songs are stuck in my head for days (and, as mentioned above, I rarely skip on my MP3 player--in fact, I often seek them out).

"Runners Up" - Iris (Goo Goo Dolls) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIYOzL3cp5k and Good Riddance (Green Day) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLOkbW9yCI

I call these my "runners up" because, until fairly recently (this year or last year, I suppose), I would have called them both my favorite songs (don't ask why my "favorites" come in pairs...I don't know). All of the comments above are relevant to these as well, though I think the lyrics of these two songs are more resonant with me. Particularly "Good Riddance," it's just such a good song for endings, so to speak. I think they both fell out of my top spot, however, when people continued to use them all the damn time at graduations and what have you. They just got overdone.

Still, I do enjoy both songs. I just don't seek them out to listen to them so much anymore. In any case, they still deserve a spot in my "favorites" for how long they were, in fact, my favorites.

Honorable Mentions:

Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXsmGSnq3lE

I Wanna Be (Stance Punks) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_WYx0jKc-M (more on this one later)

Savior (Rise Against) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zECISXSYOw

King of Wishful Thinking (Go West) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtoaK9EUjto

Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari (Supercell?) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVd7nfKE3g

And these are just ones that came off the top of my head. Once again, my "favorite" song is prone to change at random. I am a whimsical guy. I may deign to inform you when it does...but I doubt it. It could be that I'm missing some just because I haven't gone through my extensive list of music...but it's my opinion that a person's "favorite" song should be one that they can rattle off without a great deal of thought.