Lyric Thursday: Sum 41 "Pieces"

 "Pieces"

I tried to be perfect
But nothing was worth it
I don’t believe it makes me real
I thought it’d be easy
But no one believes me
I meant all the things I said

If you believe it’s in my soul
I’d say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I’m trying to let you know
That I’m better off on my own

This place is so empty
My thoughts are so tempting
I don’t know how it got so bad
Sometimes it’s so crazy
That nothing can save me
But it’s the only thing that I have

If you believe it’s in my soul
I’d say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I’m trying to let you know
That I’m better off on my own

On my own

I tried to be perfect
It just wasn’t worth it
Nothing could ever be so wrong
It’s hard to believe me
It never gets easy
I guess I knew that all along

If you believe it’s in my soul
I’d say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I’m trying to let you know
That I’m better off on my own

Lyric Thursday: Wakey!Wakey! "Almost Everything"

So Lyric Thursday is something I plan on doing on a weekly basis. Basically it'll be just me posting the lyrics of a song that send a pretty good message be it hope, love, inspiration and so on. To be clear it will only be the lyrics. No explanation or anything. First one posted below.


"Almost Everything"

Just lay down with me before you go
It's the wrong thing I know
But I don't know when I will see you again
And it gets so lonely

You'd be be foolish if you stayed here now
Maybe if you leave we can work it out
Cause I know the city only breaks you down
And it gets you lonely
Yeah, it's gonna get lonely

You miss the feeling when you step outside
And then your mind comes all untied
And then you open up your eyes
And you don't feel lonely

And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
Someday

And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
Someday

Yeah, Someday

And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
And it feels bad now but it's gonna get better
Someday

Artist Spotlight: Imagine Dragons

Okay so for the last few weeks or so I've been listening to Imagine Dragon's debut album Night Visions repeatedly. It's just really good in my opinion. I honestly can't think of one song that I don't like. One of my favorite things about it is that each song has it 's own particular sound that you wouldn't think would flow together seamlessly in an album setting but it just does. Prime example in highlighting the differences in tone when comparing two of the songs on the album would be the Radioactive and On Top of The World. But it works. At least in my opinion.

My first introduction to the group was hearing their song It's Time covered by Glee's Darren Criss in the show. Liking the song I had to hear the original and just loved it. Loving their sound I bought the album right away. Currently my favorites are Nothing Left To Say/Rocks (Medley) and My Fault. Although honestly, all their songs are great. There really isn't one that I would even pick as a least favorite. For me it's pretty rare for that to happen. Even for my absolute favorite artists there is at least one song I don't care for. So saying I love every single track is kinda odd for me to say.

I don't really know much about the band except that they are from Las Vegas and got their big break when performing in a large music festival in Vegas. Also they had two members who had left the group leaving us with the lineup they currently have now. Their current member lineup is as follows:

Dan Reynolds - Vocals, Percussion
Ben McKee - Bass, Backing Vocal
Wayne "Wing" Sermon - Guitar, Cello, Backing Vocals
Dan Platzman - Drums, Viola, Backing Vocals

I've found that they have previously released a few EPs before their debut album that I do intend on looking up when I get the chance.  Hopefully I'll get to see them perform live as well. I hear they will be performing at Summerfest so I'm hoping to catch the show.

I'm just really loving their music and look forward to hearing a lot more from them.

 Discography:

Until next time!

Losing Yourself In The Music

Do ever find yourself so enthralled in the song you are listening to at the moment that the world just fades away? And it's not just any song. There's that one song that no matter what happens when you listen to it all your worries and thoughts just fade to the background and you just let the sound flow through you. I have a few like that. One of my favorite things to do is to lay back in the darkness, close my eyes and fade into the journey of the melody. The one song that is most definitely at the very top of my list is Jimmy Eat World's 23.  I can't really pinpoint what it is that causes me to just lose myself in the song. All around the song is amazing. The lyrics, guitar, everything. I could just sit and listen to it over and over and never get tired of it. And believe me there were a couple of nights where I did. It's like 7 minutes of Heaven for me.  It's put me into a wonderfully restful sleep while in repeat mode and woken up to it continuously playing. I'm sure we all have songs like that for us. That's what so great about music you know.

For your enjoyment. Or not ;)

Until next time...

Sorry I've Been MIA. Reason For My Absence.

Well, it's been awhile. I've been keeping away of being online and have felt bad that I haven't kept up with anyone or anything going on lately and while I have a tendency of stepping away without notice I had vowed not to do so again without good reason. Well, I had very good reason. For those wanting to know read ahead.

Warning, about to get personal:

In early May I had somewhat of a major breakdown at work. I don't really know why it happened. All I know is I woke up unnecessarily angry at everything. My breaking point was when I got called out on the phone for snapping at someone for no reason. Apparently I was not able to fake it anymore. I hid in the bathroom and just cried uncontrollably. Told my boss I had to leave because I couldn't handle being around anyone. Went home and just cried the rest of the night. The next day I was called in to my boss' office to explain what happened. I finally had to tell him about my battle with depression the past few years and how unhappy I was with life, both personally and work wise.

Funny thing is I knew somewhat that this was bound to happen. For weeks I had been delving into darker thoughts and having days where I just wanted to disappear. I was pretty good at pretending everything was okay when talking to people but when I was alone I couldn't help the thoughts in my head. I had begun having constant dreams of being stabbed to death and every other thought I had was about ways I could hurt myself. Scariest part about that is thinking if I did get badly hurt I would feel relieved. I also found it becoming more difficult to fake being okay at work. Everyone around me was noticing something was wrong.

Since then I have met with my boss and HR on things I could do. They were a little concerned that I had gone off my meds by my own choice without letting my doctor know. At the time I thought I was okay. How wrong was I? I have started going back to the doctor who officially said I suffer from severe depression. I've been put on some new medication and referred to a counselor. In terms of this new medication, wow it is an experience. It's been about a month on it and it has been a roller coaster. I had never experienced such side effects. For a month I did not feel like myself at all and not in a good way.

I look at the few tweets I posted and it reads strange to me. Good reason to stay away from online. Well that and the fact that I couldn't find any enjoyment in the things I loved. Kelly Clarkson has a new video and other great things and I found no joy in it. As well as Bethany Joy Lenz, Carrie Underwood, The Veronicas, Lea Michele and so forth. I found no joy in any of the awesome things they are doing. I mean come on Lea is working on a new book, Joy is working on an album and The Veronicas finally completed their new album! I should feel excited and nothing! Even those little things that would spark some happiness in me did nothing. Nothing I was doing with family could even spark a smile. I was just miserable. I'm finally going to  see Wicked at the end of June and even that took some effort to get even a little happy about as she gave me my ticket. It was bad.

At this point now I feel more like myself a bit. I think the meds have finally kicked in and are working. Though my doctor suggests I should get out more. I have a habit of isolating my self in my room and shutting out the world which does not help with getting better. My Vitamin D levels are apparently at a very low level of 13 when it should be between 50 - 60. Which means I need more sun. I've never been the outgoing or outside type but I'm really trying. I miss being excited about things. I hope soon I'll get back to finding enjoyment in things I love again. I miss everyone and I'm tired of being isolated. I want normalcy. I wanna hang with friends and tell jokes and get the most out of life. I'm on the path to actively make these changes I desperately need. No more talking and more doing.

Sorry if I got too personal, but I felt like I had to get this out.

Until next time. Peace, Love, and Hugs.

Artist Spotlight: Carrie Underwood

So, for the last two months I have been listening to a lot of Carrie Underwood. I have listened to some of her stuff before and loved it. Before He Cheats and Just A Dream are a couple of my favorite songs from her. I was mostly a casual fan. I wasn't out running to buy her cds as soon as they came out, but I enjoyed what I would hear from her on the radio and had purchased quite a few of her songs. But something in the last few weeks drew me to her. I found my self looking up more of her songs and videos and enjoyed them.

I've always held Carrie to high regard. She is both incredibly talented and beautiful. And in my opinion along with Kelly Clarkson, they are the two American Idols to really have lived up to the titles and enjoyed the most success.

My favorite thing about Carrie's music are the stories they tell.  Each song is so visually descriptive that you can easily picture the story happening as you sing along to the lyrics. And let me tell you the stories that Carrie tells in her songs are far from boring or bland. At least in my opinion. And her videos just suck you in. She's just all around amazing. Have I mentioned how funny and down to earth she is as well? No? Well she is. She is the whole package and I'm happy to be a fan. Glad to add her as one of my new girl crushes.

Carrie on the platform performing over the crowd

I was lucky enough a few days ago to see her live in concert for her Blown Away Tour. I didn't realize she was coming to Milwaukee until late so my seats weren't the greatest. I was basically in the nosebleed section. Thank goodness for my wonderful new camera. The show was incredible. She was so entertaining and I loved every moment. The girl has an amazing voice. Not to mention all her costumes were fabulous. The white dress in the beginning has to be my favorite. And it was a wonderful surprise to see her opening act Hunter Hayes join her to sing Leave Love Alone.   One of my favorite parts was when she floated over the audience on a platform halfway through the show. It was great to hear all my favorites live. And the way she closed the show with Blown Away and had a tornado of smoke and confetti form behind her was awesome! If I could I would relive the show all over again. Definitely have to put it up there as one of my favorite concert experiences.

I started off a casual fan and now I'm proud to say I am a very dedicated fan. There's just so much to love about Carrie and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Here are some more concert pics:

(Milwaukee, WI 5-3-13)

Performing Leave Love Alone with Hunter Hayes

Performing Remind Me with Brad Paisley via  projection screen

Discography:

Musical Obsession: April

So for the last week or so I find my self listening to the same few albums. I like to just listen to them over and over again. They all just put me in a good mood and fun to sing along to.

1. Imagine Dragons - Night Vision (Deluxe Version)

What I really enjoy about this cd is the interesting mix of songs. There's the deep sounds like Demons, Nothing Left To Say and then you also have more upbeat songs like On Top Of The World and Under Dog. At first it was kinda weird for me. But now I really enjoy it and thinks it's fun. It's Time is definitely my favorite song with Nothing Left To Say a very close second.

2. Pitch Perfect Original Soundtrack

First off I absolutely love this movie. It was hilarious and the performances are great. It incredible what they are able to do just using their voices and nothing else. Acapella singers are incredible. Every track on the album is done incredibly well. My favorite tracks would have to be Just The Way You Are/ Just A Dream mashup and The Bellas finals performance. I also Love Anna Kendrick's performance of Cups. She sounded so good and now I want to learn how to do the cup song.

3. Cassadee Pope - The Voice The Complete Season 3

I just love Cassadee's voice. She's just so good. I love listening to her interpretations of some of my fave songs. She blows me away with her performance of Stand and Stupid Boy. And as a huge Kelly stan I really loved her singing Behind These Hazel Eyes. She did a great job. Not many people can pull it off and well. At least in my opinion. I look forward to her album. I do have the Hey Monday cds when she fronted the band and enjoyed them as well.

Special Mentions:  

Kelly Clarkson: Greatest Hits - Chapter One

Had to throw this in here for the simple fact that it's Kelly and it's all her best hits on one with some new tracks. It's a great collection. I absolutely love the new tracks Catch My Breath and People Like Us. I find myself singing those all the time. Whn I'm in a girl power mood and want to sing at the top of my lungs this album is a definite go to.

The Veronicas: Revenge Is Sweeter Tour (Live Album)

Like Kelly I had to include this because it's The Veronicas and the fact that this is probably one of the best live albums I have listened to and owned. The girls are energetic and have so much fun in their performances. The interaction with the crowd is entertaining and of course they perform two of my favorite ballads so powerfully I cry every time I listen to them.

So those are my picks and I would definitely recommend a listen. If it's not your thing that's fine but at least give it a try. You never know what you might enjoy until you give it a try. It's how I got into Imagine Dragons actually. 

Until next time. Peace, Love, and Hugs!

Poetry Corner: Sinking Into The Blackness

I’m trapped in this blackness with no way out

As hard as I try to fight it I can’t help but sink in

I want to be free but I don’t know how

I fight and fight but I never seem to win

I don’t know how to break from these chains that tie me here

I’m to the point where all I want to do is give up

I’m stuck in this blackness where nothing gets clear

I’m so tired of everything and I’ve had enough

I’m tired of the false happiness; I’m tired of the lies

I thought I was over it, I thought I was in control

I’m sinking in the despair, tears falling from my eyes

With the types of people around me, I’ll never be whole

Every day I face hypocrites who try to play me for a fool

Maybe I am one and I just don’t know I am

Playing nice to my face and turn around and just be cruel

I just really wish I had the strength to take a stand

I’m falling in this blackness with no sign of any light

I really don’t know how long I’ll last

Even with the little help I have, I still can’t win the fight

I want to go forward and leave this pain in the past

I truly thought that I was going on and progressing

I thought that I was finally free

But now I see that I’m really just regressing

I’m losing sight of me

I’m sinking deeper and deeper with no escape

I think the blackness has finally won

There’s nothing more my heart and mind can take

Will it matter at all if I’m gone?

(Written by me on 01/06/09)

Poetry Corner: Tell Me Why

Tell me why we have to suffer through pain

Tell me why tears resemble the rain

Tell me why love can hurt so much

Tell me why you always burn me with your touch

Tell me, do you know the answers to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why I have this tear-stained face

Tell me why these feelings I cannot erase

Tell me why you say the things you say

Tell me why you won’t let me go away

Tell me, do you know the answers to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why my heart is breaking

Tell me why my soul is aching

Tell me why I have to have it so rough

Tell me why my suffering is not enough

Tell me, do you know the answer to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why I have to hide

Tell me why my feelings are drowning me inside

Tell me why you make me feel so sad

Tell me why you have to be so bad

Tell me, do you know the answers to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why you played with my mind

Tell me why you always left me behind

Tell me why you broke my heart

Tell me why you tore me apart

Tell me, do you know the answers to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why you don’t love me anymore

Tell me why things can’t be like before

Tell me why you treat me like dirt

Tell me why you like to see me hurt

Tell me, do you know the answers to these

I need to know so tell me please

Tell me why you like to see me cry

Tell me why you make me feel like I wanna die

Tell me why you waste me like a dime

You know what, forget it, you’re not worth my time.

(Written by me April 2002)