Thursday 10 November 2011

"Where words fail, music speaks. " - Hans Christian Andersen

What's that, I hear you cry?! "Oh look, another cheesy, cliched blog post about how much music means to an individual."
I wish I could say otherwise, maybe change your mind that this isn't just another blog post that rambles on about how much music effects me but unfortunately, I can't. This really is just another cheesy blog.

There's always one song, one band or one album that can change your mood within seconds and for me, it's my absolute favourite: The Beatles. I don't even have favourite songs, I just know that as the album plays on, I'll gradually feel better. So I got to thinking (always dangerous), maybe music can soothe the soul and with this, I thought about the lyrics that are always guaranteed to change my mood for the better. And then I decided it would be a good idea to blog about them...so I'm sorry for boring you, as this is rather long...

"Nothing lasts forever, except you and me, 'cause you are my mountain, you are my sea."
(Mountains - Biffy Clyro)
This lyric instantly transports me back to July 31st 2010, with me and my best friend (the absolute love of my life in a totally no homo way) standing outside The Roundhouse, waiting for Biffy Clyro to show their faces. She's a BIG fan of the band and I willingly got dragged along to see them perform. We were on the barriers that night, after queuing for 5 hours, and despite having my ribs crushed for 2 hours, it was the most amazing night. This lyric always reminds me of my best friend (I've just realised I haven't even named her yet. Let's call her H) and that night. Eventually, it's going to be inked on my skin, I love it that much.

"I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul."
(Creep - Radiohead)
Perfection isn't achievable( unless you're John Lennon) in my eyes and after 4 years of struggling with that notion and trying to disprove it, I've finally discovered that perfection doesn't always lead to happiness. This lyric reminds me of my struggle and although some might say that that's pretty negative, I see it otherwise. The struggle made me stronger, braver and more courageous so this song will always have a positive connotation in my eyes.
PLUS one of my favourites, Tara London, did an amazing cover of this song and I seriously urge you to check that out as well:

"I don't know when I lost my mind, maybe it was when I made you mine."
(Miss You - Ed Sheeran)
Despite having a huge crush on him, this lyric made me love Ed Sheeran even more. A few months ago, I had just got back from spending an evening with one of my favourite men on this planet, who happens to be the guy I've had a huge crush on ever since I was 12. I was taking my make-up off, smiling like a crazy person and listening to my iPod when I heard this lyric. Suddenly, he text me thanking me for the evening and those words made so much sense. Even though things have changed between us (feelings, situations etc), this song always reminds me of him and that night.

"Ashtrays and smoke filled days, late nights and drunken ways: these are the things I do, but I'd give them up for you."
(Things I Do - Frank Hamilton)
Last year, on 20th December 2010, I won 2 tickets to see Frank Hamilton perform a really intimate gig in his living room. There was thick snow on the ground, weather warnings were being issued and TFL weren't keen on people using the underground but I still dragged my best friend to Clapham , where we ate Nandos looking like a couple (we shared a dessert, but neither of us were keen to put out that night) and then spent 30 minutes sat in a bus stop huddled from the cold snow. An hour into the gig, we were drinking red wine in Frank Hamilton's living room like it was completely normal. He played this song and these particular lyrics stuck in my head for some reason. It's the whole idea of loving somebody so much that you'd give up every single one of your vices for them. I like that. 
(p.s sorry Frank, I accidentally spilt red wine over your cream sofa. I covered it with a cushion and pretended it wasn't me sitting there...despite the pangs of guilt I felt every 5 minutes after the incident, you still made 20th December one of the best nights for me.)

"I don't know where I'm going, I don't want to know anyway, I just need you here 'cause you are my sundown."
(Sundown - Charlie Simpson)
I don't do 'love' easily, in fact I don't do emotions easily, but not so long ago, I was absolutely infatuated with somebody and the feeling was mutual (or so they said). We'd send each other lyrics via text and this lyric was included in those conversations. I was genuinely really happy with the confusing situation we had placed ourselves in and this lyric always reminds me of that. It's that feeling of not giving a care in the world about anything else but one person and wanting them with you, always. I don't feel that easily so it's nice to be reminded of a time when I let my guard down and became human, as opposed to a robot, for a while. 

"Light up, light up as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I'll be right beside you dear."
(Run - Snow Patrol)
Flash back to V Festival 2009, Oasis were supposed to be headlining but due to Liam having laryngitis (we later found out, the boys had in fact split up), Snow Patrol were bumped up to headlining slot. Being my first festival, everything seemed amazing to me but words can't explain this night. Walking back to the camp site, all I could hear around me was little groups each singing this lyric over and over again. Eventually, everybody merged into one group and we had our own little choir, guiding us back to camp. I was surrounded by my favourite people, slightly tipsy and just on cloud nine. As of yet, no festival moment has come close to this one. 

"Thinking back, thinking of you. Summertime think it was June. Yeah, think it was June."
(Dakota - Stereophonics)
I was 16, with a fake I.D and the world at my feet. I was studying everything I've always wanted to study at college. I had great friends and a really great family around me and I had so many options/choices. Cut to now and all of that is just a blur of alcohol because with fake I.D comes the feeling of maturity, that really my 16 year old self couldn't deal with. College became boring, friends were only great when they had alcohol or drugs and the most important choice was choosing between vodka or gin. 
I don't have many memories of this 'phase', apart from one. Stood, in a pub, on a pool table in a stupidly short skirt, surrounded by 40 year old men (who had obviously come in for a 'quick drink' and ended up absolutely trolleyed because 2 16 (posing as 19) year old girls had forced them to do shots) screaming these lyrics out accompanied by the jukebox. This song always makes me smile, because I've realised how far I've come since then. I like to think of the 'you' as my bad phase that I'm not living anymore, just merely thinking back on.
"That I would be good"
(That I Would Be Good - Alanis Morissette)
Short and simple really, this song reminds me of being 14. Struggling to deal with the transition between child and teenager, I was lucky to have a really cool mentor who introduced me, properly, to Alanis Morissette and this song. Suddenly, everything made sense and the struggle didn't seem like such a mountain anymore. 
(If you're reading this, like you say you do, I'm hoping you realise how thankful I am.)
"A drop in the ocean, a change in the weather, I was praying that you and me might end up together."
(Drop In The Ocean - Ron Pope)
This song and these lyrics, specifically, remind me so much my first year of college. I was so naive with ideas way above my station and I met 3 girls who completely changed my life (they know who they are). They brought me back down to Earth a little bit and every Friday night, we'd listen to this, singing our hearts out and eating pizza. I was SO happy and these lyrics just sum it up so well. Whenever I hear this song now, I'm taken back to every single Friday night we spent laughing at each other when one of us messed up the lyrics. You girls rock xxx
  
"Breathe me."
(Breathe Me - Sia)
This is the part of the blog which I don't read out to my Mum because not only would she probably kill me as she doesn't know, she'd also kill me whilst slating this song. These lyrics are inked on my ribs forever now. Like I said, with fake I.D comes a stupid sense of maturity and with that maturity comes the stupid idea to get a tattoo. Philosophy was boring me, my iPod was playing this song and for that moment in time, I felt like the lyrics really "captured my mood". I don't know how well I can relate to them now, but I don't really have a choice as the ink is permanent. While some people think it's really stupid of me to have got these lyrics tattooed, I'm really glad because whenever I look at my ribs, I'm reminded of who I was back then and those stupid ideas that turned into reality, making me who I am right now.
 


With that note, I'm done. I've just realised how long this blog actually is so if you got this far, I'm in awe. Thank you for reading. What about you guys though? Are there any lyrics that stand out for you and why? 
xxx

6 comments:

  1. Aw Vick, I absolutely love this post! It's amazing how music can change your mood/take you back to a certain time in your life/make you cry/make you laugh/make you contemplate throwing your laptop at the wall.

    I love all of these lyrics. The Snow Patrol 'Run' ones are definitely important to me too after my trip to Mr 71 miles last week.... ARG!

    I love you, you hunky beast xXx

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  2. My favourite lyric and one that never fails to make me smile/cry is from The Mountain Goats - Going To Georgia

    "the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it's you and that you're standing in the doorway"

    Simple, direct and perfect. You don't always need fancy wordsmithery to get your point across. this lyric s for me the perfect lyrical expression of what it means to be truly in love.

    Incidentally a friend of mine co-wrote Run. Don't know if he was responsible for that line though.

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  3. @Neil - I really bloody love that song, and that lyric, too.
    Like you said, it's simple, direct and perfect and it captures 'love' in it's purest, and simplest, form. Something not many people understand but when you listen to that song, it feels as though you do.

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  4. I'm glad you've heard it. You did listen to some things I said then! This version is incredible even though he messes up that line. Shivers everytime I watch it. if you can see him live

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  5. By this version I of course mean this version

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW69F2yvF2Y

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  6. @Neil hahaha, I listened to a lot of what you said which is why I walked out with an A. I'm gonna watch this now, I do really love this song and the band.

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