“Your Love” – The Outfield

the outfield

For some reason, I’ve recently been listening to a lot of old classics. Maybe it’s because I haven’t listened to any older songs in awhile, or maybe it’s because I miss listening to these songs with my dad. Either way, I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about these older songs. One of my favorites is “Your Love” by The Outfield, which was released in 1986. Undoubtedly everyone recognizes it as an 80’s classic, and for good reason. It’s happy, upbeat, and just a great classic rock song. The song is about a one-night stand that occurs when the singer’s current girlfriend, “Josie”, is away. The first verse explains this:

Josie’s on a vacation far away
Come around and talk it over
So many things that I want to say
You know I like my girls a little bit older
I just wanna use your love tonight
I don’t wanna lose your love tonight

The first line, “Josie’s on a vacation far away”, indicates that his girlfriend is away. The following two lines, “Come around and talk it over / So many things that I want to say”, refers to his interest in talking to his old love, his ex-girlfriend. He hasn’t seen her in a while, and he misses her. The final three lines reveal this truth, showing the sexual tension between he past lovers. Although he has a girlfriend, the singer can’t help but want something with his past love again. The second verse explains this desire:

I ain’t got many friends left to talk to
Nowhere to run when I’m in trouble
You know I’d do anything for you
Stay the night but keep it undercover
I just wanna use your love tonight, whoa
I don’t wanna lose your love tonight

The first three lines explain how the singer is all alone. He has no friends around, no one to get his back if he needs it. At the time, the only person he knows is his past love and he can’t help but want to spend time with her. The fourth line reveals his intentions, which are for the girl to “Stay the night but keep it undercover.” While he’ll be cheating on Josie, he can’t help himself. Sometimes old feelings are just too hard to ignore. He does have trouble doing it, however, which the next verse describes:

Try to stop my hands from shakin’
‘Cause somethin’ in my mind’s not makin’ sense
It’s been awhile since we were all alone
I can’t hide the way I’m feelin’

The singer wasn’t expecting to run into his past love, but because he does he’s flooded with all sorts of emotions. His hands are shaking from these emotions and his own nervousness. He knows that what he’s doing is wrong but he can’t help it. As he says, “I can’t hide the way I’m feelin'”. Sometimes old feelings never go away, and when they come back it’s impossible to control them. The singer can’t control his old emotions, and just for a night he decides to let them control him. He may regret it in the morning, but for the night he’s in love once again.

Love is a very interesting emotion that is almost impossible to accurately describe. It consists of so many different feelings wrapped into one emotion. In my opinion, a lot of older songs capture love better than more current songs. Whenever I listen to these classics, I’m filled with emotions that I don’t get when I listen to songs today. Classics are called classics because they are timeless, and “Your Love” in certainly a timeless song.

Listen to it below. You’ll recognize it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N1iwQxiHrs

“Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band

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The Zac Brown Band. Zac Brown is second from the right.

To follow up with my last post, I thought I’d talk about another country favorite of mine. As I revealed last time, country was a genre of music I only recently got into. In fact, I heard “Chicken Fried” for the first time this past summer and fell in love with it. The song is about the simple things in life and how important they are. The singer recollects things he grew up on and their importance to him, such as chicken fried, watching the sun rise, and enjoying a cold beer at night. The song begins with the chorus:

Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio on
I like to see the sun rise
See the love in my woman’s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother’s love

The chorus lists the small things in life that are most important to the singer. Relaxing with a beer, wearing comfortable jeans, listening to the radio, watching the sun rise, spending his life with the perfect woman, having a child, and still having his mother’s love. Money, power, or fame have no meaning to him. He has everything he needs in life and he’s happy. The first verse talks more about the importance of little things:

Well I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia Pine
And that’s home you know
Sweet tea, pecan pie, and homemade wine where the peaches grow
And my house it’s not much to talk about
But it’s filled with love that’s grown in southern ground

The singer grew up in the south, so he has an affinity for southern customs, like “sweet tea, pecan pie, and homemade wine.” He says his house is “not much to talk about / But it’s filled with love that’s grown in southern ground.” While his house may be small or run-down, he wouldn’t trade it for anything else. His house is a by-product of the southern customs he grew up on, which makes it a part of him. The second verse expands former ideas in a less-specific way:

Well it’s funny how it’s the little things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive or the price tag on your clothes
There’s no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I’ve come to know
So if you agree, have a drink with me
Raise you glasses for a toast

The first line sums up the song the best: “Well it’s funny how it’s the little things in life that mean the most.” Although he has said it indirectly plenty of times already, the singer directly explains how happy he is with his life. As he continues he explains how money has no importance in life. All it does is cause worry, so why bother? He’s as happy as can be, and he invites the audience to join him with a toast to the simple things.

mqdefaultI have to say, experiencing country music has done so much more than expand my music library. Songs like this one have broadened how I think. Having a flashy car or a great home may be nice, but having a lot of money doesn’t leave a mark on the world. Raising a family, enjoying doing so, and preparing your children to live their own, happy lives is the most important thing a man can ever do. Money may make doing so easier, but money can’t develop a powerful relationship with your children or teach them how to live. The Zac Brown Band might just be on to something with their music.

 

Listen to the song for yourself here:

“Sorority Girl” by Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan

Although I grew up never being a fan of country, spending my summer enjoying various country concerts with friends opened me up to loving it. Of the country artists I’ve come to love, Luke Bryan is one of my favorites. One of his newest songs is “Sorority Girl”, which was released on March 5, 2012 as a part of “Spring Break… Here to Party”, Bryan’s newest album. The song celebrates Bryan’s love for sorority girls during his college experience. The first verse recollects the amazing experience we all know and love: game day.

You got your sundress on for game day
Just to drink beer on an old tailgate
You were born and raised to be a southern belle
But in a place like this you like to raise a little hell
You got your year-round tan
You’re on the five year plan
You shake your little pom poms up in the stands

Bryan begins by describing the view of a beautiful girl at a tailgate: “You got your sundress on for game day / Just to drink beer on an old tailgate.” In the South, sundresses are the most common type of clothing worn by women. As Bryan sees this girl, he recognizes she was “born and raised to be a southern belle.” College is a different time, however, and Bryan knows this girl is at college to have fun. He can tell from the tailgate that she “likes to raise a little hell” and she’s “on a five year plan” because she won’t want to leave after four. Bryan’s chorus expresses his disbelief at all the pretty girls in all of the different sororities.

My my my little ADPi
Kappa Delta
Tri Delts you look so fine
Ooo don’t know what I’m gonna do around those
Zeta’s
Theta’s
Chi O’s
and little Phi Mu’s
Hey Yea Hey Yea
My my sorority girl
My my sorority girl

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Out of all parts of college, perhaps the best part is college football. Here at Penn State, we have tens of thousands of people drive in every weekend for game day. Walking outside on a Saturday at 11 am is a spectacular site; thousands of people line the streets, yelling and jumping because of all the excitement. In the South, college football is just as huge, especially because of the nicer weather. The South is also known for Greek Life, in some cases more so than Penn State. Alabama is a great example, with 29% of men in fraternities and 38% of females in sororities (as of 2010). Luke Bryan’s song celebrates the experience of being a part of Greek Life when it comes to came day. In his opinion, few things compare to a college tailgate with Greeks, especially the beautiful sorority girls. The song is fun and upbeat and I can relate to it, which is why I like it so much. Have a listen for yourself down below, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

Penn State tailgate

The fun that is Penn State football tailgating.

 

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland 2012 Day 1Although I usually discuss a song each week, I’m going to try something a little different. This week I’m going to talk about Tomorrowland, which is an annual huge EDM concert that takes place in Belgium. The concert is meant to be an international event, bringing together thousands of people from across the world to share their love of dance and music. Last year, over 75 countries were represented out of 180,000 attendees. The first Tomorrowland occurred on August 14, 2005 and had only 10,000 attendees. Tomorrowland 2006 only saw a slight increase in popularity, with 15,000 attending. It was until 2007 that Tomorrowland began to grow both in attendance and magnitude. 2007 was the first year Tomorrowland lasted 2 days with around 50,000 attendees. From 2007 on, Tomorrowland became incredibly popular, allowing the show to have more artists, more stages, and more fun.

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The theme of Tomorrowland is entering into a fairytale with thousands of other people and having an experience you’ll never forget. The entire set for Tomorrowland is decorated like a fairytale, with larger-than-life costumes and special effects. Recent artists included David Guetta (who has participated since 2006), Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Nervo, and Hardwell. These are some of the biggest artists in EDM, which attracts a lot of attention from fans. Tomorrowland 2012 consisted of 400 DJs spread out across 15 stages. Having such a variety of DJs and stages gives fans a ton of options and endless possibilities.

Because Tomorrowland has grown so popular, the creators decided to start “Tomorrow World.” No information has been given about Tomorrow World yet besides that the show will be held between September 27-29 this fall. Rumors have pointed to a possible North American venue, but no confirmation has been given.

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Tomorrowland is truly amazing. While music festivals tend to be popular, few compare to what Tomorrowland does. Hundreds of thousands of people come from all over the world because of how amazing it truly is. I plan to attend Tomorrowland during the Summer of 2014 and I couldn’t be more excited!

You MUST watch Tomorrowland to truly see how crazy it is. Here’s the 2012 aftermovie:

“Fame is For Assholes”

Less than a week ago, Hoodie Allen released his newest mixtape “Crew Cuts.” Of the songs on “Crew Cuts”, “Fame is for Assholes feat. Chiddy Bang” is one of my favorites. Although I haven’t kept up with Hoodie Allen much since his EP release of “All American” last year, I found myself very intrigued by this new mixtape. “Fame is for Assholes” is about exactly what the title implies. Many famous people use their status to do whatever they want, with little thought about others. Specifically, Hoodie describes the silliness of how girls throw themselves at rappers and how the rappers who abuse that are “assholes.” The first verse offers various descriptions of this:

Bitches bow down, don’t even know me
Told me I’m a dog like Odie

… (removed because of a lot of foul language) …

Tryna live life on an everyday scheme
The minute you met me was kind of a wet dream, well
We don’t got that in common (common)
These bitches want the Action Bronson (Bronson)
I give a little Magic Johnson
Then she wanna hold my wand like Emma Watson
Oh they mad cause I got flow
And these other rappers cheesy like a nacho
So my pockets getting bigger like Levado
But you ain’t got no fuckin’ Hoodie in your Serato?

 

music-tour-hoodie-allen-L-AxqxX1The first line says it the best: “Bitches bow down, they don’t even know me.” Just because Hoodie is famous, girls throw themselves at him. Some of the later lines go on to describe the power of being famous: “Tryna live life on an everyday scheme / The minute you met me was kind of a wet dream, well / We don’t got that in common (common).” The first line describes how Hoodie tries to live life normally but because of fame, he can’t. The second line describes how girls become instantly turned on at the idea of fame. The third line describes how although tons of random girls are obsessed with him, he doesn’t feel the same way. Girls will fall in love with him because of fame but Hoodie isn’t looking for that in someone else. It’s hard for him to find someone because everyone else is only attracted to his fame. The final section of the verse is Hoodie addressing other rappers who are jealous of him. He embraces their hate, but only because it makes him better. He could care less about the girls that throw themselves at him. He’s just happy to finally be famous.

The chorus does the best job at summing up Hoodie’s message:

Talk to me, tell me your name
You want my life, I want the same
You say that it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be
You ain’t no celebrity, so stop
Cause fame is for assholes

The first line refers to Hoodie meeting someone new, like he does constantly. The second line is Hoodie responding by saying he’s happy with who he is and wouldn’t give up the fame he got from hard work. The next two lines are Hoodie shutting the girl down because she’s clearly only there because of fame. “You say it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be” is only said because Hoodie is famous, and he knows it. The phrase “So stop / Cause fame is for assholes” is Hoodie saying that him and girl aren’t going to go anywhere. Fame is a free ticket for rappers to sleep with a bunch of women. Hoodie recognizes this but doesn’t live that way. He recognizes the unfair balance of power fame gives people, so he ignores it and focuses on his music instead.

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Hoodie Allen performed at my junior prom. This was back when his first big mixtape came out, the one that got him a record deal. At the time he was brand new to music and brand new to any sort of “fame.” He attended the University of Pennsylvania, so he was obviously very intelligent. I got to meet him the night of my junior prom and I have to say he was a really down-to-earth guy. It’s great to see him now, famous, and know that fame wouldn’t go to his head. I’m excited to see what direction his music goes in the future, considering he’s changed his style a few times to try out other things. There’s no doubt in my mind though that he’ll continue producing great songs like this.

Watch the music video here:

“Suit and Tie”

Justin Timberlake’s newest single, “Suit and Tie”, is his first release since 2006. Since 2006, Justin had been focusing on his acting career. Many fans wanted him to come back desperately, and he finally decided to. His last album, “Futuresex/LoveSounds”, had 3 number 1 hits, so his newest single was hotly anticipated.  “Suit and Tie” features Jay-Z and is very jazzy in nature. It is about the feeling of being dressed up and going out and having a good time. The first verse sums up this idea:

I can’t wait ’til I get you on the floor, good-looking
Going out so hot, just like an oven
And I’ll burn myself, but just had to touch it
It’s so fire and it’s all mine
Hey baby, we don’t mind all the watching
Cause if they study close, real close
They might learn something
She ain’t nothing but a little doozie when she does it
She’s so fire tonight

jt-306v-1358169916The first line “I can’t wait ’til I get you on the floor, good-looking” is Justin’s anticipation to dance with a beautiful woman he just met. The next few lines “Going out so hot, just like an oven / And I’ll burn myself, but just had to touch it / It’s so fire and it’s all mine” is Justin talking about his dance moves. He knows he’s good at dancing and he can’t help but enjoy himself when he can dance. The next few lines “Hey baby, we don’t mind all the watching / Cause if they study close, real close / They might learn something” is Justin telling the girl that she shouldn’t be distracted by all the people watching them dancing. They are watching because they are jealous of how good they are and how much fun they are having. He jokes by saying “They might learn something” because he is out dancing and having fun while others are just staring. The final lines “She ain’t nothing but a little doozie when she does it / She’s so fire tonight” is Justin thinking to himself how beautiful and elegant the woman is when she dances.

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The song continues exactly how the first verse sets it up, embracing the feeling of excitement that people get when they are dressed up, dancing, and having a good time. It has a personal touch as well, following Justin’s own encounter with a beautiful woman. For his first song since 2006, “Suit and Tie” has the potential to be a classic. It may not be anywhere near “My Love” or “Sexyback”, but its a great first step back into the music world. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Justin Timberlake.

Needtobreathe “Keep Your Eyes Open”

At some point during every day, a senior down the hall from me begins playing songs on his guitar and singing along. He plays a lot of recognizable acoustic music, including one of my favorites, Taylor Swift. While many of my friends in the hall think he’s annoying and bad, I think he’s spectacular. The only gripe I have is when he began playing at 9:18 on Tuesday, the only day I can sleep in -_- Recently, he’s been singing this one song over and over again, perfecting the chorus. I had never heard the song before, and I loved it. For the first time in over two weeks, I decided to finally search the song once he started singing it. I caught most of the words, typed them into Google, and came across “Keep Your Eyes Open” by Needtobreathe, a christian band I used to listen to in high school. After finally figuring out what song he’s been obsessed with, I figured I’d write my blog on it.

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Needtobreathe

The first verse is an introduction to the song that addresses someone directly. For the purpose of explaining the song, we’ll pretend the person addressed is a man named John:

If you could soldier on
Headstrong into the storm
I’ll be here waiting on the other side
Don’t look back
The road is long
The first days of the war are gone
Take back your former throne and turn the tide

The first three lines “If you could soldier on / Headstrong into the storm / I’ll be here waiting on the other side” is the speaker saying to John that if he has the courage to push on, he will be met by the speaker with open arms. The lines “The first days of the war are gone / Take back your former throne and turn the tide” reveal a lost glory that John had. The “lost glory” is a fall into depression and an unsuccessful attempt at suicide. The meaning behind “the first days of the war are gone” is that the attempt was unsuccessful, and now John can find the help he needs to return to a normal life. The chorus that follows further supports the circumstance of suicide:

Cause if you never leave home, never let go
You’ll never make it to the great unknown till you
Keep your eyes open, my love
So tell me you’re strong, tell me you see
I need to hear it, can you promise me to
Keep your eyes open, my love

As the speaker says, “if you never leave home, never let go” of the depression, “you’ll never make it to the great unknown”. Because Needtobreathe is a christian band, they believe that suicide sends someone to hell. If John commits suicide, they cannot make it “to the great unknown”, which is heaven. The chorus then trails off with the speaker giving John confidence that all he needs to do is “keep your eyes open.” The following verse reveals more about the attempt at suicide:

Just past the circumstance
The first light, a second chance
No child could ever dance the way you do, oh
Tear down the prison walls
Don’t start the curtain call
Your chains will never fall until you do

The first two lines indicate that because the suicide attempt was unsuccessful, it’s the “first light, a second chance.” God gave John a second chance and he needs to take it.  The line “tear down the prison walls” is a call for John to release himself from the prison he has trapped himself in. The following line “don’t start the curtain call” is a plea for John to not end his life. The final line “your chains will never fall until you do” means that the problems John is facing will not go away until he falls down on his knees before God and asks for help. Once he can surrender to God, he will take the first step towards healing.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Season 20

The song continues and ends in the same way as the first few verses, giving John hope and confidence that everything will be alright. Although I love Needtobreathe and am somewhat biased, this is still a really good song and is worth a listen. Although Needtobreathe is a christian band, you wouldn’t know from listening to them. When I first started listening to them, I had no idea they were one. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I respect their music and their beliefs.

Give the song a listen below:

Kid Cudi’s “Just What I am”

kid cudiKid Cudi has always been one of my favorite artists. Ever since I first started listening to him back in my Sophomore year of high school, he has remained a favorite of mine. Like many of his loyal fans, his decision to start the band WZRD instead of completing Man on the Moon 3, the final album of his trilogy, was an upsetting decision. What made thinks worse is many people didn’t like WZRD, myself being one of them. After completing WZRD, the first song Cudi released was “Just What I am” featuring King Chip. While this song came out awhile ago, I still listen to it often. The inspiration for the song was the pressure Cudi was feeling between his fans and his critics. His fans were demanding he return to a solo rapper while his critics were on his case about marijuana use. For a time Cudi quit weed entirely, and this song is his proclamation of returning to it. Cudi decided that his life is his life and if people hate, he can’t do anything about it because in his own words, “I’m just what I am.”

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The first verse is Cudi discussing how he is who he is. God made him the way he is and no one can tell him otherwise:

I’m just what you made God
Not many I trust
Ima go my own way, God
Take my faith to wherever you want
I’m out here, on my son
Won’t stop ’til I get me some
Club hoppin’ tryin’ to get me some
Bad bitches wanna get me sprung
Early in the morning, I’m wakin’ bakin’
Drankin’, contemplatin’, ain’t no such thing as Satan
Evil is what you make it

The first 4 lines say it all: “I’m just what you made God / Not many I trust / Ima go my own way, God / Take my faith wherever I want.” While in the eyes of some religious people Cudi’s use of marijuana and partying can be viewed as a waste of time, it’s who he is and no one else can tell him what’s right and wrong. Our own moral compasses rule our lives, and we have a choice to follow any religion we choose. Although people wanted Cudi to stop smoking, his chorus proclaims his decision to go back to it:

I need smoke
I need to smoke
Who gon’ hold me down now?
I want to get high y’all
I want to get high y’all
Need it to get by, y’all
Can you get me high y’all?

While many people are against the use of weed, Cudi sees no harm in it because it is who he is. Weed has always been a part of his life and helped him create some amazing music, so why should he quit? In a world with so many social pressures, sometimes the best thing to do is what we think is right. The second verse ties a lot of Cudis ideas together:

Let me tell you bout my month y’all
Endless shopping I had a ball,
I had to ball for therapy, my shrink don’t think that helps at all, whatever
This man ain’t wearing these leather pants
I diagnose my damn self, these damn pills ain’t working fam’
In my spare time, punching walls fucking up my hand
I know this shit sound super cray, but if you had my life you’d understand
But, I can’t fold, some poor soul got it way worse
We’re all troubled, in a world of trouble
It’s scary to have a kid walk this Earth

This verse goes more into detail with what Cudi was dealing with, specifically problems with his family. When he quit weed, he saw a therapist who prescribed him pills and tried to use therapy as aid. Cudi thought it was all a waste of time, which he says: “I diagnose my damn self, these damn pills ain’t working fam'”. To clarify, Cudi doesn’t have a weed problem. His smoking doesn’t inhibit anything about his life. He chose to stop initially so that his daughter wouldn’t be poorly influenced by him. Over time, however, Cudi saw that there really was no reason to stop if his use doesn’t affect his work or family.

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Cudi sums up all the stresses, pressures, and criticisms he dealt with in the last few lines: “But, I can’t fold, some poor soul got it way worse / We’re all troubled, in a world of trouble / It’s scary to have a kid walk this Earth.” As he says, there are absolutely people who have a worse life than Cudi. Everyone deals with social pressures, some worse than others, which make having children difficult. It’s incredibly difficult to raise a child without having them experience suffering. Life is hard and it continues to grow harder with increased competition in school, increased aclohol and drug use, and increased violence. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but stop worrying, which Cudi decided and did when he returned to weed. And while people may criticize him for it, can you really blame him? He’s not doing anything harmful and he’s dealing with stress in a way that works for him. I’m sure if any of us could find a way to do the same, we would.

 

Listen to the song here:

Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us”

Nowadays, most rappers become famous by releasing mixtapes until they gain enough support to be signed by a label. Finding a label can be an incredibly difficult and long process, yet the promise of fame and fortune at the end of the road keeps hopefuls working. Macklemore is one of my favorite rappers out there today. Just like everyone else, he had to release mixtapes until a label would sign him. After three mixtapes, Macklemore was able produce his own album. With the help of Ryan Lewis, who does Macklemore’s beats and production, “The Heist” was released on October 9, 2012. The most famous song on this album is “Thrift Shop,” but one of his other great hits is “Can’t Hold Us”, which is a celebration song for the release of his first album.

Macklemore-Ryan-Lewis-The-Heist Album cover for “The Heist”

The first verse act as an introduction to finally achieving fame:

Return of the Mack, get up! what it is, what it does, what it is, what it isn’t
Looking for a better way to get up out of bed
Instead of getting on the internet and checking a new hit
Get up! fresh out pimp strut walking, little bit of humble, little bit of cautious
Somewhere between like rocky and cosby sweatergang nope nope y’all can’t copy
Yup. Bad, moonwalking, this here, is our party, my posse’s been on broadway,
And we did it, our way.

The lines “Looking for a better way to get up out of bed / Instead of getting on the internet and checking a new hit” refer to Macklemore’s drive to create something amazing. He was sick of sitting around listening to music and instead wanted to make it. The next few lines “Get up! fresh out pimp strut walking, little bit of humble, little bit of cautious / Somewhere between like rocky and cosby sweatergang nope nope y’all can’t copy  / Yup. Bad, moonwalking, this here, is our party, my posse’s been on broadway, / And we did it, our way” refer to Macklemore embracing his own unique style and not giving up. He knew he couldn’t be too cocky or too cautious; instead he had to balance the two feelings to create a solid fan base. Once he did, he was able to see success. The phrase “this here, is our party, my pose’s been on broadway / And we did it, our way” identifies that the song is celebrating Macklemore’s success and the release of his first album.

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In this song, Macklemore raps in a quick and energetic manner. The reason for this is it amplifies the excitement of his first album release. The song is upbeat, so lyrics need to be as well.

The rest of the first verse finishes in much of the same way as it began. The second verse addresses other labels who tried to rip Macklemore off with poor deals:

Labels out here,
Nah they can’t tell me nothing
We give that to the people,
Spread it across the country

Time and time again, labels attempted to sign Macklemore but would give him unrealistically small shares of the earnings. (Another one of his songs addresses this specifically.) Sick of dealing with this unfairness, Macklemore teamed up with his partner Ryan Lewis to make an album themselves. Having successfully done so, a celebration is absolutely in order. The chorus describes this celebration:

Can we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we’ll fight till it’s over
So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us
like the ceiling can’t hold us

The last two lines of the chorus are most important because they represent Macklemore’s feelings of success and accomplishment. Although he struggled to create a first album, he did it. While artists usually rely on finding a label to see success, Macklemore was able to do it alone. An accomplishment like this is far from typical, which is why the song celebrates it.

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Macklemore (right) and Ryan Lewis (left).

From here, the second verse continues like before. Macklemore addresses those who told him he couldn’t do it as well as thanking his fans. The first line of the second verse says it all “Nah, can I kick it? thank you. yeah I’m so damn grateful.” Without his fans, Macklemore would be nothing. He realizes this, so he thanks his fans directly.

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Macklemore live at the Sasquatch Music Festival.

Macklemore is an interesting artist. Not only does he have a unique style of rapping, but he also has a unique story of success. I have a lot of respect for him because of his hard work and determination. Although his first album may not have been “professionally” done, it doesn’t sound any different. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Listen to “Can’t Hold Us” here, you won’t be disappointed:

 

Wiz Khalifa’s “Medicated”

While I referenced O.N.I.F.C. last semester during a post, I never talked about how I felt about it. For those who don’t know, O.N.I.F.C. is Wiz Khalifa’s newest album which was released on December 4, 2012. It was originally scheduled for last August, so the album has had some pretty high expectations for being delayed so long. On many levels, the album succeeds. It refreshes Wiz’s library with more music true to his style. His last album, Rolling Papers, was unlike Wiz’s typical work, which is why die-hard Wiz fans didn’t like it. Making O.N.I.F.C. more true to his style was a smart move by Wiz. As a fan of Wiz since the beginning, I have to say O.N.I.F.C. is a great album.

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O.N.I.F.C.

The album consists of a great mix of songs. Wiz’s typical “chill” music is here, along with a few songs that are harder are more tailored to fans of harder rap. Of all of the songs on the album, I’ve found myself liking “Medicated” the most. Yes, “medicated” refers to marijuana. Although some people are turned off to Wiz because of his marijuana use, I don’t have a problem with it. In some cases, his attachment to weed has positively influenced his music. This song clearly exemplifies this.

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Wiz and smoke go hand-in-hand.

The song’s first verse reflects on when Wiz was younger:

Back when I was young I had dreams of getting richer
Then my homie Breeze set me down schooled me to the picture
I was with some wild niggas put me on the game
Told me if you tryin’ to make your move you gotta know your lane homie
All you got your name and your words will never break
For this life you pay a price you get a chance you gotta take it
Cause most niggas never make it they stranded where I’m from
Ain’t no conversation all they understand is get a gun
I was riding in my Bona Ville hoping I could make it
Out selling peas and smoking weed avoiding police right up the street
Way back in the day before I had all of this paper
Before I had all of these diamonds, before I had all of these haters

Some key phrases from this verse put Wiz’s success in perspective. The first part of the verse, “Back when I was young I had dreams of getting richer / Then my homie Breeze set me down schooled me to the picture / I was with some wild niggas put me on the game / Told me if you tryin’ to make your move you gotta know your lane homie”, discusses the time before Wiz even decided to try and become famous. While he dreamed of success, he didn’t have any real intentions to achieve it. However, his friends supported him and soon he was on his way.

The second half of the first verse further explains Wiz’s situation: “For this life you pay a price you get a chance you gotta take it / Cause most niggas never make it they stranded where I’m from / Ain’t no conversation all they understand is get a gun.” The first line, “for this life you pay a price you get a chance you gotta take it” refers to how rough life is for people who grew up in cities like Pittsburgh. Sometimes there may be only one chance at escaping the streets, and that chance must be taken. As Wiz explains in the next few lines, those who don’t take the chance may be “stranded where I’m from / Ain’t no conversation all they understand is get a gun.” Instead of seeing success, most people fall victim to crime because of where they live.

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An older picture of Wiz. Over time, his style changed a lot.

The second verse continues where the first ends by explaining what it felt like to finally feel fame. The repetition of the phrase “I remember when” at the beginning of many lines connects all of the different feelings Wiz had once he saw fame. From there, the phrase “Now everywhere we go” is repeated. This repetition acts as a transition from when Wiz first saw fame. Now that he’s established, he gets to see the world with his friends, experiencing a life he never thought he’d have.

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Wiz performing at a concert.

A final part I want to touch on is the hook, which references the title:

Now let’s get medicated
Man, let’s get medicated
Let’s get medicated
Man I’m hella faded
Man, let’s get medicated
Let’s get medicated
Let’s get medicated
Man I’m hella faded
I’m hella faded

Obviously the hook is all variations of saying “let’s get high”, but it’s more than that. The song as a whole is a reflection on Wiz’s journey to becoming famous. Although Wiz has a ton of mixtapes, this is only his second album. This song acts as a reflection on his past work now that he has finally released a second album. For Wiz, getting “medicated”, or getting high, is a form of celebration. As he thinks about how things have changed, lighting up some weed seems like the best way to sit back, relax, and reflect on his journey. While not everyone would agree in Wiz’s marijuana use, there’s really no reason to hate on him for it. Music is an artist’s expression of themselves. In “Medicated,” Wiz expresses himself exactly how he always has, and I love it.

If you have the time, go ahead and listen to the song yourself: