Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Soundtrack to My Life

The song “Before It’s Too Late” by the Goo Goo Dolls is a song that I’ve always loved for two reasons.  For one, it was slow song that was always played at the school dances when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school, and I ALWAYS pictured myself dancing with the “hottest” boy in school to this song. Pathetic, I know. But apart from that, I always valued the meaning of this song.  The lyrics “Live like you mean it/ And love ‘til you feel it/ It’s all that we need in our lives” are an awesome way to look at life! And that’s how I try to live mine.  I also love the lyrics “And the risk that might break you/ is the one that would save/ A life you don’t live is still lost.” Sometimes you’ve just gotta take chances even if it might not end up the way you had hoped because trying is still better than doing nothing.

Deck the Halls – Mannheim Steamroller.  This is an odd one. It doesn’t even have words; but fear not, I do have a reason for choosing this song.  Ever since I can remember, my family has played the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album as we decorated the house for Christmas.  If you’ve never heard of the orchestra, I’d say it’s pretty comparable to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Anyhow, I’ve always been the one in my family who gets the most excited for Christmas.  I go nuts when it’s time hang ornaments on the tree, and songs such as this one have always been the tune to which I decorated.  To me, this song reminds me of my youth and can always put me in the Christmas spirit no matter what season it is.

Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson.  This song also holds several meanings to me. First of all, I like the lyrics, particularly the refrain: I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/ And no message could have been any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change.  When there’s a problem in my life, this song reminds me that rather than putting the blame on others, sometimes it’s best to just look in the mirror and own up to the fact that I screwed up. Often times, I’m the one who needs to make a change if I want to see improvements, rather than just complaining about it.  So, the reason I chose this song was because it was written by Michael Jackson. Quite honestly, I could have picked any one of his songs to be on the soundtrack and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me. The reason I say this is because prior to Michael Jackson’s death, I thought he was the creepiest, weirdest looking guy I had ever seen, just like everyone else. (I actually screamed the first time I saw him on TV when I was little – no joke). But after he died, something changed.  My mom started listening to his music more often because it was always on the radio. At first I criticized her for listening to it, but after a while I even found myself humming bits and pieces of his songs throughout the day.  Before you know it, I was hooked! My mom and I would play his music ALL the time. It’s sort of embarrassing and my friends always tease me about it, but I don’t care. I love his music and it’s a part of my life that’s here to stay.

No comments:

Post a Comment