The song 1985 is about a middle-aged woman who dislikes modern pop culture, believing that the mid 1980s pop culture was better. Referenced as “Debbie”, she does through a sort of mid-life crisis where her life thus far has been incredibly boring compared to the life she could have led. Because her teenage years took place during the 1980’s, she thinks fondly of them and believes them to be superior to her later years.

The chorus of the song is backed up by very upbeat guitar. Each line of lyrics being introduced by two strums of guitar gives it a sort of back and forth interaction between singer and music. Though I didn’t live during the 1980’s, the music does have a sort of “1980s” feel to it because of the pop-rock genre it embodies. A very interesting part of the song is when the lyrics sing about Debbie hating time and wishing it could stop, and then the music completely stops and is replaced by a ticking clock sound.

“1985” was actually originally written and recorded by the band SR-71 but gained widespread popularity after Bowling for Soup performed it in 2004. This song doesn’t have particular meaning for me, but it does remind me of my middle school days because that is when I first came across it. The song has the underlying message that you never know what you miss unless you take chances, as exampled by the fictional Debbie in which she leads an unfulfilled life rather than doing what she actually wanted to do.

I recommend this song to anyone who is remotely into rock. It’s a very upbeat, fun song to listen to and sing along with, and for anyone who actually lived during the 1980s, it can possibly serve as memorabilia. Overall, 1985 is a great song to add to your playlist for jamming to during a car ride, for workouts, or just general enjoyment.

Work Cited: Bowling for Soup. 1985. Butch Walker, 2004. CD.

Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bowlingforsoup/1985.html

Chandelier by Sia is a recent hit song about alcoholism and substance abuse that runs rampant during parties. Some of the lyrics state how “party girls don’t get hurt…cant feel anything” because they drown out their feelings by “pushing down” substances. Swinging from a chandelier is a metaphor for partying to excess, and the song goes on to talk about how once she wakes up the morning after, she comes back to her empty reality. “Feeling the love” doesn’t refer to actual love, but rather the “love” she feels with her partying friends who suffer from the same alcoholism and substance abuse.

The music in the introduction gives the feeling of a standard party currently happening. The instruments paired with Sia’s voice bring great emotion to the song, as the content of the music is something that many people have dealt with in their lifetime. The most memorable parts of the song is definitely the high notes that Sia hits during the chorus. The video is also something that is extremely memorable, and will most likely be a big part of pop culture for a while.

I am not completely sure if this information is factual, but this song includes moments from Sia’s home-life when she was child, how her parents were alcoholic and always spent money on alcohol rather than food. As a result, Sia was forced to suppress her hunger by consuming alcohol. In turn, Sia also grew up to be a victim of alcoholism.

I personally enjoy this song a lot. It has a very somber theme in comparison to its fun beats and “soaring” tone and I especially enjoy how it’s completely relate-able for people who have gone through the same situation. It puts into words how sufferers of alcoholism and substance abuse feel and simultaneously brings more public awareness to the issue. I recommend this song to anyone who has any remote interest in pop music.

Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sia/chandelier.html

Work Cited: Sia. Chandelier. Sia. Greg Kurstin, Jesse Shatkin, 2014. CD.

Interviewing my mother, she gave me the song Red Bean by Faye Wong as her song of choice. While listening to this song, she told me it doesn’t have a very specific meaning to her, only that she finds the song to be beautiful and leaves you feeling warm on the inside. Red Bean is a ballad that is about a woman whose lover has left.

Interestingly enough, there is a Chinese Love Legend where a man is forced into battle, leaving behind his wife and children. The legend goes on about how the woman would sit beside a tree on a mountain, fruitlessly waiting for her love to return from battle. Crying every single day, she realized she began to cry blood, and those blood droplets ended up turning into red beans. Those red beans were then planted in the ground and grew into large trees producing even more red beans.

My mom also told me that red beans have big cultural significance when it comes to love. Red beans often symbolize faithfulness and love because of its hardness and heart shape. It’s color is similar to blood and it can be stored for very long time periods without rotting or fading color. The entirety of the song has a continuous “warm” tone to it, and I understand why she enjoys it so much. It is indeed a beautiful song once you get past the language barrier, and it has a “timeless” feel to it. At least, for Chinese people.

I only hesitate to recommend this song to other people because it’s in another language and because its a Ballad. I myself am already very accustomed to listening to songs in other languages like Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, etc. but for some people they might be turned off because they can’t understand it. It is a beautiful song once you understand the meaning behind the lyrics, but it is all a matter of taste.

The Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhDp_ktFcV0

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsmania.com/hong_dou_red_bean_lyrics_faye_wong.html

Work Cited: Wong, Faye. “紅豆” (Hóngdòu) (Red Bean). Faye Wong. Rec. 1998. EMI, 1998. CD.