Author Archives: Kimberly.Tena@stonybrook.edu

Reflection #8- Drugs

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When I first heard Ed Sheeran’s “A Team,” I was fifteen years old and a bit love drunk. I romanticized the words of the song, envisioning a woman in the clouds, “stuck in her daydream,” who had met her love and had “been this way since eighteen.” I along with many may have assumed her lover was a man, and were shocked to find that this love was actually crack cocaine.

Ed Sheeran is a lyrical genius, a master of subtleties and masking profound meanings behind upbeat tempos and ambiguous lyrics. I was a naive fifteen year old when I used to jam out to “A Team,” oblivious to the true meaning of lyrics such as “lately her face seems / slowly sinking, wasting / crumbling like pastries” and “sells her love to another man.” Instead I made this song my own, envisioning a woman losing interest in her lover rather than one crippled by addiction, forced to sell her body to keep her mind at bay. Lines such as “go mad for a couple grams” were completely lost to me.

I like to think of this song as a lyrical illusion, because like an optical illusion, once the true meaning was revealed, it became nearly impossible to perceive the song any other way. Ed Sheeran stated that his inspiration for “A Team” originated in what he saw after performing at a homeless shelter at eighteen years old. He chose to conceal the dark subject of the tune with a soft guitar and upbeat tempo, in the same way that the realities of addiction were hidden from him up until his experience at the shelter.

Maybe my relationship with “A Team” is illustrative of my resistance to growing up, but whenever I hear this song I wish I could reverse what I know about its meaning and still hear the lyrics as I did as a naive high schooler. Growing up and experiencing addiction through the eyes of a friend, however, has allowed me to appreciate this prime example of musical poetry in a completely different way.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing (Uk) Limited

lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/edsheeran/theateam.html

 

Reflection #7- Heartbreak

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Eli refused to let me write about “I Don’t Wanna Love Somebody Else,” so for our last reflection I have chosen “Already Home,” off of A Great Big World’s album Is There Anybody Out There? I’d recommend both of these songs, or any song off of Is Anybody Out There? not just because the songs themselves are great to listen to, but because writers Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino write most of their songs by themselves, which is particularly impressive.

This song describes a man who is struggling to keep a relationship, weakened by time and distance, alive. He describes the difficulties surrounding a long distance relationship, and trying to persuade his partner that these difficulties are worth it. Music is oftentimes ambiguous and difficult to interpret, but “Already Home” is a raw plea by a desperate lover, easily seen as a one sided conversation on why their relationship is worth it. “Already Home” begins with a quiet piano, slowly building with the entrances of singers Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino. The intensity of the bridge, marked by the crescendo of the percussion, is the most touching to me, because the real power is not in the drums, but the vocals when he expresses “Sometimes we just don’t get to choose … Promise you’ll wait for me / Wait til I’m home.” The song revolves around the fact that the lover is “already home,” demonstrating that even though he is away, the man is with her in spirit.

Although “Say Something” is the most well known song off of this album, “Already Home” is without a doubt one of my favorite tunes by A Great Big World. I was first introduced to this song in the beginning of the fall semester, a few days after moving to Stony Brook. This song struck a particular chord with me, because although I don’t live too far from New York City (ahem), moving away certainly did put a strain on some of my relationships back in Jersey. At the time I was home sick and worried that I would lose the people I was once close to, so my favorite line was “When you’re scared and alone and alone / just know that I’m already home,” because I know that the people that matter the most will be there for me, regardless of the distance.

Ian Axel Music, Chad Vaccarino Publishing, Sweetrock

lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/greatbigworld/alreadyhome.html

Reflection #6- “Sugar” by Maroon 5

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My cousin Michelle is a self professed hopeless romantic, so when she told me that “Sugar” by Maroon 5 was her current personal anthem, I wasn’t entirely surprised. She had little to say about the instrumentation of the song, or even the meaning of the lyrics- to her, the infectious beat was enough to keep her hooked.

Another interesting aspect of “Sugar” is the story behind the music video. The band’s lead singer, Adam Levine, opens the video with “December 6, 2014- we’re going to drive across LA and hit every wedding we can- GO.” And they do just that. While the authenticity of the video is questionable, it is undoubtable that at least one of the reactions was genuine. Upon further inspection, we discovered that at least two of the wedding crashes are authentic, as the band’s appearance was described as the “ultimate surprise” by two wedding photographers.

This new presentation of facts led to my cousin describing how at her perfect wedding. She doesn’t necessarily need a world-renowned band to make her wedding special. In reality, she hopes to have someone “sweet as can be,” to keep being sweet towards her and her sons for the rest of their lives. Knowing that she is marrying that guy is blissful enough for her.

While “Sugar” isn’t one of Maroon 5’s most well known songs, it’s music video certainly makes it one of their most interesting feats. Michelle says that if you’re a hopeless romantic like her that giving it a listen can’t hurt!

Writer(s): Mike Posner, Jacob Kasher Hindlin
Copyright: Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, North Greenway Productions

lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/maroon5/sugar.html

 

Reflection #5: A Misleading Song

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When I first met Eli on move in day I thought he was a nice, quiet kid. By the third day I realized how wrong I was- he’s a quirky guy with a big personality. When he told me he liked to write songs, I asked him to send me a video of one of his performances, but admittedly I didn’t have any expectations for his writing abilities. I have friends from high school who are similarly interested in songwriting, but my interest in their songs was more for support rather than genuine enjoyment. When Eli sent me “You’re Too Old to Play with Dolls” I looked at the title and laughed, thinking this was another coming of age song in C Major. Within 30 seconds I realized how wrong I was, again.

Without listening to the lyrics, the strong piano coupled with the voice of the singer alone are enough to hook any listener. However, when you listen closer the lyrics reveal a deeper, more captivating story that describes a boy who hopes to help an unnamed friend struggling with depression.

My favorite part of “You’re Too Old” is that Eli describes the friend’s troubles very well, employing imagery to paint a picture of her struggles in our head- my favorite line is when he writes “Cause you’re going in circles like a merry-go-round/And there’s no way off, no turning around.” Additionally, although the song describes the friend’s painful reality, the song is overall very encouraging. The narrator acknowledges “the start’s the hardest part,” but insists that “something will change.” As the song progresses, the role of the narrator in his friend’s rehabilitation grows clearer as the first chorus changes from “you’ll find a way out someday” to “we’ll find our way out,” ending with “together we can make a new day.”

This song surprised me in multiple ways. I was initially taken aback by the fact that a goofy kid like Eli would write such a meaningful song. Additionally, after hearing the first verse I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this song would have a gloomy ending. However, the song closes with the extremely satisfying line “because together we can make a new day.” The lyrics are additionally adaptable to the listener’s preference- although the song’s message is straightforward, the ambiguity of who is telling the story and who the song is about allows the listener to determine if this is a love song or a song about two friends.This song taught me to never underestimate the talents of those around you, because those secret knacks can really blow you away.

When I asked Eli why he chose the title “You’re Too Old to Play With Dolls” I expected a profound answer, but once again I was misled: “I enjoy picking stupid titles because it makes the song in comparison that much better.”

lyrics:

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Reflection #4: An Instrumental Piece

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Rosa Parks is known as the “Mother of a Movement” for catalyzing the Civil Rights movement of the mid 20th century. Mark Campbell’s “A Movement for Rosa,” pays tribute to Parks’ life’s work, and the struggles minorities, particularly African Americans, face in a world marked by discrimination and hate.

I was fortunate to attend a large and culturally diverse high school with a strong and close knit music program, and was first introduced to “Rosa” in wind ensemble my junior year of high school. Although “Rosa” is divided into three unofficial movements (each representative of Rosa’s life and the fight for civil rights), when I re-listen to this song I am also reminded of the technical difficulties of the piece, and the various stories my band director told us when trying to evoke emotion into our playing. Overall, I attribute this song to making our ensemble stronger musically and closer as a family.

“Rosa” opens with a solo flute playing the piece’s theme. When I hear the flute, I imagine Rosa Parks, a single voice, soft but nonetheless moving. An alto saxophone and bassoon soon take over, countering one another with major and minor lines based off of the flute’s theme. At this part I am reminded of my band director taking the soloists for a small lesson and asking them, a Jewish boy and two Caribbean students “Have you ever been discriminated against? Have you ever been subject to unwarranted hate? That’s what needs to be heard in your playing.” The band slowly builds off of the flute’s original melody, symbolizing more people standing up for equality. At 2:45 the trumpets can be heard playing regally, symbolizing early victories, while the lower woodwinds’ underlying lines at 3:16 denote trouble.

The march at 3:28 is reminiscent of the freedom marches figures such as Parks and Martin Luther King led, which segues into an extremely angry portion of the piece. When I had a particularly difficult day, I remember playing at 5:18 was a perfect way to release my frustrations. When the entire band was focused and intently playing those dissonant chords, you knew that we were all thinking of our own difficulties and expressing them in our playing, and there was something very chilling about that. I imagine this portion is describing the difficulties freedom fighters experienced against the law. At 6:10, the snare drum propels the listeners to keep fighting on. 6:39 is characterized by suspense- There is a certain chaos in the trumpets, but at 7:44 it is clear that freedom fighters have won the battle.

The third portion of the piece is my favorite, as it closes with a french horn playing the hymn “We Shall Overcome” in its entirety. This hymn was a theme during the civil rights movement to remind its participants to carry on despite the hate thrown at them. The band soon joins in to show that more people stand behind their pursuit. The song closes with a tapering of instruments, and ends with a twist- the dissonance symbolizes that no matter what, there will always be work to do, as there will always be discrimination in the world.

Playing this song really taught me to look inward, and reminded me that performing is an emotional experience. I’ll never forget the pride I felt alongside my classmates as our hard work was recognized by New Jersey state adjudicators, and we were invited to play at the Midwest Clinic, an international education event. To get to that point, I more importantly learned more about my classmates as they described their own stories of discrimination. In the end, the most impactful lesson we took from this piece was that “we shall overcome,” because we had each other for support.

This piece may not be for everyone, but if you have an appreciation for wind ensemble I definitely recommend listening to it.

Reflection #3- Storytelling “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem

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Eminem’s hip hop ballad “Love the Way You Lie” describes the dangerous cycle of being trapped within an abusive, love hate relationship. While one of Eminem’s older songs, it is easily among his top tracks, and is a must to listen to if you haven’t already. This song was originally inspired by the abusive romantic relationship producer Alexa da Kid experienced with the music industry. However, the lyrics describe an interpersonal relationship between a man and a woman, voiced by Eminem and Rihanna, and is especially hard hitting considering Rihanna’s publicly abusive relationship with artist Chris Brown. Eminem’s eloquently written lyrics resonate with anyone who has experienced a difficult relationship, evoking images powerful enough to give insight to those who may not have experienced this degree suffering.

After investing so much time and energy into a relationship, even the thought of leaving it seems impossible. To those on the outside, it may seem idiotic to even consider staying, but the mistreated individual chases the high of those few moments when things are calm. When I was first introduced to this song, I was beginning to learn about the abusive relationship of my close friend’s parents. Eminem’s lyrics helped me understand the anguish my friend was going through as she described her parents’ relationship, and gave me an idea of why they continued to stay together despite the abuse.

The contrast between Eminem’s rough voice in the verse and Rihanna’s smooth vocals in the chorus add to this song’s pull in and pull back dynamic. There is disparity in Rihanna’s words- she describes her suffering, and but then says “I love the way you lie,” hinting at how abuse has become part of her life, and she can’t imagine living without it. Similarly, as the song progresses Eminem begins to rap with two conflicting voices: his conscious and the demons in his heart. My favorite lines are when he says “Next time I’m pissed, I’ll aim my fist at the drywall / Next time, there will be no next time / I apologize even though I know it’s lies.” Juxtaposing the optimism of directing his anger away from physical abuse (while alluding to how violent he can become) with the reality of admitting his promises are empty caught me off guard when I first listened to this song. A few years after first hearing this song I found myself in situation similar to what Eminem describes, so these lines stand out to me the most when I relisten to it.

Work Cited

Eminem. “Love the Way You Lie”. Recovery. 2010. CD.

lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/lovethewayyoulie.html

Storytelling Reflection

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5Y94UyAlA

The title track of Charles Mingus’ album The Clown relays the story of a clown and his attempts to please his audience because “he just wanted to make people laugh.” The clown’s quest, however, reveals a startling truth about humanity and the unfortunate reality of many performers.

The song opens by describing the clown, an honest performer who “had all these greens and all these yellows and all these oranges bubbling around inside of him.” Many young artists romanticize their music in a similar way, optimistically approaching their careers with the hope that they will find a following while staying true to themselves. The clown sticks to his guns, but begins to struggle as his demure acts fail to gain his audience’s attention. As time goes on, however, he notices a disturbing trend in what makes his audiences laugh.

Throughout the song, the vibrant greens and yellows and oranges of the clown’s personality are symbolic of the faith the clown has in himself and in his audience. At what seems to be the professional low of his career, the clown’s colors are still evident as he puts his best effort into his work. It is when he receives the most response from an on stage injury that the clown becomes discouraged. The clown seeks to keep his audience happy and laughing, but in attempting to please them, his vibrant greens and yellows and oranges become dull, eventually turning into grays and blues. At the height of his professional career, the clown is at a personal low, transforming his comedic acts to fit the demand for self harm. In the end the clown commits suicide in front of his audience, a shell of his former self who is nonetheless more sought after than ever.

This haunting narrative, masked by a bouncy, waltzy instrumental, describes the sad reality that many artists, including Charles Mingus, faced. Mingus is known for his insistence for audience engagement, in a similar way to how the clown “just wanted to make people laugh.” The clown, like many performers, is alienated by the fact that he must conform to what the audiences believes to be entertaining, and not what he believes is his best work. In the end, the clown committing suicide is telling of the self destruction of many artists, as they lose their identity to take on the identity of the audience. The Clown is an undeniable standard that professional and amateur musicians alike should listen to and appreciate.

lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-clown-lyrics-charles-mingus.html

Work Cited

“”The Clown” Lyrics.” n.d.. Atlantic Records, n.d. Web. 08 Feb.

2015.

 

 

“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt Reflection

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Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” describes the universal pain associated with unrequited love. Because of her ubiquitous lyrics, her song has been covered by many different artists, with Bon Iver’s cover being my personal favorite.

Raitt opens her song requesting her lover to “turn down” the lights and the bed, beckoning him to sleep, and to also “turn down the voices in her head.” It seems that Raitt has slowly been drifting from her lover, and that she is close to breaking. He has lied and patronized her, and she is slowly going mad, replaying his hurtful words over and over in her head.

She admits “I can’t make you love me,” expressing the theme of the song, and laments that she will fight for his love until the very end. She acknowledges the pain associated with her pursuits, and the potential power she holds in trying to save her relationship. However, she begins to accept that he will not fight back, juxtaposing the power she builds in the verse by saying “I will lay down my heart / feel the power if you want / no you won’t.”

The song continues with her illustrating moments in which she turns a blind eye to his lack of love, hitting the listener hard when she says “I’ll close my eyes / then I won’t see / the love you don’t feel / when you’re holding me.” From this line she begins to regain the strength needed to leave the relationship she has invested so much emotion into, giving herself until morning to “give up this fight,” transitioning back into the chorus in which she cries again “I can’t make you love me.”

Within the bridge of the song she is finalizing her defeat, how “I can’t just make you love me,” repeating “I can’t” to remind herself that it is over. She closes the song acknowledging the trials of her pursuit, and despite how hard she might try, she knows “you won’t” try to make the relationship work.

Raitt’s lyrics are raw and powerful and relatable to anyone who has experienced hurt, making it a great song for lyrical dance. I was first introduced to this song when my high school’s color guard performed it for their floor show. They put on a beautiful show and won undefeated that season, so whenever I listen to the build of Raitt’s song I think of the hard work they put in that year- I like to listen to this song not when I’m heartbroken, but when I miss home. I find Bon Iver’s cover to be the most soothing because of his integration with the piano. Take a listen to him singing- you can hear distinct pain in his voice, even more strongly than Raitt sang in her original.

Work Cited

Raitt, Bonnie. I Can’t Make You Love Me. Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, 1991.YouTube.com. Web. 01

Feb. 2015.

“”I Can’t Make You Love Me” Lyrics.” TANK LYRICS. Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, n.d. Web. 01 Feb.

          2015.

lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tank/icantmakeyouloveme.html

 

What I Want to Gain from ACH102

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  1. From this course I hope to not only be able to more deeply appreciate the music I already enjoy, but to also appreciate the music others listen to that I would not necessarily listen to on my own.
  2. No two people interpret lyrics the same way, and I am interested to read and discuss how our class interprets both our assigned songs and songs of their choice.
  3. A person’s taste in music is often very telling of someone’s personality and I’m excited to learn more about my classmates.
  4. I hope to add a few new songs to my Spotify playlist.

About Me

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Heeeeello! My name is Kim Tena, I’m a Health Science and Psychology double major freshly squeezed from a town called West Orange in New Jersey. After living in West Orange for my entire life, I thought coming to suburban Long Island wouldn’t be too different from suburban North Jersey. However, in the past few months I have surely been proved wrong, and have learned a lot about Long Island and NY culture as a whole. I’m excited to spend the next few years learning more about my new home.

Music has been an integral part of my life- at one point I would spend up to 20 hours a week in rehearsals for various ensembles. These days I like to spend my time listening to artists such as John Mayor, Billy Joel, A Great Big World, and of course Zoot Sims and Charlie Parker. I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty is my ultimate pep tune. Give it a listen!