My Song

I remember you from your name

I think of you time and time again

If you ever change I don’t believe anything would be the same

When you come home I don’t recognize your face

I fell in love when you came here

You left me all alone here

Maybe I fell in love when you woke me up

Would you ever feel guilty if you did the same to me?

Stayed here all night but when I wake what do I see?

I need you but you don’t need me

You try to leave but we’re not done yet

I fell in love when you came here

You left me all alone here

Maybe I fell in love when you woke me up

Now I’m all by myself

I’m here again

All by myself

You know I’ll never change

All the times I’ve been flaunted

All by myself, but do you care?

You left me here, unloved and unwanted

John Lennon 1940-1980

Interesting Facts:

·         The first instrument he learned how to play was the harmonica

·         The first song he wrote was called “Hello Little Girl”

·         He met Yoko Ono at an art show that she was in

·         John Lennon loved cats

·         He had dyslexia

·         He’s from Liverpool

·         When Elvis and John met, Elvis didn’t know his name so he referred to him as “Beatle”

·         John’s favorite hobby was writing

·         John has a son named Julian, who is also a very talented singer

·         He disliked the G chord and never used it in any of his songs

Songs:

·         Come Together

·         Imagine

·         Hello Goodbye

·         Hey Jude

·         I Want to Hold Your Hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s-F7ZmmGbY

(in no particular order)

Sheeran, Ed (2012) “Drunk” +.  This was the first song I heard by Ed Sheeran, and I was hooked. The way that the music starts is very happy, and I love it. The song changes a lot too, with the rhythm and it isn’t like usual songs.

Gotye (2011) “Somebody That I Used to Know” Making Mirrors This song was very popular, but I knew it before it was popular. My sister played it for me before and I thought it was different, but I liked it. And it is still one of my favorite songs no matter how overplayed it is.   

One Direction (2012) “Same Mistakes” Up All Night One Direction is my favorite band, so any of their songs work. This one is just my favorite because there are a lot of background vocals that are kind of like echoes. It really envelopes me in the sound.

Sheeran, Ed (2010) “The A Team” The A Team This song is very melodic and the lyrical rhyme scheme accompanies it very well. The lyrics are also very meaningful and have a metaphor, instead of just being provocative like most songs are.  

Marianas Trench (2011) “Desperate Measures” Ever After The biggest reason I chose this song is because I love the way the singer says the words. It’s louder when he starts saying them and then it fades. I’m also a huge fan of their music, but this song has the most meaning.

Queen (1981) “Under Pressure” Hot Space This has been one of my favorite songs. I love the classic baseline because it makes it really catchy. I also love the lyrics because they are clearly meaningful and people can relate when they have a lot of pressure on them.

Ferdinand, Franz (2004) “Take Me Out” Franz Ferdinand This has always been my favorite song because in the beginning it’s slow, then it picks up before the chorus. I’ve always been dancing for a very long time, and I’ve always wanted to dance to it for a competition.

Maroon 5 (2007) “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” It Won’t Be Soon before Long    The instrumental parts in this song is very calming but catchy. This is one of those songs where you don’t really know what about it makes you like it, you just love it. Also, I’ve been a fan of Maroon 5 for a while because all of their songs are easy to like, and the lead singers voice is very nice and calming.

Sheeran, Ed (2010) “Give Me Love” The A Team I love this song because I’m a huge Ed Sheeran fan, and always will be. This song was on his EP that I listened to over and over until I knew all the words to every song. It is always very complex with the background music and vocals.

One Direction (2011) “What Makes You Beautiful” Up All Night My favorite band, again and this was their first single in America. I’ve known about them for a while, before most people here did, so every time I hear this song, I get really proud and excited because they’ve made it so far.

Imbruglia, Natalie (1998) “Torn” Torn/Wishing I Was There I love this song because I can attach it to good memories. When One Direction was on the X Factor UK, this was the first song they sang together as a band. They did many other performances but this one is the most special.

Firefly 

I still remember the day I met him. It was getting dark and it was the middle of spring. I was alone at the park, and it seemed abandoned. Then I saw it. A little flashing light in the dark. It was a firefly. Who ever thought that the simple light illuminating from the small bug would lead me to him? Just thinking about the expression on his face when we saw each other made me smile. The days with him were the happiest days of my life. Following that firefly was the best decision of my life.

            So that was how it all started. A firefly. A glowing bug in the middle of the dark park. It’s crazy to think that such a small bug would change my life forever. But, that is what happened. In the park, pitch black except for the glowing bug. I followed the firefly and another person bumped into me. We were both quite startled, and that was him. We both fell to the ground and immediately started laughing, thinking how abnormal it was to meet this way. He told me his name was Harry. I told him I was Olivia. We ended up staying in the park all night staring at the stars and talking. We realized that we actually had a lot in common. We both loved music and aspired to be musicians. I made him sing for me and he was outstanding. I really liked Harry; even after only knowing him for a few hours. He had an endearing personality and sense of humor, and he was quite charming. The morning after the park we decided we had to see each other again. The next day we would be going on a proper date together. I went home to get some sleep and prepare for the following day. I was elated. I could not stop thinking about him.

            I woke up the next morning cheerful. Today was the day I get to see Harry again. I showered and started getting ready, excited for the day. But, then I realized it was 6:30 in the morning. I guess was too hyped up to sleep, but now I had nothing to do. I went out and walked around, and the town was dead. I live in Manhattan, and I suppose the only time Times Square isn’t busy is early in the morning! I wanted to shop or do anything, but everywhere seemed empty. I went out to breakfast and then back to my apartment since there was nothing else to do. Luckily, I ended up falling back asleep until 10. There were people in the city now, so I decided to go shopping for a new outfit for a new outfit for tonight. I needed to kill time, and I had a reason to buy clothes, so why not? My mind was somewhere else the entire time I was shopping, though. The entire time I was thinking about Harry. I keep assuming that the night in the park was just a dream. The whole thing seemed so perfect and surreal. Could I actually have found love from an incident with a firefly? It was finally time for me to get ready to see him again. I was ecstatic, but then I started to worry. Crazy thoughts started going through my head. What if he was joking last night? What if he didn’t know what I looked like because it was dark? What if he doesn’t show up? All these questions were flying around my mind and I started panicking. But then something drew my attentions away from my thoughts. It was my phone. I had a missed call from Harry. I was relieved knowing that my thoughts were wrong, and last night was real and it meant as much to him as it did to me. I called him back and I loved hearing the sound of his voice. He was on his way to get me and I was overjoyed, but also nervous. I was worried this date wouldn’t go as smoothly as the night at the park did. We talked on and on for hours without any awkwardness. I was praying that would happen again tonight. But I mean, I met him last night, I barely knew anything about him. So I had a lot to ask. But he probably feels the same way, and we are in New York City, so we will never run out of things to do. I wasn’t sure where we were going; Harry wanted it to be a surprise. We started walking and of course where we were seemed familiar. We went to one of my favorite restaurants; the Hard Rock Café. Even though it was pretty simple, it was the best date of my life. After that we went out routinely for about a month, and if we weren’t together, we were still communicating. I really couldn’t get him off my mind. And I really really liked him. Maybe I even loved him.

            I couldn’t believe what I was saying. I was in love. With a boy I met roughly a month ago. But the thing is, I knew I loved him from the day I met him. I just didn’t want to admit it. I was never really one to fall head over heels for a guy, and I didn’t believe in love at first sight. I also didn’t want to admit it because what if he didn’t feel the same way? I would be crushed. Absolutely broken! But he had to, right? I mean we talked nonstop and he seemed to like me. I always think too much. I’m just going to live in the moment and see what happens. Harry was taking me out tonight, and it was going to be special. He told me to dress nicely, and then I realized it was two months after the day we first met. Kind of like an anniversary. We weren’t actually dating, but trust me I wanted to, and I’m hoping he wanted to as well. I got ready started to head out. I was absolutely thrilled.

            When Harry came to get me, I practically ran to the car. I couldn’t wait to hear his voice and see his beautiful face. I loved being in his presence and I hoped that I had the same effect on him. We were driving for a very long time, but I didn’t mind. I just loved being around him, no matter where we are or what we are doing. The whole car ride we just played music and sang loudly. I was so comfortable around him. He was perfect. I have always wanted someone exactly like him, and it was incredible that I found him because of a beaming little bug. Just thinking that Harry stuck around with me after barely knowing me made me love him even more. Every time I said I loved him in my head, I got butterflies. Every time he looked in my eyes I got butterflies. It was actually unfathomable how much I loved that boy.

            After the long car ride, we ended up in a completely different part of New York. Instead of loud taxis and busy people rushing around, it was come and peaceful. I wasn’t sure where we were, but it was quite picturesque. We went out to eat at a place on the beach, and watched the sunset. The whole night was actually flawless. I could not believe anything that was happening. I kept thinking “Honestly, is this real?” and it was.  After we ate, Harry and I walked on the beach and watched the stars. It was exactly like the night we met. I didn’t stop smiling and I kind of zoned out while we were walking until he stopped. I had massive nerves. This was it. Harry looked me in the eyes and asked me to be his girlfriend. I didn’t think it would be as much as it was since we spent practically every day together, but I was literally on cloud nine. That was another perfect night. I had never had a perfect night until I met Harry. With him I have had tons. I definitely loved him and I knew that he loved me. I now a boyfriend that is beyond compare to anyone else and I could never be happier. And it is all because of one firefly.  

Most musicians use the poetic device, tone, to set the mood of the song. There are many different ways to portray tone in songs. Like in the songs “have a Cigar” and “Rock n’ Roll Band”. Both songs use tone, but the usage contrasts in a way. Though both “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd and “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston have similar meanings, Pink Floyd incorporates cynical tone and their manager’s point of view in order to mock the way people become famous, while Boston uses optimistic tone and reminiscent imagery to tell the story of how their band got famous.

            In the song “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, they use cynical tone and their manager’s point of view. The lyrics “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” shows that the manager is joking around with them, because the name of their band is Pink Floyd, but that isn’t any of their names.  The manager isn’t really taking them seriously and he doesn’t really know a lot about them. The song also says “We call it riding the Gravy Train,” which shows that the manager thinks that the band can get fame easily. “It could be made into a monster/If we all pull together as a team” portrays the fact that their manager believes in them, even thought he has no idea who they really are. The last example is “The band is fantastic/ that is what I think” which is the manager’s opinion on their band. The tone and point of view in this song helps the listener to understand the meaning and set a mood.

The song “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston uses optimistic tone and reminiscent imagery. The lyrics “Playin’ all the bars, sleepin’ in our cars/And we practiced right out in the street” shows the band remembering back to before they were famous. They never gave up even though they had no idea if anything would happen. Also, “No we didn’t have much money/ We barely made enough to survive” they didn’t mind the fact that they didn’t have money to do what they were doing, but they got on stage and that’s what inspired them to keep going. The tone in this song is in the lyrics “And said, boys, I think this band is outta-sight.” It sets the tone of excitement, because they are about to make a deal that would change their lives forever. Also, “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis” shows that they are happy, and they are just ecstatic about what is happening. The song “Rock n’ Roll Band” shows the band reminiscing about their past and how optimistic they were about their futures.

Both songs show many uses of tone. The tone of each song sets a mood for the listener to relate to. In the songs, there is also point of view of tone. There is the point of view for the speaker and the songwriter. They also use tone so the listener can understand the audience the song is set for. The poetic devices in each song help to set a subject and a purpose for the songs, too. Though both “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd and “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston have similar meanings, Pink Floyd incorporates cynical tone and their manager’s point of view in order to mock the way people become famous, while Boston uses optimistic tone and reminiscent imagery to tell the story of how their band got famous.

             Most musicians use poetic devices in their music to makes their songs more meaningful. Irony, is used to make people think about the situation that they are singing about, when the opposite of what is expected happens. Imagery is supposed to appeal to your senses, and make you picture scenes. Characterization conveys the thought that the song has different characters that have different feelings. Showing oxymoronic statements in “Funny the Way It Is,” Dave Matthews Band utilizes destructive imagery, straightforward irony and sorrowful characterization to portray contradicting scenarios.

Dave Matthews Band’s song, “Funny the Way It Is,” has a lot of destructive imagery. The singer says, “Someone’s house is burning down on a day like this,” before that, he explains a beautiful sunny day that seems very happy and serene. You can picture the beautiful day and it is quite upsetting to imagine someone going through such horror of their house burning. Another lyric that you can imagine is “A bomb blast brings a building crashing to the floor.” As you listen, you can see the bomb dropping. You can also feel the terror and see the reaction of the bystanders. Dave Matthews Band uses imagery to make you see the destructive and disturbing things that people have to go through.

Musicians use irony to show contradicting scenes is their songs. In “Funny the Way It Is,” Dave Matthews Band has a lot of ironic scenes. Most of the imagery shows these. The lyrics, “On a soldiers last breath, his baby’s being born,” are very ironic because you usually wouldn’t want to associate a father’s death with his baby’s birth. You would think that someone would be very unlucky to have this happen, and that makes this ironic. Another part of the song says “A kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out,” Those lyrics are very ironic to think about because one child is trying so hard to be a good student, and to get to school, while the other could care less. Also, one the child who dropped out, might have better advantages over the good student, and could easily get to school. There are many ironic scenarios in Dave Matthews Band’s song “Funny the Way It Is”

Through the lyrics, characterization portrays the characters as sorrowful. When the singer says “Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song” it shows characterization because some musician’s best songs come out of troubled relationships. When they go through a heard breakup, they write very meaningful and soulful lyrics, which tend to appeal to many people. Also, “Someone is screaming and crying in the apartment upstairs,” characterizes someone as scared or in pain. It shows that someone could be going through something that is terrorizing to them. Most of the characters in this song seem to be upset, or worried about something.

The song, “Funny the Way It Is” uses a lot of poetic devices and shows specific scenarios to let the listener understand the meaning clearly. The meaning of the song is very ironic, and most of the lyrics are already easy to understand. The poetic devices and lyrics are very concise, and they complement each other very well so the listener understands. Showing oxymoronic statements in “Funny the Way It Is,” Dave Matthews Band utilizes destructive imagery, straightforward irony and sorrowful characterization to portray contradicting scenarios.

In life, people will fall in and out of love very quickly, and one side of the relationship is often left with feelings of longing and regret for what has happened. The band One Direction usually focuses their songs on that theme. They were formed in 2010 on a British talent competition, the X Factor. They each auditioned individually, but due to their talent, appeal, and complimenting voices, the five joined together to form a ban. They didn’t end up winning, but they have been signed to a record label, and are becoming very successful nonetheless with a rapidly growing fan base. In their song, “More Than This,” One Direction utilizes first person point of view, realistic imagery and a desiring mood to portray the heartbreak and sorrow of wanting more than is returned in a relationship.

The first person perspective of the singer helps to tell the story of the song and make it more intimate and relatable. The song was written in the first person point of view. In the lyrics “When I see you on the street, in his arms I get weak,” the singer is saying that he is experiencing this himself. He is telling you a story from his view and what you should think of when you hear it. When you hear this song, you can feel the emotions that the singer is going through from the lyrics. By using the word “you,” instead of the word “she,” it runs on a more personal and relatable level to the listener.

This love song was made to be more romantic by the realistic imagery that takes you into the singer’s emotions. “As I walk up to your door, my head turns to face the floor, ‘cause I can’t look you in the eyes and say,” these lyrics allow you to feel the emotions the singer is going through. They wrote the song so that people could relate to it and understand in personally. That was the reasoning with straight forward, and to the point lyrics, to make it more raw and personal, and so that the listener can create an image in their minds.

The way people feel is usually cause by the emotional actions of those around them. In music, the feelings radiating through the tone and lyrics convey a specific mood. In this song, it is a mood of regret and longing for someone else when you can’t have them. “I’m broken, do you hear me? I’m blinded, ‘cause you are everything I see,” the singer is trying to make you feel his heartbreak. The quote is very personal because it is directly sung with one person in mind. This makes it relatable because listeners can make a connection to others in their own mind. These are the first lyrics of the song, and it sets an unhappy mood from the beginning. When one listens to this song, they get a sense of the singers feelings through the way the singers express the mood in the song.

This song, “More Than This,” uses many poetic devices and specific words so that the listener can understand the meaning more. The song meaning is actually very concise, and the lyrics are saying exactly what they mean. Even though it is very obvious, it is still a great song. That shows how One Direction utilizes first person point of view, realistic imagery and a desiring mood to portray the heartbreak and sorrow of wanting more than is returned in a relationship.