Let me start off by saying, if you don't watch Scandal... I'm sorry. It's one of the best shows airing on television right now. And I only call it "one of the best" to be fair. I don't watch every show on television so I am forced to leave some breathing room. For those of you who do watch Scandal, you should recognize the song below.
The Album Leaf- The Light
This is song is one in a million. Okay, maybe just one in 1,368. It's the only song on my iPOD that has no words whatsoever. The reason for that is simple: I love music, but I love lyrics way more. But for me, this song doesn't even need it. Scandal is centered around a love triangle, in which the President of the United States, Fitz Grant, is completely in love with Washington D.C.'s most prominent fixer, Olivia Pope, played by the lovely Kerry Washington. As you can probably guess, the third member of the triangle is the First Lady herself, Mellie Grant. I know, so Scandalous right?
The thing with Fitz and Liv is that their love is unlike any other that I've seen on any television show. They are madly in love and there is absolutely no doubting that. You can feel it through the screen; through their facial expressions, through their dialouge, through their body language. It's the type of love where you love the other person more than yourself, and everything you say and do is centered around them. John Mayer type of love is what I like to call it. "The Light" is actually played during very passionate and/or emotional scenes between Fitz and Liv, which happens pretty frequently throughout the series. And if you watch the show, you can't help but feel a huge flow of emotion sneak up on you as soon as it starts playing. Well, that is if you are as emotionally invested in the show and their love as I am. The one thing I hate about their relationship is that it leaves me encouraging an affair, rooting for them to take over the world side by side. In reality, I obviously wouldn't be doing that. But I'll make an exception for Scandal and it's completely fictional world that I sometimes believe I live in.
The crazy thing about this song is the association I instantly find. Not one word is spoken, sang, or rapped in this song, yet I literally find myself crying and freaking out every time it comes on, simply because I connect it with Scandal. If a writer for a television show can do that... that's nothing less than an extremely successful one. I mean the point in it all is to grab you in, hold your attention, and truly make you feel what they are trying to display. Shonda Rhimes does that every time.
"The Light" is that one little savior that reminds me that music is just as important as the lyrics. And music is often there to let people know how to feel about the lyrics. But if you can feel that emotion, and I mean truly feel it without lyrics. That's..... everything.
Fifth Harmony. Camila Cabello, Dinah Jane Hudson, Lauren Jauregui, Normani Hamilton and Ally Brooke Hernandez. One of the newest, youngest, most talented girl groups to hit the scene, well... in a while. But get this, they were put together as a group in the last season of the X Factor. And just look where they are now. They've signed with Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid's record labels. They've already released two singles and two music videos, "Miss Movin' On" and "Me and My Girls". Their EP album, Better Together, is expected to hit stores later this month. And they'll also be heading on the road with Demi Lovato at the beginning of next year on her Neon Lights tour. Looks like they're movin' on alright. Check it out for yourself!
Fifth Harmony- Miss Movin' On
I'm breakin' down
Gonna start from scratch Shake it off like an etch-a-sketch My lips are saying goodbye My eyes are finally dry
I'm not the way that I used to be I took the record off repeat It killed me but I survived And now I'm coming alive
I'll never be that girl again No oh oh [x2] My innocence is wearin' thin But my heart is growing strong So call me, call me, call me Miss movin' on Oh oh oh [x2]
I broke the glass surrounding me I ain't the way you remember me I was such a good girl So fragile but no more
I jumped the fence to the other side My whole world was electrified Now I'm no longer afraid It's Independence Day
I'll never be that girl again No oh oh [x2] My innocence is wearin' thin But my heart is growing strong So call me, call me, call me Miss movin' on
Everything is changing and I never wanna go back to the way it was I'm finding who I am and who I am from here and now is gonna be enough Is gonna be enough
I'll never be that girl again No oh oh I'll never be that girl again Oh oh oh
My innocence is wearin' thin But my heart is growing strong So call me, call me, call me Miss movin' on Oh oh oh Miss movin' on
(On and on and on and on and on)
Miss movin' on Oh oh oh [x4]
Yeah, I'm movin' on
"Miss Movin' On'' is that one little savior that reminds me that girl power still alive! I think that's why I love this group so much. This is one one of the songs on my iPOD that I've been listneing to non-stop over the past few months. I think you pretty much get the point of the song but it's really important! I think as girls we forget that we hold a lot of power. There is nothing better than being fiercely independent and headstrong and knowing what you want. I think there's so much beauty in being able to stand up and say "Look, I've had enough. I'm walking away!" Kind of like Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball", but with a lot less of the heartbreak that I had to cover in my Miley post. And this song doesn't just go for boys. It can literally apply to any situation or person that's holding you back mentally or emotionally. And in that case, we're all Miss Movin' Ons. Except for maybe group member Camila Cabello, who may be movin' onto something, instead of just on. GIRL POWER.
The song below is one of the sweetest, saddest songs in all the land about being in love. Like I'm talking top 3, at least. If there's one song that can bring me to tears at any time... it's this one.
John Mayer- In Your Atmosphere (Live in L.A.)
I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore
I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore I don't know what it's like to land and not race to your door I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore I'm not sure that I really ever could Hold on to your hotel key in your bedroom neighborhood Me sleepwalkin' in Hollywood I'm gonna steer clear and burn up in your atmosphere I'm gonna steer clear cause I'd die if I saw you, I'd die if I didn't see you there So I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore Ooooooooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooooooooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooooooooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oooooooh I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore I get lost on the boulevard at night Without your voice to tell me "I love you, take a right" The 10 and the 2 is the lonliest sight I'm gonna steer clear and burn up in your atmosphere I'm gonna steer clear cause I'd die if I saw you, I'd die if I didn't see you I'm gonna steer clear, aww yea and burn up in your atmosphere I'm gonna steer clear cause I'd die if I saw you, I'd die if I didn't see you there, see you there
I think I'm gonna stay, gonna stay in the grey I think I'm gonna stay And all the streetlights say nevermind, nevermind And the canyon lines say nevermind And sunset says we see this all the time Nevermind, never you mind Wherever I go, whatever I do I wonder where I am in my relationship to you Wherever you go, wherever you are I watch your life play out in pictures from afar Wherever I go, whatever I do I wonder where I am in my relationship to you Wherever you go, wherever you are I watch that pretty life play out in pictures from afar oooooohhh, oooooooh, oh, oh oh oooooohhh, oooooooh, oh, oh oh oooooohhh, oooooooh, oh, oh oh oooooohhh, oooooooh, oh, oh oh, oooh oh ohh ohhh oh
This song is love. Like can you even imagine feeling that way about someone? John Mayer is a lyrical genius. He's like my male Taylor Swift, except I don't love him nearly as much. I first heard this song by accident and immediately fell in love with it. I remember I listened to it about 100 times that day, and the day after that and the day after that. And life hasn't been the same since. Okay okay, I'm kidding. But really, it's awesome. Every line in this song is so detailed and it just makes me feel so bad for John Mayer, not knowing whether this was his reality or all made up in his head. Either is enough to want to run up to him and give him the biggest hug. The thing is... whoever he is talking about, he was head over heels unlike I've ever heard or seen before. It's such a depressing but beautiful way to be the way he describes in this song. I'm not even sure how those two adjectives go together but I usually lay down crying and saying "aweeee" at the same time. I'm not going to go through the whole song because I think you pretty much get my point. And it just might go on forever. But I do want to point out a few things.
First of all, "I don't think I'm gonna go to LA anymore." He literally considers staying away from an entire city because it represents and reminds him of the girl that he loves. Like, he can't even disassociate the two. And trust me, I really don't think he's gonna go to LA anymore. I mean he did say it six times. I counted. Or maybe he only did that because he was trying to convince himself that he wouldn't, when he really was and wanted to more than anything.
Second. "I'd die if I saw you, I'd die if I didn't see you there." Well, that's unfortunate. I guess my logic from the last paragraph (the method of repeating to convince himself) makes sense after all. It's like a lost cause for him because he'll either be wanting her and thinking about her so much that he wants to see her desperately or see her and experience all the negative feelings assosicated with what he already knows he's missing. I mean he's basically saying there is absolutely no way around loving her and needing her no matter what he does.
And at last... "Wherever I go, whatever I do. I wonder where I am in my relationship to you. Wherever you go, wherever you are, I watch your life play out in pictures from afar." Wow... just wow. Hands down, the best part of the song. And the part that really lets us know just how much he loves her, even though it was more than clear the first half of the song. The amount of love he has for her is truly unreal. Do you realize what he's saying here? He bases the significance of what he does and where he is, all around her. How close he is to her, even when he knows he's not going to end up in the same spot as her... ever. And he knows that. But it's just the mere thought that brings him peace, even if it's just a little. And the saddest fact of them all... that he is not a part of her life anymore. Like at all. I mean he only sees her through pictures. But it seems like he's so grateful for that even though that's not even close to what he truly wants. But for him, that's better than absolutely nothing. Nothing is what would kill him.
"In Your Atmosphere" is that one little savior that reminds me that love is the realeast -physical, emotional and mental- feeling in the entire world. And I just don't think there's anything I can explain further than that.
The video below is a story that I did last semester, in which I was able to incorporate "In Your Atmosphere" in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do every time I watch it.
Poor Miley. And I really mean that. But before you disagree... you should probably watch this.
Miley Cyrus- Wrecking Ball (Director's Cut)
We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain
We jumped never asking why
We kissed, I feel under your spell
A love no one could deny
Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah you, you wreck me
I put you high up in the sky
and now you're not coming down
It slowly turned, you let me burn
and now we're ashes on the ground
Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
I came in like a wrecking ball
Yeah I just closed my eyes and swung
Left me crashing in a blazing fall
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah you, you wreck me
I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
And instead of using force
I guess I should've let you win
I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
I guess I should've let you win
Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
I came in like a wrecking ball
Yeah I just closed my eyes and swung
Left me crashing in a blazing fall
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah you, you wreck me
Yeah you, you wreck me
Wow. I really wasn't planning on covering "Wrecking Ball" this week; actually, not at all. But a friend of mine told me about the director's cut video and after I saw it, I just had to. This song is utter heartbreak. The lyrics.. the video.. Miley, period. I'm so glad they decided to publish the director's cut. I actually like it so much more than the original. And that says a lot for a video that's nearly four minutes of the same close-up shot. But it tells a story, even if she's just crying and singing her heart out to the camera. That's all I ever really need.
As you may or may not know, Miley and her now ex-fiance Liam Hensworth, announced their split last month. There had been a million and one rumors about a break-up between them for months, but let's be real... that's typical Hollywood gossip. Or so I thought. Turns out it wasn't just gossip. Don't you just hate when that happens? Sources say Miley is the one who broke off their engagement and relationship, and I would say that this song definitely backs up those sources. But we don't know for sure.
Now I know Miley is a little out of control these days with her infamous and rather inappropriate VMA performance, her "We Can't Stop" and "23" videos, and her risque outfits and rebelious attitude, but a huge part of me thinks she does it to stir up the media, simply because she can. Literally everyone has some idea of what they want Miley to act, dress, sing, talk and walk like. It's been like this since her Hannah Montana days... but back then she was actually a child. For some reason I think a lot of people are struggling to accept that that is just not the case anymore. 1) She's grown, 2) Hannah Montana was a character. A fictional character, and 3) It's Miley's life. In all honesty, she could tone it down a little. But whether she does or not most definitely isn't going to affect my life in any way besides being entertained by her next crazy move and even more entertained by the responses from my peers and the world of social media. But that's not even what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to talk about a wrecking ball.
Reitz Union, University of Florida. 2013
I took this picture a couple of weeks ago not even thinking that I would use it for this blog post. Funny how things work out. Now I know there is no wrecking ball in this picture, but this is most definitely the aftermath of one. This building (Reitz Union) is completely destroyed. I guess you could say Miley's heart is the Reitz Union, or what's left of it. This comparison is pretty bad. I mean look at the picture. I wouldn't want any parts of it. But the thing is...yes, the Reitz Union was torn down.... but only to be built back up; to be bigger, and better, and stronger than it ever was before. And that too is Miley's heart, although it might not seem like it right now. It will heal, and find itself again, and fall in love again. But this song doesn't focus on that. This song is everything in between. The worst of it all. But can you really blame her? I'm going to focus on the repeated verse that comes before the chorus and the chorus itself. And just a warning, this is going to be my longest blog post, simply because that's what this song deserves.
.... before the chorus:
"Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you"
This song has unique angle in the fact that the one who was damaged from the relationship seemed to be the one who actually ended the relationship. I think it's easy for us assume that a person definitely got dumped if they are as heartbroken as this song reveals. But every love story is different in its own way. I think that's why she takes the time to say "don't you ever say I just walked away," because that's the conclusion we naturally come to. That the person who ended the relationship gave up, moved on, changed, etc. That's not the case here. She makes it more than clear that she will never truly move on, saying "I will always want you." Not once, but twice in verse before the chorus. It's obvious this girl just did not want to end this relationship, but it was more like she had to for some reason. A reason she credits to the fact that she "can't live a lie." That's some serious stuff. If there's anything that will eat a reasonable person alive, it's living a lie. The next line, "running for my life," gave me a pretty good understanding of the entire situation. I've come up with this:
This girl is in a major conflict, both with herself and her partner. She loves him more than I can really properly put into words. And about the only thing more important to her than him is her own self preservation- her values, her happiness, her peace of mind -and that was being threatned on a large scale. She was fighting to keep them... the things that made her who she was. She was putting in so much more in the relationship than she was getting out- love, committment, support, communication, attention (the very things you need for a relationship to grow) -for whatever reason that may be. Honestly, I'm not even sure if she fully knew, and that made the relationship all the more detrimental. And at some point, she had to decide what mattered most. And she chose herself. I mean if you lose yourself... what else really matters at all?
...... and then comes the chorus:
"I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
The chorus recounts all of the passion that was put into the relationship. The simple fact that she is compared to a wrecking ball says it all. Wrecking balls come in strong, with no hesistation, ready to produce an outcome. That's a quality that I can say I truly look up to. People that allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to fall in love like this song explains... that's crazy to me. There are so many possibilities for heartbreak, which unfortunately exactly how this ended. I think the saddest part is that she tried so desperately to get him to open his heart and mind up like she had, but it all backfired on her. In the end, she just couldn't manage put the pieces back together on her own. Sometimes you just can't.
"Wrecking Ball" is that one little savior that reminds me that sometimes letting go is really the only way to truly save yourself. And that letting go doesn't mean you don't love someone with everything you have, that you wanted to walk away, that walking away wasn't the hardest thing you've ever done, that you aren't left utterly broken in the end. Because you are. The only difference is that when you let go, you've released the last little shred of hope for your own self-preservation and you re-gain control over something, anything within you after feeling like you've lost it all to the one you love. Sometimes I think being the one to walk away from the one you love is even harder. You should ask Miley.
The title speaks for itself. Don't Make Me Think... but personally, I'd add a pretty please because I am basically begging you. There is almost nothing worse than visiting a website and being completely lost in a sea of links, text, and irrelevant information that I want to make go away. We've all been there and for some reason, it happens a lot more often than it should. And most of the time, it's the one thing I'm truly looking for that I can't seem to find. Why? Because I have no direction, nothing is making sense, and my all-time favorite- there is way too much to choose from.
I am so glad that Steve Krug wrote this book. So many of us need it, and I'm not just talking about some of the awfully confusing websites I've visited. I'm talking about all of us that have a website, are creating a website, will create a website, etc. Krug said "most of what I do is just common sense." And I have to say I agree. But I think a lot of the times when you are creating a website, it's hard to be on the other side of the screen, as the individual who knows nothing about the content you're displaying. There are times when things seem so obvious that they scream "Click Me", when in reality, they just don't.
"There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home." Looks like little Dorothy was right, even though she wasn't quite referring to a website's home page. Krug mentioned the importance of the home button, which is basically like my best friend when I visit a website... even the websites I am already familiar with. I know Krug also mentioned the back button as the most-used feature of web browsers, but my click back home definitely beats the back button; although it doesn't surprise me that the back button is the most popular action while surfing a website. But for me, clicking that over and over gets me more frustrated than starting fresh from mi casa (my house). Home is the heart of the webpage. If I land there, I can find anything I've ever dreamed of. And if I can't, you're just not doing something right.
As I read Don't Make Me Think, I thought of all the sites in all the land that have given me trouble after another. More specifically, it was a listserv site that I had to visit often during my position as secretary of an organization. It was probably one of the worst websites I've ever been to. I quickly realized that making a website easy to browse through is extremely important. I wasted a lot of my life trying to figure that website out... like a lot. And If I'm being completely honest, that website just made me feel plain stupid and I'm almost positive that's not the way you want your visitors to feel. But, if for some reason you just can't manage to make your site easy to comprehend at first glance, at least have really, really great directions to make it as clear as clear gets. Well, the listserv website did have directions. I'll give them credit for that. But they were most certainly not clear. In fact, they confused me even more because I couldn't even figure out what directions matched the action I was trying to complete. Lets talk about a headache. Anyways, I finally taught myself how to navigate through that website by the middle of the semester. And just like that, I was deemed a genius.
Usability is the word of the day. If your website has that, you're already off to a great start. It doesn't take much to satisfy me when it comes to websites. I just need some fun colors and to know where I'm going before I click it. And if not, at least let me get back where I first started.... back home. Pretty please.
Nothing Was the Same... at least not for Drake. This post is dedicated to him and his new album (hint hint: the italicized words), and everyone else who goes through experiences that change everything.
Photo: spin.com
Drake- Look What You've Done
It’s like ’09 in your basement and I’m in love with Nebby And I still love her but it fell through because I wasn’t ready And your back hurt, and your neck hurt, and you smoking heavy And I sit next to you, and I lecture you because those are deadly And then you ash it and we argue about spending money on bullsh*t And you tell me I’m just like my father, my one button, you push it Now it's "F*ck you, I hate you, I'll move out in a heartbeat" And I leave out and you call me, you tell me that you're sorry You love me, and I love you, and your heart hurts, mine does too And it's just words and they cut deep but it's our world, it's just us two I see painkillers on the kitchen counter, I hate to see it all hurt so bad But maybe I wouldn't have worked as hard If you were healthy and it weren't so bad Uh, maybe I should walk up the street, and try and get a job at the bank Cause leave it up to me, J, and neeks, we're probably end up robbing a bank Then Wayne calls on my phone, conversation wasn't that long Gets me a flight to Houston in the morning Oh it's my time, yeah, it's on He's thinking of signing me, I come home We make a mixtape with seventeen songs I almost get a Grammy off of that thing They love your son man that boy gone You get the operation you dreamed of And I finally sent you to Rome I get to make good on my promise It all worked out girl, we shoulda known Cause you deserve it
Is this sh*t real, should I pinch you? After all the things that we been through, I got you Look what you've done, look what you've done Look what you've done for me now You knew that I was gonna be something We stressed out, and you need some, I got you Look what you've done, look what you've done
It's like '06 in your backyard and I'm in love with Jade And I'm still in love, cause when it's that real, it's when it doesn't fade And my father living in Memphis now he can't come this way Over some minor charges and child support that just wasn't paid Damn, boo-hoo, sad story, black American dad story Know that I'm your sister's kid but That still don't explain the love that you have for me I remember sneaking in your pool after school dances Dam* your house feel like the Hamptons For all of my summer romances I never really had no one like you man this all new shit Made the world I know bigger, changed the way that I viewed it Had all this fighting going on at the crib You would calm me down when I lose it Told you I think I'm done acting, I'm more in touch with the music You said either way I'll be a star, I could go so far Talked to me, you got to me Then you tossed the keys and loaned me your car Yeah, just a young kid in a drop-top Lexus Hopin' that I don't get arrested Just another kid that's goin' through life So worried that I won't be accepted But I could do anything, you said that, and you meant that You took me places, you spent that, they said no, we went back Checks bounce but we bounce back I put all the money in your accounts back And I thank you, I don't where I'd really be without that, It worked out man, you deserve it
Is this sh*t real, should I pinch you? After all the things that we been through, I got you Look what you've done, look what you've done Look what you've done for me now You knew that I was gonna be something We stressed out, and you need some, I got you Look what you've done, look what you've done
The simplicity of this song... this will forever be one of my favorite Drake songs for that. Typically, his songs have a ton of distracting musical elements, most featured with a handful of vocally overbearing artists (in comparison to him). But not this one. This is his story and it doesn't seem to take much, or anyone else to tell it. Well, minus the sweet voicemail at the end from his grandmother... which is a gem. I think what I admire about this song is his ability to reflect so clearly on the past, connecting all of the most influencial string of events and relationships that led him to where he is today, especially with his loved ones. This is a thank you letter to them... giving them credit (especially his mother) for making him the person he is today in some way or another. Being able to send his mother to Rome and return money to his uncle are amongst some of the most precious changes for him... trying to reward them for their sacrifices, because without those he realizes he wouldn't be where he is now. This song is so closely connected with Nothing Was the Same because he goes back in his head -pre-Drake, back when he was only Aubrey Graham and Jimmy on Degrassi- taking notice at how different life is... really focusing on the positive things that have come from his success. If you know anything about Drake, it's that this definitely isn't your typical guy. His success has obviously brought a ton of good in his life, which he acknowledges in this song, but it has also created and changed situations, feelings, and relationships in a way that isn't so ideal. He never fails to remind us of that. In his song "Fear", which is another favorite of mine, he ends with " And my uncle ain't even messaging me, And him missin' in my life is kinda messing with me, I hope this isn't one of them forever things, It's funny how money can change everything." Now I assume this is the same uncle he wrote about in "Look What You've Done." There is a pretty big contrast in the relationship, here. Now that Drake is a star, he doesn't have the same relationship he once had with his uncle. It's things like this that Drake consistently emphasizes in his songs. It just so happens that this song has a similar significance with the last post I did for Taylor Swift's "The Lucky One." I was just trying to do un poco (a little) something special in honor of the release of his third album. If you haven't already, check out Nothing Was the Same on iTunes. I can guarantee he'll be a singin' and a rappin' about how nothing really is the same... and "Look What You've Done" is that one little savior that reminds me of that, and that sometimes, that can be life-changing.
Let me start off by apologizing in advance for the excessive number of Taylor Swift songs I may or may not post. She is without a doubt my absolute favorite musician, and stranger. So talented, so captivating and weird, so down-to-earth, so real. She is a rare species. And to me, that's written all over her.
You might be surprised when you find out that I've chosen a song that doesn't recount one of her many romantic experiences (which counts for about 90% of her songs). I wanted to go with a song that was a little different from her norm. "The Lucky One" is actually recounting someone else's life story. I'm almost positive it's non-fiction because let's be honest, since when does Taylor Swift write songs from her imagination? She just doesn't. To my knowledge, Taylor Swift has never actually confirmed who the mysterious character she is referring to in the song, but nearly every article on the internet predicts that Joni Mitchel is "the lucky one". Once you read/listen to the song, I'll tell you why that's completely believable.
Taylor Swift- The Lucky One
New to town with made up name
in the angel city chasing fortune and fame
And the camera flashes make it look like a dream
You had it figured out since you were in school
Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool
So overnight, you look like a sixties queen
Another name goes up in lights, like diamonds in the sky
And they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
Yea they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
But can you tell me now you're the lucky one
Ooh, ooh, ohhhhhhhh
Now it's big black cars and riviera views
and your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you
and your secrets end up splashed on the news front page
And they'll tell you that you're lucky but you're so confused
'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used
And all the young things line up to take your place
Another name goes up in lights, you wonder if you'll make it out alive
And they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
Yea they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
Can you tell me now you're the lucky one
Ooh, ooh, ohhhhhhhh, oh oh oh oh oh oh
Ooooooh, ooooooh, ooh ooh oohhhhh
It was a few years later I showed up here
and they still tell the legend of how you disappeared
How you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out
They say you bought a bunch of land somewhere
Chose the rose garden over Madison Square
And it took some time but I understand it now
'Cause now my name is up in lights
but I think you got it right
Let me tell you now you're the lucky one
Let me tell you now you're the lucky one
Let me tell you now you're the lucky one
Ooh, ooh, oohhhhhh
Yea they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
Yea they'll tell you now you're the lucky one
Let me tell you now you're the lucky one
oh, oh, oohhhh
oh, oh, oh, oh
Can you find the lucky one?
If I had to write the main idea for what this song is trying to shed light on, it would be this: We all have this idea of what fame is and what it entails, but the truth is we have no idea. Now if you're still questioning the prediction that this song is about Joni Mitchell, here's where the rumors come from:
1."New to town with a made up name" Joni Mitchell's real name is Roberta Joan Anderson. This isn't major evidence considering many musicians come into the business with stage names. But it definitely narrows down the list.
2."It was a few years later I showed up here" Joni Mitchell retired from the music industry in 2002. Meanwhile, Swift showed up on the music scene around 2004/2005.
3. "And they still tell the legend of how you disappeared" Not only is Joni Mitchell legendary in the world of music, but her disappearance from it and the reasons for it remain a big question in Hollywood.
4. "How you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out" In a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone, the very same year Joni Mitchell unofficially "retired", Joni Mitchell referred to the music industry as a "cesspool," expressing her dissatisfaction with it and the direction in which her career was going. In addition to this, two distinctive things that Swift. 1) I've never known Swift to cuss in a single one of her songs. FOUR ALBUMS.... NONE. Unless I've happened to miss one in some less popular song on a deluxe edition version of an album. To me, this expresses the passion behind the action. When I think of "got the hell out", I think of removing myself from a situation that is threatning and absolutely no good, and doing it as quickly as I can. I think a lot of people can refer to Joni Mitchell's disappearance from the music industry as pretty abrupt. This may represent that. 2) Swift gave Joni complete possession of her dignity by saying "your dignity", but referred to "money" in a general sense, with no specific possessor. Now the money is obviously Mitchell's, as well. But I think this is Swift's way of emphasizing how that the money wasn't what was important to her. It came with the job (and of course, it allowed her to live a comfortable lifestlyle, which is important) but it wasn't what motivated her. But her dignity... that was hers and she was going to keep it above anything else.
5."They say you bought a bunch of land somewhere, chose the rose garden over Madison Square." No one knows exactly where Joni Mitchell went off to after her retirement, but we know what she left behind. Not every artist can sell out Madison Square Garden. But those that can... are the few, the proud. And Joni Mitchell was amongst them. I think giving up Madison Square Garden is a huge choice, in which a lot (and I mean a lot) of people would question. Even myself. But maybe she would've had to sacrifice more by staying.
And now for the most powerful part of the song.
"And it took some time, but I understand it now. 'Cause now my name is up in lights, but I think you got it right."
This line goes back to the main idea for the song. At this point in the song, Swift had already incorporated herself into the song. Before being thrust into the craziness of the music industry, Swift admits that she couldn't understand why Mitchell would just disappear and give up her dream. But now that Swift has gained all the fame that Mitchell once had, she understands. It's almost natural to have an idea of what fame is as a spectator. All we see is the success, the dinero (money), the recognition, the glam, and so many other things that look so appealing to the world. In fact, it's very hard to see anything else when all of those things are at the surface. But that's just it... it's all on the surface, which doesn't leave much room for true understanding.
"The Lucky One" is that one little savior that reminds me that no one has it all, no matter how it looks or seems. My mom always says "It's always easy to sniff out all of the qualities, resources, skills, and things that others have that you don't have. You're only focused on the things you lack that are positively reflecting in others. But you don't know what they lack. " Famous people are human, therefore they have the potential to experience everything we do. That's been made clear. They have fears, they experience loss, they get rejected, they lose games, relationships, privacy, their lives; they sacrifice, they worry, they need something to believe in, they need family & friends, support, and love... exactly the way we do. And just to be clear, money doesn't buy happiness. Money buys you things, friends, and directs your monetary concerns in an alternate direction. Nothing else. If this were true, some of the 20th century's most wealthy and famous people wouldn't have ended their lives (Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, etc).
So, I guess the real question is: Who is "The Lucky One"? Not as in whether it's Joni Mitchell or someone else. But, who is considered to be the lucky one in this life? I think whoever finds overall happiness in their life is the lucky one, because not everyone finds that... famous or not.
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