John Mayer - No Such Thing
For ten years of my childhood I was a dancer. For Susan Carroll Dance Studio, starting at the age of 3, I would go to practice in the traditional pink tights and tutu every Wednesday night and learn different routines. We would dance to a classical ballet song where I would practice my pirouettes and arabesque stance. The graceful and elegant moves then would transition into kick ball changes for our tap routine. We would have to make our shoes fall in rhythm with the tempo of the song. Lastly we would include a jazz or hip-hop routine where anything from Tina Turner to dirty old rap songs was fair game.
The first thing you see in John Mayer’s music video is the set up of lights on the stage, rows of chairs and amplifiers being plugged in for a performance. Just like my recitals, all of this would take place for a dress rehearsal right before the big night. Finally the recital time would come. Lights of all sorts of colors were put up over the stage and all of the chairs were set. Amplifiers, microphones and speakers were plugged in, checked, and then double-checked to be safe. With all of the final preparations coming into place and final touches being checked over, my nerves would rise. I was fitted into my costumes, with my makeup done, cute hair do, and with one final practice I would take the stage to perform the routines I had worked on all year long. “Wednesday 8:30!” My class was called and it was show time.
Black Eyed Peas - Where is the love?
This video talks about terrorism and other forms of hate that are now encompassing our entire world. They sing, “But if you only have love for your own race then you only leave space to discriminate and to discriminate only generates hate and when you hate then you're bound to get irate” The song is saying that all we do is hate each other, when if we would just find love, things would be a lot better.
I walked into my 7th grade English class on, September 11th, and sat down at my usual desk in the back of the room. I looked up to see that we now had a TV in the room. I was now excited at this point because I thought that we were going to do something fun for once instead of writing story after story in our notebooks. The bell rang throughout the halls and I looked around to see a deserted room. Only a few people from the class were there. Confused, I looked at the TV to see the teacher had us watching the news. My eyes squinted to focus on what they were showing. At that moment, with the “LIVE” flashing across the bottom of the screen, I saw the second airplane crash into the remaining Twin Tower.
My teacher stepped in front of our small class. Her eyes were wide with concern and fear. They were starting to water. With a shaky voice and unsteady pulse, she informed us, “We have just been attacked by terrorists.”
Every summer my family and I would make the eight-hour, nothing to look at, drive across Nebraska all the way to Fort Collins, Colorado to see my Great Grandparents. My Grandfather always seemed to have gifts for us when we got there. He never failed. His gifts though, always seemed to resemble things he had in his room. He would just walk in there and pick something out right before we arrived. One year he gave me a regular old, light blue baseball hat that said “Colorado” on it.
A few years later, driving up there was for once something I didn’t want to do. The mind-numbing drive seemed even drearier on this occasion, especially with my Colorado hat sitting on my lap for comfort. I was going to my first funeral. It was for my Grandpa. I didn’t even have to walk into the room with his casket before I lost control. I had his hat by my side the whole time though, almost as if he was still there too.
This video makes me think of my grandpa every time I hear the song or see the video. All I have left of him is the hat that he gave me out of his room. Just like looking at a picture of him, all I have to do is look at the hat and immediately I cherish all of the memories with him that I will never forget. Still only wishing though, that I could see him again. “I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me. I can only imagine”
Alabama - I'm in a Hurry
The lyrics, “I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush & rush until life's no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die but, I'm in a hurry and don't know why. Don't know why I have to drive so fast my car has nothing to prove. It's not new, but it'll go 0-60 in 5.2, “ describe my day perfectly.
My fifteen year old Subaru got me everywhere in a flash when I was pressed for time, and even when I wasn’t. One day though, I had all these things I needed to do. And not much time to do them. I set out early that afternoon, and made my first stop at a Walgreen’s.
On the way there, all of a sudden there was a car pulling across the road right where mine is. She missed her stop sign and pulling out across the street right in front of me. With a gasp of air I slammed on the breaks immediately pushing them all the way to the floor. Nothing was working though. My wheels had stopped but the car was still moving. The screeching sound echoed through the streets while smoke and a black trail followed behind my car. She was getting closer. I could see her trying to get out of the way but everything was happening so fast. I knew there was nothing else I could do so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew I felt something punch me in my face. My eyes opened slowly. All I can see is my air bag taking up my windshield and smoke coming from the car.
I had to be in a hurry.
Goo Goo Dolls - Sympathy
Sometimes things happen that make us wish there were a redo button. If only that were possible…
It was a big day. State championship soccer game. The winner of this game took it all. Not a big deal right? In the song, the lyrics say, “I’m killing myself from the inside out and now my heads been filled with doubt.” Could I really do this? The other team is good, can I be better? The worst thoughts of doubt were running through my mind and I was begging for them to stop.
After ninety minutes of intense soccer the whistle blew. The score was tied at zero. Shoot out time. The keepers reported to their boxes. Five players from each team reported to the penalty kick line to take their shots. We made it through the first five and the score was still tied. The next five made the detrimental treck to that crucial PK line. Our sixth player set the ball, got the “go ahead” whistle and shot the ball. Upper ninety. Great shot by her- Even greater save by the keeper. Their sixth player steps up and places her ball. The whistle is blown and her shot goes bottom corner, with a diving save from our keeper. Like a broken record, the same scene repeats itself through the next set of five players.
We get to the eleventh player- the last player able to shoot. They finally made their shot; it slipped right through our goalie’s fingers. Our shot soared high over the cross bar and landed behind the goal. They had won. As they ran off the field in triumph, my dream of being champion went right along with them.
According to Nelly, “Two is not a winner.” This didn’t help my mentality when I stepped onto the field in the same position I was in exactly one year later from our detrimental loss. We were playing the same team, same field, same rivalry. This time their championship was at steak, along with our humility. We weren’t going to lose again. We were going to be the state champions.
As we took the field my heard was pounding. Those same doubtful thoughts were starting to come back and circulate through my mind. Somehow I had to shake them off and concentrate on what I needed to do. The ball was placed in the center, positions taken, and the whistle blown. Now, it was all or nothing.
We never slowed down for the ninety minutes running up and down the field. The grass would crunch under our feet and stay imprinted throughout the whole game. Finally our chance had come. We had a breakaway up the flank of the field. Taken all the way to the corner, our outside midfielder beat her defender with a flawless Maradona. Her strike crossed the ball to the back far post. In slow motion we all watched he ball soar through the air. Then, a smile just came across my face because I knew exactly what was about to happen. Our forward was there waiting. She anticipated and timed her run with the position of the ball. With three big steps then a huge leap she struck the ball with her forehead. It drilled into the back of the net; the keeper never saw it coming.
We now, are number one.
Fort Minor - Remember the Name
My soccer experience this past season can be summed up by the percentage lyrics in this song. With my white jersey, too short to even tuck in, and black shorts, so long they are rolled over at the waistband four times, I would walk into Abel Stadium before every game. Our coach would make the steep jaunt up the stadium stairs to the press box. With a flip of a switch, the loud speakers would crackle, then blares our song to provoke our game faces.
“Ten percent luck” is on your side to win the 50/50 balls against your opponent. “Twenty percent skill” comes into play when luck can do no more. All of the practices pay off in the game when your skill is higher than the other player. Your will must be stronger than your skill. “Fifteen percent concentrated power of will” enables you to get the ball even when luck and skill aren’t in the cards for you that time. You have to enjoy what you are doing though and “five percent pleasure” allows you to keep going when you’re tired, because it’s what you love to do. Pain feels good later because another “fifteen percent pain” is needed to get the rewards you want. All of the 120’s and 6-sided monster sprints and long practices pay off in the long run. This all leads to the pride of being a player and playing for the things that matter. This gives you pride and gives your opponent a one hundred percent reason to remember the name. Nebraska Wesleyan.
Kanye West - Welcome to the Good Life
There is a part in the video and lyrics where Kanye goes through and talks about all of these different places, like LA or Atlanta, and how great they are. His good life consists of lots of money, nice cars, and a carefree lifestyle. This good life vision though, is not the same for everyone.
Traveling to Santiago, Chile last winter I saw things that would not be considered the good life. The cars and “money piling up” shown in the video do not exist there for the most part. We were picked up in a rusty dark green van that was our transportation for the next two weeks. Our first couple turns out of the airport brought our van through local neighborhoods. The houses were on steep and winding hills. The structure of the houses tilted with the slant of the hill. Boards were falling off of the sidings and holes were found in windows, walls, and ceilings. Once out of the neighborhood our van turned onto a local street. Through the musty windows we could see people sitting on the sidewalk. They were all dirty and dressed in raggedy clothes muffled from grease and grime. Night was starting to set in and our vehicle continued to pass more and more people similar to this. Some were lucky enough to have a mattress to sleep on that sidewalk with. Others curled up in the corner in the smallest ball they could possibly get into, hoping that would be enough warmth for the night.
