Top Ten Best Song Annotations

Top Best Song Annotations

1. Springsteen, Bruce. (1975). “Thunder Road”. Born to Run. Bruce Springsteen is a very well known artist to many people.  He is known as “The Boss” because of his amazing vocals and musical talent.  I don’t listen to him that much, but I can admit that this song is one of his bests.  Just the harmonica in the beginning of the song hints at how good the song is going to be and people usually are singing towards the middle and the end of the song.  This song starts of slow in the beginning and builds up in speed as it goes on which makes this song fun and exciting to listen to.

2. Aerosmith. (1973). “Dream On” Aerosmith. Aerosmith is one of the most popular and well known rock and roll bands to most people.  I don’t listen to Aerosmith that much but this song is so well done that whenever I listen to it; I replay it over and over again.  Steven Tyler’s voice in this song is amazing and that really makes the whole song.  The message of the song is to not look back and just keep moving forward with your dreams.  This is one of my favorites by Aerosmith and that’s why I chose this as one of my top ten.

3. Journey. (1981). “Don’t Stop Believin’ Escape. This has to be one of the best songs ever by Journey, in my opinion.  It is a great song to dance to as well as to get inspiration from for anything.  Journey isn’t one of my top artists to listen to, but this song makes them a good band to enjoy.  I like the message of the song as well, which is to really never stop believing and to not give up on your dreams.  The lead singer also makes this song powerful, which makes it intense during the middle of the song.

4. Jackson, Michael. (1982). “Thriller”. Thriller. I’m not a huge Michael Jackson fan, but this song is one of his bests.  It has that eerie feel that reminds people of Halloween and just other frightful things.  Michael Jackson is a great artist, especially in this song, which makes it more enjoyable to listen to.  This song is a great song to be played at dances where everyone knows the words and the dance that goes along with it.  It’s not number one on my list, but it’s one of my top ten.

5. Survivor. (1986.) “Eye of The Tiger”. Take You on a Saturday. This song is just the best to get someone ready for a big event with its upbeat tune and lyrics.  I have never heard of Survivor and this is the only song I know by them, which is why it’s on the top ten.  When someone listens to this song, they get inspired.  I listened to this song before presenting my student council officer speech and it got me motivated and made me less nervous.  This is a good song because it’s inspiring, upbeat, and motivational.

6. The Beatles. (1969). “Come Together”. Abbey Road. The Beatles are a well known band to pretty much anyone.  They are great singers and all of their songs can be replayed over and over again.  This song includes good instrumentals as well as lyrics, which is why most people enjoy listening to this song.  John Lennon contributes soft lyrics which is an important part of the song.  This is a more popular song to most people and that’s why I put it on my top ten best song list.

7. Aerosmith. (1987). “Dude Looks Like A Lady”. Permanent Vacation. This has to be my favorite Aerosmith song of all time.  Steven Tyler is absolutely amazing in this song, voice wise and nobody could sing this song as well as him.  The guitar parts in the song are also a key part to the song and make it fun to listen to Aerosmith fans.  This is low on my list because I don’t listen to it that much, but I still like it enough to include it as one of the top ten best songs.  I put “Dream On” before this song because that song is slower, but this song is still one that I can admit to being one of the best.

8. Alice Cooper. (1972). “School’s Out” School’s Out. This is really the anthem for both students and teachers at the end of the school year.  It’s celebrating the last day of school and the beginning of summer for everyone.  This is probably listened to by students more than teachers because they are eager to finally get out of school and to be on summer break after a long year.  I think this song is one of the top ten mainly because it’s upbeat and also because of the lyrics.  I like how it celebrates the end of the year and it signals that summer is here.

9. Green Day. (2004). “American Idiot”. American Idiot. I like a few songs by Green Day, but this is my favorite by them.  I don’t see a meaning behind the song, but it has an upbeat tune and it’s fun to listen to.  The song seems to just be making fun of the people who live in America, but it doesn’t seem like a direct stab at them.  I don’t listen to Green Day that much but I can say that this is a song that everyone should listen to because of the musical talent and lyrics.  The song is the second to last on my list, but it’s still one of my top ten.

10. Haddaway. (1993). “What is Love”. Haddaway. This is the only song that I know from this artist.  It’s a good song to both listen and dance to.  I put this as my last song because some people aren’t familiar with this song.  The lyrics and the instrumentals are mostly why I like the song.  It’s a good enough song where I can put it as one of my top ten songs.

Top 10 Favorite Song Annotations

Top Favorite Song Annotations:

1. Ryan Shupe and The Rubberband. (2005).“Dream Big”. Dream Big. This song conveys a positive message of never giving up on your dreams, no matter how big or impossible.  The lyrics apply to anyone who has a dream that wants to be reached and to whoever is letting someone tell them that the dream is impossible.  The lyrics “And when you dream, dream big” tell the listener that whenever you dream, make sure that it’s as big as it can be and that you don’t give up on it.  I like this song because I first heard it while at a summer conference for student council and I immediately thought it was a good song simply because of its message. I listen to this song all the time and I still get happy because I know that when I have a dream or a goal, I need to make sure it’s the best I can make it.

2. Jepsen, Carly Rae. (2012). “Call Me Maybe”. Call Me Maybe.  This song is just another ordinary pop song about a romance.  It has a catchy beat, which is why most people enjoy listening to it time after time.  Other people find it annoying, but I like it mainly because of the lyrics and tune to the song.  It has somewhat of a special meaning to me because it was the last song that was playing as everyone left the dance on the last night of a three day student council conference, which was my last one.  I listen to it a lot, again mostly for the tune and the fun lyrics.  My favorite lyric is “Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me maybe?”  The song just shows the story of a teenage girl trying to the attention of a boy she likes.  Most girls can relate to this song and its lyrics because of the message.

3. Aldean, Jason. (2010). “See You When I See You”. My Kinda Party. The whole song is focused on someone not wanting to say goodbye to someone that they care about.  Jason Aldean says in his song “Someday I’ll see you when I see you, another place, some other time.”  The lyrics are saying that they aren’t saying goodbye, they’re just separating for now until they see each other again.  This song has an important message and whenever I listen to it I think of my family and people who I’m close to who I haven’t seen in a while.  I can replay this song over and over again and never get tired of it because of the music and the lyrics; I can relate to this song in different ways and that’s why I like it so much.

4. Fun. (2011). “We Are Young” We Are Young. Any teenager who listens to this song at least once can relate to the message.  The song is just about being young and having fun while you still can.  One of the lines, “Tonight we are young, so let’s set the world on fire” just shows that you’re only young once, so take advantage of it.  This song as well has a special meaning to me because it was played in the highlight video of a three day student council conference and whenever I listen to it, I think of the video.  I like this song a lot because of the message mostly, and because of the meaning it holds.

5. Bryan, Luke. (2011). “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” Country Girl (Shake It for Me). The first time I heard this song was my second night at a student council conference last summer.  The song really doesn’t have a specific meaning, but it’s a good song to listen to during the summer or whenever you need a mood boost.  The music in this song is well done and makes the song catchy and fun to listen to.  The song has a special meaning to me and that’s one of the main reasons as to why I like it.  I’m not very familiar with the artist, but this song is done well by him.

6. Marley, Bob. (1984). “Three Little Birds” Legend( Remastered). The whole song is nothing but positive and that’s one of the main reasons of why I like it so much.  “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright” is my favorite lyric and shows a really positive message of nothing is going to be bad, everything is going to turn out to be fine.  I listen to this song whenever I am upset and it instantly puts me into a good mood.  Nothing about this song is negative and it helps people get through hard times because that’s what Bob Marley’s songs are known to do, especially this one.  There are so many Bob Marley songs, but this one is my favorite because of the music as well as the message.

7. Shelton, Blake. (2011). “God Gave Me You”. Red River Blue (Deluxe Version). “God Gave Me You” is the second song I know by Blake Shelton.  It is a slow song, but it’s very calming and relatable to many people.  “God gave me you for the ups and downs” is an important and meaningful lyric because it makes me think of all of the people in my life who have been there through the good and the bad times.  The artist is basically saying that God gave everyone someone or a group of people for a reason and for them to be there for good and bad.  The music matches the speed of the lyrics and that’s important because it gives the listener time to think of the important people in their life.

8. Chesney, Kenny. (2010). “Live a Little”. Hemingway’s Whiskey. This song is a good song to live by simply because of the message.  I am not a huge country fan, but this song isn’t really too much country for me and it’s a good song to listen to.  An important lyric is “Live a little, have some fun, take some time, waste it on number one” because the message is to not worry about other things for a little bit and focus on you instead.  I listen to this song a lot and I always get the same message out of it whenever I listen to it.  Everyone can get the same message as well because everyone knows that they need to focus on themselves once in a while.

9. One Direction. (2012). “What Makes You Beautiful”. Up All Night. One Direction is a new artist and this is the only song that I know by them.  It has a catchy tune and the lyrics display a boy expressing his affection for a girl, telling her that she is beautiful.  The girl in the song is insecure about her appearance and the singer is telling her all the time that she is pretty, no matter what she does. This song proves that chivalry is not dead and that men still appreciate girls for who they are.  I think that most girls like this song because of the lyrics as well as the message.

10. Lee, Amos. (2006). “Sweet Pea”. Supply and Demand. Amos Lee is a new artist to me and I know this song from an AT&T commercial.  I don’t really see a specific meaning to it; it just seems like a romantic song.  The lyrics “Sweet Pea, apple of my eye, don’t know when and I don’t know why, but you’re the only reason I keep on coming home” shows that the person in the song has feelings for someone else or else they wouldn’t keep coming home.  The music and lyrics are well done also.  I think that this is a good song and should be played on the radio so more people can listen to it.

"My Story"

“My Story”

            My problem has been getting worse.  I have been to countless meetings and none of them are helping.  My counselor has been behind me all the way and I am feeling nothing but appreciation for that.  I can’t conquer this addiction and I am just about ready to give up on it.  There is no way that I am going to save myself and I really shouldn’t even bother telling myself that I can fight against it.  Some days, I just want to crawl up in a corner and cry because life is getting to hard to handle with this problem.  I am always having people support me by giving the best advice they can give and always being there for me.

            April 12, 2011.  The meetings are not helping me get over my addiction.  Everyone there has the same problem but they seem to be getting better as each meeting goes on.  My counselor has been there for me since I noticed I had a problem and I am very grateful for that.  He often calls me every night to see how I am doing after each meeting and I can always tell him if something is wrong.  He’s always telling me that he supports me even with my addiction, even though my family and friends don’t.  Bill is always there whenever I need to talk and I cannot thank him enough for all that he’s done for me.

            I am at the point where I am dependent on my addiction every minute, every hour.  Bill is becoming more and more concerned and he is beginning to have full watch on me.  He keeps telling me to not give up on myself and I really can’t believe him anymore.  He is disappointed that he isn’t of any help, but I keep telling him that he has been nothing but support for me and that I don’t know where I would be without him.  I have made some progress, but it hasn’t been enough for me to beat my problem.  There is nobody looking out for me or nothing to look forward for me to be happy about and I don’t see the point of staying around anymore. 

           

            April 12, 2012.  It has been one year since I have gotten over my addiction and it is all thanks to Bill’s never ending support.  He never said once that I couldn’t do it and he has always believed in me.  He was there for me when nobody else was and that is the most important part of conquering my addiction.  I am now clean and it is all thanks to him; I owe him so much and I don’t know where to begin to thanking him.  Whenever he needs me for anything, I will be there for him because he was always there for me. He was there all of the time when I was down or when I was in any kind of trouble.  Without him, I wouldn’t be where I was today or the kind of person I am right now.

             I wouldn’t be where I am today if it hadn’t been for Bill.  He was the only one who stayed by me through my troubles and the only one who gave me full support.  He never gave up on me even when I told him it was just getting worse.  Bill made it easy for me to beat my addiction and I can’t thank him enough for all of his help.  Whenever he needs someone to look to for support, I will be here like he was here for me and I will be here for him all of the time.  I am repaying him for all of his support just by supporting him, which is enough for him to show my appreciation.

            I followed in Bill’s footsteps and became an addiction counselor.  It is a rewarding experience to watch people transform from addicts to wonderful people.  I am there for all of my patients just like Bill was there for me.  I hope my patients know that they can be there for me if they ever see me in any kind of trouble.  I work side by side with Bill, making sure I am half as good as a counselor that he is, making sure everyone feels comfortable in their surroundings.  This is one of the best choices that I’ve made in my life in a while, and I have him to thank for that.

           

           

           

Tone Analysis

Amelia Maloney

Tone Analysis

4/5/12

            Though both “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” utilize the success story of a band, “Rock n’ Roll Band” incorporates energetic tone in order to show that everybody’s “Gettin’ Crazy” about the band’s rise to fame, while “Have a Cigar” uses cynical tone in order to show the demands of a record producer, such as “You gotta get an album out.”

            In “Rock n’ Roll Band,” the lyrics that the songwriter uses are energetic and clearly show the rising success of a little known band.  Lyrics such as “We were getting pretty good at the game,” show that the band was working hard at practicing and they were getting better and better as they went on in their careers.  People were always “Getting Crazy” when the band was playing because they were so good at what they did.  The band was always grabbing people’s attention because “Everybody’d be listen[ing].”  There is so much positivity and happiness in this song because of the lyrics showing what an average rock and roll band goes through on their way to fame.

            In “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, the tone is more commanding and harsh.  The record executive has many demands, such as “You gotta get an album out.”  He assumes that the people, “They’re gonna love you” and “You’re gonna go far.”  The record executive has a hint of positivity in his attitude, like “You’re gonna make it, if you try.”  However, most of the tone of the songwriter is demanding because of the word choice.  The song is more of a command rather than a success story. 

            Both songs have to do with rock and roll bands, but the tones differ greatly in the two songs.  One tone is upbeat, while the other song is harsh and demanding.  The song “Rock n’ Roll Band is more of a better song because it illustrates a success story without any negative words.  “Have a Cigar” is more uptight and can be seen as a cynical song simply because of how the songwriter words the lyrics.  The tones are important in both of these songs because they help develop the song more as well as adding to the general message of what the story behind the song is.

Irony Analysis

Amelia Maloney

Irony Analysis

Poetry of Song G

            Through multiple contradicting situations in “Funny the Way It Is,” Dave Matthews uses detailed irony, contradicting imagery, and helpful point of view in order to show how life is “funny the way it is.”

            Dave Matthews uses the device of irony in almost all of the lines of the song, which helps convey the message of how life is funny sometimes.  All of the irony examples, such as “Somebody’s going hungry and someone else is eating out,” provide irony, but it also highlights a serious problem of hunger in the world.  Matthews uses other lines of irony to show serious problems that show how life is negative in different ways, like “One kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out.”  This shows the listener the problem with kids in school and how some people are not taking it seriously.  The singer uses lines such as “Somebody’s broken heart becomes your favorite song” in order to show the irony of someone’s break up story becoming a popular song for an unharmed listener.  All of these examples of irony help make the song more understandable and helps convey the message that in different ways, life can be disappointing for some people, while it is perfectly fine for everyone else.

            Another helpful device that the singer uses is imagery, which almost all of it is contradicting.  The setting in the first verse of the song is peaceful, but with the line “Someone’s house is burning down on a day like this,” helps show the contradiction between a peaceful day and something tragic happening.  Some of the lyrics also highlight innocence in situations that are ironic as well, such as “You hear the laughter while the children play war.”  There is a lot of contradiction in the song, which helps make the whole message of irony more clear.  This contradicting imagery is helpful because the listener can picture what is happening during the different lyrics. 

            Point of view is a frequent device that Matthews uses in this song.  A line such as “Funny the way it is, if you think about it,” makes the listener think about how life actually is funny in its own way.  Third person point of view is used as well, “He’ll never catch her, but he can’t stop trying,” helps point out how even though someone knows they can’t have someone, they just can’t give up on reaching their goal.  Point of view in the lyric “And that war song is playing, “why can’t we be friends?” is useful because it’s asking a question, and there is also contradiction within the lyric.  People don’t associate war with friendship and that is why that lyric is helpful with both point of view and irony.  Point of view is not as important as the other two devices, but without it, the song would be confusing to listen to.

            The devices point of view, imagery and irony all contribute to the universal idea of this song.  Point of view is the least important of the three because it does not really help highlight irony or paint a picture for the listener.  Irony is the most important device because almost all of the lines are examples of irony.  This song was interesting with the help of all three devices and without them, the song would have been boring to anyone who listened to it.

Song Analysis One "Three Little Birds"

Amelia Maloney

Transitioning from positive words to a narrative in “Three Little Birds”, Bob Marley utilizes soft imagery, detailed point of view, and a happy tone in order to convey the message that there is nothing to worry about and that “every little thing gonna be all right.”

                The entire song is focused on positivity and the use of imagery helps paint a picture of what is going on in the song.  The second set of lyrics is set up as a narrative and the use of imagery, such as “Three little birds/sit by my door step” can be pictured by the listener because of the choice of wording.  The imagery in this song can be characterized as soft and relaxing, like “Smile with the rising sun,/Three little birds/ Sit by my door step/Singing sweet songs.”  Those lyrics are pure imagery because the listener can picture birds singing and the sun rising in the morning, without a care in the world.  Most of the lyrics use good imagery because of the word choosing and also by the way the singer sings the lyrics.  Imagery is a good device because of the positive lyrics and the happy tone of the song.

            Another tool in the song that the artist uses is point of view.   The lyrics in the beginning of the song, “Rise up this mornin’/Smiled with the risin’ sun.”  These lyrics are being told in a story form by the artist, which makes the song easier and more interesting to listen to.  The use of point of view helps the song because the singer is describing the morning through their own eyes and not through someone else’s.  This is a good device because when you listen to the song, you can picture the singer waking up to birds singing on his doorstep.  Without point of view, the song would have been not as interesting to listen to.

            The tone that the singer uses is the most important part of the song.  The tone is positive and is promoting happiness and saying that there is nothing to worry about.  When the singer says, “‘Cause everything gonna be all right”, the positivity is felt by the listener.  There is nothing negative about the song because of the tone and it conveys a message of happiness.  The word choosing helps with the tone because they have to do with being happy and not having anything to worry about.  This device is a very important factor because without tone, the song would be boring to listen to and would have no emotions from the listener.

            I thought that this was an interesting and happy song to listen to because of all three devices that were present.  The tone sets up the song to be positive and it also conveys a message of happiness.  The imagery helps paint a picture of the song with the word choosing and the set up of the lyrics.  Point of view in this song is just as important because it assists in telling the listener what is happening through the artist’s eyes.  All three devices were well done and made this a relaxing song to listen to.