Next up: Carolina Rain

In an effort to spotlight bands that don't get enough attention, my next lyrics analysis will focus on country group Carolina Rain.

I first heard this band in the spring of 2007 through their single on the radio, "Get Outta My Way." Not will the melody get stuck in your head for days, the song is sweet and funny. I highly recommend it.

I was lucky enough to see Carolina Rain live soon after that, at a bar outside of Boston. I can't for the life of me remember the town, but maybe East Bridgewater? Anyway, it was a really great performance and I immediately bought their whole CD after that.

The song I will analyze next week is the first song on their debut CD, "Weather the Storm." The song is eponymously called "Carolina Rain," and it's really beautiful. Can't wait listen to it again...in the name of analysis, of course!

"Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you"

"Fire and Rain" by James Taylor is way too complicated of a song for me to analyze...so here's what people around the Web have managed to find out:

"Fire and Rain" Music and Lyrics by James Taylor

Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone;
Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song,
I just can't remember who to send it to.

The identity of "Suzanne" is much debated:

Wikipedia: In a BBC interview, Taylor said the first verse referenced the suicide of a friend.
Snopes: According to urban legend that Taylor's collective audience made up, Suzanne was Taylor's girlfriend. She was supposed to fly out and meet him while he was away, but the plane crashed and she died.
Wikipedia: On VH1's Story Tellers, Taylor confirmed the song was about his friend Suzanne Schnerr who died suddenly at home while he was away in London. In an NPR interview, he said his friends kept the news from him because he had just been signed to a big record contract, and they didn't want to distract him.
Snopes: In a 1972 Rolling Stone interview, Taylor said the first verse is about his reaction to a death of a friend.

(Chorus)
I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end,
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend;
But I always thought that I'd see you again.

According to most people, the chorus is the only self-explanatory part of the song.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus,
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand-
And I won't make it any other way.

Snopes: In the same interview with Rolling Stone, Taylor says the second verse is about him arriving in the United States from London and battling to overcome drug addiction.
Wikipedia: In the NPR interview, Taylor confirms this verse was about getting through depression.

(Chorus)

I’ve been walking my mind to an easy time
My back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it’ll turn your head around
Well, there’s hours of time on the telephone line
To talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.

Wikipedia: Taylor said in the NPR interview that this verse was about coming to grips with fortune and fame. "Flying machines" is a reference to his old band that he started before he had his big break.
Snopes: While people on this urban legend site thought this was a reference to the death of a friend, Taylor said in Rolling Stone that it was about his time at Austen Riggs, a psychiatric facility while he tried to overcome his addiction.

(Chorus)

Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now

It's such a beautifully simplistic, yet complex song...I'm glad other people have put effort into discovering the true meaning!

Fire and Rain

I'm going to take a different approach to the blog next week- instead of analying a song myself, I'm going to look at different interpretations of a very famous song that other people have written. In other words, it will be an analysis of an analysis.

The song in question will be "Fire and Rain," by James Taylor. I know James Taylor has been around for a long time, but somehow, I just started getting into his music. Anyway, it's an incredibly famous and influential song that has been analyzed for decades, and I'm excite to see what other people have to say about it.

"I'm jealous of the moon for how it moves the waves"

Jason, one of my best friends from home, and I had a very long discussion once about what this song means. It provoked such thought that he called me the next day, taking back everything he had said, and left a 5-minute voicemail with another theory. What can I say, Matt Nathanson songs have that effect on people. (Also it just occurred to me that I keep saying I'm going to analyze a happy song, but so far, each song has been sadder than the one before it...oh well!)

"Wedding Dress" Music and Lyrics by Matt Nathanson

So we lie here in the dark;
All the wrong things on fire.
In sickness and in health,
To be with you, just to be with you.

Ok, I really believe the song is about a guy in love with a girl...only problem is, the girl is engaged to be married. When analyzing it, Jason didn't agree with me at first, but then he eventually came around :) In fact, he compared it to Jim and Pam, circa-second season "The Office," when Jim Halpert is love with the engaged Pam Beesly. Anyway, the first verse gives it away with, "all the wrong things on fire." I think he's talking about his heart being "on fire," or in other words, in lust with this engaged woman. I personally think its clever the way he weaves the traditional words for wedding vows into a song about infidelity!

In your wedding dress,
To have and to hold.
Cause even at my best,
I wanna let go...

This is the chorus that repeats several times, and here it becomes clear to me that he's in love with someone that he wishes he could marry, but she' s committed to someone else. He's trying to be a good person and let go of his feelings, but he is too in love, and he can't.

And you hold me in your arms;
And all that I can see
Is my future in your hands.
And all that I can feel,
Is how long ever after is.
It's all that I can do,
To be with you, just to be with you.

This the the verse that really gets me, because he's imagining how wonderful his future could be with her if he was the one she was marrying. And I think the essence of the song lies in the lines, "It's all that I can do just to be with you." The way I explained it to Jason, the guy in the song is realizing that he has two options: he can be heartsick and force himself never to see the girl again, or be heartsick and choose to be something that hurts him just to think about- her friend. For some guys, it's worse to be friends. Like on "The Office," in season 3, when Jim leaves the Scranton branch because he can't bear to be friends with Pam after she is married to Roy. But I think in the song, the guy is saying it would be worse to never see the girl again. This verse is basically about that extremely difficult choice.

(Chorus)

Thought I'd lost you...
Thought I'd lost you,
I gave you away.
Thought I'd lost you...
I'm jealous of the moon
For how it moves the waves.

I think this part of the song is called the bridge? Maybe? In any case, this has my favorite line, and the title of this post, "I'm jealous of the moon for how it moves the waves." I think this is talking about control, and the guy wishes he has the ability to control something that is bigger, bigger than him- his fate.

(Chorus)

And I wanna be somebody else now
And I wanna thicken my skin
And I wanna wish it all
Just wish it all away again

This last verse is barely whispered at the end of the song, and I think it's really powerful. He's accepted his fate, and the fact that someone he loves is marrying someone else. Here he drops to complicated allusions that he makes earlier in the song, and reverts to just very simple, clear thoughts- he just wishes none of this situation had ever happened.

So there are my thoughts on the song. It might be totally off base, but I really love it, so I think that my theory may have some value. But if anything, it inspires discussion, which should be the goal of any great song.

Matt Nathanson, gifted comedian

Because I'm going to one of Matt Nathanson's concerts in two weeks (March 19 in Cleveland, can't wait), I figured I would profile him today and analyze one of his songs next week.

Matt Nathanson is in a similar category as Ari Hest, since he is mostly a solo acoustic performer with a band occasionally behind him, but he is arguably more well-known. He has the gift of being a truly amazing live performer, in addition to a hilarious personality, and he has developed an extremely loyal fan base and following. All of Matt's shows are peppered with a ton of witty banter between him and audience. As much as I love his music, while at one of his concerts, I almost look forward more to when the guitar stops and he talks with the crowd.

I have been lucky enough to see him live three times, and I even got to interview him once for the campus entertainment magazine. One of my favorite memories of his shows was this past October at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. He started randomly talking about the World Series, and was joking that although he hails from Boston, he couldn't care less about the Red Sox because "I spent my childhood in the basement with my guitar, not caring about sports." He then asked about D.C.'s baseball team, to which someone yelled, "Go Nationals!" Clearly having no idea what the person was talking about, Matt replied, "Oh, they're in the National League?" Finally, when enough people started yelling so that he understood the team name was actually the Nationals, and he incredulously said, "Seriously? Guys, no one has EVER heard of your team." Everyone started cracking up, and it was a classic Matt Nathanson moment. The rest of the night, between almost every song, he managed to make a reference to the Nationals- "the greatest hockey team of all time!"

In any case, I can't wait to see his show in Cleveland, and I'm also excited to analyze one of his songs, because he is also a brilliant lyricist. And honestly, when I'm singing out loud in the car (because who doesn't do that?) his songs are some of my favorite to belt out.

"I never knew til you were gone how many pages you were on"

The song I will be analyzing this week is by Keith Anderson, one of my favorite country singers. It's sad, but also really beautiful with an incredible piano intro. The only way to hear the song is through his web site, keithanderson.com, or buy the single on iTunes, because it's from his second, unreleased album. The album, titled "C'mon," comes out May 20, the same week as my college graduation. Given the fact that I still have no idea what I'm doing after I graduate, it's a toss up between which of those things makes me more excited!

"I Still Miss You" Music and Lyrics by Keith Anderson, Jason Sellers and Tim Nichols

I've changed the pre-sets in my truck,
So those old songs don't sneak up.
They still find me, and remind me;
Yeah, you come back that easy.
I try restaurants I've never been to,
Order new things off the menu
That I never tried, cause you didn't like.
Two drinks in, you were by my side.

So clearly, this song is about a guy who is trying in every way he can to forget a girl who broke his heart. I love this verse because it's really true about the little things we do in life to try and deceive ourselves and forget our true feelings. But as he states, as the songs still manage to "find him," and we can really never forget what is buried beneath the surface.

I've talked to friends, talked to myself.
I've talked to god, I've prayed like hell,
But I still miss you.
I've tried sober, I've tried drinking,
I've been strong and I've been weak
But I still miss you.
I've done everything to move on like I'm supposed to;
But I'd give anything for one more minute with you.
I still miss you.

The above chorus was when this song really started connecting with me. Whenever you miss someone, people give you a million suggestions, and a lot of it is conflicting advice. Talk to your friends. Keep it inside. Drink. Don't drink. And Keith totally hits that point here- a lot of times, NOTHING works. You can try everything that you're supposed to do, but there is really no way you're going to stop missing the person. So is there a solution? Let's find out:

I never knew til you were gone
How many pages you were on
It never ends, I keep turning and
Line after line, you're there again.
I don't know how to let you go;
You're so deep down in my soul.
I feel helpless, so hopeless,
It's like a door that never closes.
No, I don't know how to do this...

The first line of this verse kills me because it is so. amazing. What a simple but lyrically beautiful way to say that you didn't realize how much you needed a person until they weren't there anymore. It's a very haunting statement. He continues with the book metaphor, which is cool. Then he gets to the really heart-wrenching part of the song, saying that he feels like he is never going to recover, and pretty much yelling the last line. It is so emotional and amazing!

I've talked to friends, talked to myself.
I've talked to god, I've prayed like hell,
But I still miss you.
I've tried sober, I've tried drinking,
I've been strong and I've been weak
But I still miss you.
I've done everything to move on like I'm supposed to;
But I'd give anything for one more minute with you.
I still miss you.

The chorus repeats twice at the end of the song, and I was a little disappointed. Not because I don't love the song, but because I wanted a happy ending! But as Keith points out, life doesn't necessarily give you that. Sometimes you can be doing all the right things, and taking all the right steps, but things still don't work out the way you want them to. The best you can do is know in your heart you can get through it, and continue on...because time is the only thing that can heal all wounds.

Wow, so that's too depressing (albeit beautiful) songs in a row. I PROMISE next week I'll do something slightly more uplifting!

I love anyone named Keith who sings country music!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a huge country music fan. Therefore, the next song I'm going to analyze will be a song by Keith Anderson, one of my favorite singers of all time. And also as promised, I will be posting about the artist before I talk about the song.

For me, Keith Anderson kind of came out of nowhere. He had a great song on the radio called "Pickin' Wildflowers," that's both unbelievably raunchy and extremely catchy. Then I heard another one of his songs, called "Stick it," also pretty hilarious. Finally, I caught the end of "Every Time I Hear Your Name," and figured I needed to hear more of his songs. I have a theory that if I truly enjoy at least three of an artists' songs, I will also enjoy the album. It hasn't failed me yet!

So I bought his album, "Three Chord Country & American Rock n' Roll," and adding it to my elusive "5 favorite albums list," it is one of few albums I can listen to and love every song.

I just realized that this story is in so many ways exactly like the Ari Hest one. Because I had the chance to meet Keith on my 22nd birthday last September. My friend Laurie and I went to go see him at a bar. It was also an interesting night, because the event was a fundraiser, and there were lots of raffles and line dancing lessons. Laurie and I were having a lot of fun, when all of a sudden, the organizer of the event grabbed me. Apparently, she remembered me telling her it was my birthday when I bought tickets; and she was taking me backstage to meet Keith.

I froze, and Laurie ended up having to introduce me to him because I think I literally forgot my name. Anyway, he was incredibly sweet and soft spoken and he called both of us "darlin'" and it totally made my life complete.

I'm excited to analyze one of his songs, because I love them all. They have such great messages and stories. More to come later! Anyway, above, is me, Keith and Laurie. (I swear, this is the only other picture I have with me and an artist I love!)

"The only way that I know how to let go is to tell you I forgive you"

First analyzing post, finally! It's due tomorrow by noon, but I've listened to this song a million times before, so hopefully it will go smoothly.

As promised, I'm analyzing an Ari Hest song. It's a gorgeous song, but I listen to it infrequently, mostly because it's so heartbreaking. However, the lyrics are amazing, and I definitely recommend listening to it.

"I Forgive You" Music and Lyrics by Ari Hest

I haven't heard from you since...
Well, I can't even recall your face.
Isn't it sad to think that
Our younger years have been replaced by
Responsibilities and life's little intricacies?
When everyone's trying hard to be,
It's easy to lose track.

It's hard to tell exactly who he is talking to in this song. A former lover? Friend? Family member? I think the beauty of it is that, depending on who is listening, it could go either way. I love the first line, about how it's been so long, he can't even recall the person's face. Given the part about younger years, I would assume that it has been quite awhile. The other thing I think is important to note is that he seems to be talking about the worst type of losing touch with someone: indifference. There isn't fighting or anger. It's simply life that gets in the way. Or, as he so eloquently puts it, "life's little intricacies." To me, I think it's more painful to lose touch with someone because of being busy rather than a huge fight. At least with a fight, there is emotion. With indifference, there is nothing.

You said some things to me that
I have had trouble forgetting about.
But there ain't no sense in holding
Grudges forever thats the simple way out.

This is where you can see the mood of the song is starting to take a turn. Even though the two people are out of touch, there are still words ringing in his mind of possibly their last conversation. Here, you can tell that, even though the two people don't speak, he is still obsessing and thinking about what happened between them. And by the last sentence, you can tell that he is looking to resolve that. Which brings us to the next verse...

We may not be so close now,
But staying enemies I wont allow.
And the only way that I know how
To let go is to tell you
I forgive you

When I heard that line, "The only way I know how to let go is to tell you I forgive you," I immediately got chills, because I definitely didn't see it coming. Sure, it's the name of the song, but since when is that a way to let go of someone? I have had fights with people in my life, and be angry, but realistically, how is forgiveness going to help? Then it dawned on me: It only helps if you can't talk to them anymore.

I forgive you
I forgive you
I forgive you, you, you, you

By repeating "I forgive you" over and over again, he really gets the essence of the song. The theme is this: There is someone in his life who has hurt him badly. But the only way to try and move away from it, all the while not actually speaking to the person...is to know in his own heart that he forgives him. And maybe that will be the first step in lessening the pain.

No sense, no sense in holding grudges
Let it go

The final two lines really sum up the theme of the whole song. The only way to fully be at peace with a painful situation is to realize that when you can't do anything about it, you simply have to start letting go.

So that's analysis #1...next time I'll choose a happier song! But I still love this one.

Meet Ari Hest!

Another blog decision: before I analyze the lyrics of songs, I'm going to take time to introduce people to the artists I'm writing about. It's only fair.

And I am dedicating the my first analysis entry to a musician who made my night, weekend, week, month, and possibly entire life last Saturday: his name is Ari Hest.

Ari Hest is one of a kind. A solo acoustic artist, he's not extremely well known, but he's one of those people who has a small but frighteningly loyal fan base. He has the smoothest, deepest voice, but then can hit these shockingly beautiful high notes. I really hope he becomes more famous, because I think his music would hit home for a lot of people.

I went to a concert of his last Saturday night with my friend Adam. It started off as a bizarre evening, but I ended up having an AMAZING time. It was a really small show; actually, the concert was in a synagogue and he played in the sanctuary, which was hilarious in its own right. But somehow, I guess through the wonder that is Jewish geography, I ended up running into two people I knew from Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Julia Friedman and Annie Weisberg, respectively. Given that I hadn't seen either of them in years, it was great!

That was just the start of the magical evening that was me MEETING Ari Hest. It turned out that one of Julia's friends was actually Ari Hest's cousin (yes, I'm going to keep calling him Ari Hest), so he actually CAME UP TO OUR GROUP after the concert and STARTED TALKING TO HIS COUSIN. WHO WAS STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO ME.

I almost died right there.

Now, let it be said that I am not very good about meeting talented people whom I admire. When I met Keith Anderson (one of my all-time favorite country singers) on my 22nd birthday, I literally forgot my name, and my roommate Laurie had to speak for me. That's probably a story for another day.

Anyway, here is how mine and Ari Hest's first conversation went, post-concert:

Me: "Thanks for a great show!"
Ari Hest: "Oh, thank you! What's your name?"
Me: (panics) "It's Emily...but wait, I have a story for you."
Ari Hest: (looks slightly puzzled, but to his credit, also intrigued) "Really?"
Me: (talking at lightning speed) "When I was in high school, me and my friends Jason and Anna went to your show in Cleveland at the Hard Rock Cafe and we tried to send you a chocolate cake onstage but it turns out that a chocolate cake is a type of vodka shot, and when the waitress brought you a shot glass onstage, you said 'thank you but I don't drink!'" (pauses for breath, and wonders if that made any sense)
Ari Hest: (laughs) "Well, thanks. I only played at the Hard Rock once...." (someone else taps him on the shoulder)
Me: "Ok-nice-meeting-you-bye!" (literally runs away)

So...yeah. Not great. However, later when Ari Hest was talking to his cousin, I decided to give it another go:

Me: (beaming dreamily up at him; literally, he is about 6'5") "Ari Hest, can I tell you something?!?"
Ari Hest: "Uh...sure!"
Me: "Well, I just wanted to tell you that I have listened to a lot of music, and in my entire music-listening career, there are very few albums that I can listen to and love every single song. But I wanted you to know that "Someone To Tell" (his early album) is one of them."
Ari Hest: (looks genuinely surprised) "Wow, that's incredibly sweet of you to say!"
Me: (moment of self-reflection) "Sorry, I'm being a really embarrassing fan."
Ari Hest: "No, not at all. That's a really, really nice thing to hear."
(awkward silence)
Me: "Can I take a picture with you?!?"

And here it is:











What a fantastic night. And that man is truly a giant.

Yes, I realize this is a music analysis blog and I have yet to analyze any lyrics...but I feel like I should introduce the artists I talk about. Analysis of my favorite Ari Hest song to come soon!

Why can't headlines write themselves? Also: my favorite music

I've never been very good at coming up with headlines. Scratch that- I am flat out terrible at coming up with them. Some people have a natural skill for it, and those people are called copy editors. I am not, nor will I ever be, a copy editor.

One time this past year, after the Redskins got absolutely crushed by the Patriots, the headline on the front page of the Washington Post sports section was "Fall in New England."

How brilliant is that??

Anyway, my point is that for this blog, I decided that instead of torturing myself to come up with witty and clever headlines in each entry, I will just choose my favorite lyric from the song I am analyzing. How's that for a cop-out?!?

Also, on a completely different note, I figured that since I will be writing about music, I should let everyone know what kind I like.

First of all, I am a die-hard country music fan...but don't let that scare you away! I like a lot of the older stuff, like Garth Brooks and Merle Haggard, but I really enjoy newer artists and groups, including: Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Phil Vassar, Emerson Drive, Tim McGraw, Keith Anderson, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Carolina Rain, Jo Dee Messina and Sara Evans. I don't know where my love for the music came from, but I love the sound, and of course, the lyrics are usually amazing.

Although country is my favorite genre, I do love a mix of other things. I definitely enjoy solo acoustic artists, like Matt Nathanson, Ari Hest, Howie Day and Matt Wertz. Pop music is incredibly addictive (yes, I own both High School Musical soundtracks and Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus). Rock and rap can be great at times, and oddly enough, if I randomly hear and like a song on the radio, it usually turns out to be Christian Rock.

Wow. I guess I am really one of those people who, when asked their favorite music, responds with the ever annoying, "I like everything!" But in some ways, it's true. And I'm really looking forward to writing more about it this semester.

Getting graded for analyzing music? Amazing

Normally, when students get bored in class, they draw pictures. Send notes. Write their name over and over again. Sketch an image of the teacher.

But I always write lyrics.

It's not uncommon for me to stumble upon old notebooks and see the pages across from my class notes filled with lines from songs. I enjoy it; it's kind of funny to see what I was listening to at the time.

Which brings me to this blog. When I was assigned to start one for my online journalism class, I knew I wanted to write about music, but I wanted to put a spin on it. Then it occurred to me-- why don't I write about lyrics?

In addition to scribbling lyrics of songs in notebooks, analyzing lyrics is a somewhat guilty pleasure of mine. For me, music isn't just about the words. It's about the meaning of the words. I have literally stopped in my path while walking on the University of Maryland campus, iPod in hand, when I hear a particularly striking verse. Maybe it's because I'm a journalism major, and have a unique appreciation for the sound and tone and structure of words.

Once (or more) a week, I will be analyzing the lyrics of various songs, including information about the artist or genres, and also tie it to current events. I'll be honest- it seems pretty exciting to be getting graded on something I would usually do for fun.

(List of key words and phrases I will use: amazing song, inspiring lyrics, country music, pop music, rock music, up and coming artist)