"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Our younger years have been replaced by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)