Music Ask
The other night, when I was on tumblr at 4am (hashtag lazydaysofsummer), I came across this music ask (an ask, for the uninformed, is a list of questions you post and then followers can ask you to answer one of them). Given that it was 4am, I was delighted at the prospect and decided I ought to answer all the questions because I could.
Wisley, given that it was 4am, I decided to sleep instead, but I left the tab open in case I wanted to work on it the following day. I've had that tab open for several days now, and I keep thinking about it, so I'm going to do it.
If you are completely uninterested in my opinions and my music choices, then this makes a good end. But for the rest of you (and mostly for future me, my most loyal rereader), tally ho!
1. A Song From the Year You Were Born: Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. Shamefully, I will admit, I got rickrolled just a couple of days ago. Still, I find some measure of pride that this song was released the year I was born.
2. A Song That Reminds You Of School: Graduation by Vitamin C. That song was huge in middle/high school, and I can't hear it without thinking of the good ol' days. Plus that opening line is killer. And her hair always made me think of orange juice. :D
3. A Song Tied to a Specific Moment in Your Life: I Met My Baby in the Porta John Line by Nothin' Fancy. I can't hear this song without thinking of First Night and listening to Nothin' Fancy while my poor anti-blue-grass-country-or-anything-twangy father had to suffer through the experience. Now he's all grown up and listens to Tim McGraw all on his own (I'm so proud).
4. A Song That Is Not Sung in Your Native Language: Bang Bang Bang by Big Bang. They're my favorite Kpop group (K = Korean) and this is my favorite of their songs. You will hate it. I don't care; I have an undying loyalty to this song. When Karen made my intro to Kpop playlist, she told me she thought I would hate this song. Boy was she wrong. Two years ago, I made my class listen to it so often that when they threw me a surprise birthday party, they made sure to have this playing when I walked in the room. ^_^
5. A Song Over 5 Minutes Long: Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I love the whole thing, but the Third Movement is my favorite.
6. A Song Under 2 Minutes Long: Nabeshin's Afro Song from Excel Saga. This is a classic from my childhood and it always makes me smile. And then I usually have to text Wesley and or Eliza and remind them it exists because joy like this must be shared.
7. And Instrumental: Phantasy by Danny Wright. Anything by him, actually. I listen to Danny Wright probably more than anything else. This particular piece makes me think of autumn days, rain, cooling temperatures, and making applesauce.
8. A Classical Piece: Belioz's Symphonie Fantastique. I'm particularly fond of the 4th movement. It's the story of a man about to be executed, and this movement is the lead up to his death. Listen at 4:24, and you can hear when his head falls, the sound as it bounces, and the audience cheering. I laugh every time.
9: A Song With No Percussion: You Are in Love, a Taylor Swift cover by Mackenzie Johnson. I love this song. I love Taylor. I love this version.
10. Something You've Heard Performed Live: Girlfriend by Phoenix, the one and only concert I've ever been to. I have complicated feelings about it due to who I was with, because now I have complicated memories, but I did enjoy this song, for complicated reasons. :D There is currently some song on the radio that I don't know the name of, but every time I hear it I wonder if Phoenix sang it (they didn't--I have checked multiple times).
11. Something you'd give ANYTHING to hear performed live: There is literally nothing I would give everything to hear, but I do want to hear the Backstreet Boys (I Want it That Way!) and Taylor Swift (literally anything she's ever touched, though since I need one song, I'll go with New Year's Day). BSB is currently playing in Vegas, and I'm tempted to make my way there before their run ends. I decided I'd go to Taylor's concert for her new album, but then she decided not to come to Salt Lake. sadcries. :( Maybe next album!
12. A Song By An Artist Who's From Where You're From: If I interpret this as where I'm really from, I guess The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band qualifies as they're from Charlottesville. If you mean where I've lived for the last 13 years (idon'twannatalkaboutit) then I'd go with Demons by Imagine Dragons.
13. A Song Made Suddenly Precious Because of a Special Someone: Better Place by Rachel Platten. I tear up every time I listen to this song; it's for my special someones who own my heart.
14. A Song Made Suddenly Awful Because of a Special Someone: Last Kiss by Taylor Swift. Couldn't listen to this song for years.
15. Something to Belt Shamlelessy: Forever and Always by Taylor Swift. Debatably my favorite song of hers. Best line: "Did I say something way too honest/made you run and hide/like a scared little boy?"
16. Something to SCREAM ALONG to: Shut Up by Simple Plan. Simple Plan fits all my moods: happy, angry, sad, lonely, exuberant. I have played them for all emotions. Especially good for teen angst.
17. A Song for Raging: Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback. Yup. This one's for ragin'. My parents will hate this song and worry about my sanity if they listen to it. I'm usually In A Mood if I'm listening to this.
18. A Song That Demands Lipsyncing into a Makeshift Microphone: Um. There is nothing in my life I lipsync to. If I'm singing it, I'm singing it. I don't have an answer for this one. Probably something from Taylor. I listen to her a lot.
19. The Last Song You Had Stuck in Your Head: 3am by Matchbox Twenty. This song is gold. Best line: "She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway." The best part about dating someone my age was he knew all the music I knew, and I didn't have to explain to him why this is one of the greatest songs of all time.
20. A Song You're Dying to Master all the Words To: Orange Colored Sky by Natalie Cole. Never did master that middle bit. SOMEDAY. (side note: on youtube, ALL THE TIME on every song people announce what brought them there: "anybody else here because of my secret romance?" "rupaul's drag race brought me here!" "here because of flash" On her song I saw somebody say: "here because of my excellent taste in music." Bahahahaha. Same, stranger. Same.)
21. A Song You Could SLAY at Karaoke: Ready for It by Taylor Swift because I HAVE slayed it TWICE at karaoke. ...Unless by "slay" you mean "butcher" in which case that would either be that one Justin Bieber song we butchered badly or Lose Yourself by Eminem for reasons I'm not willing to admit to. :)
22. A Song You Can't Hep but Dance To: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Plus this song gives me all the Kanera feels (don't ask what Kanera is unless you're prepared to sit through a lenghty lecture because I have Things To Say).
23. A Song That Makes you Want to Dance on a Table: um.... I don't dance. Especially not on tables. But I guess.... On the Road to Viridian City from the Pokemon CD or Hey Digimon Hey Digimon because they're both great songs and colossal walks down memory lane. Plus they're both on my "To Dance To" playlist.
24. A Song that Makes You Wanna STRIP: It's Getting Hot in Here by Nelly. :DDD (Song chosen for this line: "it's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.") Honestly there isn't a single song in the world that makes me want to strip. This song at least makes me laugh thanks to Austenland.
25. A Song With a Great Music Video: Delicate by Taylor Swift. I didn't love the song when I first heard it, but I really like the music video. Or Too Late to Apologize (A Declaration) by Soomo Publishing. I show this to my class every year when we study the Declaration of Independence. It's a fabulous video.
26. A Song That Makes You Act Out the Music Video When You Hear It: Just the Girl by the Click Five. I ridiculously love this song, and chose it for the motion they make when they sing "can't keep a secret for more than an hour." Eliza and I used to live for that moment. ^___^ It's been 13 years and this is still my favorite thing.
27. A Song With Counting: 1,2,3,4 by the Plain White T's. There was another song I wanted to list that I used to listen to on Pandora back in the day, but for the life of me I can't remember the title, artist or a single lyric. In seven days, I'll wake up in the middle of the night and remember everything, just you wait and see.
28. A Song With Spelling: I.L.O.V.E.Y.O.U. from A Child's Gift of Lullabyes. I loved these lullabyes as a kid, and I love them as an adult. I sing them all the time, too.
29. A Song With Lots of Clapping: The Power of Love from Sailor Moon. My gosh I love this song. It's been almost 20 years and this is still one of my favorites. I was just listening to it in the car with Ruby when she was visiting, and it's still amazing. Every time it came on I told her and Sherman it was my favorite. (They didn't care; they wanted to listen to the Sailor Moon theme song (also amazing, btw)). I'm 31 and when I hear this song I have to clap along with the intro and then belt it out with all the feeling I've got.
30. A Song 40 Years Older Than You: There! I've Said it Again by Nat King Cole. Yes, I had to google this.
31. A Song You Wish Your Parents Didn't Know the Words To: Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words to Each Other. If I had a nickel for every time my momma said this to us growing up, I could have afforded the gag my brothers so obviously needed. ;)
32. A Song Whose Lyrics Shocked You When You Were Old Enough to Understand Them: Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera. I loved this song. I put it on my 90s playlist for my students, and in the middle of singing along with it, I stopped, turned, and stared at my computer. "We're never listening to this again," I announced as I changed the song. It's amazing how many things go over the heads of kids.
33. A Song You Have Zero Patience For: It Wasn't Me by Shaggy. Tragic since the tune is so catchy, but the lyrics are horrible. No to this song.
34. A Song You'd Like Your Favorite Artist to Cover: None. I love Taylor, but Taylor's voice is best suited to Taylor's songs. (And you should listen to them. All of them. Taylor is queen.)
35. A Great Song You Discovered Thanks to a Movie: If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul. Found it thanks to My Best Friend's Wedding. This song is comedy gold. "Her face is ugly, her eyes don't match. Take it from me she's a better catch" and "She's uuugggllyyyyyy! Yeah but she sure can cook." I die.
36. A Great Song You Discovered Thanks to a TV Show: Never Needed You by Hafdis Huld, found from My Secret Romance. I love this song and I listen to it regularly. I also have an entire kdrama playlist of music from kdramas I love.
37. A Song You're Ashamed to Have In Your Music Library: I am ashamed of nothing.
38: OK What's the Song You Were Too Ashamed to Even Post for number 37? I was going to empasize my lack of shame, but then I remembered a song Johanna and I love but won't tell other people about because the first line is extremely scandalous. And no, I'm not sharing. :) Other people might be ashamed by how much I love Baby by Justin Bieber, but there is no shame. That song roxors.
39: Most Played Song In Your Music Library: Honestly don't know. When I got my new mac in May (A JOURNEY INTO FRUSTRATION WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT, LET ME TELL YOU) it deleted all my itunes data, and I haven't opened my old PC in....years. And these days I listen to a lot of music on youtube. If I had to guess....something from Taylor Swift. Or Danny Wright.
40: Last one! Woot! What Is Your Favorite Disney Song? Honest answer, all of them. Slightly more specific? Maybe A Whole New World. Fun fact: Steve from Full House voices Aladdin. Apparently other people have known this for decades; me, I just learned this in March. It blew my mind. Second fun fact: I made myself a Disney playlist on youtube. Bad idea. I can't do anything while listening to it, because I have to sing along to every song. Disney for the win!
There you have it. On a related vein, I came across a questionnaire a while ago that asked what three movies/shows/songs/books people should watch/read/listen to to understand you. That's a tough question, because "understand me" is vastly different from "favorite." I'm going to post that eventually, but I have to find answers for all the categories first. I've been thinking about it for months and am still struggling to answer a few of them, but I'll get it done. Eventually.
Wisley, given that it was 4am, I decided to sleep instead, but I left the tab open in case I wanted to work on it the following day. I've had that tab open for several days now, and I keep thinking about it, so I'm going to do it.
If you are completely uninterested in my opinions and my music choices, then this makes a good end. But for the rest of you (and mostly for future me, my most loyal rereader), tally ho!
1. A Song From the Year You Were Born: Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. Shamefully, I will admit, I got rickrolled just a couple of days ago. Still, I find some measure of pride that this song was released the year I was born.
2. A Song That Reminds You Of School: Graduation by Vitamin C. That song was huge in middle/high school, and I can't hear it without thinking of the good ol' days. Plus that opening line is killer. And her hair always made me think of orange juice. :D
3. A Song Tied to a Specific Moment in Your Life: I Met My Baby in the Porta John Line by Nothin' Fancy. I can't hear this song without thinking of First Night and listening to Nothin' Fancy while my poor anti-blue-grass-country-or-anything-twangy father had to suffer through the experience. Now he's all grown up and listens to Tim McGraw all on his own (I'm so proud).
4. A Song That Is Not Sung in Your Native Language: Bang Bang Bang by Big Bang. They're my favorite Kpop group (K = Korean) and this is my favorite of their songs. You will hate it. I don't care; I have an undying loyalty to this song. When Karen made my intro to Kpop playlist, she told me she thought I would hate this song. Boy was she wrong. Two years ago, I made my class listen to it so often that when they threw me a surprise birthday party, they made sure to have this playing when I walked in the room. ^_^
5. A Song Over 5 Minutes Long: Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I love the whole thing, but the Third Movement is my favorite.
6. A Song Under 2 Minutes Long: Nabeshin's Afro Song from Excel Saga. This is a classic from my childhood and it always makes me smile. And then I usually have to text Wesley and or Eliza and remind them it exists because joy like this must be shared.
7. And Instrumental: Phantasy by Danny Wright. Anything by him, actually. I listen to Danny Wright probably more than anything else. This particular piece makes me think of autumn days, rain, cooling temperatures, and making applesauce.
8. A Classical Piece: Belioz's Symphonie Fantastique. I'm particularly fond of the 4th movement. It's the story of a man about to be executed, and this movement is the lead up to his death. Listen at 4:24, and you can hear when his head falls, the sound as it bounces, and the audience cheering. I laugh every time.
9: A Song With No Percussion: You Are in Love, a Taylor Swift cover by Mackenzie Johnson. I love this song. I love Taylor. I love this version.
10. Something You've Heard Performed Live: Girlfriend by Phoenix, the one and only concert I've ever been to. I have complicated feelings about it due to who I was with, because now I have complicated memories, but I did enjoy this song, for complicated reasons. :D There is currently some song on the radio that I don't know the name of, but every time I hear it I wonder if Phoenix sang it (they didn't--I have checked multiple times).
11. Something you'd give ANYTHING to hear performed live: There is literally nothing I would give everything to hear, but I do want to hear the Backstreet Boys (I Want it That Way!) and Taylor Swift (literally anything she's ever touched, though since I need one song, I'll go with New Year's Day). BSB is currently playing in Vegas, and I'm tempted to make my way there before their run ends. I decided I'd go to Taylor's concert for her new album, but then she decided not to come to Salt Lake. sadcries. :( Maybe next album!
12. A Song By An Artist Who's From Where You're From: If I interpret this as where I'm really from, I guess The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band qualifies as they're from Charlottesville. If you mean where I've lived for the last 13 years (idon'twannatalkaboutit) then I'd go with Demons by Imagine Dragons.
13. A Song Made Suddenly Precious Because of a Special Someone: Better Place by Rachel Platten. I tear up every time I listen to this song; it's for my special someones who own my heart.
14. A Song Made Suddenly Awful Because of a Special Someone: Last Kiss by Taylor Swift. Couldn't listen to this song for years.
15. Something to Belt Shamlelessy: Forever and Always by Taylor Swift. Debatably my favorite song of hers. Best line: "Did I say something way too honest/made you run and hide/like a scared little boy?"
16. Something to SCREAM ALONG to: Shut Up by Simple Plan. Simple Plan fits all my moods: happy, angry, sad, lonely, exuberant. I have played them for all emotions. Especially good for teen angst.
17. A Song for Raging: Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback. Yup. This one's for ragin'. My parents will hate this song and worry about my sanity if they listen to it. I'm usually In A Mood if I'm listening to this.
18. A Song That Demands Lipsyncing into a Makeshift Microphone: Um. There is nothing in my life I lipsync to. If I'm singing it, I'm singing it. I don't have an answer for this one. Probably something from Taylor. I listen to her a lot.
19. The Last Song You Had Stuck in Your Head: 3am by Matchbox Twenty. This song is gold. Best line: "She thinks that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway." The best part about dating someone my age was he knew all the music I knew, and I didn't have to explain to him why this is one of the greatest songs of all time.
20. A Song You're Dying to Master all the Words To: Orange Colored Sky by Natalie Cole. Never did master that middle bit. SOMEDAY. (side note: on youtube, ALL THE TIME on every song people announce what brought them there: "anybody else here because of my secret romance?" "rupaul's drag race brought me here!" "here because of flash" On her song I saw somebody say: "here because of my excellent taste in music." Bahahahaha. Same, stranger. Same.)
21. A Song You Could SLAY at Karaoke: Ready for It by Taylor Swift because I HAVE slayed it TWICE at karaoke. ...Unless by "slay" you mean "butcher" in which case that would either be that one Justin Bieber song we butchered badly or Lose Yourself by Eminem for reasons I'm not willing to admit to. :)
22. A Song You Can't Hep but Dance To: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Plus this song gives me all the Kanera feels (don't ask what Kanera is unless you're prepared to sit through a lenghty lecture because I have Things To Say).
23. A Song That Makes you Want to Dance on a Table: um.... I don't dance. Especially not on tables. But I guess.... On the Road to Viridian City from the Pokemon CD or Hey Digimon Hey Digimon because they're both great songs and colossal walks down memory lane. Plus they're both on my "To Dance To" playlist.
24. A Song that Makes You Wanna STRIP: It's Getting Hot in Here by Nelly. :DDD (Song chosen for this line: "it's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.") Honestly there isn't a single song in the world that makes me want to strip. This song at least makes me laugh thanks to Austenland.
25. A Song With a Great Music Video: Delicate by Taylor Swift. I didn't love the song when I first heard it, but I really like the music video. Or Too Late to Apologize (A Declaration) by Soomo Publishing. I show this to my class every year when we study the Declaration of Independence. It's a fabulous video.
26. A Song That Makes You Act Out the Music Video When You Hear It: Just the Girl by the Click Five. I ridiculously love this song, and chose it for the motion they make when they sing "can't keep a secret for more than an hour." Eliza and I used to live for that moment. ^___^ It's been 13 years and this is still my favorite thing.
27. A Song With Counting: 1,2,3,4 by the Plain White T's. There was another song I wanted to list that I used to listen to on Pandora back in the day, but for the life of me I can't remember the title, artist or a single lyric. In seven days, I'll wake up in the middle of the night and remember everything, just you wait and see.
28. A Song With Spelling: I.L.O.V.E.Y.O.U. from A Child's Gift of Lullabyes. I loved these lullabyes as a kid, and I love them as an adult. I sing them all the time, too.
29. A Song With Lots of Clapping: The Power of Love from Sailor Moon. My gosh I love this song. It's been almost 20 years and this is still one of my favorites. I was just listening to it in the car with Ruby when she was visiting, and it's still amazing. Every time it came on I told her and Sherman it was my favorite. (They didn't care; they wanted to listen to the Sailor Moon theme song (also amazing, btw)). I'm 31 and when I hear this song I have to clap along with the intro and then belt it out with all the feeling I've got.
30. A Song 40 Years Older Than You: There! I've Said it Again by Nat King Cole. Yes, I had to google this.
31. A Song You Wish Your Parents Didn't Know the Words To: Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words to Each Other. If I had a nickel for every time my momma said this to us growing up, I could have afforded the gag my brothers so obviously needed. ;)
32. A Song Whose Lyrics Shocked You When You Were Old Enough to Understand Them: Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera. I loved this song. I put it on my 90s playlist for my students, and in the middle of singing along with it, I stopped, turned, and stared at my computer. "We're never listening to this again," I announced as I changed the song. It's amazing how many things go over the heads of kids.
33. A Song You Have Zero Patience For: It Wasn't Me by Shaggy. Tragic since the tune is so catchy, but the lyrics are horrible. No to this song.
34. A Song You'd Like Your Favorite Artist to Cover: None. I love Taylor, but Taylor's voice is best suited to Taylor's songs. (And you should listen to them. All of them. Taylor is queen.)
35. A Great Song You Discovered Thanks to a Movie: If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul. Found it thanks to My Best Friend's Wedding. This song is comedy gold. "Her face is ugly, her eyes don't match. Take it from me she's a better catch" and "She's uuugggllyyyyyy! Yeah but she sure can cook." I die.
36. A Great Song You Discovered Thanks to a TV Show: Never Needed You by Hafdis Huld, found from My Secret Romance. I love this song and I listen to it regularly. I also have an entire kdrama playlist of music from kdramas I love.
37. A Song You're Ashamed to Have In Your Music Library: I am ashamed of nothing.
38: OK What's the Song You Were Too Ashamed to Even Post for number 37? I was going to empasize my lack of shame, but then I remembered a song Johanna and I love but won't tell other people about because the first line is extremely scandalous. And no, I'm not sharing. :) Other people might be ashamed by how much I love Baby by Justin Bieber, but there is no shame. That song roxors.
39: Most Played Song In Your Music Library: Honestly don't know. When I got my new mac in May (A JOURNEY INTO FRUSTRATION WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT, LET ME TELL YOU) it deleted all my itunes data, and I haven't opened my old PC in....years. And these days I listen to a lot of music on youtube. If I had to guess....something from Taylor Swift. Or Danny Wright.
40: Last one! Woot! What Is Your Favorite Disney Song? Honest answer, all of them. Slightly more specific? Maybe A Whole New World. Fun fact: Steve from Full House voices Aladdin. Apparently other people have known this for decades; me, I just learned this in March. It blew my mind. Second fun fact: I made myself a Disney playlist on youtube. Bad idea. I can't do anything while listening to it, because I have to sing along to every song. Disney for the win!
There you have it. On a related vein, I came across a questionnaire a while ago that asked what three movies/shows/songs/books people should watch/read/listen to to understand you. That's a tough question, because "understand me" is vastly different from "favorite." I'm going to post that eventually, but I have to find answers for all the categories first. I've been thinking about it for months and am still struggling to answer a few of them, but I'll get it done. Eventually.