Y'all probably can tell that I'm not very integrated, so to speak, into the "blog world." How I happened to be tagged, you ask, well, um, my friend Jenna (@www.jennaterese.com) happened to be gracious enough to tag anyone reading her post, which includes me, so here we go!
I love music. I'm listening to some right now. When I read Jenna's Me and Music post, I knew I had to write my own, because I LOVE gushing about my favorite songs.
The rules for this tag are simple:
Link back to original (Sophie @ Me and Ink) so she can see your answers and listen to the tunes.
For every prompt you choose to do,name 1-5 songs (you can use Sophie’s graphics).
Have fun and play your music LOUD! (Unless, of course, your younger siblings are napping.)
Two years ago, I wouldn't have called myself a "crier." As in, movies and books and songs usually don't make me cry. Then, well, a guy named Rhett Butler walked out one night, and this fellow named Tony Stark died suddenly, and I listened to this one song that makes me ugly cry every time I hear it.
"Letters From War" by Mark Shultz. My word, this is such a cry song! I just...I can't. It is SO bittersweet that I...ugh.
"The Christmas Shoes" by Newsong. This year, I put The Christmas Shoes on my watch-every-Christmas movie list, because it is...man. If you've ever heard the song or watched the movie, bless you. I'm going to sob every time I hear this one from now on.
"I Still Believe" by Jeremy Camp. Once you learn the story behind Camp's song, you won't be able to keep yourself from crying whenever you hear it. Talk about powerful, y'all.
Every song we sing in church. Pretty much every song I hear/sing in the church my family has just started going to makes me cry. I leave every service in tears, no lie.
For the most part, I've stuck to the same genre of music for the last three to five years (as in, Christian 2000s punk rock/pop rock/post-grunge), but I have aligned myself with one particular band...
Lifehouse. I'm currently in love with everything about Lifehouse--sound, songs, lyrics, story, Jason Wade. *insert fangirl giggle* Lifehouse was super popular in the very early 2000s, with their 2000 release "Hanging by A Moment." Of course, no one's heard of them now, but me and the rest of the people who gush about them in the comments section of their music videos on YouTube are in love!
Christmas music. Particularly jazz and crooners. As in, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and Perry Como. Gotta love 'em!
Oldies. My family has recently discovered the "Oldies but Goldies" station on Pandora, and we're all jamming out to Dion and The Belmonts, The Beach Boys, and The Temptations. I just love the swing sound of 40s-60s pop!
I actually have a ton of songs whose lyrics I love, but I (1) can't think of them all right off the top of my head and (2) couldn't even try to count them all at this point. So...I've picked the best of the best. I think you'll see why soon enough.
"Everything" by Lifehouse.
Find me here, and speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
You are the light that's leading me to the place
Where I find peace again
You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the life to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
"In Christ Alone" by Stuart Townend.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
"Who Am I" by Casting Crowns
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth Would care to know my name Would care to feel my hurt? Who am I, that the bright and morning star Would choose to light the way For my ever wandering heart?
Not because of who I am But because of what You've done Not because of what I've done But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean A vapor in the wind Still You hear me when I'm calling Lord, You catch me when I'm falling And You've told me who I am I am Yours
"Falling In" by Lifehouse.
I can't wait till tomorrow This feeling has swallowed me whole And know that I've lost control This heart that I've followed Has left me so hollow That was then, this is now, yeah you have changed everything
Every time I see your face My heart takes off on a high speed chase Now don't be scared, it's only love That we're falling in I would never do you wrong Or let you down or lead you on Don't look down, it's only love Baby, that we're falling in
Here's where I'm gonna take some creative liberty. I don't listen to pop music, at all, so my knowledge of the songs of the day is limited to what I hear in grocery stores and on movies. Which is why I'm taking songs that have charted from different decades that I love.
"Greensleeves" by Anonymous. Originally a poem, this beautiful song is now paired with a lilting melody commonly heard along with the words "What Child Is This." They had no charts in the 16th century, but there's no denying that this song would have topped them, all negative connotations and conspiracy aside.
"The Wanderer" by Dion. His version came out in 1961 and was #2 that year on Billboard's Hot 100.
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Came out in the glorious year of 1982 and has been on more charts--and topped most of them--than I can count!
"Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse. Released in August of 2000, this amazing song didn't begin to ascend the charts until mid-2001. By the end of the decade, it was #26 of 100!
"Demons" by Imagine Dragons. Probably the only popular song that I know, and only because a Christian band (Anthem Lights) covered it. Released 2013, it topped the charts all over the world.
Ay...I'm not entirely sure I have any "memorable" songs. Let me think...
"Our God" by Chris Tomlin. This is the first (and only) one I think of, because it was probably the first song I can remember ever hearing. My mom used to play the praise band at our old church, and this song was their favorite one. While they practiced (and while they performed too, I think), I would sit underneath the keyboard and listen to them play. I was probably three or four at the time.
All of the aforementioned songs count here, but I'm going to add a few more--as in, the ones I'm singing off-key to the most.
"No Easy Way Out" by Robert Tepper. This song just so happens to play on Rocky IV, so, yeah, I end up singing along with it every time we watch the movie.
"Sick Cycle Carousel" by Lifehouse. Let's put it like this: I don't sing loudly any better than I do quietly.
"Candlelight" by Relient K. Strangest thing, but I really enjoy singing this song.
"Never Be the Same" by Red. This song--man, I love this song--probably fits every category in this post, but I'm going to put it here, simply because of the fact that I (1) sing it and (2) scream it terribly. But, hey, that's what happens when you fall for rock music, am I right?
Gimme a sec...
Everything by Lifehouse. And I mean every song by Lifehouse, not the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. Once I met Jason Wade's voice, my life was complete...I'm only sorry that it took for 14 years to find him. *sigh* And that he happens to be old enough to be my father... *sigh* And married... *sighs*
"Fireflies" by Owl City. It's such a weird, quirky little song, but so much fun!
"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. So, my parents are the ones who got me started on "Kiss Me," all because of one CD they never listen to. And the Japanese version? Oh yeah! There's something so...unique about this song.
"Apologize" by OneRepublic. Again, CD, hardly ever listened to, found it one day, BOOM! A beautiful friendship began.
I'll be honest, I never expected to be a rock girl, but I am. I mean, I'm finicky about my rock selections, but I love the 2000s rock, as long as it's Christian, and the oldies--like rock 'n' roll.
"No Name Face" by Lifehouse. Yep. Most of my faves are on this album.
Wow Hits 2005. Technically, it's just a CD full of tracks from other albums, but it's got a great deal of goodies on it, so...
Now That's What I Call Christmas. From 2001, both CDs have the ultimate Christmas songs.
Honorable mention goes out to every other song by Lifehouse that I did not mention (like "Storm" and "You and Me" and "Who We Are"), "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Dean Martin (and subsequent artists), "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Bing Crosby, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland (and subsequent artists), everything by Elvis, "White Christmas" by Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters, "You Raise Me Up" by Selah, the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, John Williams in general, "Victory In Jesus" by Eugene Bartlett (and the church choir), "I'll Fly Away" by Albert E. Brumley (and also the church choir), and every Veggietales Silly Song ever recorded.
Yep. I love music.
Also, if anyone reading this post is a blogger, YOU HAVE BEEN TAGGED! Enjoy the music!