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 This will be where I keep all of my BoM entries for the contest. |
| Barrel of Monkey's contest entries. |
| Oh Darling - Plug In Stereo [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Some of my friends tease me for my wide selection of music. I love everything from Classical to Oldies to Bollywood to Pop to Rock...etc. I suppose the only types I'm not too fond of is Screamo and Opera. For me, I try to look at the lyrics or the meaning behind. That trumps the beat or video of a song because I suppose I love the creativity of writing the most. I remember one day I was browsing Youtube like I often do. I love finding new songs and new artists. Music has always played an important role in my life so I love to keep that going. Anyways, I was listening to "Hero" from the Starstruck soundtrack (don't judge lol!) and clicked on a suggested video. This song popped up and I immediately fell in love with the guy's hair. Who doesn't love the big curly type? I also liked the softer sound of it. It just seemed like a good song. I'm sure you know what I mean. There are just some songs that are feel good. An example of this is "Fireflies" by Owl City. C'mon we all love it. This song is sung by a guy and a girl who are in love with one another. The good guy and girl next door to one another that fall in love and are sweethearts for life. This song has stuck with me because of how sweet it is. There's no sexual innuendos or racy video. It's a sweet love story of two kids. I wish there were more of these out there today but for now I'll stick to this one. |
| [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] "Do Something" - Matthew West One day I was listening to Nokia Radio which is like the Windows Phone version of Pandora. I really enjoy the "offline" feature where you can take any station and download it so it doesn't use your data which is really cool when you don't want to use all your data on music. Well, I was listening to a Christian station and this song came on that hit me lyric wise. Matthew West is describing the brokenness of the world he sees and says, "God, why don't you do something?" I feel that we all ask this at one time or another in our lives. We are surrounded by pain and heartache. I've been asked, "If God is a loving God, why doesn't he fix the pain in the world?" I love the response he gets. "I did, I created you." It's easy to forget we are created for a purpose. God made us and has given us authority on earth. We are also called to help others and to carry out his will. This is why I love this song. It reminds me that He has provided me with all the things I need to help this world. Can I help the world as a whole? No. However, I can help someone who helps another who helps another. |
| Yahweh - Hillsong [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I moved to Louisiana a couple of years ago and it was a huge change. I grew up moving around alot with my mother. We didn't live for very long in any one place and it was always the two of us. When she died, I ended up on my own half-way across from New York to Idaho. That in itself was a big change but I came to realize family isn't about blood, it's about heart. My biological family turned their backs on me and I ended up on my own and in North Carolina. Again it was a big change. So after some time, I ended up in Louisiana with a family I had met seven years prior. God brought us together again and I was pretty much adopted into their family. They are now my family and I am very thankful for it. When I moved here I wasn't Christian and their faith intimidated me because it was very beautiful and very strong. I remember being in the truck one day, about three months after I moved here, and a song comes on the radio and my little adopted sister (she was maybe just 2 at the time) started shouting out "Yahweh, Yahweh" along with the song. That was amazing to me to be able to see a child who couldn't speak full sentences yet singing words to God. Whether or not she realized what she was doing, I don't know for certain, but I do know that it was beautiful and has impacted me quite a bit. That's why I chose this song today. |
| [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Have you ever wanna fly? Have you ever wanna run away? Have you ever closed your eyes, seen a vision and it took you away? I think the above lyrics apply to every one of us. There are times in our lives where we wish we could just escape the reality we find ourselves in. It's sad to say we can't always do that, but when we close our eyes we can imagine a world we create where the only limitation is our imagination. If you wonder why this song is named "Zebras and Airplanes" the answer is found near the end. What do zebras and airplanes mean? They say zebras running free through the night. Airplanes fly high through the sky. And that can be you and I." I like this song because it expresses what I often wish I could. In the end what we can do is hope for a better tomorrow and strive for that. Giving up will get us nowhere, but perseverance can bring us to the point where happiness can be found. |
| [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] This world is filled with pain and heartache because it's broken. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect place and as a result there is suffering. Death, despair, destruction and so many other words that don't start with D can be found right in our own homes. It's hard and it sucks. However, even though there is all of that pain, there is also hope, happiness, and joy. I have come to believe we can't truly understand pain unless we experience joy and we can't truly appreciate joy unless we have experienced pain. Sometimes it's hard for me to wrap my head around that because we'd all love to live in a world that had no sadness, but we don't. But we do have something that overshadows the dark. I love the song "Need You Now (How Many Times)" by Plumb because it shows the raw pain that someone feels when they are broken. She doesn't sugarcoat the reality of loss, but instead shows us the utter need for God's help. God desires us to lean on him and even though the answer to our plea is sometimes no, it doesn't mean he is not caring for us. Quite the opposite actually. It's the answer we'd ask for if we knew what he knows (paraphrased from "God's Not Dead"). Following God isn't an all-access pass to all the good things in life. It's not a gaurantee that we'll never face pain or hardship. It is, however, a promise that we won't face it alone and that the creator of all things is there with us. How amazing is that? How many times have you heard me cry out "God please take this"? How many times have you given me strength to Just keep breathing? Oh I need you God, I need you now. |
| Everybody Hurts - R.E.M [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Loneliness is a powerful and destructive feeling. For a few rare people it provides comfort, but in general it's something that will negatively effect people. Humans are not solitary creatures. In our creation, we were made to seek relationships with others and when we don't have positive relationships, we can feel alone. Through that can come destruction in the form of depression, fear, isolation, and in some cases even suicide. In my life I have and still do face fears of rejection and being alone. For me that comes from the way I was raised and the things I have faced. I remember many nights where I laid in bed and cried because I felt completely and utterly alone. To me it seem like nobody truly understood what I was going through and in my mind they wouldn't want to. The song I chose for today is "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. because of what it reminds me of. No matter what we are going through, there are others who are going through something similar. When we cry out because nobody understands, there are those who would. However, that doesn't mean we will meet them, but just the fact that what I was going through in life wasn't just for me it helped me to hold onto hope. It wasn't that I wished others the pain I felt, but knowing others have faced it and overcome it helped me to continue on. |
| A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me" --- by Fall Out Boy [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] As a fan of Fall Out Boy I am a bit biased when it comes to their music. However, as a fan I can honestly say they are genius when it comes to their lyrics. On the surface of many of their songs it may seem like they took lyrics, threw them in a hat, and pulled them out in random order. Something that I learned was to always look for the deeper meaning behind the words. I remember when this song first came out. The title struck me as a mouthful, so of course it caught my interest. I watched the video and tried to figure out how it fit the lyrics but I was entertained that that was all that mattered. I wondered how a vampire video fit with a story of a boy who messed up a chance to be with a girl he liked. The song reminded me of a high school teen flick. "I'm just the boy who's had too many chances" shows us that she gave them to him but he just never acted upon the opportunity to be in a relationship with her. As we move through the song we see he still likes her but his choices have turned her a bit cold towards him as seen in the line "she said, she said she said, "why don't you just drop dead?" My favorite line is "I set my clocks early 'cause you know I'm always late." How many times have we taken just a bit too long to make a decision and lost the opportunity? How many times have we worried about the outcome of a relationship or a choice that we are pushed aside? I have done it many times out of fear, worry, or just unease. Many times I have regretted that very much. I suppose that's one reason I love these lyrics so much. They remind me it's human to make mistakes. I love the video as well because, well let's just face it, it's pretty epic. We see Pete Wentz fighting his nature of being a vampire because he doesn't want to succumb to the darkness inside of him. I think we can all relate to that. Perhaps not on a vampiric level, but with the fact there's always something in our lives that we fight and want to overcome. Sometimes we are successful and sometimes we aren't, but that doesn't mean we give up. Perhaps I am a bit biased on this, but I love the band, I love the lyrics, and I love the video. Since I first heard it, this has been on nearly every playlist I have made because It's an epic song. |
| Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] So many times in life we do things and we second guess our choices or the outcomes. Sometimes those moments come from a relationship and in my opinion that makes it even harder to understand and work through. I know that I have been a relationship that one day I sat there and wondered how I got to where I was. I tried to think back and pinpoint where everything went wrong. Unfortunately it's not always easy to find that answer and when we don't it can have lasting effects on us. That's why I feel the song "Every Rose Has Its Thorns" applys to that situation. Every moment in life can have a positive or negative outcome and the only control we have over it is how we react to it. We can either use the situation to build us up or tearus down. Did my words not come out right? Though I tried not to hurt you. Though I tried. But I guess that's why they say...Every rose has its thorn. Even away from a romantic relationship, I feel that lyric still applies because when we have a relationship with someone, we become emotionally invested in them and they in us. That leaves room for intentional and unintentional pain. It's a sad reality, but a real possibility. When that happens, that person leaves their mark on your heart. Even if they leave, their mark remains. That relationship is like a rose and the mark is its thorn. Not all thorns are bad and serve a purpose, but its left behind nonetheless. |
| [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] What do you do when you need a pump up? What songs do you listen to when you need motivation? For me it depends on the activity and my mood, but one of the go-to motivational songs for me is "Eye of the Tiger". The catchy beats and enthusiasm of the song does wonders to energy levels of all people. I think it's interesting to see how many different types of people know this song. It has become a classic that is referenced in a wide array of conversations. This song will always be on every playlist I have. |
| River Flows In You - Yiruma [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Is there a song that speaks to you? Do you have a go-to song when you are upset or frustrated or happy? "River Flows In You" has been mine for about 8 years now. There's no way to count how many times I have turned it on when I needed it because it has been often over those years. Yiruma is a brilliant pianist who is able to bring his song to life even without words. As I am listening to this song I can close my eyes and get lost in its melody. It begins almost as if the pianist is unsure, but it flows into a beautiful and confident tune. Each note builds anticipation and brings you closer to the point where the song has hit it's peak only to then begin descending back down the mountain. This song means a lot to me because it has helped to calm me down when I am angry, bring me peace when I am restless, help the tears flow when I am sad, and reminds me of the beauty in life. A song speaks to everyone differently, but to me this song relates to every part of my life. It's what I want to walk down the aisle to, what I would love to learn to play for my children, and what I hope people will listen to once I am gone and remember the beauty in life. It amazes me how much a single song can affect a person. I am thankful I stumbled across this song all those years ago because it's something I want to keep with me until I die. |
| Where Is The Love? - Black Eyed Peas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc I grew up in a close-minded place that was filled with prejudice, racism, and discrimination. Thankfully from early on I was able to see the pain it caused and I made the decision to not fall into that same trap as those around me. God helped me to see people for who they were, not where they came from, who they were related to, or what color their skin was. Shortly after I turned 11, I was in a bad car accident that left me in a wheelchair with permanent injuries. My body was affected, not my mind, but everyone treated me differently because of my new situation. I was on the receiving end of the discrimination and prejudice and I hated it. People treated me like I was a leper and it tore me a part inside. I couldn't understand why people would be that way. So a few years passed and I was in computer class. Our assignment was to take a song and make a music video for it. The song I chose was "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas because it was a song I thought was cool. It wasn't until I was editing the video to fit the timing I needed that the lyrics actually hit me. I finally realized that our world is broken and it's filled with pain and heartache. People latch onto things that make the comfortable and for some people that's hate and negativity. It may not be directed at us necessarily, but at the world. Everyone has their own defense mechanism and for some that is how they deal with the brokenness around them. It's sad when people are on the other end of that firing squad, but it also helped me to understand the situation better. "So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug If you never know truth then you never know love Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)" This song will always hold a special meaning for me because it helped me to find comfort when I needed it. It gave me understanding when I needed an explanation. |
| A girl from Montana is bound to be raised on country music. Words from Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Martina McBride, and many other talented singers would flow through my house on a normal basis. I remember hearing "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis many times and even knew the lyrics to it. However, I am sure we can all relate to the fact of knowing something doesn't mean we understand it. It wasn't until I began experiencing the pains of life for myself that I began to understand the truth behind the lyrics of this one song. How many times in life do we go through each day without realizing the impact it has on our lives as well as the lives of others? I've heard many stories about how a single decision from Person A drastically affected the life of Person B. Now, everyone has their own opinion on that. Some think that life is filled with random choices and many coincidences. Other people, however, think there is a divine plan for our lives and each choice brings us closer to our purpose. Personally I feel my life has been filled with pain, loss, and happiness for a reason. I believe there is always a purpose to the pain. Personally, I can empathize with some people in a way that only someone who has gone through something similar could. I believe everyone has that advantage in their own way. Mr. Travis presents us a song that follows the brief encounter of four random people. There is a farmer, teacher, hooker, and a preacher and are on a bus headed for Mexico. Normal Friday night right? Unfortunately for them the bus wrecks and lives are lost. Crosses are placed in memory of the lost but for some reason there are only three instead of four (cue reason for an emotional title.) We get to see what they left behind and I know that for me it made me wonder what I will leave behind when I go. What will be my mark on the world? This song shows us that the preacher left his bible behind for the hooker. Life gave the hooker a son who then became a preacher himself. It's amazing to look at the chain of events that led us to learn the story from the preacher. I wonder if his mother or the preacher on the bus had any feeling about what was going to happen? I wonder if they were just as clueless as we all are because we never know when we will be given that one opportunity to change lives. This song taught me to always embrace the opportunities we have to do good, to share a smile, to share love with others because we never know the weight our choices and decisions can carry. I'd like to think that each of us will be given an opportunity to become a part of someone's life. It probably won't be in the form of influencing someone's eternity, but it's cool to think about the possibilities. |
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