Where My Heart Is

After all this time, it feels like it couldn’t be true

I’ve been waiting for so long to be united with you

 

It means so much to me, is this really real?

I can’t describe all these feelings that I feel

 

To finally be able to hold you close and kiss your lips

And to hold your hand as my heart does flips

 

This moment is truly the greatest thing ever

To be with you is a memory I will always treasure

 

You’ll show me your culture and take me all around your city

At night with the stars out everything will look so pretty

 

Seeing your home and meeting your family

I’m sure that they’ll be so welcoming

 

Unfortunately, this is only me imagining

But I’m sure one day I’ll have my king

 

The anticipation has me so on edge, you have no clue

For now all I have to sustain me is your letter and two pictures of you

 

Making the most of what little time I have with you

The texts, the calls, and video are always special when it comes to you

 

I don’t know much of what I’ve gotten myself into

But if it means I’ll have your heart and a long life with you then it will do

 

Not all loves come this true, they’re truly hard to come by

If it weren’t you it wouldn’t be right, your love is the purest of its kind

 

You made a song for me, so here’s a poem for you

I love you so much Mohammed, with love, your jewel (Pearl)

13th Street

It was on South 13th street where I made my infamous escape from the house to the convenience store across the street from where my family lived. I made sure to put on my little coat and Barbie heels before I made my way out. All the while, my older sister was sound asleep on the couch with no clue that I had even gone. I have no memory of the walk to the convenience store across the street but I’ll never have to worry about forgetting it. My sister certainly won’t ever let it die, she just loves to remind me of how she woke up with the police in her face and how they were interrogating her. I could see where this would have shaken her up, she thought she was going to go to jail. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had even left the door wide open as she slept. I was just a baby at the time though, I didn’t know any better. Even though back then it was a serious matter, my family laughs at it now.

Passing by those apartments made me feel a little nostalgic so I had my mom stop. The apartments were the same as my mom recalled it, but I couldn’t recognize it. I was too young to remember much of it, and what I do remember is very faint. I was only a one year old when we moved there and four years old when we moved out. The clearest memory I have of the place was when I would ride up and down our sidewalk on my pink tricycle with my little radio playing the rap music of that era.

I asked my mom about what I used to do there and she told me of how I would watch cartoons all throughout the day, and wipe my eyes with spit to fight my sleep. I laughed as she told me this because I do remember doing that. I guess I’ve always been a night owl. I grew up on watching shows like Dora the Explorer, Blues Clue’s, and the Rugrats. I also would blow bubbles and play with my bouncy ball outside. However, mostly, I was gone, either at headstart, my aunt’s house or my brother’s house. So it makes sense that I have only a few memories of those apartments.

Now the store that I had walked into so many years ago for candy has been replaced. It went from the name Holiday Gas Station to Casey’s. I even noticed places I never had before like a photography studio, donut shop, and a bohemian café. I asked my mom about it and she said they had always been there from the start but I didn’t remember. It was nice to revisit, I heard stories about things that went on there that I had since forgotten about or had never even knew.

Beverly Hills-Weezer

For this blog post I decided to go with the song Beverly Hills by Weezer. This song gives a glamorous look on Beverly Hills  and that he wants to be there. The song mainly talks about even how great Beverly Hills is, how he would not fit in. The singer says how he didn’t go to boarding schools and how preppy girls never looked at him. It mainly talks about how even though that is the life that he may want, there is no way he will ever feel like there’s a chance he’ll actually make it.  It is a very interesting take on the place. From just listening to this song you would think that is a song mainly about making it in a very difficult place. But from actually listening to the lyrics we find out that the song is about not fitting into this place. It also talks about how being there is something you’re born into and not something you can work towards. This calls to the unfairness that some people can experience in the world of show business. How many talented people get turned away because they don’t “fit in” or don’t have a connection. How so many people just seem to make it because they have a connection or because they have enough money already to make it. This is a very interesting song because the place it describes is one that not many average people think about very often. But deep down we all want to be in Beverly Hills.

A Certain Romance – Arctic Monkeys

The song I have chosen to represent place is called “A Certain Romance” from the album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m not” by the Arctic Monkeys.

 

This song is about a certain British stereotype, “chavs” (which is a derogatory meaning for someone that is of lower class and acts in an unruly, bad manner) in England, particularly Sheffield, where the band originally formed. The lyric that highlights this stereotyped sense of place best is:

“They might wear classic Reeboks, or knackered converse, or trackie bottoms tucked in socks…”

It all surrounds this certain youth subculture that exists in many places all over the United Kingdom, however in this particular song the main focus is Sheffield. This song therefore gives the impression that this particular place in Sheffield may not be a wealthy area as Chavs tend to not have a high income and live in areas of poverty. It does not give a great impression of this place.

 

Walmart Parking Lot

This song describes multiple things but one thing as a whole. The song is mainly about what happens in a small town because of the Walmart Parking Lot. All the things one did or might go through in high school, I would assume it having to do with life through school. Growing up and being six-teen and when he could finally drive. The Walmart Parking Lot was their hangout when they had nothing to do. In the song the singer goes on to talk about all the crazy things that go on. He talks about how there were many different people in the town, from hippies all the way to football players. This is what makes me assume it is a very small country town where everyone knows everyone. He talks about his first love and first heartbreak. Describing what he sees and what goes one.

The song to me is just things he went through throughout his high school years, starting at the age of six-teen. The thing to him and or the singer is everything came together in the end, in the Walmart Parking Lot. There is the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, but still picking yourself up after that. Having many friends and all coming together at the end of the day in the Walmart Parking Lot, in a small country town. The main point is what one guy thinks his town is about, from what happens in it, to what he feels.

Chris Brown – Home

This song is kind of a cry for help. As mostly everyone knows, Chris had come across a big bump in the road that injured not only his personal life but his musical career. After that incident it seemed that he just kept tripping over old mistakes and couldn’t quite get back on his feet. Things happened like going to jail, getting into fights and other things. He was first introduced into the music industry at the tender age of 15 and had high expectations. He was the new “it” boy that everyone was talking about. He had money, fame, girls, he was living the life. The accusations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend Rihanna back in 2008 plummeted his life down the drain, it was a hard thing to come back from. He may not be as big as he potentially could have been but despite it all he is still doing well with his music and you continue to hear his voice on the radio.

I was a HUGE fan of Chris Brown, not saying that because of this incident I stopped being a fan, I just grew out of my obsession like I do most things. I feel that everyone deserves a second chance, after all, if Rihanna can still befriend him after all that had happened who says you can’t? I believe that he is really a good person at heart and what he did as a child shouldn’t forever set him back.

Tattoos On This Town

“Tattoos On This Town” by Jason Aldean encompasses every aspect of growing up in a small town—from racing pick ups to swinging off of ropes into a pond. When I was a sophomore, the senior class made this their graduation song and I’ve gotten goosebumps every time I’ve heard it since. Something about this song is so perfect for my hometown in western Nebraska, as I venture to believe it is true for any small town kid. There is nothing like having a small hometown—knowing every person, business, or crack in the sidewalk. You have to grow up in a small town to know how inescapable it is—for all of the best (and some of the worst) reasons. Like this song says, small towns leave a mark on you that cannot be undone, much like a tattoo. In the same way, your hometown will never be the same for having you in it. I think that’s what Jason is trying to say in this song—that even though we may try to escape our small town roots, we can never forget the effects it had on our lives, nor will it forget the experiences we had growing up there.

It sure left it’s mark on us, we sure left our mark on it

We let the world know we were here, with everything we did

We laid a lotta memories down, like tattoo’s on this town

 

Yellow Submarine

The song Yellow Submarine by The Beatles is what comes to my mind when having to talk about a song that deals with a place. This song is sung by Ringo Starr which distinguishes it from almost all the other Beatle songs because they are either sung by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This song is about nothing more than a Yellow submarine and how many people live in it and enjoy life. The first part of the song goes:

“In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines
So we sailed up to the sun
Till we found a sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine”

This song was less upbeat than some of the other Beatles songs which is why when I think of this song, I think of the boring times in life. But if you get friends and family to join you in these boring moments, they can turn into fun and long lasting memories.

This Town – OAR

For this blog post we were supposed to talk about a song that reminded you of place and how it reminded you of home. I’m from Omaha and a major staple of our city is the annual College World Series. I spent my entire childhood worshipping and obsessing for seventeen consecutive days over the CWS. It became a staple of the summer for me, and was by far my favorite two weeks of the entire year. Me and all my buddies would save our allowances and birthday money, and beg our parents for tickets all year for this two week event. If you’re from Omaha, you understand how big of a deal it is to the community and the city as a whole. The song “This Town” is a song by OAR, that ESPN would air as the theme song of the CWS. I’m not sure if it was specifically written about Omaha or not, but for every broadcast ESPN would air videos on TV and on the scoreboard, of the band playing meshed with clips from special moments in the world series. The lyrics aren’t anything deep or meaningful, but when I reflect back on Omaha, this is is the song that comes to mind.

“This town, this night, this crowd
Come on put them up let me hear it loud
This town this city this crowd
Stand up on your feet put your worry down”

This song brings back countless memories from my childhood and will always carry meaning in my mind.

Sweet Home Alabama

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” is a song about their home Alabama. It talks about how he misses is home in Alabama and wants to go back. He reminisces about the past and how great Alabama was growing up. I think a lot of people can relate to this as many people enjoy where they are growing up in. The song can really get to a person if they are from Alabama too because it is an upbeat and happy song. His song also talks about how he misses singing in Alabama. This could possibly where he learned his love for music and how it ended up becoming a song. Many people can acquire a talent from certain places, and his was singing songs in the south. This obviously led to the forming of a band and a great song. The chorus then goes to talk about sweet home Alabama and how the skies are so blue. He wants to come home to Alabama and praises it as high as the lord. Alabama is a very important place to him. He also talks about certain places in Alabama where he would go to feel better or sing. Every town has one of these places and it can mean a great deal to someone. It can make them feel comfortable where they are and feel free to do whatever they want to do. Finally, he talks a little bit about politics in the song. He brings up the governor and boo’s him in the song.

Home by Daughtry

This is a song that will put you in the feels right away. College, where you move away from home, leave your family and start to live on your own. Well, if you miss your home or family at all, don’t listen to this song. The lyrics and the beat move perfectly together to put you in an emotional state-of-mind.

But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.

I like to imagine this line of lyrics is directly at a college student. Time get rough, and just need a night at home. There is something about being at home, around your family where you will always be loved, and you feel safe. Not a better feeling in the world.

I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.

Little continuation from the sentences above, but it may not be because we hate where we are at, or running from our problems but heading home is just to feel the sense of love in place.

 

THIS IS CHINA

This is China

Regardless of all the prejudice in the past
Today I wanna restore the impression you have on my country, China
Which have been exactly fabricated by media for a long time
As an individual citizen based in the southwest of the country
I want to speak it then
You guys can know better about what the truth is and
About how Chinese people assess their own country
And how much we don’t want to be disputants
…
What’s your name
This is China, we love the country
We the Chi-phenomena
The red dragon ain’t no evil but a peaceful place
The beautiful land with rich culture remain

This song was written by a hip-hop band from Sichuan, China. They first came up with idea of writing a song about China because people seem to have different understanding and impression of China. They want to provide the people of the world a new perspective of how Chinese people look at their own country. This song addresses the problems China are having now, and it give a more direct sense of how China really is. It also corrects some stereotypes foreign has towards China. It also shows the world how much developments China has made after WWII. China wants the recovery, and it has been a huge challenge for a country to manage so many people. China has done a great job and will continuing developing and makes progress to be a better part of the world. Hopefully, this song gives you more information about my country, CHINA.