Drew's Daily

"Born in the USA" This week I selected the above song by Bruce Springsteen. Pretty sure most people have heard this song before. I enjoyed the upbeat tempo of the song and music from the band throughout the song. Those stayed mostly constant throughout the whole song. I think the most defining thing here is the voice of Springsteen and of course the lyrics. Springsteen kind of has a rasp to his voice but it is strong enough to rise above the loud rock music behind him. It's a unique voice, and interesting to listen to. Just seems very real and full of feeling while he is singing. The song repeats the chorus many times, "Born in the USA". Over and over again, but it somehow never gets old. The lyrics are also concerning the Vietnam war. Even from the start of the song this is clear, when Springsteen sings, "they put a rifle in my hands, sent me off to a foreign land, to go and kill the yellow man". I have always thought this line was pretty racist...

"I Shot the Sheriff" This week I selected the cover of the song "I Shot the Sheriff" by Eric Clapton. Firstly, I do not usually prefer the cover of a song when compared to the original. Second, I am not a huge fan of Eric Clapton, though he does have a few songs I'll listen to. Anyways, this song is an exception to both of the above points. I actually prefer Clapton's cover rather than the original by Bob Marley. The lyrics are kind of interesting, as they are not would you would normally expect to hear in the average song (talking about shooting law enforcement, proclaiming innocence, admitting to killing, etc). A few phrases are repeated multiple times throughout the song, but they are very catchy and make the song memorable. It's very easy for this song to get stuck in one's head. The main thing that jumps out to me about this song is the music. Right from the start, there is an easy beat that is maintained throughout the song. It kinda make...

CROCODILE ROCK by Elton John So this week I chose "Crocodile Rock", a song I have heard many times before. Despite those many times listening to the lyrics previously, I still am not quite sure what most of them mean. (If anyone has any insights, feel free to comment below). I am not even sure what a crocodile rock is. Like, maybe a boulder? Or Rock as in Rock n' Roll? I guess it is open to interpretation. As you might be able to tell, the lyrics are not really what call my attention to this song. The beat starts from almost the beginning and is very upbeat and I can envision lots of people dancing along to this song. The piano chords are super cool throughout the song, and are accentuated with drums, guitar, and something that sounds kind of like an accordion. And Elton John's voice is powerful enough to rise above all the background music and is very distinct. There are moments where the normal music kind of dies away, and different aspects come into the spotl...

"Fire and Rain" by James Taylor. This week I chose this well-known song by James Taylor. It really is a beautiful song, I love the soft guitar and background music and how it interacts with Taylor's incredible voice. His voice stays somewhat reserved throughout the song, but it is full of emotion and gives off a story-telling vibe. The most captivating thing about this song - for me - are the lyrics. It is actually quite tragic what he is singing about. James Taylor dealt with substance abuse and was also in a mental institution for awhile for recovery purposes. Upon leaving said institution, he learns of the death of one of his really good friends. There is one line in particular to start the song, 'just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone'. I cannot imagine how he would have felt to deal with so much adversity, on top of already having struggled with drug use and staying in a mental institution. It seems he wrote this song in response to such...

"Blowin' in the Wind" This week I selected I chose this song by Bob Dylan. I know I have heard the name many times, and I have probably listened to his songs before (not knowing it was him), but I was not too familiar with Bob Dylan. As I started this song though, I immediately recognized it. It seems as if there are many different covers of this song as well. Bob Dylan definitely has a unique voice, it sorta seems raspy to me, which makes it all the more interesting to listen to. The soft guitar in the background sets a relaxed mood for the song, and then there are times where the singing dies out and a harmonica (I believe) comes through. Considering this music with the lyrics, the song evokes a very thoughtful and sometimes sad feel. I kind of imagine going down a lonely country road as this song plays. He asks many rhetorical questions throughout the song, never really giving an answer. The questions are often posed to some 'man' who goes unidentified. The...

Finally. Some music that I actually have listened to before and really enjoy. I'm so glad this day has arrived. We even listened to four songs by the Beatles in class last week. Was I sad about that? Absolutely not. In fact, for this week's blog, I selected another Beatles song - "In My Life". Firstly, it amazes me how many great songs the Beatles were able to produce. Decades later, I'm pretty sure the majority of people are familiar with some of their songs. Anyways, I really enjoyed this song. If you can't tell, I pretty much enjoy all songs by the Beatles. This specific song sort of evokes a nostalgic feel - as they sing about places and people from the past. But then the song transitions to more of a love song, as the lyrics focus on a certain individual. I think it's cool how the song relates people and relationships as one's life moves forward. It is broad enough of a theme that I think it is very relatable. The singing is easily recognizable...