Thursday, January 21, 2021

Songs of My Parents


Please post a song that your parents love. Talk to them and find out why that's their song. Post a link, listen to it three times and comment.

20 comments:

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA
    My mom chose this song, Blowing in the wind by Bob Dylan, in particular because she mentioned that it appeared in a movie called "Forest Gump". After listening to this song, I also really enjoyed it because of the harmonica sound in the middle of the song. I thought it was a unique way of performing with two instruments live. My mom also mentioned that she personally likes Bob Dylan as a singer. This song was released in 1963, and the lyrics talk about humanity, war, and peace which is also relatable today. The message that was delivered through this music piece was fit to society, and I thought it was a good choice of my mom's.

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  2. https://youtu.be/E3Os2Z6OF60
    My dad chose the song, “To Live is to Die” by Metallica. It is an instrumental song that is primarily guitar playing. When asking his reasoning for liking it, he said that its a song that “catches your soul”. He finds inspiration in the harmonizing guitars as a musician himself. He told me he tries to harmonize guitars in his music like Metallica. While listening to it, it is not really my type of music but I can hear the middle part of the song being the backing track to a do or die situation in a film. The song feels like a story of sorts from beginning to end, starting and ending with a simple acoustic guitar play while everything in between feels like a battle. My dad has always liked this type of music so I can see why it is one of his favorites.

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  3. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af6H3_b44Dg
    My dad’s favorite song is E O Mai by Josh Tatofi. This Hawaiian musical artist was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Kaneohe before moving to Maui in his early teens. My dad likes several of his songs, but E O Mai is definitely his favorite. He says that he can never get tired of listening to this song. The peaceful melody and soothing voice of Tatofi is something that my dad says puts him in a calm state of mind. He has often describes the song as “airplane music.” He claims that this type of music is meant to relax you and relieve you of any stress you may be having.

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  4. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqwKfgLaeA

    My dad’s favorite song is “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin. He said that his favorite thing about the song is the story. The lyrics talk about a dad and how he is working all the time so he doesn’t have much time for his kids and all of a sudden, they are grown up. He said that this story reminds him that family always comes first and how life goes by very quickly so you have to make the most of it. While the lyrics are very good, the song itself is also very catchy. It’s very different to many of the songs that we hear today and my dad often says that the music nowadays will never be as good compared to the music that he had growing up.

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  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h04CH9YZcpI&list=RDjvYwcF5i1m4&index=3

    My mom chose the song “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp. This is a country rock song about growing up and and it is a high school love story in America. My mom said that this was one of her favorite songs growing up and that John Mellencamp is one of her favorite singers. I think that this song’s main message of the song that there is life after childhood and with that comes responsibilities. After listening I really like the song because although it’s a rock song it is not too intense and it would be easy enough to sing along to.

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  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XORl2dB8mMs
    My dad chose the song "One Shining Moment" by David Barrett. This song is very upbeat and talks about how one moment can change everything. My dad is a basketball coach for the school's girl's varsity basketball team and can connect to this song. "One Shining Moment" is typically used for the highlights after the NCAA basketball tournament. My dad really likes watching this tournament on TV. He said it's a feel good song and it talks about you having the ability to make something good happen to yourself and you do whatever you can do achieve your goals. From his coaching perspective, he thinks about that feeling when you win the state championship as he was fortunate to win 2 in the last few years and looks back on what all of his girls achieved. This song is very inspirational as well as it talks about that "win or lose, you always did your best, cause inside you knew that one shining moment, you reached deep inside" (this is part of the lyrics from the song). It talks about perseverance and how you should always live in the moment even if things don't go your way. All in all, my dad really likes listening to this song and makes him feel good while he listens to it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhCNOV5Gnk
    I also talked to my mom and her favorite song is "Return to Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins. Growing up, my mom loved Winnie the Pooh and this song reminds her of her childhood. She also says that the meaning of the song is very nice as it talks about friendship and coming back to your roots. The song also talks about the friendship between Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. The song has a very relaxing tune and is a song you would most likely listen to as you wind down before bed.

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  7. https://youtu.be/UfmkgQRmmeE

    The song my mom chose is “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. Released in 1967, “Brown Eyed Girl” describes Morrison remembering the fun, romantic times he had with a girl who had brown eyes. The upbeat, twangy song is the perfect song to dance with a person at the beach. Today, the nostalgic song continues to be a crowd favorite. My mom values this song because of it was the first song she had ever heard that celebrated/appreciated girls with brown eyes. This is because she had grown up with all the dolls and such having white skin and blue eyes. “Brown Eyed Girl” made her realize a brown eyed girl like her could be loved. Besides the meaning, she also enjoys the rhythm of the song and declares it a good dancing song.

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  8. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=62r-bylwBT0
    My mom loves this song which doesn’t actually have words, called, “A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening” by Eddie Higgins Trio which is a jazz band. She fell in love with the relaxing melody. Since she learned to play piano as a child, she recognized the soothing essence of the toon and has since always loved it. I talked to her about how boring a song with no words are to me but argued the psychological effects a special song has on someone. She loves to travel and always play this toon while soaking up memories from just relaxing. She says that the toon reminds her of all the fine places she has visited and it almost physically triggers her memories to come back to her like a certain smell might to someone. This really shows how important a simple song, let alone a tune, can be to someone.

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  9. https://youtu.be/AR8D2yqgQ1U

    My mom’s favorite song is “True” by Spandau Ballet. The band, Spandau Ballet, is one of her favorite bands from back in the day. She knows many of their songs, but “True” is her favorite song from them. It is her favorite song because the tune and rhythm of the song is soothing and relaxing. The tempo of the song is slow, so it also plays with the relaxing vibe. She mentioned how the opening instrumental of the song was catchy and caught her attention. Her interpretation of the lyrics was that one wanted to find the truth within oneself.

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  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y1gohk5-A

    My father chose “Purple Rain” by Prince. He said that the song came out while he was in 7th grade and was one of his favorite songs growing up. “Purple Rain” is the name of Prince’s legendary album and movie. “Purple Rain” is a slow powerful ballad. The song is of great length at 8 minutes long. The first 4 minutes entails Prince singing, the next 3 serve as a length guitar solo, Prince vocalizing over the instrumental, and the last minute serves as a grand ending to the song. The song’s 4 chord guitar intro is instantly recognizable and I think is an iconic musical phrase. The instrumental comprises of a slow, steady beat with a rhythm electric guitar, bass, and synth. However, the electric guitar sound is unique in this song, with a soft and mellow voicing unlike the usual sharp and bold voicings of electric guitars of the 80s. The song creates a mellow, pensive feeling in the listener. The guitar solo is very moving section and is one of my favorite solos of all time. Prince does such a great job of creating a guitar solo rhythm especially within a slower paced song. The guitar solo serves as a great climax to the song. Overall the song is very moving and calming and is an iconic song of 80s.

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  11. Miguel

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHlSE9j5FGY
    My mom’s answer when I asked her what her favorite song was “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley. I definitely understood why she chose this particular song as I grew up listening to Bob Marley and I remember her always talking about her love for this song. This is one of Marley’s most beautiful songs with a upbeat yet gentle background with a synthesizer playing the same baseline all the way though-out. It also has a beautiful message of love and peace, one of my favorite lines is when Bob Marley repeats “Everything’s gonna be alright” before gracefully singing “No Woman, No Cry” And this part of the song still brings back memories of my childhood and gives me good emotions.

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  12. Kai

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QOnABvJWS30
    My mom chose “Man in the mirror” by Michael Jackson, because it is about self reflection and making changes within yourself for the better. And how reflecting on yourself can help you become the better person that you want to be, while staying true to yourself at the same time. I like this song because it just kind of shows that you can make change within yourself if you don’t feel comfortable or something like that, and it is really just motivating and up lifting. It also just shows you to start off with the things that are within your control, no point in stressing and worrying about things that are far out of your control. I think that this is a good quarantine song because you are in the house all day just left alone with your thoughts and I think that is the best time to reflect, when it is just you and your thoughts, nothing to distract you.

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  13. Saty

    https://youtu.be/tirBu1pa0EU my mother’s favorite song is “Can You Feel It” by Michael Jackson. Its got an upbeat tune and a great beat that really gets the toes tapping! Upon reading the lyrics of the song I realized that it was also a message of hope, as even with the strife humanity must face there’s still light in the darkness, and that’s what Michael Jackson seems to be asking if his viewers can feel it. It’s the perfect song to dance to when you’re feeling down and need a good pick-me-upper!

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  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88b0OYxdtyM

    My dad said one of his favorite songs that my mom also likes is "Battle of Evermore" by Led Zeppelin. Unlike many Zeppelin songs, this is a ballad with a folk-style backing track. "Battle of Evermore" is one of their lesser known pieces because does not fall within the Rock genre that the band is known for. My dad says he enjoys this song so much because of its lyrical melody that portrays thought-provoking words about war and peace. Upon listening to "Battle of Evermore," one of the main things that stood out to me was how the band plays the same simple guitar riff and modulates it over just a few chords. I agree with my dad that the tune is very peaceful, but also has an air of regret and sadness to it. The lyrics match the melody effectively, as the singer reminisces about the effects of war and the pain of its aftermath. Though both my parents typically prefer more upbeat songs, I can see why they appreciate "Battle of Evermore" for its important message and well-crafted composition.

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  15. Teija

    https://youtu.be/0bGdnMnq40s

    My parents like this song “I’ll Always Love You” by Taylor Dane. It’s a slower, ballad like love song about everlasting love. My mother said that this song particularly resonated with my parents when she went off to college in Oregon while my dad stayed here in Hawai’i. The song was released when in 1988, when they were about 18, so they had a lasting connection with the song for years . She said it reminds her now about when they were dating as 20 somethings, and that even though she hasn’t heard the song in years she still remembers all the words. I feel like the melody fits her idea of a timeless song, it’s nice and slow, not very complicated, accompanying piano and saxophone, and sweet lyrics. I think that it would have been a perfect song for their situation and even fit now

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  16. Ellie

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qz_b1di3i8


    My mom’s favorite song from her highschool days is “Reasons” By Earth Wind and Fire. This is her favorite because it has a very catchy tune that you can easily dance to. The song is very fun and upbeat making it hard for her to sit still and listen to it. It’s a song that her and her friends used to sing to while in the car. At the time they didn’t really understand the lyrics but they were easy to learn.

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  17. https://youtu.be/gvljrOBP0QI

    My mom chose the song “Piano in the Dark” by Brenda Russell. She said it was her favorite sound when she graduated high school and is still one of her favorite songs today. She claims that there’s something calming about the notes and the melody to her even though she states that the song isn’t necessarily a quiet or peaceful song. She enjoys the feeling and the richness of the singers voice as well and it brings back memories of her being new to college and listening to this song while getting ready in her dorm room. The song is probably associated with freedom and a great time of her life.

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  18. Alex

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Gs069dndIYk
    My mothers favorite song from back in the day is “September” by Earth Wind and Fire. The song
    first came out in 1978 and was very popular in the late 70’s and early 80’s. My mother first
    heard this song when she was in 8th grade. She was carpooling with her older brothers
    classmates when one of the boys played the song. My mother recalls feeling very happy and
    energetic while listening to “September”. She enjoyed the songs catchy beat and uplifting lyrics
    and told me that it made her feel like dancing and celebrating. Now almost 43 years later the
    song has still remained very popular. This is mainly due to it being featured on numerous
    movies soundtracks. One of the more recent movies “September” was featured on was the kids
    movie “Trolls”. When she first told me the name of the song I didn’t recognize it at all. But as
    soon as she played it aloud I immediately recognized the instrumental beat and knew a good
    amount of the lyrics. Just like my mother i really enjoy listening to this song. It has a way of
    putting you in a good mood and making you feel positive. Every thing about this song works so
    well together. The lead and backup vocals combined with the instrumental beat create an
    extremely catchy tune that gets stuck in your head. “September” will remain a very popular song
    for years to come.

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  19. I know this is too long but my mom loves music and I really liked the songs she chose.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4azbl96BJY

    My mom chose two songs. The first one is Take Me to the River by the Talking Heads. It is a cover of an Al Green song. She chose this song because “it’s on the soundtrack to [her] youth,” and because she loves the imagery of being taken to the river and being tossed in because she is a fish biologist and “rivers speak to [her] soul.” She also likes that the song is connected to gospel music and and baptism in a non-religious sense because rivers are cleansing and supporting as with floating. She appreciates the connection to the heritage of African American contribution to American music “which is huge and connects us to history, pain, struggle, and ultimately joy.”

    I already like the Talking Heads, and I like this sone too. It has a great beat and it could be fun to dance to. I can see why my mom likes it. She loves singing and dancing around the house, but she also loves meaningful lyrics. This song has both, and it reminds her of her childhood. I think this is probably a song my grandmother would have liked as well.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=609IMPdJSuM

    The other song my mom chose is Wayfaring Stranger. I remember this song because she used to play it for me a lot when I was growing up. Her favorite version is the one by Laura Love. She likes this song because it is “a combination of bluegrass/gospel roots which weave together loads of musical paths of immigrants.” This is meaningful to her because both of her parents come from immigrant families but also because she grew up as a kind of wayfaring stranger. Her parents were divorced and she moved a lot as a kid so she feels a bit homeless herself. Also, our immediate family is spread across three continents. She likes that this is a song of longing.

    I listened to three artists’ renditions of this song: Laura Love, Emmylou Harris, and Neko Case. Each version was different, but all of them definitely had a sense of longing for something lost or never owned. My favorite version was the one by Emmylou Harris, because I love her voice, but I also like Neko Case because I grew up listening to her, and Laura Love’s version is good as well.

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  20. Since I'm old enough to be your parents, I'll post my favorite song.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn73Wtem0No

    I am also testing the sources and addresses used in this blog.

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