"Maybe this year will be better than the last"

One of my heritage artists was Counting Crows and one of my favorite songs by them is definately "A Long December". The singer is singing about how own of his good friends got in a car accident and how he would sit in her hospital room and make songs and sing to her while she got better. This relates to me because one of my good friends was in the hospital for almost two months at the end of last year and my friends and I would spend all of our time in her room hoping she would get better and wishing for the best just like he does in the song. It was difficult to see because at first, she was in really bad condition where she had to get two surgeries and it took awhile for her recovery. You never know what is going to happen next so I think this is a good song to relate to and live by.

"And I would have stayed up with you all night..."

Out of all of the many amazing Fray songs, i would have to say that "How to Save a Life" has to be my favorite. Isaac Slade wrote this about his experience as a camp counselor for troubled youth. His camper was addicted to crack and in each verse he discusses his experience and what he could have done. Attached are the lyrics:


Throughout this song, he is talking about how he has to step in and help someone in need. Without saying a name, I have also assumed that role before. A friend that I was really close with had developed many issues including mental, physical and many other things that ended up hurting her. Everytime I listen to this song, it reminds me of her everyday struggle and how I had become such a big part of her life. She no longer lives here so I do not face this everyday anymore, but the memories are still with me and always will be. Though she is not 100% still, I do feel as though my family and my friends were and still are a huge part in her life who helped her get through her everyday life. It is hard listening to this song because she was so close to me and still means so much but it is difficult knowing what she was going through but hopeful to know that I was able to help her along the way.

"Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same"

For my project, I researched The Fray. They formed in 2002 when Isaac Slade and Joe King ran into each other at a Guitar Center. They are a four piece piano rock American band that are from Denver, Colorado. Since they began, they have released their very popular album, "How to Save a Life" which became a double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and have been very successful ever since. Throughout their songs, they tend to revolve their lyrics around relationships. For instance, the song "Over my Head (Cable Car)" is about the main singer, Isaac and his brother (nicknamed "cable car" and how their relationship began to fade. In another song, "Look After You" he sings about his first love and how their relationship faded but he would always love her. As you can see, many of their songs are revolved around their lives and how they get by day-to-day. I feel as though this is a value in todays society. Too many people are hung up on pointless things that are going on around us that at some point it is important to realize what takes priority in our lives. I believe that The Fray help to do that. In "How to Save a Life" Isaac sings about how he is a camp counselor at a camp for troubled youth and he is working with a teen addicted to crack. This helps to put our lives in perspective and realize what we need to accomplish. Overall, I truly believe that The Fray is a band that does not get caught up with pointless issues that occur in our lives daily, but focus in on what we should truly value in life which is our relationships with others and the relationships with ourselves.

Elvis, the 1950's icon

Over the past week, I have learned a lot about the history of music, especially with Elvis. I always knew he was a huge hit and that everyone fawned over him (like my grandma...weird) but I did not really know the background of him and what he did. He was just like any other teenager wanting to rebel against everyone, especially his parents. He was especially rebellious when he started to play black music and when he was covering a black song. In the movie we watched, they claim it was "a black song in a white voice". In essence, he brought together african americans and whites in the way that everyone could love him and listen to him, no matter what you looked like. This was very important because it was still during major segregation and the Jim Crow laws which stated that blacks and whites would be "seperate but equal". They had seperate water fountains, bathrooms, waiting rooms, everything so Elvis really helped bring them together and finally, they were able to agree and share the same interest in something. At one point, parents began thinking that he had gone too far with his dance moves especially with his hips. Due to this, the city of San Diego banned Elvis from dancing so the new Elvis started by singing his hit, "Hound Dog" to an actual hound dog. All in all, Elvis was a icon of the 1950's and brought african american and whites together by listening to his hits.