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Changes 

⭐ Ice Cube, ¨ Today was a good day. ¨ The predator, Dj Pooh, February 21 1993.

https://genius.com/Ice-cube-it-was-a-good-day-lyrics

This classic song made by Ice Cube is all about his day. Not just any day though, a good day. Ice cube woke up, ate a good breakfast, went outside and had a great day. This song resembles this school year cause I want to make my day as positive as possible , And I want to make my day the best I can,¨Today was like one of those fly dreams.¨

(Ice Cube 54).  Just like a flying dream, I'm going to make this year super fun and great.

The Notorious B.I.G. ¨I got a story to tell¨ Life after death. Buckwild. March 25 1997. 

https://genius.com/The-notorious-big-i-got-a-story-to-tell-lyrics

This song is about doing anything for someone or something. The Notorious B.I.G talks about how he will do anything for this person, ¨I kick flows for ya, kick down doors for ya.¨ (The Notorious B.I.G 9 )  This year I'm willing to do anything to achieve higher goals, such as a higher gpa and to show up more. I'll do whatever I can to achieve these goals, even kick doors down.

G Herbo, ¨Man Now,¨  Humble beast, Bongo, September 22, 2017.

https://genius.com/G-herbo-man-now-lyrics

 This song is about G herbo and his battles of growing up. His battles of change that he went through in his life. Which as a junior now life slowly gets more serious and I think this song compares and exemplifies the change and harsh predicaments life throws at you, ¨I caught on to my environment, I had to, I had to grow.¨ Just like me, I'm going to adjust to junior year and the new rules and predicaments that will get thrown at me.

JayDaYoungan. ¨All To Myself.¨ Forever 23. King Will music. December 7 2018. 

https://genius.com/Jaydayoungan-all-to-myself-lyrics

This song is all about Jay. He is someone who sticks to himself and kinda does his own thing. This year I've been preferring to be very independent and I want to stick to that. I found working by myself and staying out of drama way more productive, positive and reliable, ¨They gossip 'about me but don't know shit, being all to myself.¨(Jaydayoungan 1). Just like Jay I want to stay to myself. 

⭐ Kendrick Lamar. ¨ FEAR.¨ Damn. The Alchemist. April 14 2017.

https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-fear-lyrics

 This song is about the fears that traveled throughout Kendricks mind. This fear he talks about goes on through his life, “I'm talkin' fear, fear of losing' creativity/I'm talkin' fear, fear of missing' out on you and me./I'm talkin' fear, fear of losing' loyalty from pride¨ (Kendrick Lamar 101-104). This compares to school in having fear of not passing in time fear of not getting the right grades. I'm an overthinking person so I think that this song is a perfect choice for this school year. 

Kodak Black. ¨ Shake back. ¨ Institution. create music group. December 25, 2015.

Lil durk. ¨up the side.¨ Voice of the heros. Wheezy. June 4, 2021.

Chief keef. ¨Stunnin like my mama.¨ Finally rolling 2. T mix. Nov 11 2015.   

Drake. “Headlines.” Take Care (Deluxe version), Cash Money Records Inc., November 15, 2011.

https://genius.com/Drake-headlines-lyrics

In this song he talks about how he has changed and the success he has gained, along with the doubt people had in him during this time. This connects to me and how my school year is going to go because students and teachers have made many comments rather often about how I won’t do good in school and won't get places. But each year I continue to not only pass but get a bit of 4’s on my assignments. Those kinds of comments only make me want to prove them wrong, “I had someone tell me I fell off, ooh, I needed that.” (Drake 8). I love being able to prove people wrong when they’re being rude and judgy.

Zach Bryan. “Burn, Burn, Burn.” Belting Bronco Records, September 8, 2022.

https://genius.com/Zach-bryan-burn-burn-burn-lyrics

This song can have multiple different understandings  to it. But what sticks to me is about how society is, the norms, and wanting peace in life. For most of the song he sings the way he wants things to be and to escape what the norms are for everyone. He wants to escape that and find his peace in small things in life, and enjoy it while it lasts.  I see this connecting to how my school year is gonna be because sometimes I just want to be away from school, the stress, and all the people there. To step back from everything and enjoy the little things, “I’d like to get lost on some old back road/find a shade tree and a honey hole,” (Zach Bryan 7-8). I sometimes like to drive away from everything I'm dealing with and enjoy the peace. 

Zach Bryan. “Heading South.” Belting Bronco Records, September 30, 2019.

https://genius.com/Zach-bryan-heading-south-youtube-version-lyrics

The song Heading South sings how people do not understand the way some people are. How working and money is all that matters to some people. It says how people don’t always want to see you succeed. This song connects to my school year because there is a part of me that cares only about working and money, and I forget about school sometimes. How I have a name to build and expectations I have created for myself. When people focus on working and money rather than education they don't seem to accept or understand it, “And they’ll never understand that boy and his kind/’cause all they comprehend is a fucking dollar sign,” (Zach Bryan 19-20). People don't understand that that’s all there is for some people in the world. 

King Von. “Crazy Story Pt. 3.” Chopsquad DJ, September 13, 2019.

https://genius.com/King-von-crazy-story-pt-3-lyrics

Crazy Story Pt. 3 is a song about a crazy story that happened to him in the hood where he lived. This song is not something I listen to and take seriously, it is more of an inside joke with my close friends. I listen to this song every time I'm with my friends, before, after, and outside of school. This song is about gang violence and drugs and the seriousness of it. How little things turn into big problems within groups of people. As you can tell by the name of the song it’s a story, “Oh, yeah, I’m finna make a banger with this one,” (King Von 1). I love this song because it’s something that my friends all love.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again. “Untouchable.” D. Brooks Exclusive, May 30, 2017.

https://genius.com/Youngboy-never-broke-again-untouchable-lyrics

Untouchable is another song about success and about how he came up from nothing into something. He talks about how he wanted to quit and give up but didn't, “I remember I wanted for to quit for so many times.” (YoungBoy Never Broke Again 1). He stuck with it because he knew he would make it and also didn't want to let his mother and brother down by giving up, “I do this shit for my momma, and my lil brother too.” (YoungBoy Never Broke Again 11). He also talks about how he is gonna bring his friends up with him. This connects to me because I don’t like to give up on stuff and I like to do things to make my mom and older brother proud. 

DaDa1k. “War Ready.” Caviar Beats, July 19, 2019.

Boosie Badazz. “Crazy.” DJ B Real,  August 4, 2014

50 Cent. “I'm the man.” Sonny digital, December 4, 2015.

While I'm growing up
*Journey. “Dont Stop Believin.” Escape, 1981.
https://genius.com/Journey-dont-stop-believin-lyrics
In this song, it's about how not everyone is going to have the same things and how everyone is different. As the song goes on, it gets more and more relatable and more interesting and more things that happen in my life. I think to myself as I grow and get older and grow, I'll have more things that I can learn and make my own decisions and choices to grow. Everyday I want to try and succeed more but so does everyone else, “Workin' hard to get my fill\ Everybody wants a thrill.” (Journey 15-16) No matter how hard you work and try to get something other people are also trying, and sometimes they only care about themselves so it makes what you work for less.

Kelly Clarkson. “Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).” Stronger, EMI April Music Inc, 2011.
In this song Kelly Clarkson really helps motivate us in this song. Even when people are bringing us down this song helps motivate us and keep growing. I really like this song because it's catchy and it's something I can really relate to and motivate me. My favorite line is the first line of the song, “You know the bed feels warmer\ Sleeping' here alone (Sleeping' here alone)\You know I dream in color\ And do the things I want (Do the things I want)” (Clarkson 1-4) I love this start of the song because school is hard and challenging and sometimes you don't have motivation to go to school but you have to. Everyone has bad days but we just need to push ourselves and continue progressing. Sometimes when I'm not feeling the best I will listen to the start of this song just so I have some Motivation to do what I need to do.

* Lil Uzi Vert. “The Way Life Goes.” Luv Is Rage 2, 2017.
In this song by Lil Uzi Vert he talks about how he has struggled in life and trying to motivate himself and others to do better. He also talks about what he likes to do and what helps him get over his problems and get stronger. I really like this song because it has a really good beat and I really like the message it sends even though some of the lyrics aren't appropriate. The third line is the part of the song I really like and enjoy, “I know it hurts sometimes but you'll get over it (Yeah)\ You'll find another life to live (Yeah)\ I swear that you'll get over it\ I know you're sad and tired\ You've got nothing left to give (Yeah)\ You'll find another life to live (Yeah)\ I know that you'll get over it (Yeah)” ( Lil Uzi Vert 11-18)  These lyrics really help motivate me as I go on and continue through my high school years. This song helps me get stronger mentally and to really push me to get what I need to get done even though I struggle getting time.

Bruno Mars. “Count on Me.” Doo-Wops & Hooligans, 2010.
In this song by Bruno Mars he talks about how friendships are very important. Most of the song talks about how if he does something for someone then they will do it back and that's how a friendship is supposed to work. Friendship is very important throughout high school because they should be very supportive and are always there for you. When you have friends they can help push you and do your work and just make high school way more important. Throughout most the song he talks about how important friendships are and how to push himself forward, “You can count on me like 1, 2, 3\ I'll be there\ And I know when I need it\ I can count on you like 4, 3, 2 And you'll be there\ 'Cause that's what friends are s'posed to do, oh yeah.” (Bruno Mars 8-13)  Bruno Mars is really good at making songs that are very relatable and this one definitely is relatable for everyone because he makes reasonable music.

Taylor Swift. “Never Grow Up.” Speak Now, 2010. 
In this song by Taylor Swift she talks about how she doesnt want to grow up and all the memories she had as a kid. She talks about how growing up isn't worth it and staying as a young kid is better and to not rush growing up. Growing up and becoming an adult is very nerve racking because then you have a lot of responsibilities and you can't enjoy a childhood anymore. I already have a job but I don't have any adult responsibilities yet so I can spend my money on what I want but that isn't going to happen when I'm older. One of my favorite lines of Never Grow Up is,  “Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up\ Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little\ Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up\ Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple\ No one's ever burned you\ Nothing's ever left you scarred\ And even though you want to\ Just try to never grow up.”( Taylor Swift 9-16) This is one of my favorite lyrics because it really shows the emotion of the lyrics and you can really feel what she's saying. Listening to this song makes me sad because its realizing that the high school career isn't long and we are almost graduated and we have to have the adult responsibilities.

Queen. “We Are the Champions.” News of the World, 1977.
Luke Combs. “Fast Car.” Gettin' Old, 2023.
Rick Astley. “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Whenever You Need Somebody, 1987. 

What's going to happen after 

Dax. “Depression.” Depression,  LexNor Beats. Oct. 21, 2022. 
Dax. “To be a man.” What is life, LexNor Beats. Apr. 14, 2023
In the song by Dax, he explains what it is like to be a man and how when we as men try to explain it to people they don't always understand. He is also trying To say that men are very strong no matter what happens, “I know this life can really beat you down, uh /
You wanna scream but you won't make a sound”(Dax 9-10) Some people don't understand how hard life really can be especially for men because we feel like no matter how much we do we're not appreciated all the time. 
Falling in Reverse. “Voices In My Head.”  Neon Zombie - EP, MYTH & Ronnie Radke. May. 27, 
2022.
When this song was wrote the songwriter was not in a very good state of mind so they wrote this song to try to improve their mindset this song would relate to school because at some points you are feeling very negative like you don't want to do anything but you just need to push through and do it so you can pass and get out, “The voices in my head keep on tellin' me to pray
'Cause I'm spinning like a carousel” (Falling in Reverse 1-2).The voices in his head are telling him not to do what he really wants to do and he is trying to force himself to do it so that he doesn't bend down and downward spiral. 
Brantley Gilbert. “Bury Me Upside Down.”  So Help Me God (Deluxe Edition), Brock Berryhill 
& Brantley Gilbert. Apr. 21, 2023
Eric Church. “Talladega.”  The Outsiders, Jay Joyce. Sep. 15, 2014
Eric Church wrote this song about a trip he took to Talladega after him and a few friends graduated high school this was their trip that they took because they all graduated on time, “It was the summer before the real world started and, The deal was we would get to go, if we,/ Cleaned it up, and got it running, Daddy’s old Winnebago” (Eric Church 1-4) It's showing what people can do once they get out of high school after they push themselves to do everything they need to do  they can then have fun with their friends instead of having to sit at school all day. 
Eminem. “Not Afraid”  Recovery, Eminem, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans & Boi-1da. Apr. 29, 
2010.
NF. “When I grow up”  The Search, Tommee Profitt & NF. Jun. 27, 2019
He wrote this song because he inspired her to be a rapper instead of going to college and sitting through school more. When he says, “Yeah, when I grow up, you know what I wanna be? / Take a seat, let me tell you my ridiculous dreams” (NF 1-2) he is trying to tell you about his dreams after school and the future he wants to have.This relates to school because everybody in junior year is thinking about what they want to do after school if they want to go to college and pursue their passions more or if they want to go straight into the workforce. 
Five Finger Death Punch. “A Little Bit Off”  F8, Five Finger Death Punch & Kevin Churko. 
Feb. 28, 2020
We all have those days where we really just don't want to do anything. In the song it says, “I'm a little bit off today, something' down inside me's different, 'Woke up a little off today' ' (Five Finger Death Punch 1-2).  We all have those days where we wake up and don't want to do anything but we have to push ourselves to do it and get it done because we have a job to do at school. 

Nathan John Feurestien. “When I grow up”. The Search. Tommee Profitt & NF. June 27, 2019. 

https://genius.com/Nf-when-i-grow-up-lyrics

“When I grow up” was written in 2019 and talks about Nathan John Feurestien's aspirations and how he wants to rap instead of the regular 9 to 5 job or go to college. He also speaks about the hate he got trying to become a rapper and how he used that as motivation. The thematic topic in this song would be hope and independence. Independence is shown in multiple ways in this song because he talks about his dreams of living in a big house on a hill and eating good food. independence can be described in this song because he dives into how he gets hate, and how he wants to break free from the system of a regular life, and that is independence. Hope can be found in this song by looking at how Nathan John Feurestien says that it probably isn’t realistic, “And honestly, I might not ever make a difference /But that don't make a difference, I'ma have to risk it”  (Feurestien 8-9) 

Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul Mcartney “FourFiveSeconds”. Anti. Kuk Harrell, David Longstreth, Paul McCartney, Noah Goldstein, Kanye West, MIKE DEAN & Dallas Austin. January 24, 2015.

https://genius.com/Rihanna-kanye-west-and-paul-mccartney-fourfiveseconds-lyrics

“FourFiveSeconds” was made back in 2015 and is a very bold and intense song compared to how it sounds. It talks about wishing to let loose on some stress and being upset about kindness being taken for granted. Stress and Anger are best exemplified in this song for thematic topics. Stress can be easily shown in this song by just taking a listen to the chorus, saying “Now I'm four, five seconds from wildin'”. (Rihanna, West, Mccartney 7) anger is also shown a lot throughout the song, talking about how they wish someone would try them, and that they need to be held back because they are about to spaz. Stress is the main thematic topic in this song because it talks about everything becoming overwhelming and wanting to go home. Anger is found multiple times throughout the song and shows wanting to inflict violence on people. 

Maroon 5 “Maps” V. Ryan Tedder ​Benny Blanco & Noel Zancanella June 16, 2014. 

https://genius.com/Maroon-5-maps-lyrics

The song “Maps” by Maroon 5 talks about searching for a past love. In this song, he is expressing hurt feelings and trying to find his way back to her. Love and desperation are the thematic topics found most in this song. Love is the main point being talked about and in the setting, Maroon 5 is searching for his past love, trying to find a way back to her. He says that he was in love “I was there for you in your darkest times/

I was there for you in your darkest night/ But I wonder, where were you?”. (Levine 9-11)

Desperation is easily found, because he is trying to come back to her, and is finding any way to do it. Adam Levine even says that he is following a map to get back to her.

Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake “Where is the Love”. Will.i.am and Ron Fair. June 16, 2003. 

https://genius.com/Black-eyed-peas-where-is-the-love-lyrics

This heavily emotional song talks about police brutality, racism, and terrorism. It's a very emotional and important song. Sadness and fear are the two thematic topics to be found in here, even though there could be many more. Sadness is found in this song just listening to the chorus “'Cause people got me, got me questioning/ Where is the love?”. (Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake 25-26) Sadness is found in the setting of the song which talks about fatherless sons, gangs, and police brutality being too familiar within our society. Fear is another thematic topic that was reoccurring in this song, expressing a fearful question. Where is the love? In this song, people fear the police, scared of what they will do to them.  

Coolio “Gangsta’s Paradise”.  Track 3 on Gangsta’s Paradise. Doug Rasheed, August 8th, 1995

https://genius.com/Coolio-gangstas-paradise-lyrics

“Gangsta’s Paradise” is a song speaking about growing up on a hard life, and having to live in conditions that make you grow up as a gangsta. This song is very hopeful and simply talks about life as a gangsta. survival is the thematic topic in this song that I found the most. Survival is a reoccurring thematic topic, saying that he doesn't know if he’s going to make it to 24 years old, and that he has a gun to protect himself. “Too much television watchin' got me chasin' dreams I'm a educated fool with money on my mind”.  (Coolio 23-24) Survival is also found in him talking about his lifestyle, saying how he lives life do-or-die, and that is a prime example of survival. Survival can also be seen by Coolio talks about how people haven’t been there to teach him, so how can they reach him? That's showing that he made it on his own. 

Bruno Mars “The Lazy Song”. Track 5 on Doo-Wops & Hooligans. The Smeezingtons. February 15, 2011. 

https://genius.com/Bruno-mars-the-lazy-song-lyrics

The Neighbourhood “Sweater Weather” Track 4 on I Love You. Emile Haynie & Justyn Pilbrow. March 28, 2012. 

https://genius.com/The-neighbourhood-sweater-weather-lyrics  

Twenty one pilots “Stressed out” Track 2 on Blurryface. Mike Elizondo. April 28, 2015. 

https://genius.com/Twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-lyrics

Riding out the school year
Tears for Fears. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Songs from the Big Chair, Phonogram, Mercury and Vertigo Records, 22 March 1985. https://genius.com/Tears-for-fears-everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-lyrics  

The song,  “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” is a very popular song from the 1980’s made by Tears for Fears that exemplifies the worldly want and desire of power, ruling and want for success. It’s got a really catchy melody and is a very good upbeat song. I feel I somewhat connect to this song in the fact that I have experienced some of what the lyrics say. The lyrics point to the fact that “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” and I have dealt with people who feel that's all they want in life  (Tears for Fears 7). But what confuses me is that some people have the desire to rule the world or have more success than others due to the fact that it controls their whole lives and it changes many people in the process, good or bad. It can change how people act in school too. I used to have many friends who used to be very kind, but the desire to rule changed that and it was unfortunate. 
Rascal Flatts. “Life Is a Highway.” Me And My Gang, Universal Music, 9 June 2006.
https://genius.com/Rascal-flatts-life-is-a-highway-lyrics

“Life Is a Highway.” is a song originally written by Tom Cochrane, but the one I chose is the version covered by Rascal Flatts. It is upbeat and makes you feel like you should enjoy the unpredictability of life and just ride it out.  It is a good metaphor for the fact that “Life's like a road that you travel on'' and that it has a bunch of bumps and twists (Rascal Flatts 3). It also exemplifies the feeling of how unpredictable life can be at times. It also makes you feel free just listening to the song at times, that's why I like it and why I chose it. I am just going to ride out this school year because sometimes it can be stressful and unpredictable and it would be nice to just see what happens and just experience it. 
Linkin Park. “In the End.” Hybrid Theory, Warner Bros, 9 October 2001. https://genius.com/Linkin-park-in-the-end-lyrics  

The song “In the End.” by Linkin Park is a song about failure and sometimes you make work hard at something but mess up and ruin it all which would lead it to being all for nothing. It seems like it could be about one person's mistakes with a girl. I feel like this song can relate to the struggles of school. Also by the fact that sometimes you might feel like you spend forever on an assignment just to get a barely passing grade and it makes you feel like a failure. I have felt this feeling before many times, trying hard and persevering for my end product to not matter that much. “Time is a valuable thing,” sometimes I forget how much time we have left and that we should try to do our best even if we fail and lose it all (Linkin Park 6).
  American Authors. “Best Day of My Life.” Oh, What a Life, Mercury and Island records, 19 March 2013 https://genius.com/American-authors-best-day-of-my-life-lyrics.  

American Authors, “Best Day of My Life.” is a song that shows that life can be beautiful and that some days can be way better than others. The melody and lyrics really invoke a feeling of happiness with how upbeat and nice they are.  This song hearkens back to the fact that it is about happiness and I feel like the school year will have some of these days. Also, I wish I could sometimes notice how beautiful the world is, and this song sometimes helps with doing that. In the end, I can’t predict the future, but I have hope that it will go well. “This is gonna be the best day of my life.” I expect for at least some of the days of the year to at least go back and relate to some of the lyrics of the song, just like the one stated before (American Authors 13). 
Zara Larsson. “Lush Life.” So Good, Freedo and Shuko, 5 July 2016. https://genius.com/Zara-larsson-lush-life-lyrics  

The song “Lush Life.” by Zara Larsson is a song about living a carefree life, and also about enjoying the time you have with others. It also talks about the experiences with having a crush in life, and that sometimes you might say much and mess something up. Having a crush can end in many different ways, and it's exciting and scary at the same time, things might go well or they might not. And this song shows those things very well in my opinion. My perception of the world was different with my first crush, I was always in the dumps and the cold. Since I found a new crush, I don't care about others' problems as much in school because there is no point. “I live my day as if it was the last/ Live my day as if there was no past,” I plan on living my life to the fullest this school year (Zara Larsson 1-2).

Songs of Me 

Frankslastday. “Miss it all.” Amnesia, Saahil, August 2023.

In this song Frankslastday says, “Miss it all cause I’m missing you” (Frankslastday). This relates to me because I miss the summer. Frankslastday is talking about how he misses how his life used to be. Which basically is saying he misses his life when he was still with a certain girl that he misses. However, I miss when I didn’t have to be in school and I could work instead. It makes me feel like a person and coming to school takes that away and it’s always annoying. 

Surf.“Say it.”Slayer,2019.

Surf says, “I know what I’m doing wrong, I just need your feedback” (Surf). I felt this related to me in school because I know everything I have to make up. The feedback is important to me because it feels better than being told what to do. Instead it’s telling you what you need to fix. Creating my own original draft with my ideas and then being told how to adjust it is the easiest way for me to get assignments done. This song is about how Surf hates a girl. Except he also says he loves her. 

Surf. “A Little Joy.”Sham & Zetra, 2020.

In this song he says, “I don’t even rock designer no more that Chrome Heart gave me a little joy” (Surf). Which means he’s stopped wearing designer brands such as Chrome Hearts because he thinks they don't actually look good and wearing them for the brand wasn’t making him happy. I relate to this because I like to spend a lot of my money on clothes, but I’ve strayed away from buying super name brand stuff and just getting things I like. Surf talks about all the things he gave up in life. He says they didn’t give him enough joy and he is focusing on what makes him happy now.

Austin Skinner.“Noddin’ Off.”Sapjer,September 2023.

Austin Skinner says in this song, “I been working gotta count on myself” (Austin Skinner). Which I think is relatable because ever since I’ve been able to make my own money my favorite part is not needing to depend on anyone. I always feel better knowing I don’t need anyone for anything because it works out a lot better when thats true. Mr. Skinner talks a lot about using drugs to help ease the stress from his romantic relationships. He says thinks like, he thought this girl was the one, and hes taking oxycontin to nod off again.

Bigbabygucci. “Sit in Silence.” Dead after Teen Spirit, Fish, 2020.

Bigbabygucci says, “I’m just tryna sit here in silence” (Bigbabygucci). I think this is relatable because I don’t always want to say something. Silence is peaceful. Especially if I’m at school. A lot of the time I  think everyone is being loud or annoying, and I wish they would just learn to be quiet for once. Sit in Silence is all about how conversation isn’t always necessary. Bigbabygucci brings up many times how he tells his love interests that he just wants to sit in silence and enjoy the moment without need for talking.

Weiland ft. Yeat - Lalala - Produced by: Zayskillz - Unreleased

Tsan - A BIT - Till the Death of me - Produced by: Bark & Bradxday - 2022

Frankslastday ft. Surf - Weekend in Mia - Produced by: Woodpecker - 2022

Panic! At The Disco. “Hey Look Ma, I Made It.” Pray for the Wicked, Dillion Francis & Jake Sinclare, 2018.   

Panic! At The Disco’s “Hey look Ma, I Made It.” shows a description and emotion through his lyrics by telling us how he is feeling. Including in his lyrics shows success just like his lyric,  “I’m gonna be the greatest.”(Panic At The Disco! 12) and “Hey look, ma, I made it.”(Disco 16).  He is showing how he has become successful  and with the things that he has done in life including his music, but if we tie it to reality those lyrics can show me how my last 2 years of high school could go and how I would like it to go throughout these last 2 years of school.  Including my junior year and senior year. I will be successful with getting stuff done in a timely fashion and make sure that most or all of my grades are passing. 

Bruno Mars. “Count on Me.” Doo-Wops & Hooligans, The Smeezingtons, 2011. 

Bruno mars “Count on Me” shows how someone can be going through something and how you can be there for somebody just like how he mentioned in his song “You can count on me like 1, 2, 3/ i'll be there/ and i know when i need it/ I can count on you like 4, 3, 2 /and you'll be there.” (Bruno Mars 7-11) The lyrics are showing how people can be there for one another just how people at school can be there for each other if they are struggling and how teachers can also help and be there for students. I will strive to be there for people when they are struggling whether that would be to help them figure out what a teacher meant on a piece of homework or if they are upset over something at home and talk with them about it if they are comfortable with it. Because everyone including me can most definitely have bad days too. This also shows how you can simply build a friendship or a relationship with someone just by being there for them and helping them with whatever they need. 

Dr. Dog. “Where’d All The Time Go?.” Shame, Shame, Rob Schnapf & Dr. Dog, 2010.

The song “Where’d All The Time Go?.” is a definition of how far and quickly things can move in life and the progress you can make in a short amount of time just like how Dr. Dog explained it in his lyric “Where’d all the time go?/ It’s starting to fly/see how the hands go /waving goodbye.” (Dr.Dog 6-10)  It shows how the girl in the song is waving goodbye like it is a clock that is moving quickly which seems like it is waving goodbye, these lyrics are proven to me how quickly I went from freshman year to junior year in what seems only a year so I can imagine how quick junior year can go. 

Chance Peña. “Sleep Deprivation.” Sleep Deprivation, Spotify, 2022.  

Sleep deprivation is a song that shows how sleep deprivation and pressure of striving to achieve his goals have started to catch up with him and his emotional and mental state and how he mentions the feeling of feeling lost but ambitious and how he dreams of doing the right thing. “Sleep deprivation has got me at my heels/this year has taught me how it feels to be lost and ambitious/ I've been on a mission, I won't stop till I'm done.” (Pena 1-3)  Chance talks about his goals and what striving them to be can be tough but yet he prays that he is doing the right thing  by following his dreams. I know that it is important to do what I want to do in life and not follow others' path since I do not want to proceed down the path. 

Kodaline. “Everything Works Out In The End.” Coming Up For Air, Stephen Harris, 2015.

The song "Everything Works Out In The End” is a song about hope and self-discovery. Despite feeling lost in and in the wrong direction it will always work out in the end even if you feel as though it is hopeless. The song lyric “They told me Everything works out in the end”(Kodaline10)  is proving that if you feel lost, hopeless and defeated, someday I can and will always bounce back into either doing what I love even if I’m not sure what I want to do yet. Everything takes time. Personally I can relate to this lyric because after freshman year I felt defeated and very un-confident with how I either wrote an essay, didn't know what I was doing in math which eventually made me give up in the long run during sophomore year I had started to give up on trying as I was so unmotivated. I will hopefully be a better student, participate more even if anxiety tries to hold me back. I believe that even in the darkest moments they will eventually lead to brighter days. 

Jaymes Young. “Happiest Year.” Feel Something, Jaymes Young, 2019.

Green Day. “Good Riddance.” Nimrod, Green Day & Rob Cavallo, 1997. 

Demi Lovato. “Warrior.” Demi, Andrew Goldstein & Emmanuel Kiriakou, 2013

personal reflection playlist

Trace Atkins. “You're going to miss this.” American man, publishing company- Frank Rogers,Publishing date- January 2008.  

The song “You're going to miss this” by Trace Adkins is about a girl who is excited to grow up but as soon as she does she's going to miss how her life was when she was young. Her Dad didn't want his Daughter to grow up so fast. There are multiple meanings with this song which are independence and growing up/ adulthood. This song shows these thematic topics because the song explains his daughter growing up too fast and wanting to grow up and do adult things like buying a house and making her own money. She is trying to grow up but she didn't use that time when she was young to be a kid and live her life. She was staring out the window of that SUV complaining, saying “I can't wait to turn eighteen.”(Trace Adkins 1 and 2.)  This relates to how I think this school year and the rest of high school will go because a lot of high schooler's are thinking about moving out right at the age of eighteen and growing up to fast, when they could just be a kid and stop worrying a lot about what is going to happen in the future. It is a good idea to think about the future and have a plan but not to worry about it all of the time.  

Taylor Swift. “Fifteen.”Fearless. Publishing company- Nathan Chapman. Publishing date- November 11, 2008.

The song “Fifteen” is about a girl's first day of freshman year. It's her first day of high school and she is trying to stay out of everybody else's way. She is also getting more people's attention. This song is about growth and love. This song shows those topics because when she started high school it was a big step. She had to be mature. This song shows love because she went on her first date during freshman year and she also wanted the senior boys to look at her. This song also talks about loving someone, “Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday

But I realized some bigger dreams of mine.”(Taylor swift 44).

Plain white T’s. “Hey there Delilah”, All that we needed, Jay Bolta and Robert Dimonda, May 9, 2006.

The song “hey there Delilah '' is about the writer Tom Higgenson meeting a girl named Delilah through a friend of his. He thought that she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen and wrote a song about her. This song is about love and friendship because not anybody would do all of that for anybody. “But they've got planes,and trains, and cars. I'd walk to you if I had no other way.”(Plain white T’s 39-40). I picked this quote because it shows how much he loves this girl and how much he would do just to go see her again. This is the kind of friendship that people should have with each other and it is an example of the kind of people that you should want in your life. “I'm right there if you get lonely… I'm by your side.”(Plain white T’s 10, 14). This is a great example of friendship because he will always be there by her side when she needs him. 

Cyndi Lauper. “Girls just want to have fun”, she's so unusual, Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, September 6, 1983.

The song “Girls just want to have fun” is about women not needing a man for approval and even need a man so that they can be happy. I picked this song more for what is said and not what the song is actually about. This song shows Happiness and Freedom. “‘When you gonna live your life right?”’(Lauper 2). This quote shows what I hope this school year will be like. I hope this school year is fun and enjoyable. I want to be able to live my life and be able to do school as well. This shows happiness and freedom because to be happy and live your life you can't be held back.

Zac Brown Band. “Knee deep.” You get what you give, Keith Stegall, May 9, 2011.

The song “Knee deep” by Zac Brown is about somebody that is trying to forget about somebody. They go somewhere that they can be knee deep and have their mind off of them. This song is about loss and change. This song shows loss and change because he is trying to get over a relationship, he lost the person he was in a relationship with and has to change what he did everyday because of that. “Gonna put the world away for a minute /pretend I don't live in it/sunshine gonna wash my blues away.”(1-3 Zac Brown Band). This song relates to loss and change because he says the sunshine gonna wash my blues away. What he said meant loss and change because what happened to his relationship was making him sad and he felt like he lost somebody.

G, Sleepy hallow. “Weight On Me.” One and only, Prodbynicky and Great John, May 2022.

This song by Sheff G, to me shows what it's like to try and see through the bad and drain out the bad to see the good. This song Shefftalks about the artists experiences with his past lifestyle and how he has spent time in jail, and then talks about how after he got rich all his former friends try to use him for his money. But he pushes through the bad energy and manages to become rich and famous while enjoying life and leaving his past behind him. This song relates to me because it talks about how life can throw bad opportunities your way but you have to push through to keep yourself happy and well. This also relates to me because it shows how the wrong crowd can push you in the wrong direction, since I was once in a crowd with people who were not as motivated for success as I was. Which made me start to lose my drive to be successful but once I left that group my drive to be successful was back and I started to do way better. This song also shows how no matter how hard life can be you need to always see the light and lighten up through stress, since I was once so stressed out about school and work that I was too stressed to relax which made it worse. But once I started to lighten up and joke around the stress became more handleable and made my tasks way easier to complete. Which reminds me of a part of the song where the artists says, “Laughin’, joking when there's nothin’ funny”(Sheff G 9). Which shows how even when nothings funny to you to always look for the light and laugh about life.

Lil Baby. “Real Spill.” It’s only me, G1 and Kaigoinkrazy, October 2022.

Real Spill is a song by Lil Baby that talks about his life and his struggles through fame. This song has heavy emotions and says some serious stuff about life. This song starts off by talking about how he has no more time for the streets and how he has changed his lifestyle more towards a businessman. The rest of the song proceeds like this but talks more about his new lifestyle and how money changed his life for the better, mentioned in this Quote. “You can say whatever but if I change it's for the better” (Lil Baby 31). This song shows the thematic topic of Survival and Success because it shows how he had to survive the streets, and had to do whatever it took to survive the streets. And also talks about his success and how he made it out of the streets through hard work and long hours in the studio. This song shows a lot of raw emotion, and is relatable to many people who also had a hard childhood, but made success through hard times.

Lil Mabu, DD Osoma. “Throw.” VVS Melody, Hemz, Lil May, And kristan Rosendal, December 2022.

Throw is a song by Lil Mabu and DD Osoma, that starts off as a more emotional and lyrical song then switches over to a more fast paced less emotional song. This song starts with Lil Mabu and DD Osoma talking about their lives and struggles trying to stay good while being around the wrong people showing one side of the street life. Then halfway through the song it switches over to the more well known and common street life which shows them being more of a thief and murder then a high school student. I think that the song is this way because it is meant to show the two outcomes of being in poverty from a young age, one way is to work hard in school and become successful through legitimate ways. The other side is being more involved in street life and working in the streets through illegal means. This song also talks about their struggles with

fame and success, shown in this quote. “I started doing good and got more enemies” (Lil Mabu 21). This quote is relatable to a lot of people who have become successful or famous, after becoming successful many people have had struggles with people from their past trying to take advantage of them. Which causes them to make enemies if they do not do what these people want, which can ruin families and lifelong friendships.

Lil Durk, Morgan Wallen. “Stand By Me.” Almost Healed, Dr. luke, May 2022

Stand By Me is a song by Lil Durk featuring Morgan Wallen, this song talks about their trust issues with people after they have gained their success and fame. This song starts off with the pair talking about how they wonder if they lost all their success would their friends and wives stand by them. The song then proceeds to talk about how they have shown their loyalty towards their friends and family, but still wonder if those people truly have their back through it all, shown in this quote. “Keep it real, can you tell me now, would you stand by me, would you stand by me” (Morgan Wallen 46). This is reliable to many people because it talks about trust issues, and how people will stay with you through your best times, and leave you in your worst times.

Sleepy Hallow. “2055” Still Sleepy?, UV Killen Em and Great John, April 2021.

2055 is a song by sleepy hallow which shows raw emotion and his struggles through depression. 2055 starts off with Sleepy Hallow talking about how people see him as well as his depression, the goes on to talk about how he cant open up about his emotions and spills out his heart on this track. This song mainly focuses on his struggles with depression caused by the street life, throughout the song he spills his emotions and how he doesnt have trust in his friends, shown in this quote. “I don't really want friends, everybody fake, I don't got trust” (Sleepy Hallow 18).

This is relatable to several people who struggle with mental illness because a major side effect of mental illnesses is trust issues. This is also relatable because many people who suffer from mental illnesses struggle to open up about their mental issues, something talked about in this song.

Reflection Playlist

Mrs. Stubbs

English 3

October 2nd, 2023 

* Childish Gambino. “3005.” Because The Internet. 2013 

In this song Childish Gambino is talking about how much love he has for this person. He says how he will be by their side until 3005, which is a long time away from now, Basically saying no matter what this person does he will always be there for them. I can relate to this song a lot in my own life. I love my friends no matter what and I would do anything for them. They genuinely help me so much, I've learned so much from them and I don't know what I would do without them. The friendship I have with them grows stronger everyday. They could make a mistake or we could fight, I would forgive them no matter what. “No matter what you say or what you do, when I'm alone I'd rather be with you … I'll be right by your side ‘Till 3005.” (Childish Gambino 1) They are the only people I feel fully comfortable around. If I could spend every single day with them, I would. 

*Lorde. “Ribs.” Pure Heroine. 2013

In this song, Lorde is talking about the bittersweet feeling and experience of growing up. She's also trying to explain how growing up can be isolating and lonely. It is like coming-of-age but in a song. It describes how hard it can be to grow up. I relate to this song because It feels like just yesterday me and my friends were in middle school not having a care in the world. All of a sudden everyone is growing up. Everyone has their own problems and work to do. It can be scary to experience this all of a sudden and having to go through all of this stuff alone with no help. When you're going through this, sometimes friendships can be affected. It makes you feel alone.  “And I've never felt more alone. It feels so scary,  getting old.” (Lorde 7) Growing up is terrifying, you never know what's going to happen next. It is a very lonely feeling. 

Tyler, The Creator. “Answer.” Wolf 2013 

In the song, Answer, By Tyler, The Creator, He is talking about his father. His father left his life from an early age. Tyler is basically saying how he hates his dad for leaving, but if he called his dad he would hope that he would answer. I relate to this because my mom and dad broke up when I was very little. I would hardly see my dad. Having this happen can make family  life a struggle.“Because when I call / I hope you pick up your phone / I'd like to talk to you / I hope you answer.” (Tyler, The Creator 1) It definitely affected me growing up, but as I get older I realize that many people have to deal with this happening to them. Hearing it in music makes me feel less alone about it. 

Mac Miller. “Congratulations.” The Divine Feminine. 2016 

Mac Miller is talking about someone he really loves. He talks about this girl and has so many memories with her. He is explaining how he will wait for her. This song definitely relates to the thematic topic of love.  I can really relate to this song.  I had my own person I had to wait a very long time for. In the beginning of it all there were many problems and things that made love very difficult. But in the end of it all after what felt like forever, things finally worked out. Mac Miller perfectly describes that in this song. “See, a love like mine is too good to be true / and you too divine to just be mine / you remind me of the color blue / girl i'm so in love with you.” (8-11) He perfectly displays the thematic topic of love. He shows how love will always last no matter how much time it takes for it to work out. 

Lana Del Rey. “Living Legend.” Blue Banisters. 2021 

Lana Del Rey. “Cinnamon Girl.” Norman F*cking Rockwell. 2019 

Tame Impala. “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” Currents 2015

In this song, it talks about becoming this new, better person of yourself, but still falling into old habits. These old habits can be about love and friendships. In this song it says “Well, I don't care, I'm in love.” (Tame Impala 12-13) Changing in life can be very good for a person but love can sometimes take over. This can disappoint people a lot, and it can cause many problems. I relate to this song because I fall into old habits a lot. “Feel like a brand-new person, but you make the same old mistakes.” (Tame Impala 10-11) I feel like over the years I have definitely grown and matured. But in the past, I have not been with the best people for me. It can be relationships or just other friendships. Going back to these people after bad fallouts, my friends eventually end up disappointed in me and it affects our friendships. 

The way things go  

⏺Mac Miller. “Lua.” Larry Fisherman. 2014.

This calm and somber song sung beautifully by Mac Miller displays the importance of independence and how important the things you experience in those independent times are. This song relates to my thematic topic because in the quote I provided it shows the independent and lonely aspect “When everything is lonely I can be my own best friend/I get a coffee and the paper, have my own conversations/With the sidewalk and the pigeons and my window reflection/ The mask I polish in the evening, by the morning looks like shit”(Mac Miller 5-8). The reason I chose this quote is because of the way he describes his interactions with himself when he’s alone, it really shows how important it is to be by yourself sometimes and reflect with yourself. 

⏺Celeste. “Isn’t it strange.”compilation 1.1. Jamie Hartman. 2019. 

    In this song sung by Celeste the song is about how strange it feels when people change. Change is a big thing in High School. Throughout childhood things change. It is inevitable, confusing, and sometimes extremely unfair but having said that change is a good thing that you will experience till your time is up. Change is something you need for growth and improvement,     

“Isn't it strange?/Isn't it strange/I am still me/You are still you/In the same place?”(Celeste 9-13). The impact of this specific quote was that it was very short but the shortness of the quote still had great meaning of how things change and how it feels. It also helped back my theme up well. 

Tyler the Creator. “Are we still friends?”,Igor. Tyler the Creator. 2019.  

The next song Are we still friends by Tyler the Creator is a song about still wanting to be friends with someone you’ve broken up with, I believe this song ties in with a good amount of highschool students and even myself at some point related to wanting to keep that bond together somehow. The two quotes that really help show the friendship theme are  “don't get green skin, keep contact” and "Nah, I can't/I don't want to end this season on a bad episode.” (Tyler the Creator 24-28).  These two quotes show the importance of keeping that friendship. This is why I chose friendship for this theme.  

Phoebe Bridges. “I know the end” Tony Berg, Ethan Gruska and Rob Moose. 2020. 

I Know the End by Phoebe Bridges Is a somber song that is about loss and how you know loss comes and goes and how it is inevitable. you will lose someone or something in your lifetime. At one point in the song it says, “But you had to go, I know, I know, I know/ Like a wave that crashed and melted on the shore/ Not even the burnouts are out here anymore/ And you had to go, I know, I know, I know (Phoebe Bridges 9-11). The reason I chose this quote to back my thematic topic is because it helps show that everyone experiences loss and change even the “burnouts” have to go through it. 

Lana del rey.“ The other woman”,Ultraviolence.production Dan Auerbach. June 13, 2014. 

The other woman by lana del rey is a song about how there’s always another woman who will be admired more than the woman they are in a relationship with, and how the woman he is in the relationship with always feel she needs to better herself because she is constantly comparing and contrasting herself to the other woman. The thematic topic I chose for this song is fear, I believe fear is a big part of this song because she has the fear of never being good enough for herself or the man she’s with and on top of that having the fear of being left for the other 

Woman. “The other woman will always cry herself to sleep/ The other woman will never have his love to keep/ And as the years go by, the other woman will spend her life alone/ Alone” (Lana del rey 12-15). I chose this quote to help display my thematic topic because it shows the fear she has of spending her life alone if the man she is with decides to choose the other woman. 

Jimmy Eat World. “The middle”, Bleed American. Production Paul fedor. October 2001.

Coldplay. “Paradise”, Mylo Xyloto. production Coldplay. September 12th 2011

MGMT. “Kids”, Oracular Spectacular. Production Dave Fridmann. October 13th, 2008.

The Beatles. “Yesterday.” Help!, Calderstone Productions, August 6th, 1965.

“Yesterday” by The Beatles is a lost love song from their fifth studio album “Help!” released August 6th, 1965. The song touches on topics such as missing out on Yesterday and wanting to return or change back to a earlier time. Change is a thematic topic that can be correlated with something like nostalgia, as in having nostalgia for an earlier period in your life. This song really captivates that feeling for me from lyrics such as “ Yesterday / All my troubles seemed so far away / Now it looks as though they're here to stay / Oh, I believe in yesterday”(The Beatles 1-4) Feeling as though all your problems are coming at you at the same time. It also captivates the feeling of wanting to go back to yesterday, or for me at least, a different time in my life. This song also gives off heavy nostalgia from the lyrics which I can apply to my own life. I find myself wanting to go back to when I was a kid in school, to feel like it did when I was a kid. 

Fleetwood Mac. “Landslide.” Fleetwood Mac (Self Titled), Warner Records Inc, July 11th, 1975 “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac is a song about love and life from their 10th studio album “Fleetwood Mac” released July 11th, 1975. This song speaks about not being able to handle all the changes in someones life and feeling as if there is too much changing in your life. Change is also a thematic topic that is brought up in this song, as well as growing up. I feel both of these thematic topics through these lyrics “Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? / Can I handle the seasons of my life?” (Fleetwood Mac 7-8) These lyrics feel very relatable because I feel sometimes growing up is very overwhelming and it can get to you. “Can I handle the seasons of my life?” This is also another lyric I resonate with because sometimes life feels like life it is going too quick, and its hard to cope with it. Anyone could say that at a time in their life they’ve wanted to go back to a previous time which this song encapsulates that entire feeling.

UMI. “Remember Me.” October 8th, 2018

“Remember Me” is a song by UMI that was released on October 8th, 2018. This song speaks about changing into a different person that you don’t like. It also speaks about how everything feels different and not the same as it used to be. “Cause I'm getting older / Know that I've changed / And I can't go back now / Nothing's the same” The lyrics “Cause I’m getting older / Know that I’ve changed” show Change and Growing up as the two thematic topics. Knowing that you’ve changed as a person can be a good thing, but other might not like that you have changed from what you used to be as a person. People will assume you changed to fit in, but really it can be something that happens itself. I have felt this myself, trying to fit in with other people by changing who I was, and that is not good to do. You should always stay true to who you are and never change who YOU are.

Weiland. “All The Same” Vices, Victor Victor Worldwide, April 22nd, 2022

“All The Same” is a song by Weiland on his Second Studio Album “Vices”. This song speaks about every day feeling the same and wishing for a change. The thematic topic that this song describes is Monotonous.”And life goes 'round and 'round / This loop just has no tame / These days feel all the same / Just wishin' for a change” This song is the exact feeling I get every week at school. Most of the days just mesh together and they don’t really feel like their own days. Just feels like time is going on but it feels the exact same. And hoping for a change in your day to day life is very real for me.

Tame Impala. “Paitence” The Slow Rush, Modular Recording, March 22, 2019.

“Paitence” is a song by Tame Impala that was released March 22nd, 2019. This song speaks about not knowing how fast time has gone and thinking that your days are looped. The thematic topic this song speaks about is Repetitve. “Has it really been that long? / Did I count the days wrong? / Did we just go 'round and 'round / All the way to step one?” These lyrics I can apply to my own life because sometimes you really don’t feel like time is going as fast as it is. Then when you realize it, its already been too long. The lyric “Did I count the days wrong? “ means that you feel like the same day is repeating over and over again. This is something I feel alot because the repetitvness of school can make it feel like the same day is repeating and not changing one bit.

Dr. Dog. “Where’d All the Time Go?” Shame, Shame (Deluxe Edition), Anti Inc, November 2nd, 2010

Supergrass “Alright” I Should Coco, Parlophone Records, July 3, 1995

Kenny Chesney “There Goes My Life” When The Sun Goes Down [Target Edition], BNA Records, October 20, 2003

The future is an Adventure 

Idina Menzel & AURORA. “Into the Unknown.” Frozen II, Disney, Robert Lopez, Kristen

 Anderson-Lopez, Dave Metzger, Tom MacDougall, 2019. 

In this song from the popular movie Frozen II Elsa sings about going into unknown territory, and voices and thoughts have been keeping her up at night. However, Elsa doesn’t want things to change. She doesn’t want to go “into the unknown” she wants to keep her life as it is, even when she knows it’s not possible, “I've had my adventure/ I don't need something new/ I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you/” (Idina Menzel 9-10). The future holds a lot of new adventures even when we have already had enough of them. Like Else it’s important to move past your fear and your nervousness and be open minded. It’s important to keep going forward even when we want things to stay the same. So when this school year throws unexpected challenges, you may want to stand back, and not accept them. Keep walking and accept the new adventures, don’t let your hesitance and nerves hold you back 

The Script. “Hall of Fame.” #3, Andrew Frampton, Danny O’Donoghue, Jimbo Barry, Mark

 Sheehan, Steve Kipner, 2012. 

In Junior year there is a guarantee that there will be tough days. On those days you will be incredibly frustrated, annoyed, or just feeling down.  When you’re having one of these days, you just need to encourage yourself,“Yeah, you could be the greatest, you can be the best/ You can be the King Kong banging on your chest/ You could beat the world, you could beat the war/ You could talk to God, go banging on his door/ You can throw your hands up, you can beat the clock (yeah).  You can move a mountain, you can break rocks/ You could be a master, don't wait for luck/ Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself/” (The Script 1-8) . You should tell yourself words of encouragement, or listen to an encouraging song. Something that will make you feel that you can do anything, and face anything.  

Taylor Swift. “Bad Blood.” 1989, Shellback, Max Martin, 2014. 

As well as bad days, there will also be days where you and someone else just don’t get along. Maybe you don’t like this person at all or vice versa. “Now we got problems/ And I don't think we can solve 'em/ You made a really deep cut/ And baby, now we got bad blood/” (Taylor Swift 4). The reason for conflict with someone can be endless. It could be a simple difference in opinion, or just generally liking who they are. Things like this can result in big unnecessary problems. You just have to be the bigger person and get over it, even if it’s down right annoying and irritating. 

Cadmium, Rosendale. “No Friends.” No Friends, Cadmium, 2020. 

In junior year and after high-school you can’t spend all of your time trying to please people. When you do this you tend to not focus on yourself, and your needs. You need to be proud of yourself even if others aren’t proud of you. “Cause I can't love no one else/ Spent my love on just myself/ Took this people-pleaser heart/ And I tore it all apart/ Now I'm finally set free/ I'm so proud to be me/” (Cadmium, Rosendale 63-68). In junior year, don’t spend your time trying to please people, and be what they want you to be. Work on myself and be proud to be who I am, regardless of what others think. 

AmaLee.  “Touch Off.” Total coverage vol. 5, AmaLee, 2019. 

Your future is under your control. When it comes to your choices you have to make them, even if they aren't always easy. “It only takes a spark/ For a fire to start/ Won’t hesitate, we’ll fan the flames/ That is the way we’ll make our own future!” (AmaLee 14-17). No one else is going to do your junior year for you, and set you up for success.  Junior year is just another step on our staircase to our own future. All you need is some motivation or a “spark.”

                                                     Life in a nutshell(song lyrics) 

Billy Currington. “Good Directions.”Doin’Somethin’Right,Mercury Records,January 1, 2005.

https://genius.com/Billy-currington-good-directions-lyrics

When writing the song “Good Directions,” Billy Currington talks about a girl who he sends to the interstate. He gives her the option to turn around and come back to him while giving directions to a little town store. Given the luck of him sitting in his truck selling turnips he had the chance to meet this woman and give her his “good directions”(Billy Currington). If he had never been in the bed of his truck he would have never had the opportunity to lead her to the store which led her back to him instead of to the interstate,“Thank God for good directions, and turnip greens.”(Billy Currington 32)  Instead she came back to him all because he was selling turnip greens in his truck. The topic of luck comes up in my life in a lot of things between my friends and family. I am lucky with the opportunities that I have been given as well. The mindset set that people bring to life is more luck then the initial thought of being lucky. The only way you are unlucky is when you accept bad things to happen, but when you accept good things to happen you will essentially have good luck. For me it can go both ways and I feel like that for everyone, I can think that bad things will happen to me and they will but I can also think that good things will happen to me and they will. It happens in my everyday life. 

Zach Bryan. “Burn,Burn,Burn.”Belting Bronco Records,September 8, 2022.

https://genius.com/Zach-bryan-burn-burn-burn-lyrics  

When all grown up people long for the simplicity that was their life as a child. And when they realize they can't turn back the clock they can still find peace in the corrupted world through grace. At one point the song says, “I wanna be a child climbin’ trees somewhere/breathin’ in the fresh, outside air/and before I knew this life was unkind.”(Zach Bryan 25-27) The quality or condition of being easy to understand sums up simplicity. Everybody wants the desire to find simplicity in life. Trying to pursue the values of our existence, build relationships with meaning, leaving a positive mark on the world, and then reaching the end of our path that was created, reconnecting with our dearly departed. Proving that our life was worth living. Even though I am still technically a child I still look back at those days when I wasn't in highschool wishing I could go back to the simpler life when you went to school for recess and your friends. Missing the days in the summer when we used to go to fun town splash town every weekend thinking about how it was so big and the best amusement park to growing up and realizing it is a small place and wanting it to be so big again. 

Darius Rucker. “Alright.”Learn To Live,Capitol Records Nashville,January 1, 2008.

https://genius.com/Darius-rucker-alright-lyrics

Darius Rucker is living his life the way it is and is grateful for the things he has and the opportunities he has. In this song Darius Rucker talks about the simple things that he has, “I got shoes under my feet/forever in the eyes staring back at me/and it's alright, alright/yeah, I got all I need/and it's alright by me.”(Darius Rucker 12-14)It is about the simplicity in life and not needing big and crazy things and enjoying the little things that you have. Finding the positives in life is all you can really do to make it a good one, looking for the bad is what makes it a tough life that is not only un-enjoyable for you but also un-enjoyable for everyone else around you like your family and friends. Despite any troubles or struggles everything should be alright. Having what I need and want is more than enough. Being grateful is all anyone including myself can do to be really happy, and enjoying the simplicity of life is what makes a person really happy. 

Drake. “Over.”Thank Me Later,Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records/Universal 

Motown,January 1, 2010.

https://genius.com/Drake-over-lyrics

The Doors. “People Are Strange.”Strange Days,Elektra Entertainment Co.,September 25, 1967.

https://genius.com/The-doors-people-are-strange-lyrics  

The thought of both the protagonist being strange to strangers and strangers being strange to a protagonist. Everyone can be strange to everyone and everyone can be strange. The state of being isolated from others and how strange others can be when you are strange yourself,“People are strange when you're a stranger.”(The Doors 1) The perception of society and everyone's own personal experience. The world can seem ugly and unequal when the protagonist is alone, unwanted, or even depressed. The world is not attractive and the people are not desirable. After high school going out in the world means meeting new people everyday, making strangers your friends and making newly discovered opportunities. Meeting new people happens everyday within my life, especially at work. I meet new people everyday whether they are new and I have to work with them or they are customers making jokes at the counter and sitting down at a table.

Phillip Phillips. “Gone,Gone,Gone.”The World From The Side Of The Moon,19 Recordings, 

Inc.January 1, 2012.

https://genius.com/Phillip-phillips-gone-gone-gone-lyrics  

Gone,Gone,Gone is a song about resilience and strength in the face of adversity. When Phillip Phillips sings he talks about taking care of and watching over people in any way that he can until the very end,  “Your hope dangling by a string I'll share in your suffering to make you well, to make you well.”(Phillip Phillips).While being the shoulder they can cry on, or the road they can walk on, holding them up while they fall apart, giving them the resilience and strength to keep moving on. Everyone has the struggles of dealing with inner demons, but everyone must learn to control them to avoid self destruction. Having the strength and resilience to be able to work and play everyday is a good skill to develop over the years while growing up. Working,going to school, and playing sports you are going to have people who you dont like and there are going to be situations that you are uncomfortable in, having to be nice or nose-ish to people everyday can be exhausting but as long as you remember that at the end of the day if you don't want those people or situations to matter they don't and you can go home and let it roll off there back.

Parker McCollum. “Hell of a Year.”Probably Wrong,Parker McCollum,November 10, 2017.

https://genius.com/Parker-mccollum-hell-of-a-year-lyrics

Parker McCollum. “Hurricane.”Never Enough,UMG Recordings, Inc.,May 12, 2023.

The Star Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Recounts the Battle of Baltimore and the defense of Fort Henry in the first hand. The song is about freedom and independence but also success, “And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, O'er the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.” The mention that the flag still waves is a showing of the success the USA had against the British in the Revolutionary War. Also mentioning the land of the free, referencing the independence the country gains from Great Britain. But because of the independence gained it caused change from the revolution, changing the colonies into a country.

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. The song is written about America and what the people love about it, “I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills. My heart will rapture fills like that above” (Samuel Francis Smith. “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”. 1831). A clear example of the love the author has for the nation. Describing the landscape from the rocks and streams to forestry and mountains. This would also go along with happiness as they are happy with their nation.

This Land is Your Land written and sung by Woody Guthrie in 1945. The song is written to oppose the idea of ownership of land. The idea is conveyed through this line, “There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me. A sign was painted said ‘Private Property’ But on the backside, it didn't say nothing. This land was made for you and me” (Woody Guthrie. “This Land is Your Land.” 1945). This conveys a message of change. Woody resents change in the politics and economy. Private property is becoming a major thing but Guthrie disagrees with said change.

God Bless America sung by Katy Smith and written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and performed in 1939. 

Yankee Doodle by Richard Schuckburgh, 1755.

Yankee Doodle Boy written by Little Johnny Jones in 1904.

America the Beautiful originally written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893, but modified in 1904 and 1910. The song is about the author's passion for their country. It was written whilst on a mountain viewing the land below. O beautiful for patriot dream. “That sees beyond the years. Thine alabaster cities gleam. Undimmed by human tears.” (Katharine Lee Bates. “America the Beautiful.” Oliver Ditson & Co., 1910) This depicts the success of the country. Success is shown by the cities gleaming and the statement of how it sees beyond the year. That refers to the nation's ability to continue for centuries to come. 

Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus in 2009. The song is about making it in America. Representing the singer's progress inside the country. I hopped off the plane at LAX. With a dream and my cardigan. Welcome to the land of fame excess. Am I gonna fit in?” (Miley Cyrus. “Party in the U.S.A.” The Times of Our Lives, Hollywood Records, 2009). The song is about success. Specifically the success of making it big inside of the US. It is also about hope as they question whether they will fit in. That is an example of hoping that she will secede.