Haus' iPod Touch - Revisited

It's been a little while since I've written at all, and I haven't written about what I'm listening to since May 2010, so I thought I'd give you all another taste of what flows into my ears on any given day. You'll notice that I'm listening to a lot of upbeat music, and to a lot of the same artists. This is in large part to a newer workout routine, but also because I just haven't written in so long and there's a lot of good stuff I've listening to lately. I've added a few links this time...they're all YouTube links to either the music itself or to a related video.

Broken Hymns - Dropkick Murphys
I've grown attached to cool banjo riffs lately. This song starts with one, and it continues throughout the song. But...then you listen to the lyrics and comprehend the story, and it can't help but reach out to the heartstrings.

Snake Charmer - Blink 182
Blink's first album in 6 years, and I get hooked onto the song in the middle of the album...the one that will probably never become the hit single or have a video made for it. But, it's the one that I like, and that's really what matters anyway.

The song is about Adam's going "in search of the great unknown"...women.

You are a hero and survivor
Your eyes are getting tired
There's claw marks up your spine
It happens all the time
The silent, evil daughters
Like sirens on the water
You've been the perfect crime
It happens all the time.

Hit the Ground and Run - Great Big Sea
Em and I saw these guys back in March at the Rialto here in Tucson. They performed this song, and it was even better live than it was on the album. It was good on the album...don't get me wrong. The song revolves around a shotgun wedding, and instead of the woman running from the alter, it's about the guy running from the shotgun (and the alter). Kinda different, but it's a combination of a story of the concept of the shotgun wedding and the fact that the groom has an IQ that you could count on one hand. Anyway, it's funny.

Rattle and Roll - Street Dogs
I should point out one thing real quick. The lead singer of Street Dogs (Mike McColgan) is the former frontman for Dropkick Murphys, so I've listened to his music for a while.

Anyway, this is a good upbeat punk song...good in a workout mix. It's a little fast to really understand many of the lyrics, if you're not used to the pace of punk music, but it's all about his hometown (in case you wanted to know).

Climbing a Chair to Bed - Dropkick Murphys
What are you afraid of in life?

Are you too afraid of living to make a man's mistakes?
Too afraid of dying 'cause you fear what lies in wait?
Too sad to see the truth, never knowing what it takes?
Are you too afraid of dying 'cause you fear what lies in wait?

Machine Gun Blues - Social Distortion
I like songs that tell a story. This is one of them. And, even better, it's an old-timey gangster story. This song is about a man who realizes that he's beyond saving but is addicted to his life as a gangster. The driving beat and guitar work help carry the story throughout the song. The video was a mini-movie, and was well done (in my opinion). This is also in the workout mix nowadays.

Make You Smile - +44
I like duets. They're fun to listen to, and just imagine two people having a musical conversation. (Him/Her)

The first time I saw you, you turned away/I couldn't see with the smoke getting in my eyes
I said hello, but you kept on walking/I'm going deaf from the sound of the DJ
The first time I saw you, you turned away/ I couldn't hear with the noise ringing in my ears
Do you remember where we used to sleep at night/ I couldn't feel you, you're always so far away

Road Zombie - Social Distortion
There are no words to this song. It's basically a 2:21 guitar solo. But it keeps the blood pumping, and it's hard to not get amped when hearing it. If you have a workout mix that you use, consider this my recommendation when you are looking to add a new song. If you have a guitar, it's fun to play, too (you can find the tab at Ultimate Guitar Tabs Archive).

Wild Mountain Thyme (Live) - The Real McKenzies
Old Irish folk songs are always fun. When they're sung by drunken Scotsmen, they're even better.

Fighter - Street Dogs
A tribute to an old friend...in an upbeat kinda way:

This an ode to a man who spent his whole life in the fight
Never getting counted out at all or ducking from our sight
Our eulogy for him is clear, we know just what to say
Kenny Walls, he was a fighter, right up to his passing day

The Galway Girl - Steve Earle
From time to time, you have to break up all of the upbeat, rock music with something lively, but less harsh.

Going Out In Style - Dropkick Murphys
Think for a moment what it would be like to throw your own wake...what kind of event would you want that to be? This song is written from the perspective of someone who does just that.

I've seen a lot of sights and traveled many miles. Shook a thousand hands and seen my share of smiles.
I've caused some great concerns and told one too many lies. And now I see the world through the sad, old jaded eyes.
So what if I threw a party and all my friends were there? Acquaintances, relatives, the girls who never cared?
You'll have a host of rowdy hooligans and a big line at the door. Side by side with Sister Barbara, Chief Wells, and Bobby Orr.
I'd invite the Flanigans who replaced the window you smashed out. I'd apologize to Sluggo for [urinating] on his couch.
I'll see Mrs. McGollock and so many others soon. I'll say I'm sorry for what I did, sleepwalking in her room.

I can't imagine how cool it would be to actually plan my own funeral festivities, but this guy had the idea that his wake would be a pretty rowdy party. The video has cameos from a number of people who are relevant in Boston (Lenny Clarke, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, Kevin Youkilis, and the great Bobby Orr). Despite the lyrics, Van Morrison does not appear in the video.

Thus Sayeth Your Haus

Haus' iPod Touch - May Mental Mayhem

I've written a couple whiny posts lately, so I feel like I need to write something different. Something that lets me get what's on my mind onto paper without making me feel like I'm acting like a spoiled little boy. So, what better to express what's on my mind than talk about what's been going into my ears.

The playlist I've been listening to has this title. It's a mixture of everything, and it has a number of messages, but it has helped me stay even these past few weeks.

Time to Go - Dropkick Murphys
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most grueling playoffs in all of professional team sports. After playing an 82 game season from October to April, you have to win 16 games in 6-7 weeks in order to lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Bruins have been the NHL team I've followed for a few years now, and I followed them fairly closely this year, even going to two Bruins games (in Phoenix and in LA). When they made the playoffs, I decided to grow a playoff beard. They were what I occupied my evenings with over the past few weeks, and I listen to this song as I prepare myself mentally for each Bruins game. It's actually written about the Bruins and the experience of going to a Bruins game.

Replay - Iyaz
I was getting a haircut before my last trip to San Diego (I usually get it cut once I get into town, but I knew that I wouldn't have the time to spare on this last trip, so I just got it done on campus before hand), and I heard this song playing. I looked it up on YouTube and really liked it. So, I downloaded it and have been listening to it since.

Shawty´s like a melody in my head
That I can´t keep out
Got me singin´ like
Na na na na everyday
It´s like my iPod stuck on replay

See you been all around the globe
Not once did you leave my mind
We talk on the phone from night til the morn
Girl you really change my life
Doing things I never do
I´m in the kitchen cooking things she likes

We´re real worldwide breaking all the rules
Someday I wanna make you my wife
That girl like something off a poster
That girl is a dime they say
That girl is the gun to my holster
She´s running through my mind all day

And, when you think about it, Em is constantly on my mind. I can't shake her, and I really don't want to. I like the thought of her being there.

Check the Levels - The Dirty Heads
Disclaimer - If you go looking this song up, you may want to look for an edited version.

This one's about two kids, Tom and Lily, that were ridiculed and shunned while they were young. And, during the progression of this song, they find talents that they were motivated to cultivate by their experiences.

See what they thought they knew about these two was givin up
Cause no matter what they said these two just didn't give a [censored]
They had it all along they just figured it out
How to take the negativity and turn it all around
Now Lily's turning heads up on the runway in Milan
And Todd is selling millions while his fans sing along like

Check the level cause something's coming' over me
Something's got a hold of me always controlling me
It's in the audio, it's in the air,
It's in the way you move, it's everywhere
It's something beautiful, that you don't know
So feel the audio, and let it go

Sometimes, you just come across an experiences that will cause you reevaluate everything in your life and decide that you need to make a change. For me, it was a conversation in my truck on a July night in Utah. I knew that I was headed in the wrong direction, and the changes have been slow, but they're being made, and I'm going to come out a better person for it. You don't always know what will cause the change, it could just be something in the air, but you shouldn't fight the changes you need to make in life. The ability to make the change is there...you just need to do what's needed.

If You Leave This World Before Me - Mike Ness
The song, in total, is a pretty depressing one about death. But, there's a part that caught my ear:

If you leave before me
I promise I never will tell
About all the things we talked about
Our dark secrets I'll keep well
Aren't you glad there ain't nobody listening
Aren't you glad that no one seems to care what we do
Aren't you glad there ain't no one to tell us what's right or wrong
While we sit and we talk about nothing.

One of my favorite pastimes is to just sit with Em and talk. Sometimes we talk about serious subjects, sometimes about our dreams, sometimes about just whatever comes to mind. But, we open ourselves to each other to the point where there are definite things that I wouldn't want her to share, and I feel that there are some things I should also keep to myself. They're things that will go with me to the grave. And, at the same time, it's rare that we ever hear anything from either of our parents about this. There's not telling us that what we're doing is right or wrong...they expect us to make our own decisions about our actions and trust that we'll make the right choices with our lives. And, while we're talking about nothing, we are making the right choice.

You Shook Me All Night Long - Vitamin String Quartet
In looking for music for the wedding reception, I came across a list of Garter Tossing songs, and one of them was AC/DC's classic You Shook Me All Night Long. Makes sense to me, being familiar with the song. I knew this song would be a non-starter with Em, so I asked her what she thought (know that she wouldn't know the song, but would be a little leery of an AC/DC song at the wedding). I quickly informed her that I wouldn't want it played at the wedding. It's not exactly what I think of as a traditional wedding song. But, while looking for other music on iTunes, I came across the Vitamin String Quartet's album The Rock 'n Roll Wedding Collection. On there, I found this song. So, I bought the album for me, and maybe I'll try to get one of the other songs on the album put into the playlist for the reception. Maybe.

Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
Is there a song title that could more accurately describe the situation Em and I found ourselves in. We had been friends for years, but then after a couple visits, a few looks, a bad British movie, and a dinner or two...we're in love and engaged!

Come on, come on, move a little closer
Come on, come on, I want to hear you whisper
Come on, come on, settle down inside my love

Oh, come on, come on, jump a little higher
Come on, come on, if you feel a little lighter
Come on, come on, we were once upon a time in love
We're accidentally in love

Thus Sayeth Your Haus

From Haus' iPod

A lot of what I think about on a daily basis comes from the music I listen to. Here's a sampling of what's in my iPod right now and what kind of effect it is having on me:

Taylor Swift (don't laugh!) - Our Song
"Our song is the slamming screen door, Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window. When we're on the phone and you talk real slow Cause it's late and your mama don't know. Our song is the way you laugh. The first date "man, I didn't kiss her, and I should have." And when I got home ... before I said amen, Asking God if he could play it again."

This brings back memories of big things I've done badly. I remember being a junior in high school and talking with my girlfriend on the phone late at night. The only downside was my parents did know, as the light on their phone showed the line was being used. There's another girl out there that I should have kissed long ago, but I've never wanted to jeopardize the relationship we already have. This girl brings out the best in me, but she also brings out my biggest character flaw...my inability to take a big chance. Of course, there's another girl I did kiss on our first date where I now wish I would have slow-played things for a bit. That would have saved me a lot of heartache later. I have been in a relationship where there's been an 'our song'. It was 'You Belong to Me' by Jason Wade. All of the other ones, though, we haven't really had a song that was ours, which may be for the best. I haven't listened to 'You Belong to Me' in a few years, especially after the 'Dear John' letter I got two weeks after Valentine's Day.

Dropkick Murphys - The Legend of Finn Mac
"This mighty soldier on the eve of the war he waged told his troops of lessons learned from battles fought. "May your heart grow bolder like an iron-clad brigade" said this leader to his outnumbered lot."

There are just some days when you feel outnumbered beyone belief. You look out and see a veritable sea of enemies and obstacles, and you look behind and see it's you and your shadow. To get through this advisarial force, a bold heart and a smart head are needed. I have to remember that as long as I keep my head about me and know where to turn for help, that 'those that be with us are more than those that be against us.' That's a thought that will help embolden a man's heart.

Dropkick Murphys - Never Forget
"In a child's eye there's something I hope someday you'll know. A friend's dedication, it's something to behold. A mother's smile, it makes everything all right. To a women's caring hand I'll be holding on tonight.
When you got love and we got family, keep 'em close and don't forget to hold them right there in your heart. When you got love and family."

There's always something good in life, and sometimes we have to look at the little things to find the good in life. Something as simple as a look in a child's eye, a smile from Mom, or just the simple touch of a woman. You want to keep these little things close to you, as it's those memories that will help you as you feel alone. Plus, really, there's nothing better in life than a woman's caring hand to hold onto. Well, at least I'm thinking that now as I don't have any children (or a woman's caring hand to hold onto, but that's another story).

Great Big Sea - Sea of No Cares
"When you decide that what counts is inside, your friends all say it's a lie. But there's no brighter light than the look in her eyes when you're walking her home through the night. And hey, hey somewhere, you threw your fear in the Sea of No Cares."

Nowadays, I don't walk many of my dates home. Drive, yes. Walk, not so much. But, I do walk each one to the door. And when we get to the door, I make sure to look each one of them in the eyes before wishing them a good night. It's cliche to say that the eyes are the window to the soul, but I happen to find the eyes to be the most beautiful part of a woman. You can tell a lot about a person from their eyes. And, in the case of a woman with beautiful eyes, you can get lost in them. When you see a person's feelings in their eyes before you hear them express them, then you know that you truly understand a person. And to see the love of a woman in her eyes before she says anything is the kind of connection that I really want in life.

Rise Against! - Paper Wings"
"And I can't tell if you're laughing. Between each smile there's a tear in your eye. There's a train leaving town in an hour. It's not waiting for you, and neither and I."

Sometimes I wonder if this is my life talking to me. I'll do anything in my power to not show weakness, sensitivity, or sorrow. For someone to actually see me sad, they have to either catch me at a weak moment or they have to be really close to me. I want people to see the smile and to hear me laugh. I want them to see the thoughtful look. I don't want people to see me when I'm sad. You may think it's my massive ego, or an overdeveloped sense of machismo, but I don't want people to see me when I'm seriously down. I try and keep an even keel in public, not too far up and not too far down, and that's how I want to be seen. Calm, collected, and stable. Nobody needs to know when I'm freaking out inside, and nobody needs to know when I'm hurting inside. When I broke up with my most recent girlfriend, I didn't say anything right away. I told my brother (who then told my parents), and I mentioned it to my boss after she mentioned to me that I looked like I had checked out (in my defense, I did have a vacation coming up at the end of that week, which is what she attributed it to). I didn't want to make a big deal about it because I didn't want people to see how if affected me. I wanted life to continue on as normal. I knew people would eventually find out, but I didn't want life to stop because of it. And that's just how I am. I play things close to the vest and only show what I want to show. Is this healthy? Probably not. But, it is the way it is.

Street Dogs - The General's Boombox
"You lit the fire in us and we play on in your trust. A reluctant, poetic guttersnipe. Beyond images and songs, more than your memory carries on, As the general's boombox still plays on."

Everyone has something to motivates them. A person, a concept, a goal, a twinkie. It's different for everyone. I'm currently motivated to work hard because I know that I'll get a nice, well-deserved vacation at the end of our Go-Live and Transisiton process (73 days until San Diego!). The memory of a fallen teammate motivated my high school football team on to victory week after week. It's the memory of how a woman feels in my arms that motivates me to want to find the woman that I'll be able to hold for the rest of my life and into the eternities. Memories can cause us to do all sorts of things, and it's the results of those actions we remember that can be our constant reminder of what we know and how we want it to affect our lives.

Thus Sayeth Your Haus