music

An Interpretation Of One Republic’s “I Lived”

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“I Lived” not only consists of a catchy beat and beautiful vocals, but it also has incredible lyrics that are stated simply, yet contain a lot of meaning. This song can speak to anyone of any age, because it reflects the importance of going through the hardships in life, and growing stronger as a person. Here are my interpretations of a majority of the lines in the song:

“Hope when you take that jump, you don’t fear the fall”

You shouldn’t be afraid to take chances/risks in life; you should just go for it.

“Hope when the water rises, you built a wall”

When life gets hard, you should be able to find a way to protect yourself and get through it.

“Hope when the crowd screams out, they’re screaming your name”

Do something that will make a difference in the world and that you’ll be admired for.

“Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay”

Never follow the crowd no matter what; always do your own thing.

“Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad”

Experience heartbreak at least once in life because it will help you grow stronger in order to prepare for a better love.

“The only way you can know is give it all you have”

Always try your hardest in any given situation.

“And I hope that you don’t suffer but take the pain”

Don’t let your hardships bring you down completely, but accept the obstacles that come your way.

CHORUS:

“I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
With every broken bone, I swear I lived”

I lived life to the fullest, and even though I had to deal with difficult times in life, I still survived and made it through. I had to go through these hard times in order to live.

“Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up”

Make the most out of each day so you can look back and see how much you have done.

“And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup”

At the end of each day, be grateful for what you have accomplished and celebrate everything you have done. Also celebrate life, itself, because it’s worth acknowledging.

Quote Of The Day:

15 Ways To Improve Your Mood

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We all have bad days and good days, but it’s important to always work on improving your mood because you deserve to be happy!  There are many small and easy things you can do in order to feel better, but here are some ideas:

1. Write about your feelings.

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Whether you’re a writer or not, it always helps to let everything out that you’ve been building up inside. If you put all your thoughts down on paper, not only will you feel relieved, but it will also be easier for you to solve your problems.

2. Exercise.

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Even though lying on the couch sounds better than exercise, releasing those endorphins can be very fulfilling! Even just going for an easy walk can make you feel really great; it doesn’t have to be anything extensive!

3. Listen to your favorite music.

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Even though you might be tempted to listen to sad music when you’re in a negative mood, doing so will only keep you in that mood. If you listen to your favorite upbeat music and sing along, you’ll start feeling better before you know it!

4. Get organized.

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If you’re in a bad mood because you have a lot on your plate, take a moment to breathe and make a list or schedule of everything you have to do. If you organize everything by when you’re going to get things done, it will be easier for you to accomplish everything.

5. Do some cleaning.

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No one really likes cleaning, but if you’re in a clean environment, you’ll automatically be able to feel a lot better about life. Even if it’s just picking up some things off your floor, you’ll feel great about the improvement you have just made.

6. Get some fresh air.

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Being cooped up inside when you’re in a bad mood makes it hard to improve. Go sit outside, or even just crack open your window. Breathing in the outside air will make your brain feel less “blah” and more at ease.

7. Hang out with friends.

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If you go out and do something fun, or even just sit and chat with friends, chances are you’ll start feeling a lot better right away. Whether it’s talking to your friends about why you’re in a bad mood, or just distracting yourself, it’s a lot better than sitting by yourself.

8. Watch some funny videos.

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YouTube can be your best friend if none of your friends are available to make you laugh. Watch some of your old favorite funny videos, or look up new, random ones. Laughing is good for the soul!

9. Watch your favorite movie.

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If you have some more time, watch a movie that you have always loved and always makes you smile or laugh. Or even watch your favorite TV show! Entertainment is beautiful thing.

10. Dance in your room.

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This is where that saying “dance like no one is watching” comes in. Blast a catchy tune and dance your heart out because why not? You’ll not only have a chance to laugh at yourself, but you’ll also have so much fun.

11. Think about something exciting.

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Find at least one thing that you are looking forward to and focus on that. It’ll make your day a lot better knowing that better things are coming to you very soon.

12. Play with puppies.

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If you don’t have your own dog, go to a pet store or shelter and go play with or pet some dogs! Dogs instantly put people in a good mood because they are just so cute and friendly! If you’re not a dog person, choose another animal to go play with!

13. Volunteer.

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If you have some extra time, go find a volunteer opportunity. Making other people happy will give you a lot of great feelings. Essentially, helping others become happy will make you happy as well.

14. Finish a project you’ve been putting off.

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It always feels great to finish something, so if you’ve been procrastinating on a hobby or project, go finish it! Even if you’re busy, try to make some time to get it done.

15. Just smile. 

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This one may sound silly, but smiling alone can change your mood, even in the slightest way. Try to smile throughout the day, and smile at others as well, because you never know who else is also having a bad day!

Quote Of The Day: 

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Why Everyone Should Listen To Taylor Swift’s Song “Clean”

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Taylor Swift is known for writing songs about relationships and breakups, and many of her lyrics are extremely relatable. Some people aren’t fans of Swift simply because of the topics of her songs, but her song “Clean” from her latest album “1989” is a song that I believe everyone needs to listen to at least once.

“Clean”, which was co-written by Imogen Heap, can be interpreted in many different ways depending on your personal situations. I believe that its original meaning has to do with getting over a breakup. It reflects losing someone, yet finding yourself through it all.

This song has beautiful lyrics and metaphors throughout which create strong visual images in the mind and a whole string of emotions. I want to go through some of the lyrics just to show you how on point this song can be with anyone’s life.

The song starts out like most breakups do: “You’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore; Hung my head as I lost the war; And the sky turned black like a perfect storm.” Using the beautiful metaphor of a “wine-stained dress”, Swift sings about the moment after a breakup where you cannot stop thinking about your ex/you can’t seem to get over him/her. In these lines, she explains the feeling of a breakup as being very dark and empty.

The chorus is a basic summary of the whole process of getting through a breakup: “Rain came pouring down; When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe; And by morning, gone was any trace of you; I think I am finally clean.” Swift uses the metaphor of rain as the emotional breakdown that one goes through during a breakup. “When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe”, is an ironic statement that reflects finding oneself when all hope is lost. The second half of the chorus emulates the moment when you’re finally over a breakup and you feel like a new person.

Another line that stands out is: “So I punched a hole in the roof; Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you.” This is a metaphorical representation of letting go all of the memories of your ex that are haunting you and holding you back. This could also be a literal interpretation of getting rid of photos of your ex.

In another part of the song, she sings, “10 months sober, I must admit; Just because you’re clean, don’t mean you don’t miss it; 10  months older, I won’t give in; Now that I’m clean, I’m never gonna risk it.” These lines are a common feeling amongst anyone who has gone through a breakup; you miss your ex sometimes but you know that it’s best to not go down that road again because you’re better off without him/her.

As I said, you can interpret this song in different ways to relate it to your own life, but I believe that this song shows the positive after effects of a breakup or a hard time, which is something we can all learn from. It’s important to realize that you can find the light even in the darkest times.

Here is a link to all of the lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/clean-lyrics-taylor-swift.html And you can buy the song on iTunes!

Quote Of The Day:

20 Things I’ve Learned From Taylor Swift

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1. You have to shake off the haters.

2. You shouldn’t care what people think of you.

3. Love can be amazing.

4. But being single is also awesome!

5. Always treat people well.

6. Relationships aren’t like fairytales.

7. It’s important to have fun with friends.

8. It’s okay to be sad sometimes.

9. It’s also okay to be angry sometimes.

10. A touch of red lipstick is a touch of fun.

11. If you let go of the past, you’ll feel renewed.

12. You’re not living life right unless you’re a little bit goofy.

13. Love can start over even when all hope is lost.

14. Being fearless means to face your fears.

15. Once you breakup with someone, don’t get back together; you broke up for a reason!

16. Sometimes you just have to make fun of yourself.

17. Always have big dreams.

18. Never give up.

19. Your friends will always be by your side.

20. Always stay humble.

Things We Can Learn from Disney’s “Frozen”

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Yes, the movie Frozen is filled with amazing music, funny and cute lines, and our new favorite characters. But we can also take the time to think about what this movie can teach us. I think it has so many great lessons for anyone of all ages:

1. Just be yourself. Elsa has to hide her powers so she didn’t hurt anyone, but in the end, she figures out how to use her powers in a good way. She has to hide from everyone, even her sister, but Elsa proves that hiding wasn’t worth it. As she sings, “Let it go, let it go….”, let your own “powers” out. Just let it go and be yourself, because in the end, you’ll be happier.

2. Be positive. Olaf was not only filled with hilarious jokes, but he was also the most positive character throughout the whole movie. The most obvious example is when he’s daydreaming about what summer would be like. In the song he sings, he surprises us by saying he’ll be a “happy snowman” instead of saying he would be a puddle. Yes, someone should’ve told him sooner, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he has a positive outlook on everything in the movie. Even when he was slightly melting by the fire, he wasn’t fazed by it at all!

3. Love isn’t defined by your “soulmate”. Well for one, Elsa don’t need no man to keep her happy. Also, Anna thinks she has found “the one” when she makes the impulse decision to agree to marry Hans, but she learns that it was a mistake because he turns out to be deceitful (I dislike you Hans!). Yes, her and Kristoff fall in love, but the main idea we get from this movie is the love Anna has for her sister Elsa and vice versa. At the end when Anna is frozen, and only love can fix it, Elsa turns out to be the one to save Anna…when we totally thought it was going to be Kristoff…seriously Disney you’re freakin’ awesome for not having it be him :). So we learn that love from family is important and that finding your “prince” really isn’t that vital.

4. Your best friend will always be there for you. Kristoff and Sven are a prime example of the kind of best friends that we should all be. Yes Sven is a reindeer and Kristoff is a human, but it doesn’t matter, they are still the best of friends. Even though Kristoff talks for Sven, Sven is still there for him and cares about him :). “…people will beat you and curse you and cheat you, every one of them’s bad except you!”

5. Never give up even when times get hard. This one is self explanatory, but Anna proved this when she goes to find Elsa. Anna had to go through a lot of struggles to find her, but she never once gave up, she kept pushing on!

I could go on and on but I feel like these are the biggest lessons that I pulled from the movie! So the next time you’re listening to the song “Let It Go” remember that it’s okay to start dancing and belting it out because there’s nothing better than being yourself :). And the next time you build a snowman, think of Olaf and you’ll be as happy as him!