Daydreaming

Dark Dark Dark : Daydreaming
"Oh if you knew what it meant to me, you would see, too."






First of all, this song is amazing, so listen to it. Of course I'm going to say it is another song that reminds me of traveling and ..yup, you guessed it.. Tennessee. BUT this blog is going to be entirely dedicated to...... downriver. If you live here, you will probably appreciate and understand what I am talking about. If you don't, this is kind of directed towards you, too, so read along little ones. 


I moved downriver when I was in 4th grade from Southern Illinois, from a small town called Granite City, about 5 minutes across the border from St. Louis. I’ve lived in Trenton ever since. Honestly, people that live downriver rarely leave it, unless for college. We all are kind of in a bubble and stick with fellow downriver people. It wasn’t until I met my boyfriend who lives north of Sterling Heights that I started hanging around with different people, and it’s then when I started having people say “OH you’re from DOWNRIVER?!?!” When exactly did downriver get a bad rep? Do people who live north of us really think they don’t have skanks, ghetto kids, and punks living in their cities? TRUST ME. I’ve been to Eastpointe, St. Claire Shores, even Sterling Heights..THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! So leave us alone! I used to HATE this place, but now I have to say, I’m proud to live here. Why shouldn’t we be? We are 2 minutes away from the water, in almost every city considered “downriver.” And to those of you who aren’t from here, and try to figure out what cities exactly categorize under “downriver”--don’t even try, you’ll never get it, and you’re probably wrong. So stop making fun of people from downriver, we are a pretty cool group of people. Yeah, maybe we are in a little bubble and we rarely get out of it, but maybe that isn’t so bad. I like it that anytime I go to the Applebees on Allen Road, I am guaranteed to see at least 3 people that I know. I used to HATE this, but the familiarity of this place is starting to become a part of me. As soon as the weather gets warm you know you are going to take a trip to Bob Jo’s Frozen Custard off Fort Street, or maybe take a trip to one of my most favorite places downriver---downtown Wyandotte. The Grind will probably remind every single one of us of high school. How about how sad we all were when they closed Smoothie King?! That place was HEAVEN. Even if our mall sucks, and we do have Taylor, we are still a pretty cool place to live. Not many people can drive 2 minutes down the road and have a front row seat to the water. Elizabeth Park is my favorite place in the entire world I think. When the weather is nice, you just pick up your friends, a few drinks, and head to Elizabeth Park to pick a spot by the water and make a night out of it. So, to everyone who thinks you are a skanky hick if you live downriver, you quite possibly could be retarded. There isn’t something in the air down here that make people skanks. All I have to say to you is, skanks live everywhere, dumbass!

With all of this being said, I’m sure we will all still complain at least 30 more times this year alone that there is nothing to do downriver, but maybe we take it for granted. Trust me, travel 30 minutes up north and not only will you not have any cool spots to sit by the water, but you will be surrounded by douches. Sad to say I’ll be moving up soon, but until then, I’m not going to take this place for granted anymore. Even though I hate it, I love it. That should be the quote of downriver.

Okay, that's all I have to say. Hopefully my boyfriend's friends, as well as my own friends that live north of downriver, will finally put to rest the whole "OMG DOWNRIVER" situation. I love you all, but you brought me to my breaking point! haha

Peace and love Homo sapiens.

Elizabeth Park

My cup, Anna's, and Sarah's for our wine date night at Elizabeth Park

2 minutes from my house.. take west road all the way down to the water and you have the perfect little spot

An Ending/Hear Me Out

Brian Eno : An Ending


Frou Frou : Hear Me Out
"I refuse to believe that it's only me feeling."




I'm posting two songs, because the background music in each of them sound very similar. If you've ever seen the movie "Traffic" (if you haven't, you definitely should watch it), then you probably remember that very simple yet powerful song that played at the very end of the movie, during the little league baseball game. I have always remembered this movie as not only an amazing movie about drugs and how they impact every single one of our lives, but I also remember it as "that movie with that amazing song during the end."


A couple of months ago I heard a song by Frou Frou that had background music that reminded me alot of the song from Traffic. I love both of these songs, so I decided to post each of them. 




I'm usually not a fan of songs with no vocals, but it's hard not to fall in love with "An Ending." It's one of those songs that you turn on during a late night drive, and all of your thoughts pour out of you one by one, easing your entire being. Imagine the most beautiful place you've ever seen.... then add this song into the background, and you have your own little peaceful, perfect place. 


As most of you know, my little perfect place is somewhere tucked away in Tennessee... and I am SO happy to say that I will be revisiting that beautiful place in 23 days with my boyfriend! I remember the first time we went there and it was seriously a 10 hour drive, but it was probably one of my favorite memories with him. We left super late at night and drove until the morning. We had to of played almost every single Radiohead song..A Perfect Circle...Tool...and managed to watch Fear and Loathing on his dvd player in his old truck that he used to have. Well, since he was driving, I guess it was mostly me, but I was still wrapped tight in his arms the entire time. I was kinda worried about how long the drive was, and how this was going to be our first "road trip" together, but to this day it is somewhere my mind travels when life isn't going so great. It was one of those happy moments when you realized, truly, nothing else mattered. One of my favorite quotes was said by Daphne Rose Kingma, "In the end, nothing we do or say in this lifetime will matter as much as the way we have loved one another" ....And I couldn't have loved him more at that moment in time.

On that note, I hope everyone is living a life that genuinely makes them happy. If not, I'd suggest you change that before it's too late. We all deserve pure happiness.. every single weird one of us.

Utopia

Goldfrapp : Utopia
"Fascist baby."




Okay, if you know me at all, you know I am OBSESSED with this song. If I had to pick a soundtrack to my life, this song would probably be playing most of the time. I've never heard anyone like Goldfrapp.. and I'm so so glad I found out about her. This song in particular is my favorite from her, due to the amazing super short chorus. I love how the song slowly builds up for 4 words- "Fascist baby. Utopia, utopia." The noises in this song are rare to hear.... starting from the opera-like vocals in the background of the beginning of the song, to what sounds like an electric organ building up to the chorus. Weird, but it works. 



The beginning of the song has some pretty relatable lyrics, as well.


It's a strange day-
No colors or shapes.
No sound in my head.
I forget who I am.
When I'm with you-
There's no reason-
There's no sense.
I'm not supposed to feel.

I like these lyrics just because of how realistic they are. I met my boyfriend of almost 2 years at the Tigers game. I never really think I was ever completely passionately present in life until I met him. All of me was focused on his entire being. It's almost like a magnetic pull towards someone... and it makes absolutely no sense to you, but you don't even stop to think about it.. you just get more drawn in by the person (If you're "special" like me and have read the Twilight series, you remember the part where Jacob was trying to explain this exact thing to Bella? That's what I'm talking about). This song, in a strange way, captures that essence for me.

Luna Park

White Rose Movement : Luna Park
"I only ever had a picture paranoid of you."



This song is one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time. It is so different and passionate! From the oddness of the lyrics to the way the lead singer's voice almost becomes one with the high notes of the music streaming in the background-I was captivated the first time I ever heard it.

The lyrics are sexy and stated simply, with hidden depths lying in each sentence.



You're as pure as pure can be-
Honey such, wanna touch.
Touch your innocence sublime.
Perfume high, world collide.


I only ever had a picture paranoid of you.
I am true.
And i want to collect them-
So that I could be one too.
I am true.


And I want you to embrace-
Blending your, face on face.
Take your time to make the strain-
Fool, fool.


Go slow, Then turn around, make less changes.
(I want you to.)


Wave goodbye to Luna Park.
Cheerio, time to go.
Cus we grow only after dark.
Sleep, sleep.


Genius, right? Love the lyrics. Love the song. Love how his voice hits an insanely high pitch at the part "And I want you to embraaaaaaace." Love how noisy it gets at the very end, when it just sounds like random music buttons are being pushed, but somehow it all ties together and makes you want to push Replay.

Hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patty's Day! Since I'm Irish and Italian I happen to love that holiday. There is something about being dressed in green, driving with the windows down in your car (due to Michigan's unusual warm weather), and singing "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys (like you didn't know the name of the band) with your boyfriend, driving to the local Irish Pub. It's intoxicating, literally.

Lovesick Teenagers

Bear in Heaven : Lovesick Teenagers

"Lovesick teenagers don't ever die, they will live forever."




Nothing really in depth to say about this song, except it reminds me of high school dances, parites, bonfires, summer nights driving around downriver bored out of our minds always trying to find something to do, not realizing that simply driving around being teenagers was more than enough. We'd all meet up in the high school parking lot, sometimes the library parking lot (that was a really dumb idea) doing teenager things, until the cops would show up and we'd all have mini panic attacks. One summer my graduating class would always meet up right by my house, at this baseball field off Lathrop. Everytime the cop would pull up and flash his bright light on us, people would rush to the trash cans and throw out their drinks. Not two seconds after the cops would leave people would be diving in that trash can pulling out whatever they just threw in..... hahaha to be young and stupid again. Honestly, why were we in such a rush to grow up?

My best friend is moving to Chicago tomorrow. Blahhhhh. Michigan is going to get a bit more crappier starting then. I'm going to miss her and our Elizabeth Park dates every summer. We'd just find a spot to sit, watch the water, drink a bottle of wine, and talk about boys. It's always good to have a friend that listens to you, really really listens to you. They aren't worried about the next thing they are going to say, they are worried about you.. genuinely worried and want to listen to what is going on in your life. It's pretty hard to find people like that around here.. and I'm going to miss it more than she knows. Sar, since you creep on me allllllll the time and I know you are reading this right now, I'll just say this-You have no idea how much that summer meant to me when you were there for me when practically no one else was. Leaving the Lake Erie fireworks and listening to "Float On" was probably one of the best memories I'll ever have.... thank you for making me realize as long as I can breathe, I'm going to be okay.


Enjoy the song kiddos. I'm going to go have one last date with my friend before the windy city steals her from me.

2am

The Statistics : 2am
"Sleep has poisoned me with drunken insecurities."


I first heard this song in the summertime when I was still in high school. I instantly fell in love with how raw it was. Throughout the song there is a background organ (I think) note that holds the same key the entire song. It is so uneasy to listen to! Your heart aches, and instantly tightens at the horrible memory of a time when these lyrics could have perfectly come out of your mouth. Or maybe you currently are in this situation... where dreaming is better than being awake, because at least in your dreams you can control the outcome.

"2am" perfectly captures the dreading of night time when your heart has been broken. When the sun is up everything seems more manageable. As soon as that sun sets it is as if you JUST realized you are alone. The realization that you are alone sets in and poisons your thoughts. It's kind of like, surviving through the night.

The lyrics in this song are quite possibly some of my favorite lyrics ever written, due to how honest they are. Too many break up songs have mainstream lyrics. The lyrics in "2am" take you inside his mind and lets you experience some of his deepest thoughts. You feel as though you are becoming him and seeing through his eyes, thinking his thoughts, and feeling his heart race with each passing ringing of the phone when you are anxiously, desperately, waiting for her to pick up. It's a seriously sad song, that couldn't have been created in a more beautiful, real way.


Sleep has poisoned me with drunken insecurities. I’ve forgotten why I’ve called you. Maybe to say hello. Or maybe, just to let you know, I’ve got no one to talk to. I’ve got no one to talk to. It’s just as well that you let me go. At least you’ve got a story you can tell, to all those guys who pull up your shirt and rub your thighs. I guess I just called to say hi. 


Staring at the phone, I’ve wondered if you’ve gotten home. Maybe you’ve always been sleeping. I’ll give you one more try, maybe just to say goodbye. I’ll find someone to live through. I’m bored with myself and I only wanted to be you.


I’m intimate with your machine; I memorize what it says to me. “Kate and I are busy right now, but I’m sure we’ll get a hold of you sometime.” I guess I called to say hi.


Hope you guys can appreciate this song and the lyrics that go along with it as much as I have these past few years. Time to talk to my boyfriend and get out of my musical emo state. Night little ones.

Welcome Home

Straight and to the point---Music and writing both awaken every cell in my body, so I figured I'd combine the two. I'm always trying to find new music that still has life to it, unlike most of what you hear on the radio. Whenever I have the time, I'm going to post the latest song I've been listening to, new or old, along with a few thoughts on my life, your life, whatever.

Radical Face : Welcome Home

"And the backs of my eyes hum with things I've never done."

The very first time I heard this song, I was driving and listening to the Mumford & Sons station on my Pandora account. This song started and it instantly put me into a state of happiness. THAT is when you know a song is good, when it has such an impact on your thought process that you feel emotions that otherwise wouldn't have been felt. I can't even tell you how many times my iPod randomly switched to Radiohead, and I instantly felt surrounded by uneasiness, sadness, etc. When a band can convey emotions through soundwaves, they've done their job.

This song reminds me of the first time my boyfriend took me to Knoxville, Tennessee. I truly felt as though I had come home. The warmth, the smells, and most of all.....Chic-Fil-A. Everything about that place made me fall madly in love with it. The calm waters that blush all shades of pink when the sun sets above it. Certain places just feel more alive than others, and the act of being awoken from that dead mind frame your current surroundings have put you in is addicting. So, sweet Tennessee, you'll be seeing me soon.

Although I'll miss my family and the familiarity of Michigan... I do catch myself daydreaming almost always of leaving this place with my boyfriend.

Cars packed-
Windows down-
Hands held-
Driving forward.

Maybe, definitely, one day.