Before I go on, I just want to thank everyone for the beautiful comments on my last entry! ♥ I had no idea my photography was interesting to anyone but me (and Christina, because she lurves me), and it was great to see such encouragement from those I admire so greatly. *squeezes all of you* Oh! And I added “Notify Me of Follow-Up Comments”, so now I won’t have an excuse not to comment back. /throws confetti

I decided to not go with my initial idea of Songs of Tess (disclosed for now), but only because I liked this one, and wanted to lift people up without being a creepster. So, life; we all are have one – some in more ways than others I might add, but in no way less meaningful – and we all go through some shit – again, some more than others – and we all just sometimes want to give up, because it becomes too much.

Musicians are beautiful in the sense that they can create beautiful melody, but I think they’re beautiful for relating to us normal folks. For releasing songs that we can all say, “hey! I know what that feels like, and it’s not just overinflated fan service, either!”, and for making us realise we’re not alone in the way we’re all feeling and experiencing life.

Songs can be « found here, of course (note that one song is missing due to size and type of the file)!

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant

Probably one the best songs for “life”; it sums up what we all do for a living, but without stepping on toes in the process – I’m looking at you, Eminem.

There ain’t no rest for the wicked
Money don’t grow on trees
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed
Ain’t nothing in this world for free

It reminds me of my parents, who do exactly that. Well, not the whole wicked part, but doing anything to feed the sister and I, and pay the bills. It’s a great view on what we all glaze over ».

Return to Innocence by Enigma

Like a lot of bands – Collective Soul, Duran Duran and Stone Temple Pilots to name a few – I grew up on Enigma, and Enigma is still very strong within me. Return to Innocence is one of my favourite songs simply for it’s innocence.

If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don’t hide
Just believe in destiny
Don’t care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don’t give up and use the chance to return to innocence…

It’s a powerful song », and it’s impact on me after all these years stays unwavering.

Here We Go Again by OK GO

I kind of look at this song as my life’s anthem right now – here it goes again is definitely the saying of the century, and I know all of us have felt this way in some form or another.

I guess there’s got to be a break in the monotony, but Jesus, when it rains how it pours…

The lyrics » can be interpreted as a relationship – or relationships – gone awry but it’s just so correct in every thing I feel a good bit of the time!

Last Resort by Papa Roach

I asked the Dad once what he thought of Papa Roach’s new music, and he summed up it up perfectly:

With Last Resort, we all in some way understood – we have all once been desperate, have all been in that black hole, have all broken down. That desperation just isn’t there with Getting Away With Murder.

I could relate to Last Resort because I had felt all those things – I just couldn’t go on living that way… and yes, that was totally a in-song reference!

I never realized I was spread too thin
Till it was too late and I was empty within
Hungry, feeding on my chaos and living in sin
Downward spiral, where do I begin?

Gore and intensity aside », it’s stunning in it’s reality nonetheless.

Drag by Placebo

Oh, come on… it’s me, it’d be a crime if Placebo wasn’t here! That aside, Drag is a really, really beautiful song, because it’s a very positive song. Placebo stunned me completely, because I was totally thinking it was going to be a drag queen song… I was quite surprised!

You’re always ahead of the pack, I drag behind
You possess every trait that I lack by coincidence or by design
You’re the monkey I got on my back that tells me to shine…

While the person – Brian, the lead singer, in this instance, but let’s pretend! – is dragging behind », it’s quite clear how the person feels about the person always ahead. Absolutely adorable!

And of course, the end of my five songs! These were actually quite difficult to pick out, because I tried to stay away from the angst-ridden songs – which is sadly a lot – and try for something bright and… realistic? I’m up-ing the cheese factor here, guys!