Cover Song

Released in 2006, Rascal Flatts an American country music band covered the song “Life is a Highway”. They covered the song for the Disney/Pixar animated film cars. The movie was released in June 9th, 2009. The song also sold a large quantity of digital download copies, this lead to a top 10 in the “Hot 100”. The cover was placed on a bonus track for Rascal Flatts album Me and My Gang. The song also won favorite song in a movie at the 33rd People’s Choice Awards. The music in the movie portrays the three members from the band, and the cars that they drive are allusive to, Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson, and Mater. The lyrics “Life is a Highway”, Rascal Flatts are singing are relevant for the movie because the movie is about Cars who can talk and are alive. The lyrics mean that life is just like driving on a highway and your life can have ups and downs.
Do you think that Rascal Flatts thought that this song was going to be such a hit? I believe that the cover by Rascal flats throws off the same meaning as the original song writer Tom Cochrane. “Knock me down an' back up again/you’re in my blood/I'm not a lonely man”. The meaning of these lyrics shows how life can knock you down during the rough times but somehow you will get through it. The only different I found between the original and Rascal Flatts version is, Rascal Flatts sound more upbeat and happy, unlike Tom Cochrane he sounds uptight like he doesn’t enjoy life as much as the Rascal Flatts version. Furthermore there are many poetic devices that are found throughout the song. “Life's like a road that you travel on/when there's one day here an' the next day gone”, is an example of a simile, comparing life and a road, also these lyrics show objectification by taking “Life” and treating it as it is a physical object “Road”. Also imagery and local color are seen in the lyrics, “From Mozambique to those Memphis nights/The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights”. “You're in my blood/I'm not a lonely man”, is an example of a metaphor, a comparison devoid of like or as. The song uses abstract and inanimate things and compares them to objects or living human characteristics.
Although Rascal Flatts gets credit for the song and all their hard work, many people do not know that Tom Cochrane is the original song writer. In his album Mad Mad World, the song “Life is a Highway” is Tom Cochrane’s most famous song. It was a number one hit in Canada, and also the song peaked to number 6 on the United States Billboards chart in 1992. Some interesting information on why Cochrane wrote the song was because, he and his family went on a trip to West Africa in the early 1990’s. After his trip it led him to write his next album Mad Mad World which included the hit “Life is a Highway”. Interestingly the song only reached the Top 40 hits in the United States, while in Canada he was selling off the charts with the song. As I said before I do not find much difference in the original and the cover by Rascal Flatts, I only hear a difference in the tone and the mood. Cochrane sounds more upset and sad as he sings the song, which could be from seeing everything during his trip in West Africa. Although Cochrane sounds more upset and sad, Rascal Flatts sounds a lot more upbeat and happy as they sing the song and also a difference in the instruments played.
I really like the song “Life is a Highway”. I give Tom Cochrane the credit for the lyrics and the music, but I like Rascal Flatts version better. I probably like it better because I like country music better than rock music and Cochrane’s version was a rock version more than a country version. Rascal Flatts country twang in the song, makes me more interested in the song, and I really like listening to it. My themed genre, wished and dreams in country music, is seen in a small way throughout the song. The message sent over the song is that “Life” will not always be easy but he wishes that it could be the same for everyone.

Revised Poem. "I Still Wonder"

I Still Wonder….Revised
By: Tim Brown

Some days I wonder
I wonder, Should I give up,
Did I blunder?
Have I done enough, I wonder
Just wonder, Should I put it all under?

When I’m on stage, the adrenaline rushes through me,
Like a blistering wind on a cold winter day.
I work my hardest to fill my dreams,
But what am I missing, to be on my way?

Time never waits for me, time won’t wait for me
Why won’t it wait for me, time never waits for me
Time won’t wait for me, why won’t it wait for me

Some days I wonder
I wonder, Should I give up,
Did I blunder?
Have I done enough, I wonder
Just wonder, Should I put it all under?

I want to see my name on signs,
Reflecting off the metallic blue steal guitar.
A sea of people, surrounding me around the stage.
An ocean of nameless eyes, I can sparkle in their eyes
They’re up one by one, I’m watching people rise.

Time never waits for me, time won’t wait for me
Why won’t it wait for me, time never waits for me
Time won’t wait for me, why won’t it wait for me

I want to make it big, and have a good life,
See my dreams come true,
Have a family and a wife
But I still wonder, I still wonder…

Graduation

I cannot believe that graduation is almost here. Coming into high school I thought to myself, "I can't wait to graduate, but it is going to come so slow". Well I was totally wrong, I still say that I can't wait to graduate, but I am starting to realize I will truly miss high school.

Plagiarism

1. An example of truly plagariarized song that I found was "Do It" by Timbaland. People say that “Do It” is just like the song “Loose” by Nelly Furtado. The artist Timbaland was interviewed on a show called Elliot in the Morning. During the interview Timbaland says that he was playing around and sampling different songs. Also he doesn’t think that sampling is stealing, he thinks that people are making a big deal out of this. He says that people use samples from other artists all the time.

2. I do not believe that the group Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" is an example of plagiarism. The song sounds like Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly" which was an instrumental piece. I do not believe it was plagiarism because, when I hear the instrumental piece and then “Viva La Vida”, I hear some similarities in the chorus but not enough to think it is plagiarism. The whole song differs from “If I could Fly”, enough to make me believe that it is not plagiarism.

"I Still Wonder"

Some days I wonder
I wonder, Should I give up,
Is it worth it, or did I blunder?
I wonder, have I done enough,
Or should I put it all under?

I wonder why time never waits for me,
Time won’t wait for me…..

When I’m on stage, the adrenaline rushes through me,
Like a blistering wind on a cold winter day.
I work my hardest to fill my dreams,
But what am I missing, am I on my way?

I still wonder,
I wonder, should I give up,
Is it worth it or did I blunder?
Dad says, “You can do what you think is impossible”
But I still wonder, I still wonder

Why won’t time wait for me,
Time please wait for me…..

I want to see my name on signs,
Reflecting off the dark metallic blue steal guitar.
I want a sea of people, surrounding me on stage,
An ocean of nameless eyes.
Standing up one by one,
I’m watching people rise.

I want to make it big, and have a good life,
See my dreams come true, have a family and a wife.
Time never waits for me,
I still wonder, I wonder,
Why time never waits for me.

By : Tim Brown

"Down" by me (Timmy Brown)

As most of you already know, music is a huge part of my life. I sing and also play the piano. The past few years I have found my love for music by singing and playing the piano in front of audiences. While I am performing I love the feeling of being on stage and I love the burst of adrenaline that goes through my body. Music will be a part of me the rest of my life. I am going to work my hardest to peruse a career in performing and sharing my musical talents for and with many people. I hope you like this clip of me performing "Down" by Jay Sean, it is a different arrangement than the regular song.

Song analysis 2

Song analysis 2

Carrie Underwood is a country singer and song writer. She is a very talented multi-platinum selling record artist. Carrie became famous after she won the fourth season of American Idol. Carrie Underwood grew up in the small, of Checotah, Oklahoma, where she was raised by her parents. Carrie did not have much as a kid but she worked all day on their farm singing while she was working. Also she sang at many talent shows and churches, and amazed her audiences with her powerful country twang voice. Carrie Underwood’s song Just a Dream, is very emotional and it shows many literary devices throughout the song.

The song is about a young girl on her wedding day when it say that she had “six pence in her shoe, something borrowed, something blue”, This is suppose to mean good luck for a bride on her wedding day. “all dressed in white, going to the church that night, she heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hands”. This is ironic because the man she wanted to marry and have a family with is now past away and she is left all alone. The man that she wanted to marry was in the military and he apparently passed away during war before their wedding. Alliteration is also seen when Carrie sings about the congregation and the flag. “all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard”. A simile is comparison of two things using the word like or as and it is seen right before the chorus “then guns rang one last shot and it felt like a bullet in her heart”. Carrie Underwood compares the pain she feels inside as a bullet to her heart, because now she is suffering from heartbreak and she does not know where to run too. “Just a Dream”, is ironic because the song is about a young girl getting ready to marry the man she loves and spend the rest of her life with him.

Just a Dream throws off a very emotional mood. Carrie Underwood is a very talented artist and I hope you would agree. Every time you hear her sing you can’t just listen to one of her songs, you have to listen to all of them. The themed-genre of wishes and dreams in country music is seen in this amazing song as she explains a dream that she wishes will happen someday.

We can easily say that culture and different beliefs people have are what separate our different groups today. We can also say that music is one of the top influences on different cultures. There are so many different genres of music that certain cultures listen too and other cultures do not listen too. Also depending on the type of genre it is, the music could not be that appropriate for some cultures. Today some songs include profanity, racist sayings, world poverty problems, drug abuse and also abusive stories. This is not very appropriate for younger kids and they are exposed to this type of music. Children could grow up wanting to be like the artists that are singing these songs, and this will produce another different culture as the kids grow older. People say that the music they listen too is just something to keep them busy and something that they like, but I think it affects the way people live their lives these days and especially the way kids act and the way they will be when they grow up.

On todays top 50 billboards list the 5th number ranked song “Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas, easily caught my eye as a very inspirational and striving song. “Imma be rich baby” is from the lyrics of the song. The Black Eyed Peas are trying to get the point across of to be a successful man or women you need to strive to be rich and always follow your dreams. Obviously these days the amount of money people make usually is because of their popularity rankings, and the song tries to say that people who are musical and make themselves popular will make a lot of money.

Gender also impacts the type of music that is being produced today. As a singer myself at first I find it very hard to try and connect with certain songs. There is a certain mood that the artist who wrote it has and it is hard to find that mood. Usually you won’t find songs like that as a guy because usually guys do not write about things that make them sad, but women who talk about breakups with their boyfriends I find the different emotions come out a lot more noticeable in women artists.
Also on Billboards Top 50 you will find Kris Allen’s “Live like we’re dying”. Make the most of your life and take nothing for granted, this is the message Kris tries to get across to everyone. After hearing this song it reminded me of a quote I live by which is “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever”. A poetic device that is found in the song is personification which is found in “Live like we’re dying”. It is good to actually see songs out there during this generation that have a good message that pass through and I live my life just as it is said people should live theirs in this song.

“Whataya want from me” by Adam Lambert an American Idol contestant is found #25 on Billboards top 50 songs. He tells a story about when he let someone who he loved slip away from him, and he is trying to find out what he needs to do so he’ll always have that feeling for the rest of his life. “Whataya want from me” is cliché, because it is seen 17 times in the whole song.

Music has an amazing impact on people and cultures these days. It actually surprises me to hear some of the songs that are being produced and also even played on the radios. There are some songs on the radio and even in Billboards top 50 that are very inappropriate for people that are underage and they are exposed to them every day because they are played on the radio everyday. I think people need to write more songs having to do with dreams and what’s going on with world disasters these days.

Song Analysis


Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in Columbus, Ohio. Since its inception Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members Gary LeVox, who is lead vocals. Jay DeMarcus who’s is bass guitar keyboard and vocals. Joe Don Rooney, whose lead guitar and vocals. Rascal Flatts have released six albums and a greatest hits album. Their first album Rascal Flatts was released in 2000 was considered 2x and 3x Multi-Platinum. The 2004 Feels like Today and 2006’s Me and My Gang went 5x Multi-Platinum. Rascal Flatts have become one of today’s top pop country music groups. The best part of all Rascal Flatts writes all their songs, and most of them are real stories that have to do with members of the band. The song “My Wish” from the 5x Multi-Platinum album Me and My Gang shows great uses of poetic devices throughout the song. The song “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts explains how life is not easy, but no one should give up, and should always work for your dreams, because some day they will come true. “And each road leads you where you want to go, And if you’re faced with the choice and you have to choose I hope you choose the one that means the most to you”. Here the bolded words show Point of View because a vantage point of a story is being told. “If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile”. The poetic device of synesthesia is seen here because a neurologically-based condition in which the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second or cognitive pathway. “Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small”. Objectification is being used here because the process by whish an abstract concept is treated as if it is a concrete thing of physical object , which here the dreams and worries are being talked about as big or small objects. “You never need to carry more than you can hold”. Alliteration is seen in “never need”.

The song “My Wish” is written in third-person subjective mode because the writer conveys the thoughts, and feelings of one character. The song is often seen playing for fundraisers for families or kids who are sick and poor. Many people use the song to get the motivation and heart to work the hardest they can to get through tough times. I think many people should listen to the song that need the motivation to get through tough times and people need to realize that it is never to late for your dreams and wishes to come true.

According to Sacks iconic profile of “blind musician” is substantiated. Most blinds are immensely sensitive to music. Blinds focus on more sounds an

According to Sacks iconic profile of “blind musician” is substantiated. Most blinds are immensely sensitive to music. Blinds focus on more sounds and all sorts of voices and music. I myself know a blind musician and I sang with him once. He is an amazing musician who can play the piano also. I don’t understand how he does it but he never messes up on the piano and he always sings in tune all the time. He sings with such heart and soul like he spends all day working on songs just to make sure they are perfect. People who are blind usually have perfect pitch and this an amazing talent that I wish I had as a singer. Sometimes I am jealous of blind musicians because it naturally comes to them and it is an amazing to see and hear.

2. Describe Oliver Sack's anecdote regarding Tony Cicoria. What does his story suggest about music and the brain? Cite excerpts to support your respon

Tony Cicoria was a former college football player who became and graduated as an orthopedic surgeon. Tony was at a family gathering in 1994, and he went outside to call his mother on a payphone. Unfortunately a flash of lightning came through the phone and hit him in the face. They thought he went into cardiac arrest. He had slight memory issues he forgot the names of surgical procedures that he would perform. He had burns to his face and his left foot. When life returned to normal Tony had a desire to listen to piano music, Classical piano music by Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Chopin. The doctors believed he was having musically hallucinations. This was very rare they didn’t understand why all of a sudden he liked this type of music when he never did before. He thought the only reason why he survived was because he was destined to be musically inclined. Tony would stay up all night and play the piano and he would wake up at four in the morning to play the piano until he had to go to work. When Tony was younger he had no interest in playing the piano when he use to take piano lessons. Also Cicoria became very spiritual and he would read about every book he could find on the near death experiences having to do with getting hit by lightning. Tony had a patient Salimah M. She was a research chemist, and had a surgery done to her and she also became very interested in music just like Tony. She would listen to classical music on the radio. Even though Salimah had never liked music before and found it very irritating, people would find her listening to music in her lab as loud as it could turn up. In the 70’s David bear suggested that a sensory-limbic hyper connection might be the basis for the emergence of the unexpected artistic, sexual, mystical or religious feeling that sometimes occur in people with temporal lobe epilepsy. The other day I was watching a CSI show and I found it very ironic. The show was about a guy on Rascal Flatts a country band, and he experienced and electric shock to his face. When he went to the hospital he heard the music that he wrote for Rascal Flatts and told them to shut it off because he hated country music. This is kind of like Tony because he never liked music and now he does, but the guy from Rascal Flatts wrote country music and performed country music and then he hated it.

Theme-Genre Declaration

My theme-genre that I have picked is going to be dreams and wishes in country. There are many reasons why I picked dreams and wishes in country. A lot of people think that all country artists write about is heartbreak, love, and drinking, but that is not true. There are a lot of country songs out there where the song writer writes about dreams or wishes that they are willing to work hard enough for. There are also many inspirational songs that have to do with dreams or wishes that the song writer is hoping will come true. Also Country is my favorite type of music to listen too and also my favorite type of music to sing. I look forward to analyze many different song lyrics with my theme-genre.

MOOD #2

“Oh man we were livin’/Goin’ crazy in the kitchen/We danced and screamed and held each other tight/We laughed until we cried”-“Laughed Until We Cried”, Relentless, Jason Aldean (Country). (Here it shows how excited they were, that it made them cry because of the excitement and happiness)

Pervasive Mood

PERVASIVE MOOD

“And the tears are filling up their glasses/No expression No expression/And in my head I want to drown my sorrow/No tomorrow, No tomorrow” -“Mad World”, Studio recording, Adam Lambert (Alternative Rock)