Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you feel defeated and totally shot down. Shake it out, stand proud and sing out loud: I'm bulletproof, nothing to losefire away, fire awayricochet, you take your aimfire away, fire awayyou shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titaniumyou shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium
And because I still having a New York hangover, I'm sharing the video of Estelle's American Boy, one of the songs playing in my head while walking around the city.
And no, I did not meet any American boys during the trip. Maybe next time? Hehe.
For me, the APO is one of the best Filipino bands ever! Their songs are definitely timeless, being sung by generations of Filipinos. They created beautiful melodies that anyone can sing with and they are also songwriting geniuses, creating lyrics that resonate with people of all shapes and sizes.
Here are two of my favorite songs of theirs (and all-time) - Panalangin and When I Met You. I play these songs whenever I'm in a romantic and senti mood. In fact, I love them so much that I even thought of playing them in my fictional wedding, haha!
Just listen to these lyrics and see if you don't get love-struck yourself!
Incidentally, I also got to watch the movie musical I Do Bidoo Bidoo yesterday. It's a romantic comedy, inspired by the APO's music. Think Mamma Mia, only Pinoy (syempre!). It's a unique movie, definitely not your typical Pinoy movie. The actors were great (Gary V., Zsa Zsa Padilla, Ogie Alcasid and Eugene Domingo) and you can't help but sing and tap your foot along the music. Definitely a feel-good movie.
Aaaand we're back! It's been a while since my last Soundtrack Sunday post, I apologize for that.
I'm back to watching American Idol, not only because of Jessica Sanchez, but because I think they have really talented contestants this year. The Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder tribute was enough to send me to music nostalgia heaven.
But I'm not here to talk about AI or the contestants, instead I'm featuring the song they sang for the opening. It's a song I haven't heard in a while and I'm happy to hear it again- it's As by Mary J Blige and George Michael.
Back in my MTV addiction days, this was one of my favorite videos because of it's simple yet very hi-tech (at that time) approach. You gotta love that they are the only two people in the video. Amazing!
I first heard Adele singing "Chasing Pavements" and I have loved her since then. There's a certain sadness to her lyrics, and the way she sings them conveys that sadness very well. Her voice has that quality that grips at the heart and reminds you of past hurts.
Or maybe that's just me. Anyway...
Her album 21 was definitely not a letdown. If anything, it showcased her talent even more and you can hear that her voice has matured a lot, making the songs even more heart-breaking.
Of course, the most popular song there is "Rolling In The Deep" but my current favorite is "Someone Like You". Relate much? Haha, not really.
Gosh! Another month is about to end, and I've not written anything decent at all. Been both busy and lazy at the same time, if that makes any sense. The start of the rainy season is not making thing any better.
Speaking of lazy, I've found another song for bed weathers like this. I'm currently drumming my fingers (too lazy to bop my head) to Bruno Mars' The Lazy Song.
I say 'another' because my ultimate lazy song's Jason Mraz's Sleep All Day.
I'm sorry if I've been too lazy to write something more meaningful lately, but I guess I'm just in a phase where I'm too lazy to do anything and at the same time too listless waiting for something to happen. Not sure if I make sense, but that's how I'm feeling now.
Anyway, here's a song I've been into lately. I just love the lyrics:
"Here we go, come with me There's a world out there that we should see Take my hand, close your eyes With you right here, I'm a rocketeer"
It tugs at my adventurous, wanderer heart. I guess that's it. I've been hit by the wanderlust fever again.
After talking about songs of artists from different countries, I think it's right about time to feature something from my own.
The Eraserheads became cult favorites when I was in high school (I remember critics were describing them as the Pinoy Beatles). They were the epitome of cool and everything angsty in our generation.
It was election time for our student council board, and one student running for office sang this song as part of her platform! I can't recall now if she won, haha!
Pizzicato Five's Sweet Soul Revue hit the charts around the 90s. I remember I used to practice the dance moves non-stop. Even if I don't understand a single word in the song (except for 1, 2, 3...), it's very catchy that you want to get up and dance, and just make up your own lyrics!
Ok. Now that its popularity/notoriety has finally died down, I think I can finally post this.
Yes, I admit I've been one of those who went crazy over the Wonder Girls' Nobody But You. Crazy to the point of knowing the dance steps. And I blame this on my gay friends!
I first heard the song early last year, on our way to our Bantayan Island trip. Needless to say, it became the theme song for the whole trip and we looked like a bad Pinoy movie-- bursting into song and dance on the beach. So gay! Haha!
Next thing I know, you hear it playing in every street corner with kids and adults alike dancing to it's catchy (almost maddeningly irritating) tune.
I know it's not a Sunday, but since I've been behind my Soundtrack Sunday updates, I figured now's as good a time as, well Sunday.
Earlier today, while I was going home from work, it started raining really hard. Under my flimsy umbrella and trudging along a muddy street, I was soaking wet. That's when I remembered the 90s band Wet Wet Wet (what a connection!)
Then of course I started singing in my head their most famous hit, Love Is All Around. I think this was part of the movie soundtrack for Four Weddings & A Funeral, but I'm not so sure. (Of course, it was more recently used in another High Grant movie, Love Actually, where it was used as a Christmas song for the comeback of a rock has-been) All I remember was this was such a hit when I was in high school that I still remember the lyrics to the song. Sing with me!
I know that I've been gone for almost two weeks, but I had to be away and do some heavy-duty stuff related to this and this. I'll write a separate and more detailed entry on my very tiring vacation last week, but for now let's talk about Soundtrack Sunday on a Monday shall we? :)
I first watched Dirty Dancing when I was 13 or 14, and boy did I love that movie! School was out, I was home on a summer day and the movie was being shown on cable. It had the perfect formula for a summer movie- dancing, singing, and of course romance. Oh how I wished I was Jennifer Grey at that moment, dancing and romancing with Patrick Swayze... sigh. Nothing gets to me more than a guy who knows his way on the dance floor. Goosebumps!
Dirty Dancing defined a generation and I think people will remember this movie for a long, long time. Anyhoo, that's my memory of the song/movie. What's yours?
P.S. I wanted to post the last scene in the movie where they danced (I've) Had The Time of My Life. But I couldn't find a version which allowed video embedding. Also, I apologize if my ramblings don't make any sense (exactly why they're called ramblings, right?), that's because I left my brain in the auditorium of the DFA building last week. Can somebody pick it up and return to the owner please?
I'm seventeen years old, sitting inside a VW Beetle, late on a school night. We just came from a play rehearsal and a friend (who also happens to be my crush) is driving me home.
We're talking about our current favorite songs and I bring up Invisible Man by 98 Degrees. He said he's never heard it and so I sing it to him. And I mean I sing it to him because I felt that I was the invisible woman... Yuck. Blech. Really cheesy, I know. You can't say I didn't warn you.
So that was my embarrassing memory of that song. What's yours?
Okay, after getting over the high from Germany winning the game against Argentina 4-0, (disclaimer: I don't watch football, I just want to know who wins hehe) the featured song for this Sunday is Gin Blossoms' As Long As It Matters.
Summer of 1995, when guitar playing was coolest thing, I decided to teach myself to play one. So I grabbed my guitar and a songbook and strummed my fingers off all summer long. As Long As It Matters was one of the first songs I learned to play, not only because it was popular, but also because it just had 4 chords: G D Em C. Imagine this: playing the guitar while singing like a rock star... how cool is that??
Don't ask me to play it now because I don't remember a single chord anymore. Like many of my artistic endeavors (playing the piano, ballet, drawing, etc.), this is another thing I have not followed through and finished til the end. Just goes to show how fickle-minded I am and how easily get bored with something. Maybe I have ADHD?
Anyhoo, that was my memory of this song. What's yours?
Sunday is here once again, and you know what that means- another episode of Soundtrack Sundays.
Our featured song for today is You Get What You Give by the New Radicals.
Rewind to 10 years ago. I'm still in college. It was a Saturday night (or Sunday morning already to be exact), I am in bed watching TV. I couldn't sleep yet and nothing's on except... (Baduy alert!) Walang Tulugan by Kuya Germs himself. Haha! Too bad if you're not Filipino because you wouldn't know this multicolored-tuxedo-wearing-starmaker-slash-TV host. He's been in show business for like a thousand years, and the time slot of his TV show (usually starts at midnight, I think) is an indication of where he is in the popularity meter.
Anyway, one segment of the show featured a music video (complete with lyrics ala karaoke) and that night it was You Get What You Give. I like this song because I think it gives out a very practical message. Nothing will happen to you unless you get up and do something. I remember feeling that the first 2 lines, 'Wake up kids, We got the dreamers' disease', were being sung to me. As usual, I was wishing and dreaming of great things happening in my life but have not necessarily taken concrete steps in achieving them. What's new?
So that was my memory of this song. What's yours?
P.S. I don't make a habit of watching Kuya Germs' show, ok. Just to make it clear.
For lack of anything new to do and write about, I've decided to start Soundtrack Sunday. Every Sunday, I'll post songs we've not heard for the longest time, and I'm hoping you guys share your memory of it.
I came up with this because I noticed that every moment of my life has a particular song associated with it. Whenever I hear a song, I remember where I was (literally and figuratively) when I first heard it and all the fond memories associated with it. So I thought, why not reminisce and write about old times through song?
Ok, so to start off, I'm posting here Solveig Sandnes' Marie. I remember I was 13 or 14 when I saw her video on MTV. It was the 90s and at that time MTV was the biggest thing. I remember I watched MTV for almost the entire day and I knew all the Top 10 songs by heart. Anyhoo, Marie was one of them and I remember hearing it always made me smile. It was, and still is, my song for my sister.
I tried to look for the original video, but apparently not a lot of people remember this song, so I couldn't find one.
So if you're one of the cool people who have heard Marie, 'Where were you when this
song was famous?'
