Underdog Week: Day 3

     Ladies and gentleman welcome to day three of underdog week.  I have to start out with this: 

http://www.kmtv.com/news/local/140745403.html

I'm not in the least bit a fan of Lady Gaga's music.  To be frank she creeps me out hardcore.  I did find her movement very interesting though. This is the first example that I have seen of this anti bullying theme outside of the rock genre.  In all honesty I haven't really been looking for it.  I've just started to notice it. The significant thing is that newer music seems to be gravitating to it.  It seems to me like society is clamoring for a change.  Wait a change from what? I haven't quite figured it out, but it seems to have a lot to do with peace.  Nowadays it is hard to trust our own government. I've been trying to pay attention to politics and it is an exhausting task trying to sift through all of the back biting and lies.  We are in a massive debt as a country and all our politicians seem to be giving is us frustration.  SOPA was a great example of the government trying to accomplish their own agenda, but the people spoke out as one saying, "We don't have to take this, back against the wall.  We don't have to take this.  We can end it all."   I wonder if the United States as a whole feels bullied.  I've heard the phrase life imitates art, and I would add art reflects life.  Right now people are expressing how discontented they are from their musical soapbox.  Granted these songs aren't talking about government, and I might be piecing it together wrong. I can see however the plausibility of it all.  The bottom line does seem to be these artist feel bullied or witness it and they won'd accept it anymore.  

    Now onto tonight's song.  This artist is one that I'm just now learning about.  They are called Redlight King.

I've just recently found out that the band was formed by Mark Kasprzyk.  He is a singer/songwriter who is known under his stage name, Kazzer.  He appears to have two albums that he made in the early 2000's.  He just recently formed the Redlight King group.  I'm assuming since he is their front man that he is the red light king.  I'm not sure what red light imagery he is going with. 

    I recently bought their CD Something for the Pain.  This album is loaded with themes of being an underdog and seeking redemption for past mistakes.  The CD has a rather religious tone in many of the songs.  The song that I feel epitomizes this week's underdog theme is entitled Comeback.

Many times I've walked the line

I've rolled the dice and questioned my life

Many times I sacrificed and dealt with the pain

I've been down this road before

Where the dead ends are

It rains and it pours

I've been down below and

It's the price that I paid

I know how it feels when you have to start again

Now there's no one to save me

I know how it feels when the world is gonna end

But they'll see

I'm gonna make a comeback

I'm gonna dig six feet up tonight

I'm gonna get it all back

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

Look into my eyes you'll see

A graveyard filled with dirt and defeat

Look into my eyes you'll see

The weight on my soul

Where the fallen angels sleep

The crooked hearts and the crossroads meet

Where the haters say my name

And carve it in stone

I know how it feels when I haven't got a friend

Even when they're standin' beside me

I know how it feels when the world is gonna end

But they'll see

I'm gonna make a comeback

I'm gonna dig six feet up tonight

I'm gonna get it all back

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

Risk it all, I'm gonna risk it all

I'm gonna break my back and risk it all

I'm gonna pick my spot, take my shot,

Swallow my pride and risk it all

I'm gonna risk it all

And I won't look back

I'm gonna pick my spot,

Take my shot, swallow my pride

And risk it all

The light's on, the last round

The dark horse keeps on fightin'

I'm gonna make a comeback

I'm gonna dig six feet up tonight

I'm gonna get it all back

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

I'm gonna make a comeback

I'm gonna dig six feet up tonight

I'm gonna get it all back

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

Yeah, a comeback, a comeback

I'm gonna make a comeback this time

I'm gonna comeback, I'm gonna comeback

I'm gonna comeback

I'm diggin' up six feet tonight

Comeback has a different flavor of underdog.  This is also a song of redemption.  The phrase "I'm diggin' up six feet tonight" is a powerful depiction of a second chance/life.  In many ways the song talks about fighting yourself.  The singer is saying "I've been down this road before", "Take my shot, swallow my pride and risk it all", and the idea of "diggin' six feet up" is built on the idea of doing himself because he buried himself.  When I am trying to make a comeback it usually is a result of my own short comings or doubts about myself.  It is in those moments that I become my own oppressor.  I can't accept anyone else's love until I love myself, or I can't be successful without having confidence in my own abilities.  This song in my opinion is a challenge to self, and it is also a proclamation to the world that I will be successful. There is also the dark horse imagery in this song just like last night's highlighted song.  This feels like an answer to the lack of confidence that others have or even self has in the attempted comeback.  "Look into my eyes and see a graveyard filled with dirt and defeat."  Life is hard and constantly failing especially because of myself is not an easy thing to overcome and fight against.  So there it is. Underdog week day three comes to an end.  Don't fret though I still have two songs left and...

Underdog Week: Day 2

     O boy it is day two and I'm just getting warmed up.  I don't have as long of an intro, and this means I can focus more on the song.  If your just joining in I'm on a journey through my music.  I've discovered a golden thread connecting a few of my favorite bands.  One thing I didn't mention yesterday is that all of these songs were released within the last year.  This is one of the main reasons I feel this is a significant connection.  The bands that I listen to are seemingly unifying their voices to call out for the little guy.  It is likely that these bands experienced being on the side of the oppressed or have known someone close to them who was.  Now they aren't waiting anymore to make their feelings known.

Tonight's song is brought to us by these guys:

This is the Christian rock band Switchfoot.  They are a band based out of San Diego California.  They have been making music since the mid to late 90's.  I discovered them because of my friend David.  He was in love with their song Meant to Live.  He got the CD, and would constantly be humming it in class. Ever since he had me listen to it I have greatly enjoyed their music and their lyrical style has greatly increased in depth.

The song that I want to highlight is from their newest CD  Vice Verses.  Vice Verses was released back on September 27th. I'm intrigued by the correlation with Amaryllis being released next month on the 27th of March.

Now I could talk a lot about this CD and the great songs in it, but I am here for a specific purpose so I'll remind myself to Carry on my Wayward Son (I had to put a Kansas reference on this blog some how).  Tonight I bring forward for you blog perusing pleasure the most tantalizing treat your ears have ever heard (that might be a slight exaggeration).  My song this evening is Dark Horses.

Yeah

I made my mistakes

I seen my heart cave in

I got my scars

I been to hell and back again

Born for the blue skies

We’ll survive the rain

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus:]

We’re singing…

Hey, you can’t count us out

We’ve been running up against the crowd

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We’re singing…

Wait! It’s not over now

We’ve been down but we’ve never been out

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We found the way out

The city takes everything it can

But outside the crowds

I can feel my lungs again

Born for the blue skies

We’ll survive the rain

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus]

We're singing

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la.

Yeah!

Born for the blue skies

Born for the blue skies

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus:]

We’re singing…

Hey, you can’t count us out

We’ve been running up against the crowd

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We’re singing…

Wait, don’t care what they say

We know we’ll find a way

Yeah! We are the dark horses

Yeah!

Laa la-la-la-la-laa

Laa la-la-la-la-laa

[Faded Voice:]

Keep running with the dark horses

Hope makes the blood change courses

Keep running with the dark horses

Stand up with the dark horses

Keep running with the dark horses

Hope makes the blood change courses

I hope you weren't put off by the still frame picture on the video. I don't know if you're familiar with the dark horse metaphor or not.  It is rather important for my point so I will briefly explain it as I understand.  The dark horse is the horse in a race that is not expected to win.  They are filled with potential, but no one recognizes it.    This song revolves around the band claiming that being underestimated and put down is not really a bad thing. I feel the tone of this song is more positive than Bully.  "Born for the blue skies we'll survive the pain. Born for the sunrise we'll survive the pain." Life is certainly no bed of roses. There will be people who doubt your abilities, but there is no reason that you should give up before you reach the sunrise. In the chorus they sing the mantra to their haters that they can't be counted out.  I even detect a bit of  you'll regret it if you do.  The most pivotal part of the song is easily the la las.  There is a lot of depth in them, and the difficulty of putting just the right amount of la las is a very delicate art. ;)  All kidding aside that part of the song does intrigue me.  I'm not terribly good at naming the parts of the song.  If I had to guess it this would be a bridge.  There seems to be a smug quality to it.  They almost seem to be taunting their oppressors as if they know they will over come them.   I could go into it more, but I don't want to influence your interpretation more than I already have. Until next time.  Stay classy San Diego.

Underdog Week: Day 1

     Mondays have been villainized for decades.  It seems to b a by-product of our industrialized society.  We've created the kind of societal norms that result in people striving to getting the week's end rather than enjoying the moment.  A large majority of people seem to struggle with being present in their physical location.  Our heads are constantly filled with thoughts of trips to distant lands, time spent with friends, or sleeping in for a couple extra hours.

     During Football season it is easy to find something I can look forward to on Monday.  During the off season I have to be creative, and now that I have a blog I've decided to attempt starting a weekly post revolving around music.  I have also decided to make things a little bit more interesting by making the first one last a week (really just five days).

     My preferred genre of music is rock.  I've described rock more than a few times as the music of my soul.  I am rather picky about what I listen to.  Far too often rock lyrics are poorly constructed, repetitive, and focused on sex and drinking.  I think the main reason I enjoy rock  is digging into the lyrics for a meaning.  Pop music largely tends to be about making a rhythm that people can dance to.  A lot of the country songs I have heard are telling you a story.  Most of the rock that I actually listen to needs to be deciphered and experienced to understand the meaning.  It's really all a personal preference, and to me the difference is quite noticeable.  For example the following is the chorus of a rather popular song:

Baby, baby, baby oh

I'm Like baby, baby, baby no

I'm Like baby, baby, baby oh

I thought you'd always be mine (mine)

Baby, baby, baby oh

I'm Like baby, baby, baby no

I'm like baby, baby, baby oh

I thought you'd always be mine (mine)

Now here is an example of a pre-chorus and chorus of a song that I  really like:

I am focused on what I am after

The key to the next open chapter

Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky

Long live that day that I decided to fly from the inside

I'm not here bashing other music.  I'm just expressing that what I desire from music is different than most popular music.  The first song's chorus has four words that have more than four letters.  Now if you look closely enough you'll see that it is really just two different words repeated twice.  To be fair there are a couple of repeated words in the second song too i.e. I, from, and to. In the end the thought I have about the music like the first song is:

     As I've experienced and deciphered my music I have noticed a recent theme that has stretched across five different bands who are within the same genre, and yet their style and sound are widely diverse.  The theme is an ode to the underdogs of our society. These bands are crying out for those who don't have a voice.  Without further ado or gilding of the lily I shall start underdog week with a song by the Jacksonville based band entitled Bully.

CD cover for Amaryllis

     This song is the first released single off of their newest CD Amaryllis. The CD comes out one month from today.  I am very excited to get my hands on it.  Shinedown hasn't released new music for a couple of years now.  Bully calls out the proverbial bully while also using chorus of voices to chant that the oppressed don't have to take the abuse. The surface theme seems to be specifically about school bullies with lyrics referring to the 8 o'clock school bell and the reference to sticks and stones breaking bones. The message certainly isn't limited to the school yard.  I can also see how it can be applied to any bullies that one might have to face during their lifetime.  Enjoy at your convenience the first helping of underdog week.

It's 8 AM, this Hell I'm in

Seems I've crossed the line again

For being nothing more than who I am

So break my bones and throw your stones

We all know that life ain't fair 

But there is more of us, we're everywhere

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

Think it through, you can't undo

Whenever I see black and blue

I feel the past, I share the bruise

With everyone who's come and gone

My head is clear, my voice is strong, now I'm right here to right the wrong

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

(Solo)

It's 8 AM, the Hell I'm in! 

Your voice is strong, now right the wrong! 

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all (x4)

Adopt a Single Day not Singles Awareness Day

     I would like to dedicate this post to my 2 valentines.  (Yeah that's right I probably have more than you ;) ) was adopted by a couple to be there valentine, and I'm tickled pink over the love that my friends have shown me.  They wined and dined me (well really just dined me), and we swapped stories from the months spent apart.

     This could be the noodles I ate on Saturday night talking, but I think it is time to start a new holiday.  You've probably heard of Valentine's day being called Singles Awareness Day, but I would like to suggest a change.  Adopt a Single Day.  If you are a dating couple and want to mix up the Valentines routine go out and adopt a single friend.  Show them that you care about them on what can be the loneliest day of the year for some.

    As for my valentines Jared & Joy.  Thank you for remembering me on a day that is not designed for my current relationship status.  Taking me out for dinner and treating me meant a lot and it makes me love and miss you guys more.  I truly treasure your friendship over the years and hope that the rest of your weekend was spent on many adventures.

    If you aren't Jared and/or Joy who have you shown the love to today?  If you are in a couple it's not too late to adopt a single friend.  I don't want to have to get Sarah Mclachlan out here to make a commercial like she does for all of those sad animal adoption commercials.  Go out and love a single person dang it!

To Return

     I am a bit of an odd duck. While most other birds flock to warmer climates during the winter I long to head the other direction. I long for the cold weather. There is something special about the crisp sensation that your body feels as you step outside when the temperature is making the thermometer cry. The chills send a tingling sensation up your spine and lets you know that you're alive.

     One of the reasons that I tell people I like the cold is it's easier to warm myself off than it is to cool myself off. My internal thermostat runs hotter than most others.  I can always put something else on if I am cold, but I can only take off so much before they arrest me.

     This weekend I am back home in Kansas, and I don't think the temperature has been above freezing since I got here. I walked out of the airport while the windchill was making it feel like 14 degrees wearing a hoodie and a pair of shorts. There is even a chance of snow tonight and tomorrow. I would love to see snow. Other than movies I haven't seen those beautiful water crystals. I love how clean the world looks just after a fresh coating of snow. I'm hoping that this trip will convince my brain that it truly is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

     I feel sticky and gross when I get hot. I sweat a lot, and I feel the energy being drained from me as every drop of sweat falls to the ground. With the cold weather I feel energized. I was playing Ultimate Frisbee last year during a freezing rain. After about 20 minutes of playing my extremities were quite cold. I decided to sprint to the goal and hoped my teammate would see me and throw it for a score. When I started sprinting I could feel warmth shooting from my core into my arms and legs. At that moment I was so invigorated. I had never felt my blood coursing through my veins with such ferocity before.

     Since I have a blog and followers of the same I will inform you that music resonates with every fiber of my being. Rock music is particularly in tune with what I think or feel. The theme of this my trip home is Chevelle's "To Return" The last line of the song is:

                                        "To return to the cold. It isn't much but I'm free at last."

The Perpetual Plunge

Hello there!  I want to tell you an incredible story. The story of how I met myself:

     There has been a lot of change in my life since I graduated from Union College in May 2011.  I moved to Florida, I'm single, and I have a full time job.  Those are a few of the major ones, and a I have learned an a ridiculous amount about myself.  I'm not talking about my favorite kind of pastry, my taste in music, or which teams I follow in sports.  I'm talking about the type of self knowledge that fully encompasses who I am as a person.

     The journey into self discovery has been fraught with pain and discomfort, but I wouldn't trade it for anything that you could offer me.  I wonder who told me that I wasn't supposed to feel uncomfortable or experience pain.  I also wonder why I listened.  There is a whole spectrum of emotion that we as humans are blessed to experience, and I know that I have the tendency to avoid at least half of them when opportunity knocked.  I was an eternal optimist that would make you happy whether you liked it or not.  I wasn't going to be sad so why should you?  That's a great mindset for a chaplain.....   "Hi I'm the Chaplain and even though you're in pain and suffering greatly you should be happy and not feel sad anymore."  In all reality I'm saying you shouldn't be sad because I don't want to be sad.  Sad is bad.  I don't believe that anymore.  I still act like it sometimes, but I make a conscious effort to experience all of my feelings.  There is a lot of beauty in sadness.  That may sound strange.  I've learned that in our low moments is the opportunity to grow and connect on a much deeper level with those around us.  In a religious sense the low spots are where I remember our need for Christ, and I allow him to work in my life with less interference from me.

    The tool for learning the aforementioned lesson has been Clinical Pastoral Education, or CPE.  This is the name for the specialized training that I, as a  hospital chaplain, am experiencing in order to gain deeper knowledge of my personal pastoral identity and it contains a structured environment to learn how to utilize my skills to minister to hospital patients. Through clinical rotations and small group feedback I learned much that had been recently undiscovered, hidden, or avoided.  These classes have also shown me that I will never stop learning about myself.  It is a continual process that is prone to be difficult.  It is a perpetual plunge into myself while hoping and praying when I come back up for air I have grown by the tiniest of fractions.

     Much like the show How I Met Your Mother my story can't be told in one segment.  I won't tease you with fake hints and false leads for 7+ seasons, but I will say goodbye for now and God bless you in your journey of self discovery.