And... We're Back.

Hey all, thanks for bearing with me during the break.

So, during my short time away, I listened to a lot of music. More specifically, Seattle's own Alice in Chains. Now, I've been listening to them for a good long while, but it wasn't until I started this blog that I noticed this. I've been dying to make this post for a while.

This entry is going to be a little different than usual, and depending on the feedback, I might do every new entry like this. I'm going to interpret the short entirety of their song Nutshell from the 1994 album, Jar of Flies

We chase misprinted lies
We face the path of time
And yet I fight
And yet I fight
This battle all alone
No one to cry to
No place to call home

Oooh... Oooh...
Oooh... Oooh...

My gift of self is raped
My privacy is raked
And yet I find
And yet I find
Repeating in my head
If I can't be my own
I'd feel better dead

The last 2 lines are the most interesting to me, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. Overall, I think this is a song about Layne's outlook on life in general, with the second verse about how the media/world is destroying his sense of privacy, and disallows him to be himself. 

"We chase misprinted lies, we face the path of time." To me, this reads as "We're so desperate for the truth, we'll follow your lies, since it's all we have." 

"And yet I fight, and yet I fight this battle all alone. No one to cry to, no place to call home." I think this is pretty self explanatory, but I can't tell if he means that his "battle" is his life, or his addiction. Either way, he feels that he has nobody to help him get through it, nor a shoulder to cry on.

"My gift of self is raped, my privacy is raked." Like I had said earlier, I think part of this song is about how the public is destroying his sense of self, and I think this could be a partial cause of his falling into a recluse life when his fiancee died. Would you want cameras in your face after something like that? 

And now, the part of the song that always hits me hardest. 

"If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead." I always thought that this was the song that allows you get to know the singer on an emotional level you wouldn't hear in any other of his songs. But this line is pretty up front about what he means, it just always pulls me into the song when I listen to this song.

This is what I believe to be the best Layne Staley tribute video on YouTube, brought to you by "seaofsorrow17". It is currently the most viewed tribute video to Layne Staley, and for very good reason. See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfFtyOpwQkQ

Imagine for a minute that this was your life. Addicted to heroin, convinced that you're alone, being the singer for one of the biggest acts to come out of Seattle in the '90s, with the public always in your face. What would you do? 

Thanks for reading.

Notice: I will be taking a short break from this blog.

Hey, everybody. I'm just letting you know why I haven't posted in a few days, and won't be for at least a week. The contents of this blog have made me question myself on numerous occasions, and I'm trying to get into college right now, so most of my concentration is going into that. Thanks for understanding.

In the meantime, too much want.

Quote of The Day #4

Hey, folks. Thanks for taking the time to read the new entry.

Today's quote comes from the mind of Seattle grunge band Nirvana's front-man Kurt Cobain.

"I'm not a death rocker, and I don't wear black."

The way I interpret this quote is... We're not always as we appear. A little more than that, actually, 'cause that just seems pretty obvious.

I should show you, for the sake of context, just how Kurt Cobain looked.

So sure, he played some really heavy, depressing music, and he wore black, but that didn't make him a death rocker who wore black.

The reason this specific quote caught my eye is because I see this specific idea in action so often. And to me, this quote means more than what's on the outside not always what's on the inside, because that's as overused as the "golden rule". What if this is more of complete misunderstanding of one's self? Karl Marx himself once said he wasn't a Marxist. What if Cobain was a death rocker who wore black, but wasn't really a death rocker who wore black? I'm kind of improvising here, which inspired me to write my own quote to close today's entry.

"What you are isn't always WHO you are" - PrettyCoolGuy.


Goodnight.

Quote of The Day #3

Hey. Me again. Now that I have some people actually reading this, it the posts should probably get a little more interesting.

After spending 2 hours on StumbleUpon, I stumbled upon nothing of interest. So this week, I'll admit I cheated a bit and googled some interesting quotes. Being a musician, I find today's quote truer than truth itself.

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Berthold Auerbach

Music is like... a universal language. I use music to express love, hate, any and all emotions, and it seems more effective than words. Sure, your significant other may know you love her, but what if you wrote her a song? When I wrote my ex her first of many songs, it was a defining moment in the relationship.

And I know that when I get home, the first thing I do is either pick up my guitar, or plug in my headphones, listen to music, and just let the problems of my day be swept away in the rhythm.


So today, I want you to post a comment with your favorite song for any emotion you go through daily, and what songs help you relax and unwind.


Thanks for reading.

Quote Of The Day #2

Hey. Me again.


So, once more I was "stumbling" and found this quote from a sci-fi novel called "The Broken God" by David Zindell. The quote is as follows.

"What is a human being, then?"
"A seed."
"A... seed?"
"An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree"



Kinda makes you think, right? Makes me wonder just how courageous and strong is made to be.

"An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree."

Look at your life, especially any older folks who may be reading this blog for whatever reason. I didn't have an age group in mind as my target audience.

Anyways, look at your life, and observe who you are now. How did you get there? Do you feel as though you went through major changes in your life that destroyed who you were? It doesn't have to be a bad thing. In the comments section, tell me how you changed from an acorn into a tree.

Thanks for reading.

Quote Of The Day #1

 This is my first ever blog post, so forgive me I ramble.

Howdy, folks. This blog was inspired by an article I found via StumbleUpon. The article in question was about this one guy's experiences with rude customers as waiter, and this one quote from Dave Barry caught my eye.

"A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person."


Now, the reason this quote stuck to me was because I noticed how relevant this is in our day to day lives, because if you think about it, it's not just the waiter. The waiter could be anybody, in any situation.

The way I interpret this is finding out what kind of person you want to be, and following through with that decision. If you're going to be a nice person, be a nice person. It's simple enough that I think we forget to sometimes.

And also, come on. Be nice to your waiter. He can spit in your food.