My new happy song can be found here, in this nifty YouTube video that someone else has so handily put together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpgzYJ03yXY
Anyways, something about the lyrics and the musicality (whoops...I'm spouting Idol judge Kara Dioguardi here. Oh wait, no. She says "artistry," not "musicality" in every other sentence) is just really striking.
Flashing back to when I was sitting in the car with my Mom the other day, blasting Kelly Clarkson's newest (and best, in my opinion) CD "All I Ever Wanted" (I know--one more mention of Idol and I should be getting my free-advertising paycheck in the mail. Idol idol idol. There it goes), the song "Already Gone" came on. The one that's in the big sticky with Beyonce's "Halo."
Although I think no one would have noticed if the two songs sounded similar or not, if Kelly hadn't brought it to the table. I mean there are so many songs that sound like other songs. I remember back in elementary school, when a group of third-grade girls were performing a song from a popular (at the time, of course) all-girl pop band, Dream (haha...remember them at all? If you don't, I'll feel majorly dated) for the talent show. They were mainly dancing to a song about how the grass is greener on the other side and for some reason, the song sounded so familiar.
Even though I had never heard of Dream before. (I was more of a Spice Girls & Britney follower at the time. You know, I wasn't really what you'd call the non-conformist of the fifth grade. Oh wait. But I liked Jewel! There. So I wasn't completely a conformist, since I bet most people wouldn't be able to name fifth-graders who enjoyed listening to poetic folk singers who write about loving their hands and provide their own self-accompaniment, strumming along to their acoustic guitars.)
So, it turns out that the reason why "He Loves You Not" by Dream resonated so strangely with a deja vu-esque chord was because the chorus was nothing short of identical to the tune of *N SYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me." iTunes the two. The 30-second clips for both are practically THE SAME. All I know is that I was sitting on one of those metal-y hard-backed, beige chairs in the school auditorium--the moment the song came blaring out--not at all watching the dance that the four girls were performing, but focusing on determining why that song sounded so dang familiar. It's that distracting of a similarity.
But my point is, there should be no humongous blow-out feud. Artists have sounded like other artists since the beginning of time. Or since the birth of pop, anyway. Which I would totally say reared its upbeat head around the 90's during elementary school. Who else had talent shows filled with lip-syncing to Britney Spears (true tribute there, I would add) and crooning to Christina Aguilera? (All 90's babies, I bet.)
And so, we were driving along, listening to "Already Gone" and I proceeded to explain the significance of the lyrics to Mom.
Kelly, through our sound system: "I want you to know you couldn't have loved me better / But I want you to move on, so I'm already gone."
Me, to Mom: "See? This song is all about being the stronger person. It takes a lot to be the break-up-er, instead of the break-up-ee. It's about knowing when to walk away and being the bigger person. Even if it doesn't feel that great. It's about embracing inevitability and finding the courage to leave. And in fact, making it easier for the other person. It's a song about inner strength."
Me, to self: "And this is totally why I love Kelly Clarkson. And why I can totally promote American Idol." (Ka-ching.)
Mom, to me: "So, it would be a good break-up song?"
And yes, in fact, "Already Gone" is the ultimate break-up song. But my point at-large is, just as "Already Gone" is the ideal break-up song, Lenka's "Knock Knock" is the ideal feel-good song.
Lenka, through the speakers of my iPod: "When life has locked me out, I turn to you / So open the door / You're all I need right now, it's true / Nothing works like you."
It's simple and it makes sense. We all want that person to turn to when we're feeling locked out in life. In fact, I explained this to Mom, as well.
Me, to Mom: "It's like when you're trying to get in somewhere, but you just can't. When life is like a locked and bolted door. And then there's the one person who holds the key to that door for you or stands behind the door of everything you ever wanted, with the ability to make things instantly better. And that's the one you're calling out for."
Mom, to me: "Uh...hopefully the one standing on the other side of that door isn't a stranger. Because you wouldn't want to run into creeepy strangers."
Rest assured, this song is not about creepy strangers. It's about making you smile on the inside and the outside. Just as Lenka prompts her listener to knock a little louder, the song certainly makes me smile just a little wider.
