Urgency

I got out of bed to post. That's how important this is. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors I'm about to make.

Laying under my covers in warmth, I popped in my earphones and turned on Snow Patrol's new album, Fallen Empires. Snow Patrol has played a large role in my immediate family for years, since I bought my mom Eyes Open for Christmas in 2006.

The thing is, I haven't gotten to listen to all of Fallen Empires yet. After I heard track two (well, for some reason, it's track two on my iPod, but #13 on the disc), "The President," I had to stop. A song like this shouldn't go unnoticed. I put it on repeat, and after a dozen listen-throughs, I can honestly say that I have NEVER heard a more beautiful song in my life.

It is a masterpiece. Art at its finest. Music is incredible. It can bring you to tears.

If you are reading this post, I ask a favor. Listen to it. Listen to it with no distractions. Think of the people who are special in your life. Think of the things you have done on this Earth. Think of all the times you have failed, and think of all the times you have brought yourself back up.

This is what life is all about.



I've run to ground
I've run from everyone that I have ever known
I'm aching cold
I'm aching from the bones the very blood of me

And it's broke before you know it
Before you knew what it was for
All you know is you can't fix it
And you wish you'd listened more
To your instincts to your family
To the wisdom you'd ignored
Are you finally gonna ask us for help?
I've crashed to earth
But I'd fallen for so long that it was just relief
I saw your face
In everyone that looked me in my drunken eyes

And it's broke before you know it
Before you knew what it was for
All you know is you can't fix it
And you wish you'd listened more
To your instincts to your family
To the wisdom you'd ignored
When you finally gonna ask us for help?

I can see you at the front gate
As you wait on my return
The years have blurred to eons
But the tears have never dried
But I'm not coming to you like this
So battered down and sad
I will take the road forgotten again

Wolf Gang

Check this out:



That's THE Tyler the Creator performing the song "Sandwitches" with Hodgy Beats on Jimmy Fallon's dreadful late night show. I've seen a ton of live television performances before, but this one has to be the BEST I've ever seen. When Tyler and his crew come to the 'Burgh, it will be an incredible experience.

But that's not what I came here to talk about. Here's a portion of the REAL lyrics to this song. Children, look away.

Full of s**t, like I ate that John
Come on kids, f**k that class and hit that bong
Let's buy guns and kill those kids with dads and mom
With nice homes, 401k's, and nice a** lawns
Those privileged f**ks gotta learn that we ain't takin' no s**t
Like Ellen Degeneres c***oris is playin' with d**k
I'm jealous as s**t, cause I ain't got no home meal to come to
So, if you do I'm throwin' fingers out screamin' "f**k you"

I don't get it. If the uneducated a-holes over at MTV can air shows like Jersey Shore (which rides a fine line between traditional reality TV and softcore pornography), why can't Tyler sing his actual lyrics on NBC? Why are the words "bullet" and "gun" (Foster the People) bleeped out on local radio stations, but LMFAO's "passion in my pants"-esque lines can be screamed into the ears of innocent listeners?

We saw Rage Against the Machine preach against censorship when they yelled "f*ck you, I won't do what you tell me" in front of BBC's audience a few years ago.

Hell, even Kurt Cobain did it back in the grunge days on Saturday Night Live, when he belted out "Rape Me" while producers franticially jumped for the rooster noise button.

If you don't want Tyler to sing his explicit lyrics, don't have him on the show. It's as simple as that.

Grr, I don't understand this world we live in.

OFWGKTA

You Make Me Smile

I have to make this quick because I have to wake up early for school tomorrow. Oh...I'm getting a phone call..."Hello...huh..what is that? We don't have school tomorrow? It's Thanksgiving break? SICK. I guess it's blogging time."

What a fantastic way to start a post. I've always been a fan of hypothetical cellular conversations...

Anyways, today was "DOPE." <----this word, according to the underground hip-hop world, means cool, awesome, chill, or spectacular. Even though there was a whole lot of rainfall in Pittsburgh on this particular Sunday, I managed to stay active.

Here's some pretty big news: I'm recording again. Yes, that's right. Got to throw the ol' headphones on and 'lay down some tracks.' Okay, they weren't my songs. A friend of mine asked me to play an acoustic pattern and sing the vocals on a cover he is doing. The song is beautiful.



After I played a show last year, my dad told me: "In the words of Bob Dylan, I seen a shooting star tonight, and I thought of you."

Either the two stories are coincidental, or they act as a clear message; I need to get more music out there. 'A Quiet Mind' was supposed to be a way for me to release everything that's stuck in my head. Instead, it's gone.

Gone, but not forgotten. This week, I'm going to show my lyrics (which lay alone, tattered and torn, in a black notebook under my bed) to the world. All I have to do is plug in and play.

And you know what, it shouldn't be too hard. My mind is clearer than ever. God, it feels good to say that.