Cha Ching!

No, i'm not speaking Chinese! Cha-ching is the Hedley's new song name. Even though it sounds a bit weird, cha-ching is supposed to be the sound that a cash register would do when you open it to put the money into it.

I have already talked about Hedley, so I think you don't need more information about them.

Obviously, this song talks about money. Specially about the money that people make on TV for doing absolutly nothing, that is appearing on reality shows. This message is very clear along the song. I suppose that the reason why these lyrics were written is that Jacob Hoggard, the singer, got to know this world very well when he was in Canadian Idol, which is kind of a reality show. The chorus -where the message is even clearer- sarcasticly encourages people to win money on TV, to swing it, to bring it, to make the cash register do the cha ching! sound. It also says that the only way to go far on TV and to be a star is to get naked, which sadly seems to be true these days.

"So everybody dance and everybody sing,
If you wanna go far, if you wanna be a star
Yeah we can swing it
Cha-ching
When you take off all your clothes, When you strike a playboy pose
If you wanna go far, if you wanna be a star
Then you gotta bring it
Cha-ching"

The lyrics critizise and have many references to different shows and channels, some of them are:

The Real World (an MTV reality show from 1992)

"It started on the real world
A hot tub full of hot girls
Grindin' every frat boy and freak"
Probably they say that it started on The Real World because that show was broadcasted on 1992 and surely was one of the first realities.

Canadian Idol / American Idol

"Line up all the idols
Who paint on phony smiles
Tryin' to ride the fast track for free"

The Biggest Loser ( show with overweight contestants attempting to lose weight to fight for a cash prize) and the channel MTV

"Who's the biggest loser?

I'll bust the biggest boozer
Bigger ratings for MTV"

Survivor (reality show where contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes)

"All the sole survivors
Still stranded on the island
Lying through their teeth for money"

Tila Tequila ( who had a dating game show on MTV in 2002) and the American rapper Flavor flav.

"Pretending to be lesbians
The tila's playing all of them
While flavor flav get fucked up for free"

So, basically, as we can see in those quotes of the lyrics, Hedley is critizing how unreal and false is the TV world and how people appearing on shows don't mind to do anything and they just care about the money they are going to earn. And while we are watching those stupid and useless -in my opinion- shows the people who appear on them, as well as the one who had the idea and the producer are getting richer and richer (and don't think that they like their own shows, they just like the money they make with them). I believe that this idea is reflected on the following verse:

"And all the hotties on the hills
Just getting rich and making deals
While you and I are watchin' TV"

(The Hills was a program that followed the personal lives of several young people living in Los Angeles, California, USA)

At the end of the song, sarcasticly again, they tell us to hurry up and don't miss our minutes of glory on TV and our chance to win lots of money, like many people who seem to be crazy about that.

"So hurry turn it on, turn it on, get your 15 minutes
15's almost gone, turn it on, turn it on.

Cha-ching" 

I hope that the sarcastic message of these lyrics will make people think about the quality of TV shows nowadays and that people will think twice before watching a show of the sort I talked about.

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/hedley/Chaching/

Song in YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRJkpwzJe9Y

Father Christmas give us some money!

"When I was small I believed in santa claus
Though I knew it was my dad
And I would hang up my stocking at christmas
Open my presents and Id be glad"

Merry Christmas time bloggers!

Some days ago, before Christmas, I was looking for some Christmas-time music and I found out two great Cds: A Santa Cause: It's a Punk Rock Christmas, and A Santa Cause 2: It's a Punk Rock Christmas. Well, actually I also found a very fine CD called Christmas Swing with all the classics (Let It Snow, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, etc.).

But I wanted to talk about the two former. They looked pretty interesting and new to me because I had never heard rock or punk Christmas carols. So I listened to them and they were good. They've got some classic carols covered to rock (like Santa Claus is Coming to Town played by Sugarcult, a punk band), and new rock "carols".

One of the songs I liked the most was Father Christmas, sung by Action action, an American indie rock band. This song was originally played and written by The Kinks, an English rock band. The song was relised on 1977. I think that the lyrics are very funny and at the same time it protests against the consumism in Christmas time and remind us that there are kids who got nothing. The end of the song goes like this:

"Have yourself a merry merry christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothin
While youre drinkin down your wine"

The song talks about a gang of poor boys who want to beat up a department store's Santa Claus if he doesn't give them money. They don't want toys, because they are unusefull to them and they tell Santa Claus to give all  the toys to the little rich boys. One of the boys also asks for a machine gun to scare other kids, and another one asks Father Christmas to give his dad a job. The chorus goes like this:

"Father christmas, give us some money
Dont mess around with those silly toys.
Well beat you up if you dont hand it over
We want your bread so dont make us annoyed
Give all the toys to the little rich boys"

I think that is very sad that while we are spending lots of money in food, Christmas decoration, toys and gifts there are poor families who can't spend their money celebrating Christmas and can't give gifts to their kids. But it is also true that in this time of the year a lot of campains are run to collect money apelling to the kindness and solidarity of people, because at Christmas time everybody is happier, kinder and more supportive. I don't know why though, but it isn't bad. However, we should try to be like that not only because it is Christmas. Well, maybe I know why. I think it might be that the Christmas spiritis is about behaving that way because Baby Jesus is born and we have to be nice.

So this song might be good for the crisis time we are living and probably the best gift that Father Christmas or Los tres Reyes Magos can give us this year is money!

Oh! By the way, the song has been also covered a number of times by bands including the Gigolo Aunts, Green Day, Warrant and Bowling For Soup.

Lyrics: 

http://www.lyricstime.com/action-action-father-christmas-lyrics.html

Low low low low...

Today I won't talk about lyrics I like. Today it will be about lyrics I dislike.

The song is called Low and it is sung by two guys called Flo Rida and T-Pain. I said sung, because I have no idea who the composers are... and I'd prefer not to know. This song was very popular in North America in the summer of 2008.

First of all, this is one of those ugly songs that you, as a Spaniard, listen on the radio and think "Oh, what cool song! It makes want to dance!". Because, all right!!, it is a catchy song. But as you become more interested on the song (maybe after dancing it at clubs 500 times all summer long) and you look up for the lyrics (or you listen to the lyrics) you will find out how sexist they are. Then you will think, as it happen to me, "oh my god, how can i even dance this?". I think it happens the same for English speakers, the lyrics go through their ears as if they were foreigners and wouldn't understand a word.

The true is that the lyrics of this song, among many others, don't really matter because this kind of music it is not done for music lovers. It is done to win lots of money by becoming the summer song and the song most danced at clubs. So its rythim is catchy and repetitive, and its lyrics silly and mostly sexist with a high sexual content. How can we fight for equility between men and women if those songs adressed to the youth  pass on the wrong message? And the worst thing is that they are played openly on the radios and on TV, where kids listen to it and learn their lyrics.

Low talks about a girl that the singer (a man) met one night in a club. I'm going to quote some lines (in italic) that I find particulary shocking and after I will make little comments (in brackets). Oh, but first I have to say that I coulnd't find a reliable page with the lyrics, because it contains lots of slang terms and each person writes them as he/she likes. So it might be that some words are not well spelled.

So sexual, she was flexible
Professional, drinkin X and ooo
Hold up wait a minute, do i see what I think I
Whoa (I bet that he means a part of her body)

(...)

Imma say that I prefer them no clothes (Haha, he is not silly)

I'm into that, I love women exposed  (Excuse me?)
She threw it back at me, I gave her more
Cash ain't a problem, I know where it goes (Cash? I don't know what to think of this verse...)

 (...)

Hey
Shawty what I gotta do to get you home
My jeans full of gwap
And they ready for Shones
Cadillacs Maybachs for the sexy grown
Patrone on the rocks that'll make you moan

 (...)

What you think I'm playin baby girl
I'm the man, I'll bend the rubber bands (This is the wrong message that I was talking about)

(...)

That's what I told her, her legs on my shoulder (Why would do that for? I don't think he's giving her a horsey ride...)
(...)
Shorty was hot like a toaster (What a nice comparison)
Sorry but I had to fold her,
Like a pornography poster (This line pass on the wrong message to the teens too)
She showed her

 (...)

Shawty
Yea she was worth the money
Lil mama took my cash.(...) (So definitely, she was a protitute. To me, looks like he talks about women as if we all were prostitutes)

And I could go on and on.

Lyrics: 

http://www.kovideo.net/lyrics/f/Florida-Feat-Tpain/Low.html

Song in YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VVuMIB2hC0

You know it's never too late!

Heyy Bloggers! :D

Today I want to talk about another band that I LOVE!! You may think that this it's not news because i always talk about bands that i like, and i say they are my favoriest. But in this case, I really like this band. I just find them great! Their name is Hedley.

Hedley is a rock band of four boys from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. The origin of their band name is very curious: Hedley is actually the name of a town in British Columbia that was on sale. The guys liked the idea, but finally they just kept the name. Moreover, the lead singer, Jacob Hoggard (who by the way is really good looking), was placed 3rd during the second season of the reality TV series, Canadian Idol in 2004.

Hedley has been very succesful in Canada since 2005. However, they aren't very known neither in the USA nor in Europe.

I had the chance of going to a free concert the gave in Quebec City for the Canada Day and I can say thet are really good in live.

Well, the song I wanted to talk about today is called Never Too Late and as you already know is from Hedley. It is a very happy song which cheers you up, and its lyrics have the same purpose. The chorus says:

You know it's never too late
Get up and start all over again
You know it's never too late
There's got to be a better way
Don't settle for the cold and rain
It's not too late to start again
Find a way to smile and never let it get away!

I think that if you ever feel sad or depress you have to listen to this song because the combination of the music and the lyrics will make you happy. At least it makes me happy. And if you see the videoclip it will be even better, because it is very funny. It has nothing to do with the song, but it is just silly and it makes you smile for sure. In short, what the song is saying is that you have to be happy and not let the bad things of life make you lost your joy.

Here's to all the broken hearts tonight
Here's to all the "fall-a-parts" tonight
Here's to every girl and boy who lost their joy
They let it get away

Lyrics:  

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/hedley/nevertoolate.html

The song in YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l_h8_mbZsc

When It Rains

Have you ever heard of Paramore? Yeah, that great band whose singer has red hair! :) Well, Paramore is one of my favorite bands. They are from Franklin, Tennessee, USA, they formed in 2004, and they play Alternative Rock. Their lyrics talk mostly about love, and as i said, the singer (Hayley Williams) has red-orange-blond hair, very weird but for lots of people very cool. In my opinion, it looks great on her, but you have to be brave or famous to dye your hair like that! By the way, she has a beautiful and powerful voice.

The song I want to talk about today is called "When It Rains". It is a sad song, but i love it because it is beautiful.

I think it talks about a relationship that is ending (as many other songs, i know), and one of the two has done something bad to the other person (probably he/she cheated on her/him). But i doesn't have to be a love relationship, maybe it's another kind of relationship. And the person who writes the song is asking for an explanation but looks like the other one just gave up. But at the same time it seems to me that this other person (the one who is not singing) is also depressed, because the lyrics say: You made yourself a bed at the bottom of the blackest hole. Convinced yourself that it's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore. But i'm not sure.

Personally, my favoriest part is the chorus. It says: Oh oh how could you do it? /  Oh I - I never saw it coming / Oh oh I need an ending / So why can’t you stay long enough to explain?

For me it is what i said before, the realtionship is ending because one of them did something bad, and the other one is like "ok, go away please, but before that give me an explanation". This is probably why I like it, it is something that happens nowadays, someone for some reason you will never know decides to hurt you. But don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean to say that I like doing that, just that I like the song.

I wish I could ask Hayley Williams, Josh Farro and Zac Farro (the composers) what they wanted to say when they wrote "When It Rains", but I think I got the message. Don't you think?

Link of the song & lyrics: http://www.paramore.net/music/when-it-rains-3/

Bowling for Soup - 1985

"Looks at her average life
And nothing has been alright since
Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she’s uncool
Cause she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985"  (Bowling for Soup, 1985)

Today i'd like to talk about this great song called 1985, from Bowling for Soup. 

Bowling for Soup is a pop-punk (some call it alternative rock) from Wichita Falls, Texas, USA. They started in 1994. They especially compose funny lyrics as High School Never Ends, Almost and Girl All the Bad Guys Want, and this just talking about the most popular ones.

1985 talks about a woman, called Debbie, who is now married and has kids in high school, but she misses her youth so much that she is always thinking about 1985. I found it pretty funny because the lyrics say all the things she wanted to be but that she never did. For example, she wanted to be an actress, a star. And she misses wearing snake-skin mini-skirts. 

A line that I found interesting is when they say ''When did reality become T.V.?". And it makes me wonder how I will feel when I will be a mom like Debbie. Maybe like her: wondering what happened to all the singers that were famous in my youth. And my kids will tell me that i'm uncool, like the versus say!

But, I have to say also that some singers that this song talks about are still ''in''. Like Madonna or U2. Even Bruce Springsteen, who I like because my parents like and they always play his CD's.

That's what i'll do! I will make my kids listen to my favorite music, even if it's not ''in style'' anymore. Hahaha. Sounds evil, but it's not a bad idea. Every mom or dad does that.

Oh, and i can't forget to quote the line "And music still on MTV". It is so true! MTV doesn't play music anymore, they just do gossip programmes...

And this is all for today. 1985, great and funny song from Bowling for Soup. Listen to it bloggers!

Link to the lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bowlingforsoup/1985.html 

The video clip on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnYm0EmyDVU

See ya!

Let's get started!

As Black Eyed Peas said: Let's get started! :)

Well, as you can see, the titled of this blog is "Don't forget the lyrics!" as the famous TV programme played in many countries. But this blog is not about this TV programme, it's just about lyrics.
Lyrics that i found interesting (or not), what i think their authors meant to say, etc., along with information about singers or bands and my opinion about them.
So, to sum up, this is a blog about music!