The Life and Times of Nick Napier: a Musical Rhapsody (Life's Soundtrack W/O) Aug 08 '05    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Music Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast From $8 Mai by Eri Sugai From $4 The Bottom Line Read it. I've3ve always seen these "Life as Soundtrack" tests on some of my friends' blogs. It's always been interesting to me, but since I don't have a blog, I never did it. Luckily, I discovered Wisperscream had made the test into a popular write-off that many had joined and still are joining. So I decided to join this write off and after a month of preparation (Yes, it took me a month to pick out these songs), I had the perfect soundtrack. This is how it goes down: I will leave the song title, a description for why I picked it and a lyric sample that shows why it's a good choice. Some of the songs have their entire lyrics here so this will be a pretty long entry. I've got a choice for every category except Happy Dance, that's because I couldn't choose one for it; I don't dance. Well anyway, I hope you enjoy reading. You know how they ask in those Army commercials about a book on your life? Let me rearrange the question. If someone made a movie on my life, do I think they'd go and see it? Probably not because my life sucks; but with music like this, perhaps they'd at least go out and buy the soundtrack. Opening Credits: Yasushi Ishii - Logos Naki World (The World Without Logos) This was the perfect opening song for my soundtrack; it opens it up with a bang. Even though the anime can't even hold a candle to its manga counterpart (though the upcoming Ultimate OVA might), I believe the "Hellsing" anime will always be remembered mostly for its good music, provided by music director Yasushi Ishii. The World Without Logos is the opening theme to the Hellsing anime, and a very good one at that. It combines metal rock with industrial samples, having an overall jazzy feel (to me at least). That's the good thing about this song. The bad thing is that lyrically, the song is gibberish. The official lyrics were printed in the notes for the first Hellsing Soundtrack, but they were printed in katakana, a Japanese phonetic script used to transcribe and approximate English sounds. As such, it is nearly impossible to re-transcribe the lyrics back into English, and no truly "correct" English version exists. Because of that, I will not include any lyrical samples, but if you want to see one person’s view of the lyrics for yourself, go here: http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/hellsing/theworld.htm. Overall, the song is a haunting but jazzy number that would set the tone for the rest of the soundtrack. Waking Up: A3 - Woke Up This Morning This was a perfect choice to me, and not just because of the title either. Most people will recognize this as the opening theme song to the HBO show "The Sopranos" and some Hip-Hop fans will recognize the opening lines when it was interpolated into a Nas song, "Got Urself a Gun". No, I've never been a big fan of The Sopranos, but I’ve always loved this song. In my eyes, the lyrics basically describe someone who is generally disliked but wants to be on top of the world, someone who just wants to be 'The Chosen One' at any cost. That basically describes how I live. The weird thing is that A3 lead singer Rob Spragg wrote this after hearing about a case in which a wife finally shot her abusive husband after twenty years. The song is actually about female empowerment, not the mob. But it's all about the way YOU interpret it and that’s how I interpret this song, a perfect song for me to wake up to. "You woke up this morning The world turned upside down Thing's ain't been the same Since the Blues walked into town But you're one in a million Cause you've got that shotgun shine Born under a bad sign With a blue moon in your eyes" Average Day: Little Brother - Speed The song opens up with the intro, as this statement is said: "Life have a brother hustlin', man". Truer words have never been spoken. Little Brother is a three-man Hip-Hop group coming out of Durham, North Carolina; they're made up of the emcees Phonte and Big Pooh, and the producer 9th Wonder. On this song, which was the first single from their critically acclaimed debut album "The Listening", Phonte and Big Pooh describe their day to day life and the struggles they go through. But don't get it twisted, just cause the intro mentions hustling doesn't mean they start talking about selling drugs. Actually, they talk about how they have to balance their daily lives, which includes their families and daily jobs, with their emcee careers. I can relate to these guys in so many different ways; this song pretty much describes my day-to-day life as I am also an up-and-coming emcee and have to deal with balancing my dreams with my reality. Not only that, but being that I'm from North Carolina as well just adds to the realness how this song speaks to me. I'm not from Durham; I lived most of my life in Fayetteville and moved to Erwin in 2002. Anyway as I said this song pretty much speaks to me. The sung chorus of "too fast for me / it's just too fast for me" sums up life completely. "Another day to face, I'm share cropping in the paper chase Take a deep breath and clear my database It's afternoon, I'm talking shit to my alarm clock Cause I gotta face this world of capitalistic onslaught Don't stop when I jump in the whip, trying to get it off Beltline got me rushing/Russian like Baryshnikov Pushing 80 miles per hour to this call center Trying to pick up a check I only see twenty percent of Until the weekend, it sound crazy when I'm saying it But sleep is nice, got me forgetting what day it is Until my son two days with out speaking, Looking for reasons to keep my head from going off the deep end I take this shit personally, I'm makin moves but this treadmill lifestyle ain't workin for me It's from the crib to ya lab to ya job to make a profit And at the days end, you ain't still got nothing accomplished And it's just the way it's going down, But on the real I think I need to slow it down, and slow it down" First Date: Eric B. & Rakim - What's On Ya Mind? Probably the most well known MC/DJ duo of all time, Eric B. & Rakim are legends, pure and simple. Rakim is regarded by many as the Greatest of All Time (or G.O.A.T.) and he surely is one of them (second in my eyes, you'll find out who I think is the G.O.A.T. later on). We all know Ra is a microphone fiend, but he can do more than just rip mics. Backed by soft pianos and drums, The Master gives us a storytelling track, talking about how he met this girl and got her to go on a date with him. This smooth, seductive track opened up the duo's fourth album, "Don't Sweat the Technique". This is the same set up that I would go for in trying to pick up a girl. And ironically, this is kinda how I met my now ex-girlfriend, how I picked her up for the first time. "I seen her in the subway, on my way to Brooklyn Hello, good looking, is this seat tooken On the A-train, picking at her brain I couldn't get her number, I couldn't get her name I said I still like your style of fashion But I hate your hostile, 'itty attitude wit a passion Is it because brothers like to hawk a lot Is it because your sign don't talk a lot She turned away, no play, I said ok You don't really look good, I hope you have a bad day Sat back, relaxed though the ride was tight I was thinking of the rhymes I wrote last night Next stop was mine, a familiar scene I was meeting my friend, killer Ben in Ft Green Where the girls are real, they tell ya how they feel If you're soft, you're soft, or if you're hard like steel See i don't bend and I won't rust And I don't break and I won't bust Stomped up the street and did I hear a treat? Hard high heels tappin' on the concrete I took a peek, it was the girl from the train behind me Did she live in the area, was she trying to find me? Hmm, I didn't wanna play myself out I played it off, stopped and I bought a Guinness Stout Now was she shy, she didn't walk by She came in the store then she even said hi Curiosity- at a high velocity Maybe possibly she had the hots for me i said if we're playing games then we're gonna play mine I'm a lay the rules 'cause it ain't much time If you hide your feelings, and they hard to find, I wanna know what's on your mind" Falling In Love: The Beatles - In My Life This here is one of my all-time favorite Beatles songs and one of the greatest love songs ever written. This mellow classic finds Lennon singing about the places he's been and the people he's met, but assuring his woman that no matter how much he cares about the "people and things that went before", he exclaims that he is in love with her now. The soft guitar melody is one that you can't help but love and just adds to the greatness of this track. It's simple, but still a perfect choice for this category. "There are places I remember All my life, though some have changed Some forever, not for better Some are gone, and some remain All these places have their moments With lovers and friends I still can recall Some are dead and some are living In my life, I loved them all But of all these friends and lovers, There is no one compares with you And these memories lose their meaning When I think of love as something new Though I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before I know I'll often stop and think about them In my life, I love you more" Love Scene: Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing This one just came to me. Even though I know some people think Aerosmith sold out with this, it's still one of my favorite songs by them. This romantic love ballad was featured in the movie Armageddon, which starred Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. The lyrics are well-written, and to me, they perfectly convey the feelings one has when they are close to their lover (what bothers me is that the dudes in Aerosmith didn't actually write it). "I don't wanna miss one smile And I don't wanna miss one kiss Well, I just wanna be with you Right here with you, just like this I just wanna hold you close Feel your heart so close to mine And just stay here in this moment For all the rest of time Don't wanna close my eyes Don't wanna fall asleep Cause I'd miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream will never do Cause I'd still miss you, baby And I don't wanna miss a thing" Fight Scene: D12 - Fight Music I bet most of y’all on this site who know me well thought I was gonna pick Canibus' "Second Round Knockout" for this, didn’t ya? Well, I almost did; it was close but when I got right down to it, this was the perfect choice for the fight scene. The six-man group from Detroit did this song for their debut album, "Devil's Night", in 2001. They had released this as their second single but right after they did, the September 11th attacks happened, and in time of a tragedy, no one wants to hear a song like this. Anyway, backed by a rock-based beat, they all invoke the feelings people feel when they want to beat the living shit out of someone. You can get amped up off this song; listen to this when you're REALLY pissed off and you'll feel like you wanna beat someone half to death. Each emcee gives us a great verse except Bizarre, who goes off on some shit about his grandmother sucking his dick. One thing about Bizzy's verse that was good was the last line "Fuck them love songs!" which pretty much sums up this song completely. But while every other emcee shines, it is Eminem who shines the most, as he gives his best verse on the entire album (possibly second to his verse on "American Psycho"), as well as a great chorus, which are both seen below in the lyric snippets. This is a perfect backdrop for a fight scene in a movie, playing during a back-alley gang fight. "If I could capture the rage of today's youth and bottle it Crush the glass from my bare hands and swallow it Then spit it back in the faces of you racists and hypocrites who think the same shit but don't say shit You Liberaces, Versaces, and you Nazis watch me cause you thinkin you got me in this hot seat You motherfuckers wanna JUDGE me cause you're NOT me You'll never STOP me, I'm TOP speed as you POP me I came to save these new generations of babies from parents who failed to raise 'em cause they're lazy to grow to praise me, I'm makin 'em go crazy That's how I got this whole nation to embrace me And you fu-gazi if you think I'mma admit wrong I'll cripple any hypocritic critic I'm sicked on And this song is for any kid who gets picked on A sick song to retaliate to and it's called.... This kind of music, use it and you get amped to do shit Whenever you hear some shit and you can't refuse it It's just some shit for these kids to trash they rooms with Just refuse whenever they ask to do shit The type of shit that you don't have to ask who produced it You just know - that's the new shit The type of shit that causes mass confusion and drastic movement of people actin stupid It’s FIGHT MUSIC!!!" Breaking Up: Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts - Adieu Yoko Kanno is a Japanese composer and she is well known as the mastermind behind the music to many different animes, but The Seatbelts were a fictional band that she formed specifically for "Cowboy Bebop". The music they made ranged from rock to blues to Jazz. This specific song was from "Blue", the 3rd Bebop soundtrack. It is a beautiful piano ballad sung by New York vocalist, Emily Bindiger of The Accidentals. Fans of the series will notice the melody is from the music box that is used in the opening scene of the first episode, as well as throughout the series. The actual song itself is used in episodes 18 and 25. Basically, Bindiger sings about someone that she loves but had to separate from. She obviously misses her lover, but she knew that the relationship had to end. This one song has been one that I've turned to after I would constantly break up with my girlfriend (she is now my ex). This song basically screams break-up, or the feeling of regret one has after a break up. It is beautifully written, beautifully performed, and beautifully executed in conjunction with the images it is placed on screen with in the TV show. "I stand alone and watch you fade away like clouds High up and in the sky I'm strong and so cold, as I stand alone Good-bye, so long, adieu Oh how I love you so, lost in those memories And now you've gone I feel the pain, feeling like a fool, Adieu My love for you burns deep inside me, so strong Embers of times we had And now here I stand, lost in a memory I see your face and smile" Getting Back Together: Dimension of Love (English Version) I'm sorry but I couldn't help it... to this day, I have a soft spot for this song, even though I've been made fun of for it. "Tenchi Muyo" is another well known anime that I am a fan of. It is split up into three different categories: the 3 OVAs, the anime series, and the sequel series to the anime. This song comes from the anime version, "Tenchi Universe" (also known as "No Need for Tenchi!"). When the anime was dubbed and translated by Pioneer (now known as Geneon), they brought the music with it, but re-did most of it in English, but wrote new lyrics for them. Though they stayed somewhat similar to the English translations of the original Japanese lyrics, they were still much different. I know most Otaku (hardcore anime fans) would be totally angry with this but I was fine with it. The one song that caught my ear the most was "Renai no Jikuu", also known as "Dimension of Love". This song is pure J-Pop, which would normally sound really bad to me, but this is one of the few exceptions that I enjoyed it. I'm not gonna lie, the new English lyrics are somewhat cliched, but still, they perfectly put together a situation in which two former lovers are reunited, wanting to give their relationship another try. That is probably the best song to fit me all the times I got back together with my girlfriend (even though she is now my ex). There's probably some better songs suited for this category but I can't think of them at this moment so I'3m going with this. "When the cherry blossom starts to bloom Meet me here in my lonely room We'll find a passion-filled fantasy And this time you will stay with me All the misery we knew before Stays away when you are at my door My heart will sing at every tender touch And, oh, you'll want me twice as much We don't ever have to cry or fight Something tells me we can make it right Enough of wandering far and wide I just can't forget you though I've tried This is destiny so why pretend? Close your eyes, kiss me once again I'll always be the only one you need So go where your deepest longing leads" To read the new English lyrics in full, go here: http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/tenchi/tmdole.htm To read the original Japanese lyrics and their English translations, go here: http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/tenchi/renainojikuu.htm Secret Love: The Police - Every Breath You Take This is one of the most popular 'secret love' songs of all time. The Police's lead singer, Sting, wrote this after separating from his first wife, Frances Tomelty. I could see this playing as I follow my secret love home from work and watching her while she just sits at home watching TV. A very creepy scenario, but in reality, this song is creepy as well. People have used it for weddings, but its clearly about unhealthy, stalker-like relationships. I guess you could call this the most romantic stalker song of all time. "Oh, can't you see You belong to me? How my poor heart aches With every step you take Every move you make Every vow you break Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I'll be watching you Every move you make, every step you take I'll be watching you I'll be watching you" Life’s okay: Masta Ace - Beautiful Fats Belvedere: What're you writing anyway? Masta Ace: Yeah, I'm working on a new song or whatever, you know, about the beautiful things I see. Fats Belvedere: [Laughs] Yo, there ain't shit to see around here that's beautiful, I tell ya that! Masta Ace: Yeah there is, yo. You just gotta look closer. - Skit from Masta Ace's "A Long Hot Summer" This took me a while to come up with too, but one day, when I threw "A Long Hot Summer" into my walkman, it came to me. To put it simply, in my opinion, Masta Ace is the G.O.A.T. in Hip-Hop; the man has never dropped a bad album. His final release, last year's ALHA proved that, with this being the standout track. The title describes the track perfectly, especially the production. The beat, which is provided by Koolade Croatia, contains a blaring trumpet loop, a scaling violin loop, some piano notes, and some drums and claps. The beat alone will hypnotize you and have you bobbing your head so that you HAVE to listen to the whole track without stopping. This track finds Ace reflecting on his life, finding the things that are, well, simply beautiful. To thoroughly explain his love for Hip-Hop, Ace paints a picture of a perfect world, using some ingenious metaphors to show the beauty that inhabits it. Such positive music is rare in Hip-Hop nowadays, so this is sure to bring a smile to your face. It's a perfect look at the world when life is okay. "(I'm wishin' on and on and on...) the most beautiful thing ever And it's here to bring terror to the bling era You can feel it in ya inner It's like Grandma's house, Thanksgiving dinner It's like a day in the park Or at night when you get the ball and you play in the dark It's that street corner music Where most cats when they pull that heat go and use it I see a black man aimin' his gun But I'd rather see a black man claimin' his son You know the sound is pretty Even when you got to get down and gritty This is money in the bank like you down wit' Diddy This a helicopter ride around the city And we love it cuz it boarders here It's like a young mother braidin' her daughter's hair It's beautiful" Mental Breakdown: Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb This one was an absolute no contest for me. "Comfortably Numb" is my favorite Pink Floyd song, and without a doubt, one of the greatest rock n' roll songs of all time. Originally from their classic concept album "The Wall", this song is about detaching yourself from reality, although the title could mislead you into thinking that it was a song about intoxication by the drug of your choice. The lyrics express the despair one feels when they feel disconnected from the rest of humanity. You feel despair because you aren't on the same plane as them any more, you're in a state of pure delirium ... you have simply lost your mind. In the second chorus, Roger Waters also laments about a lost childhood. In the concept of the album, the song fits like this: the rock star character, Pink, has alienated himself from the world and now sits drugged up in his disheveled hotel room, hallucinating about his past. Right before he goes on stage to perform, he's brought back to reality by a doctor who injects him with a medical drug. It may not seem like the perfect basis for a lyrical masterpiece, but it is. The musical aspect of the song is just as good as the lyrical aspect. You guys should know that the two guitar solos here, perfectly done by David Gilmour, are two of the most famous solos in all of rock history. With excellent use of distortion and frequent use of bends, slides and harmonics, these two solos, one light and one dark, can speak to you on so many different levels and I am not kidding. The bass and drums provide the rhythm, while the keyboards take the spellbinding melody during the verses. This song describes insanity as an alternate choice to reality, perhaps an even better one. Whether or not you take it that way or not, it is your quintessential mental breakdown song. Instead of just a sample, I’ve decided to put all the lyrics for this song here to really see what I mean. "Hello?... Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me Is there anyone at home? Come on... now... I hear you're feeling down. Well I can ease your pain, Get you on your feet again Relax.... I need some information first Just the basic facts Can you show me where it hurts? There is no pain, you are receding A distant ship's smoke on the horizon You are only coming through in waves Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin' When I was a child I had a fever My hands felt just like two balloons Now I got that feeling once again I can't explain, you would not understand This is not how I am I have become comfortably numb Okay.... Just a little pin prick There'll be no more, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!! But you may feel a little sick Can you stand up?.... I do believe it's working ... good! That'll keep you going for the show Come on, it's time to go There is no pain, you are receding A distant ship's smoke on the horizon You are only coming through in waves Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin' When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse Out of the corner of my eye I turned to look but it was gone I cannot put my finger on it now The child is grown, the dream is gone I have become comfortably numb" Driving: Kid Rock - Rock N' Roll Pain Train This one was a really hard choice for me, but I went with this in the end. Kid Rock is an artist I will always have love for, simply because he was the one who got me into Hip-Hop. It sounds stupid I know, but it's true... I also relate to him more than ANY other artist I've ever heard. Anyway, this one song was the opening song off of his 2003 self-titled album. When I look back, I think Rock is an idiot for NOT choosing this as the lead single for that album (better yet, not releasing it as a single AT ALL). Anyway, the song is basically up-tempo southern rock/blues song about his rise to fame and the troubles he faced on the way. Even though he talks about the 'pain train' wrecking and almost ending his career, he gives us a few words of encouragement in the chorus. Rock does great on the vocals, but also does some great work on the acoustic, steel, slide and rhythm guitars. But he's not the sole star in this song; the licks by Kenny Olsen on lead guitar and the piano work of Jimmie Bones gives it a REAL bluesy feel, which adds to the greatness of this song. To me, this was the perfect song to rock out to while you're driving down the road, especially when he talks about "all you need to ride". "I've seen this train wreck time and time again I felt its pain, I've seen it take my friends You've got to stop and take a look man Or life will pass you by Get you a guitar and a good song That's all you really need to ride On that rock n' roll pain train I can't slow it down The music and the whiskey Don't it make you wanna get loud? Life's been good to me so far Hope it's been kind to you Stand strong in the storms of life The sun will always shine on you" Learning A Lesson: Pink Floyd - Time Yep, another Floyd song, this time coming from their most popular album, one of the greatest albums of all time, "Dark Side of the Moon". This song is about how time can slip by, but many people do not realize it until it is too late. Roger Waters got the idea when he realized he was no longer preparing for anything in life, but was right in the middle of it (he had just turned 28). This teaches you to live life to the fullest, a very important lesson that we all need to learn. These lyrics and sound and heartfelt realizations combined to form a masterpiece of music on one of the best albums EVER. "So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking Racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, Shorter of breath and one day closer to death Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say" Deep Thought: Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind / The Times They Are A-Changin' When I got right down to it, I couldn't choose just one song. So I chose these two songs, which happen to be by the same artist. As I have said before, Bob Dylan is my musical idol and these particular records right here are two of my favorite songs by him. They both are written very well and are very simple, with Dylan playing on his acoustic guitar and harmonica. "Blowin' in the Wind", originally released on his sophomore album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", is one of Dylan's first protest songs. In this song, Dylan asks philosophical questions about peace, war, and freedom and while the song asks these questions, it does not refer specifically to any particular political event, which proves its timelessness. It is widely considered the anthem for the civil rights movement and can easily be interpreted as a song that speaks out against racial injustice; Sam Cooke believed that it had special relevance to the black community and it influenced him to be more political in his music before his tragic death. "The Times They Are A-Changin'", which would be released the next year on Dylan’s third album of the same name, is another one of his famous protest songs that captured the spirit of social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s. It would become an anthem of the frustrated youth, summing up the anti-establishment feelings that many people in that time had. Both of them are songs that'll get you to think about these kinds of things. I've included lyric snippets from both. Wind: "How many years can a mountain exist Before it's washed to the sea? Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist Before they're allowed to be free? Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, And pretend that he just doesn't see? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in the wind How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in the wind"" Times: "Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled There's a battle outside raging It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls For the times they are a-changin' Come mothers and fathers throughout the land And don't criticize what you can't understand Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command Your old road is rapidly aging Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand For the times they are a-changin'" Flashback: Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts - Green Bird I had to think long and hard about this one but this is my choice when I came right down to it. Yes, another Kanno/Seatbelts song; I can't help it, Kanno and the Seatbelts create some of the most beautiful music I've ever had the privilege to hear. This song in particular is used in episode five of "Cowboy Bebop" after Spike Spiegel is thrown through the top-floor window of the abandoned cathedral that he and his former friend turned nemesis, Vicious, were fighting in. As Spike falls, he begins to think back to his past with Vicious when they were both in the Red Dragon Mafia, and his past with Julia, the woman he had loved, giving us a montage of flashbacks to contrast his fall. This one is accompanied by a beautiful piano and vocal melody that just screams 'flashback'. The song itself isn't in Japanese, but rather a language Yoko Kanno uses for a lot of her songs. Since I can't really understand that language, there will be no lyric samples for this song. This song is so beautiful, there was a website shrine created for that song alone. This site says much more about the song than I can say: http://www.fukushuu.org/greenbird/ ... anyway, it's a flashback song in every single sense of the word. Partying: Ludacris feat. Shawna - Stand Up Ludacris is well-known for making his club/party tracks, they're his traditional first singles from his album, but this one is probably his best. He's backed by the production skills of Kanye West, who gives us a bouncy beat with some tight drums and claps. The horn loops helps out on the beat making this a real banger, and gives Luda the perfect atmosphere to spit over. Lyrically, Luda is pretty good, as he gives us a look at what goes on at a club by spitting some humorous punchlines about the club scene. This has always been one of my favorite Hip-Hop party/club tracks so it was a perfect choice for me. It's one of the few club tracks that any type of Hip-Hop fan in general would enjoy. To put it simply, it's the quintessential commercial record. "Go on wit ya big ass! Lemme see somethin Tell ya little friend he can quit mean muggin I'm lit and I don't care what no one thinks But where the FUCK is the waitress at wit my drinks?! My people outside and they can't get in We gon' rush the back door and break 'em in The owner already pissed cause we sorta late But our time and our clothes gotta coordinate Most girls lookin right some lookin a mess That's why they spilling drinks all over ya dress But Louie Vuitton bras all over your breasts Got me wanting to put hickies all over ya chest, ahh C'mon! We gon' party tonight Y'all use mouth to mouth, bring the party to life Don't be scared, show another part of your life The more drinks in your system the harder the fight!" Regretting: Johnny Cash - Hurt I'm not gonna waste time and try to compare Cash's cover to the Nine Inch Nails original because neither is better than the other. They are both outstanding songs but this is the one I find more suited for this situation. From Cash's viewpoint, this song tells the story of an old man near the end of his life, regretting his past. He's felt much hurt in his life so he learned not to trust anyone. That paranoia turned him into something he didn't want to be: a monster. At the end of the song, he says if he could turn back time, he wouldn't reject all those people who REALLY tried to help him. That's pretty much how I am, even though I'm only 18. This song really makes me think back and makes me remember all the things that I regret in my life, I really can't think of a better choice. "What have I become? My sweetest friend Everyone I know goes away in the end And you could have it all, my empire of dirt I will let you down, I will make you hurt If I could start again, a million miles away I would keep myself, I would find ... a way" Long Night Alone / Saying goodbye: Masta Ace - Revelations "I started looking at the big picture. When you get to a certain point its like nobody is trying to hear you, so fuck it, why waste your breath?" - Skit from Masta Ace's "A Long Hot Summer" The G.O.A.T. makes an appearance once again, and it's from the same album as before no less! I combined two categories for this one. This is the song that closed Masta Ace's final album, "A Long Hot Summer". He spits over a over a self-produced beat, containing a thumping bass line and melancholy Pink Floyd-like guitar riff. Ace basically spills his guts over the beat, giving us his final thought on his career, thanking his long-time fans for never giving up on him. He expresses his true love for this culture, saying that even though he didn't achieve mainstream popularity and superstardom, he's happy being underground as long as he'3s doing the music he loves so much. He kinda ends his career on a depressing note with the chorus (seen below). I can see this playing as I sit by myself in my room alone in a quiet night, drinking about 30 strawberry margaritas to drown my sorrows, saying goodbye to my Hip-Hop career. A long thought-out decision, but it makes sense, because nobody would care about my retirement anyway. I'd have a few fans but would hardly be remembered. I wouldn't even be a footnote in Hip-Hop’s history book... I wouldn't be in it at all. Hip-Hop was nothing but a waste of time, and this song conveys that feeling. "At times I don't know who I be And when I look in the mirror its like I don't know who I see Am I even moving at all? Cuz I swear I can't tell if my life is improving at all Every time I got a pen in my hand I forget every time before that one has been in my hand And I write for the moment, get it tight how I want it Get the right lawyer on it cuz I might wanna own it I tussle and I fight, I hustle and I write I struggle every night with every muscle in my mic I'm in this rat race trying to eat the cheese But y'all don't know my name like Alicia Keys My face ain't familiar, neither is my music If shit don't soon change I be the one to lose it I drink a little liquor tryin' to heal my nerves Cuz y'all don't listen here and feel my words But something's wrong with y'all, ain't nuttin' wrong with me And happy in my life is what I long to be And happy in my life is what I'm gonna be What you see in me is what I was born to be From the day that my moms first birthed a child She didn't need the world to make it worth the while So I don't need no magazine to reach the pinnacle Screw a review and you can eat the interview Cuz that's what y'all seem to tend to do Them cats you cover all seem identical But through it all I weave like The Parker's hair And shine underground cuz it's darkest there I keep moving along, keep bringin it on And keep singing a song, but y'all ain't listening I keep moving along, keep bringin it on And keep singing a song, but y'all ain't listening I keep moving along, keep bringin it on AAnd keep singing a song, but y'all ain't listening I keep moving along, keep bringin it on And keep singing a song..." Death Scene: Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door This one was also a no contest for me. This is another one of my favorite songs by the wordsmith that's commonly known as Bob Dylan. It was originally written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid". In the movie, the song is about Pat Garrett, an outlaw who is made into a sheriff and ordered to hunt down his old friend Billy the Kid, hence the mentions of a badge and guns. This song is very popular and has been covered in many tempos and styles, by various different artists including, but not limited to, Eric Clapton, The Grateful Dead, Warren Zevon, Wyclef Jean, Avril Lavigne, Bon Jovi, Pink Floyd, and Guns N' Roses, the last of which is probably the most famous cover of this song. Even though I really enjoy all the cover versions (especially the rockin' GNR cover, the very emotional Zevon cover, and the live 13-minute Grateful Dead cover), Bob Dylan's version is the definitive version. Other artists can come along and add something to the original to make it better, but the song will always be Dylan's no matter how good the other artist does it. It was originally recorded as a slow acoustic song, and I think therein lies the genius; the whole simplicity of it contrasts with the simplicity of death. This is probably the song I'm gonna have playing at my funeral when I die, I can't think of a better choice for this category. Instead of just a sample, I'3ve decided to put all the lyrics for this song here, since it's so short. "Mama, take this badge off of me I can't use it anymore It's getting dark, too dark to see I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Mama, put my guns in the ground I can't shoot them anymore That long black cloud is comin' down I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door" Closing Credits: Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts - The Real Folk Blues Another Kanno/Seatbelts song... c'mon, you know I had to do it! The same song that plays on the closing credits of every episode of Cowboy Bebop (except the last) is perfect for the closing credits of my own movie. It's a very bluesy song, backed by guitars, saxophones, the whole nine yards. An absolutely phenomenally depressing but wonderful piece of music, this song goes straight for the throat. The song is voiced by Mai Yamane, whose voice has graced such other works of Yoko Kanno's as "Macross Plus" and "Vision of Escaflowne". The lyrics are VERY well-written, and are sung beautifully by Miss Yamane. There is just so much feeling in this song, and the full weight of this theme would be realized at the end of my movie. It's just so sad and tragic yet so wonderfully beautiful. Dunno how to explain it, you'll just have to hear this one for yourself. Download it or something, but I seriously recommend that you hear this song ASAP. This one is sung in Japanese but I'm posting the English translation (the whole song) instead of the original Japanese lyrics. To read the Japanese lyrics side by side with the English translation, go here: http://rfblues.aaanime.net/Seatbelts/v1.htm "Too much time has passed by To lament that we were deeply in love The wind keeps blowing, while my heart cannot heal all the tears in it Watching tomorrow with one eye while keeping the other on yesterday If only I could peacefully sleep in the cradle of your love, again Someone, cry for me with parched eyes The real folk blues I only want to know what true sadness is Sitting in muddy water isn't such a bad life if it ends after the first time Despair filled with hope and this chance with a trap set What's right or wrong? It's like two sides of a coin How long must I live till I'm healed? The real folk blues I only want to know true happiness is All that glitters is not gold The real folk blues I only want to know what true sadness is Sitting in muddy water isn't such a bad life if it ends after the first time" And so ends my soundtrack to my movie. I hope you enjoyed reading it despite its long length, I know I enjoyed writing it. Peace

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