My Songprint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mR8Z-gmK1g

"Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes is a very fitting song, as I am just now entering college and beginning to think about what I want my life to be.  Just like the narrator in the song, I can't decide what I want to do--should I find a realistic job and assimilate into society or should I do something more unconventional?  He sings, "If I know only one thing, it's that everything that I see/Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak/What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?"  The endless possibilities are sometimes overwhelming, and even though I don't have a solid plan, I am eager to start figuring things out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1wfvcF3D6w

 Even though the song "If She Wants Me" by Belle and Sebastian refers to specific instances in the singer's life, it is vague enough that I think the song really represents what I want out of life.  To me, the song is about having meaningful relationships and being there for friends and family.  He says, "If I could do just one near perfect thing I'd be happy...  On second thought I'd rather hang around and be there for my best friend if she wants me."  I don't know what I want to do with my life, but I do know that wherever I go I want to make good friends along the way.  Also, this song means a lot to me because it reminds me of my sister who also happens to be my best friend.  She is older than me so we don't live together, but our relationship is the most important one in my life and this song always makes me think of her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZukYCIcQy0

This song, "Some Might Say" by Oasis, describes how I feel about my hometown.  I am an atheist and a vegan and most of my family members are christian and meat-eaters.  This leads to some pretty interesting discussions but can also be really tiring when people regularly comment on or criticize your lifestyle.  The general message of this song is that you shouldn't tell others what to think, and that in general people should try harder to understand each other.  I'm from Missouri which is a pretty conservative area and I always felt like people judged me for my lifestyle.  Perhaps this song might not be as meaningful to someone who hasn't had to defend their beliefs so much, but because of my experiences and internal context, I really appreciate the message this song sends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ1KkorXdBY

I consider myself a feminist so I am into the whole grrrl riot music scene, which Sleater-Kinney is a big part of.  When taken literally, this song does not describe me at all but it does when you know the song is sarcastic and satirical.  So, the frame in which you hear the song is especially important to getting the message.  I think this song identifies and criticizes the way society expects women to be or act (materialistic, thin, cheerful, etc).  "Modern Girl" and Sleater-Kinney's views on sexism in today's society are really similar to my own.  In the past couple of years I have tried to explore what it means to be a teenage girl in American society and also what it means to defy some of those standards.  Listening to feminist music has helped me do this by opening me up to new ideas.