You Were Right Here All Along

Hello. I'm still here, faithful readers. The past few months have been, well the past few months. And I bet if you asked the artist who is the subject of this post, he'd say something similar. But for different reasons.

Justin Timberlake. Oh the places you have been since we had the same haircut in 2000. The highly anticipated The 20/20 Experience or OMGNEWJTALBUM has finally dropped and everyone has something to say about it. Even if that something is that the person doesn't care. If that's you, as Mary J said, no, this ain't for you. I am one of those who was counting down the days until the new album dropped and The 20/20 Experience and I have been on quite a ride in only a few short weeks. Justin Timberlake and I have been together a lot longer than that.

I am definitely a member of the *NSYNC generation and proud of it. I remember getting the first *NSYNC CD for Christmas in roughly the 5th or 6th grade. I also got an orange Denver Broncos t-shirt that I wore basically every day while listening to that CD. The liner notes pages came apart, the jewel case is broken, and the CD is scratched beyond repair. I'm a member of the *NSYNC generation and I feel like JT and I grew up side by side. And we really did have an identical haircut in 2000. I remember hoping someone would ask me to dance during "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You" at the 6th grade dance. I remember listening to "Cry Me A River" on the JV basketball bus on my discman. I remember watching the HBO special for Future Sex/Love Sounds and thinking "Ok, JT, go'head. You're a grown up now!" And I remember when he all of a sudden became basically a cast member on SNL. I tell you this because, like any other kid from the *NSYNC generation, I feel uniquely qualified to talk about how I feel about the new record. Just like everyone else.

You know what? The day the album came out, I listened to it all day at work on Spotify and I wasn't feeling it. I found myself doing that thing where you skip to the singles because the rest of the record is boring you. I thought "Really JT? All that hype? The Bud Light commercials and everything? This is it?" I was warned by one of my bosses that NPR basically called it a snooze, citing the tracks as being too lengthy and the album being boring overall. And I felt that on the first day too. The quality of this album didn't hit me until I bought the actual CD (at Target for only $9.99, what is the world coming to?) Listening to an album for the first time in a car is generally how I best absorb the work and it happened with The 20/20 Experience. "Pusher Love Girl" opens it in such a suave way and "Strawberry Bubblegum" feels like a b-side from Justified. Obviously "Suit & Tie" was a hit, even with that unnecessary name-dropping verse from Jay-Z. But the real gem on this record is "Mirrors," without a doubt.

"Mirrors" is the stand out track. A lot of reviews you'll read compare it to the sounds of Future Sex/Love Sounds, mainly because it's produced by Timbaland but clearly those reviewers don't know that Timbaland worked on every track on the record. I agree with the comparison to a degree but I don't think it sounds like a lost track from Future Sex/Love Sounds. I think it sounds more like a track from that record grew up. "Mirrors" sounds like the love song by the man someone wanted to become since they were a little boy. I haven't heard any interview from JT saying explicitly that this track is about his new bride, but that's the assumption I'm going to make. The lyrics are most definitely show a more mature Justin. He's not comparing a woman to take out food in this one. He's not asking someone "Would you be my girlfriend?"  He definitely goes with the theme of a mirror in the song but lyrics like "The vacancy that sat in my heart is the space that now you hold" and "I can't ever change without you" speak to a love that's grown and much less shallow than a lot of pop songs. It's a love that's a partnership instead of infatuation. Even the beats on the track are more mature. They are reminiscent of his past, but they show that JT took what he knew and continued to grow. And not to mention, it's catchy as hell. It's the flu. I still have this track on repeat.

Ultimately, because of "Mirrors," I'm proud of little Justin Timberlake. He's come a long way on his pop music journey and got a lot of shade thrown his way for taking such a long time off between records. But really? He's been here all along, just growing into a man. And for those keeping track, the rumors are true: there will be a part 2 to the record released in the fall. But I truly believe he won't top "Mirrors" on it. I'll go all the way out and say this is best absolute best work to date. Well...maybe "Dick in a Box" but definitely #2.

New Things to Come

My dear readers,

There's new things to come! I've heard a lot of great music lately and I'm cooking up some post ideas. Have you heard anything amazing lately? Any songs you're completely tired of and wish the radio would ban from the airwaves ::cough Shine Bright Like A Diamond cough:: I'd love to hear from you, but you'll definitely be hearing from me soon.

The Top 10 Post #1 or For You I'd Wait, Til Kingdom Come

Recently I've been devoid of inspiration for this blog. I then decided to come up with my Top 10 Favorite Songs of All Time List. Like that would be easier...

I was able to narrow the list down to 30 and then after many hours of switching and adding, 10. The list isn't in order other than #1 and let's be honest, it'll probably change every year from now for forever. But as it stands right now, this is it. For you purists out there, I have not included any covers, live or acoustic versions, only original recordings. It was fun and a little stressful to create the list and it unexpectedly brought me down memory lane(s.) I'm excited to share what each of these songs mean to me with all of you, so let's get started.

My first song is from a band that I'd consider one of my all time favorites. One of the things that made me a little nervous about discussing my all time favorite songs was the thought of putting into words what the artists  who created those songs mean to me. My first thought is that it will go on for pages and pages. The next thought that I had was that I'd never be able to do them justice. I then realized that I'm not writing for a magazine, just for a few loyal readers who probably already know me. And if you do, you already know how I feel about this band. Talking about this band and song is likely to get all sentimental. You've been warned.

The band is Coldplay and the song is "Til Kingdom Come." I don't feel like I need to go into depth regarding the history of Coldplay as they are now one of the world's most recognizable acts. In short, since 1996, Coldplay has existed in some form or fashion. In their run so far they've won 7 BRIT awards, 7 Grammy's out of 20 nominations, probably a lot of other awards, and toured worldwide 5 times to go with their 5 studio albums. They are one of music's top selling acts and for some reason, to me, they still feel like an unknown band made personally for me. That's how much I connect with them. If you ask heroes of mine like Chuck Klosterman, Coldplay is everything that's wrong with today's pop music if not, the world, and they are the reason that women have an unrealistic view of love and relationships. Shut up. I don't care.

This particular song is a bonus track on 2005's X&Y. This song was originally to be recorded by Coldplay and Johnny Cash, but he sadly passed away before he was scheduled to record it. If you ever hear the band do this song live, they'll say "This is for Johnny Cash," and when they performed it on Austin City Limits, they  transitioned it into Cash's "Ring of Fire." On this particular album, the band started experimenting with more electronics in their sound, straying somewhat from the heavy piano fans were used to. They were even criticized for borrowing a hook from Kraftwerk. That's how they were feeling when recording X&Y. Real electronic and real German, but I dig it. Critical response to this album is varied and it got a bad rap from some because it wasn't the same as A Rush of Blood to the Head, but it shouldn't have been. This bonus track is the only one on the record that isn't electronically influenced. It's very basic, simple and clean in sound and lyric. I'd venture to say that it's my favorite Coldplay album and it has a lot to do with where I was at in my life when it came out and a lot to do with "Til Kingdom Come."

This song made the top 10 for 2 reasons.

1. This song was favorite part my first Coldplay concert. I saw Coldplay (and Rilo Kiley,) in September 2005 with my oldest sister at the Nissan Pavilion  We drove up, saw the show and drove back the same night. I had just been hired as a Student Ambassador (tour guide,) and had little to no voice for our Open House the next morning. Worth.it. We got there early enough to make it to the front row. My first front row concert ever. If you've ever been to this venue, you know that the stage is set at the bottom of a very large hill and the entrance is on the other side of that hill. So when we entered, we basically had to run around the circumference of the hill to get in on time to be in the front row. Again, worth.it. At this tour, the band did this thing where each member took pictures backstage with a disposable camera and then the cameras get brought on stage halfway through the show. They take pictures of the crowd and then throw them out. I GOT ONE OF THE CAMERAS (much to the chagrin of the girl I kind of jumped in front of to catch it.) So not only do I have amazing memories from this show, I have pictures of myself in the crowd. That is unique.

That's me in the "ONE" shirt. Yes, me, With that jawline, all skinny. My sister is next to me in the gray shirt and face full of enthusiasm. The pictures I took with the remaining film were from when the band came to the front of the stage and acoustically performed "Til Kingdom Come." I can honestly say that moment is one of the happiest of my entire life and it will continue to be forever. Live music does something to people that is hard enough to explain but with the right companion, the right time of year, the right band, the right spot in the crowd it was perfect.And "Til Kingdom Come" was the soundtrack to that moment. Absolutely perfect.

2. The second reason is a little more personal if that's possible. The second reason it's on my favorites list is because this is the song I relate to the feeling of being in love. Without going into unnecessary detail here, I was in a very gooey in-love time of my life when this album came out and "Til Kingdom Come" helps me remember what that's like. While that relationship ended long ago and others have come and gone in it's place since then, this song remains. The message is so simple and I think that's what love is supposed to be like. Movies, TV, songs and bitter friends tell us that love is complicated, it's not a fairy tale, it's hard work, etc. And parts of that may be true. But at the heart of the matter in my opinion, love is about finding someone that you care for more than yourself, that helps you be the best you, and that you'd wait forever for. For you I'd wait/ til kingdom come/ until my days/ my days are done/ say you'll come/ and set me free/ just say you'll wait/ you'll wait for me. Someone that makes you feel like the bullshit was worth it, because you've found where you're supposed to be. Call me a romantic, I don't care. This is what it felt like for me and it will again someday. That person wasn't right, but that right person does exist. And when that happens, I'll know that I'd waited for the right thing and if I had to keep waiting, I would, because the right things are worth waiting.

I think the real reason I love this song is because deep down, I'm the sappiest romantic ever. And if you know me well, this should be no shock. I have a thing for the impossible love story, I get all weepy when I see elderly couples holding hands, I think penguins mate for life, and that there is someone waiting for me (probably not with baited breath, but figuratively waiting for me.) This song is all of that for me and holds a special place in my heart and on this list.

Don't Give Up, You've Got A Reason To Live

There have been a lot of tough things going on in life around here lately. In light of that, I wanted to choose a song to write about today that truly puts me in a great mood no matter what. So here it is:

"You Get What You Give" by New Radicals is the song for today. This is one of my favorite songs. It's probably in the top 5 list of my favorite songs of all time. While "Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" is my favorite New Radicals song, "You Get What You Give" tops it on the favorite songs ever list. I'm strange...

This song received HUGE amounts of airtime on American radio in it's release year of 1998, but it only made it to #36 on Billboard. On VH1's Top 100 Song of the 90s it only made #90 (further proving my ever-repeated point that this list is one of the most flawed I've ever seen and it makes me sick.) It was recently performed on the hit TV series "Glee." You might have heard of it. I hear it's big with the kids.

New Radicals was a strange band. Not in content or performance as much as the way things played out for them. Using the word "them" is also a stretch because New Radicals had something of a revolving door policy. Lead singer and songwriter Gregg Alexander was the only constant in the band's short history. All other "members" circulated in and out through recording sessions and tours. Alexander wrote all the music and lyrics so the other band members were essentially hired help. On their first and only album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, session musicians sat in on all the recording with Alexander instead of the band members that he originally chose.

"You Get What You Give" was an international hit, kind of to the chagrin of Alexander. With any act that has a breakout hit, the traveling and fame came quickly and Alexander was not about that life. Not at all. The group played live radio shows, fairs, festivals and opened for the Goo Goo Dolls for little while. Did the late night talk show circuit and a NYE show on TV. Right before a European tour, in the period of time where Alexander started wearing a ridiculous Gilligan hat while performing to hide his lack of enthusiasm, he announced that New Radicals would no longer be performing, recording or making music of any kind. He was over the short period of fame he'd experienced. Over it. And the band's short run was over just like that. Right before the break up, they'd shot the video for their second single "Someday We'll Know," but the single never got released, leaving the band in a technical "one hit wonder" place. As much as that makes me cringe. A few years later, Alexander won a Grammy for writing Santana and Michelle Branch's "Game of Love" and "Someday We'll Know" was covered by Mandy Moore and the guy from Switchfoot for the film version of  "A Walk to Remember."

Why do I like "You Get What You Give" so much? Isn't it just a feel good 90s radio hit? This song means a lot more to me. FYI, I was 11 when this song came out. In 6th grade I think? Whatever, the point is I was a kid. And I was already starting to figure out that life is kinda shitty for a lot of people for no good reason. A good friend of mine died in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver in her family's car 2 years previous to this when I was in 4th grade. That's the first time I've ever experienced death. And unfortunately the feeling of friends dying has been way way too present in my life since then. This song kinda helped me make some command life decisions at the tender age of 11. Life is short and can be shitty when left to let others hold the control. Or even when we hold control of it too tightly. I remember sitting in first period history or social studies class in 6th grade one day after having heard this song on Channel 1 in the morning (and on the radio at home before catching the bus.) I remember sitting there listening to it and distinctly thinking "This is what I need to live like if I get to grow up." Not when I grow up, but if I get to. I was keenly aware that my life wasn't a guarantee. So the lines wake up kids/we got the dreamer's disease meant more to me than Alexander probably thought. I wanted to live a life like that song, where you're flat broke but you do it in style and you've got close friends that you laugh til you cry with. I took don't give up/you've got a reason to live to heart, maybe a little too much for a 6th grader. I had to listen to that song to remind me that if/when I got older, I could make life an adventure. I was going to have a life worth remembering and telling stories about. One that if I looked back on, would feel like the youth, imagination, wonder, small rebellion and adventure of this song. And ya know, when you're in 6th grade, a song that says "we'll kick your ass in" makes you feel like the absolute coolest.

So this past week has been a reminder of my friends who've passed and it brings the events back up in a way that is hard to describe. But I heard this song randomly on my iPod in the car a couple days ago and it overwhelmed me, I almost had to pull over. It reminded me of those friends and it reminded me of a promise I made to 6th grade Sammi. Awkward, way too long of hair, chunky, has-a-crush-on-every -boy, Sammi. Your life is going to be an adventure. When you get to a cooler age (I guess 25 is cooler than 11,) you're going to live a life worth telling stories about. You're going to experience everything possible and do things no one thinks you can. Because it's not a guarantee. I think I lost a bit of that adventurous spirit lately and this was the reminder I needed.

I will wait, I will wait for you

Until the recent release of today's subject song, I was popping around a few ideas in my head. First it was going to be "Roses" by OutKast because my sister posted it on Tumblr the other day and I remember it as being, as they say, my jam. I still might do it at a later time. The other was going to be the Jerry Douglas cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" featuring Mumford and Sons. It's shown up on Spotify a few times while I've been working late and it just makes my soul feel good. Mumford and Sons makes my soul feel good in general so it made sense. And then, as if on purpose, the band released the first single from their new, highly anticipated sophomore album. So we're going to talk about Mumford and Sons.

In case you aren't familiar with Mumford and Sons, a quick background: 4 piece folk-ish/sort of/rock band from England. Fronted by Marcus Mumford, none of the members are his sons. The band had something of a cult following with EPs released in 2008 and 2009 and released their breakout album Sigh No More, which won some Billboard Awards, BRIT awards, and an ARIA as well as being nominated for 6 Grammy's 2 years after it's release. They toured really aggressively since that release (including some interesting stops involving railroads.) They are now quite a big deal.

I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what it is I love so much about Mumford and Sons. I can't begin to explain their popularity among the masses. I've never been able to figure that out articulately for any musician, so I'll stick with me.

1. This band's sound reminds me so much of the music of the mountains from back home. There's nothing that just sweeps me home like fiddles, banjos and harmony. It's rumored that a large inspiration for the folksy sound of Mumford and Sons came from Marcus watching the 2000 film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. In case you aren't up to date in your Southwest Virginia trivia, the band that played the majority of that film's music is from Rocky Mount, Virginia, a hop, skip, and a jump from where I grew up. The sound and nostalgia it brings is one reason for my love.
2. I appreciate interesting instrumentation. It has probably been some time since a band nominated for Grammy's in the rock category regularly played banjo, fiddles, a Dobro and a stand up bass. If that's ever happened before... Still, it's interesting, it's unique and as I've expressed before in this forum, originality in music these days gets my attention every time.
3. The lyrics are full of longing, are forlorn and still possess hope and optimism. It's strange and comforting the way it all comes together.
4. Marcus Mumford is a fox.
5. I'm a voice person. There's something in Marcus Mumford's lead vocals that send chills up my spine. Being able to convey anger and soft vulnerability with a little gravel in a big voice all at once is an impressive accomplishment to me. Being able to produce the same sound live is an even bigger accomplishment. I stay impressed.

Now that we know a little of my Mumford and Sons obsession, let's look at "I Will Wait." This is the first single from the band's second album, Babel, which is set to drop on September 24th of this year. It's definitely a Mumford and Sons song, there's no mistaking that in the first 10 seconds or so. The strings hit you in the face, right from the beginning. I wouldn't say the instrumentation or general sound is all that different or altered from Sigh No More, but it is just a single. The entire album could go any which-a way.  I noticed and as many friends of mine have mentioned to me, this single seems a little more upbeat/peppy than what we remember from Sigh No More. And I'll agree with that to a degree. The first few listens really give that more sunshiney feel but the lyrics are still forlorn and a little sad. But there's hope there. It's as Rolling Stone described it, "road-weary," talking about falling heavy into your arms and days of dust. The chorus really brings the hope, repeating over and over I will wait/I will wait for you. I'd sing a long to it. With a group of 20 friends in a pub somewhere. All of us thinking about being tired and beaten down and willing to wait for that one person, the one who will make the weary travel worth it. That person or thing or idea that will take the burden off and be there for any other difficult journeys ahead.

I like "I Will Wait." I don't think I love it. It's singable and has definitely given me that hit of Mumford and Sons that I've been waiting for. But I think Babel has more for us. Mumford fans like myself have been waiting for this new album for a long time and it can't come soon enough. I want to see what other surprises they have up the sleeve on their ratty Henley shirt.

the smoke is rising and we know why

For some reason I feel like finding new music isn't as easy as it used to be. I know that doesn't seem quite right, what with the internetz and all, but I think there is SO MUCH information out there that real gems get lost in the shuffle. They get lost in that recently dropped Pitbull/Flo-Rida/Gym Class Heroes whatever. There is,however, one way to find new music that is my personal favorite: the random Twitter follow. In recent months, I'll check my Twitter connections to find a random band or artist, usually located NOWHERE near small town South Carolina, has started following me. I think "Cool! They must understand my vast musical knowledge and be in awe of my pop culture prowess! The appreciator is appreciated! Time to get that resume to Rolling Stone because I have arrived!" Except I only really ever tweet about being hungry or tired...Anyway, this happens to me every few weeks and I find some low quality music, some spam accounts, and then, a gem.

Carson Henley (or one of his dedicated people or roadies or  his mom or something) started following me on Twitter and in gratitude I gave his stuff the old college try. I think I listened to "Never Coming Home," off of Green Eyed Soul about 1000 times (the catchiness will overcome you, I promise.) I was hooked. If you haven't heard of him (yet), Carson Henley is an independent musician out of Seattle, Washington and I'm pretty late in the game in "discovering" him. I'm not just in love with his rugged good looks or in awe that a man exists with the exact.same.hair.I.have. Really, it's because he's got the chops. He comes from a musical family and it seems like he was born to be that rare musician that writes songs and play instruments and sings. Really sings. Sans auto-tune. I know, my heart stopped too.

His latest release is quite possibly one of the coolest projects I've ever heard of. It definitely made him "stand out in a massive crowd of musicians," to use Henley's words. It's called the 100 Hours Project and here's the concept. Henley wanted to write/record/produce the entirety of his new album in 100 waking hours only. Get locked up in a room, write the songs, record all parts of the songs, get them mixed and the record is born. Those unfamiliar with the recording process (and let's not get crazy, I am no Brian Eno so don't take this for gospel) it takes a long time, with songs that were written over months or years with 100s of hours logged in the studio perfecting the sound. Or editing the ever loving hell out of the sound. Or sweetening the vocals. This record did all that (minus the last two bits,) in 100 hours. It's called 100 Hours. See what he did there? There's a trailer for the project on his YouTube channel if you're further interested in the concept.

This blog is about songs, right? So the first single is called "Fire." I'm not certain that it's my favorite on this record, but that's not because I don't like it. It's because all 7 songs compete for that top spot. Not a bad problem to have, right? It's a classic tale of a damn teasin' woman. She's got the singer all worked up, giving off all this heat in the early part of a relationship only to peace out. He doesn't sound forlorn or whiney at all considering the subject matter. It's more of a  "Listen woman, you get back here and finish this thing." Or in his more eloquent wording The smoke is rising/and we know why/so why how you running/when you're the one that started this fire.  The song starts sexy. It stays sexy throughout. It ends sexy. It's got that bluesy, Memphis thing going for it that was lost in the youth of our parents.Elvis would dig it. The music is good. The music video is cute. The instrumentation is good. You wouldn't know it only took 100 hours to achieve this sound unless I just told you.

However, I think the real star here is Henley's voice. The quality in his voice is excellent and a true rarity in pop music today. Even loves of my life like Katy Perry are at best, mediocre singers with a ton of help from auto-tune and vocal sweetening. And somehow, that's acceptable to us. As a professional appreciator, I want more. I need more than the exact same singer doing the hook on every single hip-hop release. But this guy, has got a fucking voice. I'd compare it to Ray LaMontagne without the sadness and with a little less gravel than a young Joe Cocker. It's smoother than that. What I'd really compare it to is a cup of unaltered coffee. No sugar, no candy flavored creamer, and certainly no Splenda. His voice is robust and full. Flavorful without being watered down or changed to fit weak taste buds. It's hot and satisfying. It really shines on this track and this record. While the 100 Hours project is cool, that voice is what really sets him apart from the massive crowd of musicians out there.

Give 100 Hours a listen. Buy it on iTunes and have it playing in the background when you invite a girl up to your apartment. Blare it in your car. Crank it up when you're cleaning the house. Enjoy that cup of Seattle's best. I'd put my money on Carson Henley being a household name sooner rather than later.

Vienna waits for you

With a little inspiration from a Facebook solicitation, I've chosen the first song for the blog. Today I'm taking a deeper look at "Vienna" by Billy Joel. I've listened to this song roughly 100 times in preparation for this post and I think I've pulled something different out each time. Here goes!

"Vienna" is a deep track from Joel's breakout album The Stranger released in 1977. Notable appearances of this song include an episode of Taxi called "Vienna Waits," the Film 13 Going On 30 and a recent rendition performed on American Idol. As a B-side track, this song might not catch your attention while skipping through The Stranger, (mind you, I think skipping through this album would be a crime. It's such a gem,) which is interesting because Joel cites it as one of two of his favorite songs in his catalog. It opens with subtle piano and doesn't really get going for the first 20 seconds, leaving the average listener waiting and waiting. The melody doesn't get all that much more interesting, save for the instrumental break after the second chorus (roughly 2 minutes in.) The story of the song is one of stopping to smell the roses, telling you to slow down, you crazy child. Don't kill yourself trying to live. I would also argue that this song includes some of Joel's more moving vocals.

It's told that on a box set somewhere in Joel's past he tells the story of how "Vienna" came to be. When he was a child, Joel's parents split up and his father moved to Vienna. Joel and his father didn't speak for some time until Joel traveled to Vienna to visit him. On this visit, Joel says, he and his father were eating outside and noticed an elderly woman sweeping garbage in the street. Joel commented that is was disrespectful and wrong for a woman her age to be doing manual labor. His father took the opposing opinion, saying that in America, we often put the elderly out to pasture and treat them as if they are incapable of living a "normal" life. His father says that the woman is happy, because she's working and feels valued and useful. The idea behind "Vienna" is supposed to be that in America we want all of life so quickly, in our youngest of years because we fear old age won't have the same opportunities to live the way we want or to accomplish everything. But what he urges the subject of the song to do is wait, slow down, and realize that all of life doesn't have to be lived in a blur, that Vienna is waiting for them.

I can pull two significant things from this song.

The first is the relate-ability of the lyric. I think everyone has been at some point in their life where they felt rushed and needed a gentle reminder to stop and take life in. Being a member of the "millennial" generation (as much as that term makes me want to hurl,) I feel particularly connected to a message of slow the hell down. There are definite pressures placed on 20 somethings (either internal or external) to accomplish. Go to college and while at college get involved in every possible extracurricular activity and get straight A's, get a master's/law degree/medical degree, get a high paying job with good benefits, pay off student loans quicker than 10 years, advance in that job/company/field quicker than is typically expected, get married, have children, get a PhD,  send those children to the best and most expensive schools, and so on and so forth. I feel my heartstrings pulled particularly tight at lines like "slow down, you're doing fine," "though you can say when you're wrong/you can't always see when you're right" or "slow down you crazy child/and take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while/it's alright you can afford to lose a day or two." I'm not arguing that there's no value in ambition or that a slack life is the key to happiness. I just feel like Joel is right in saying that you can't be everything you want to be before your time. Life is short, but that doesn't mean we need to pack 80 years of living in by 25 years old. Vienna is waiting.

The second thing that I notice is the message Joel is sending. He seems so adamant, urging the subject to just see what he sees and take the advice to pump the brakes. I think he isn't singing to a friend, lover, child or mentee. I really think "Vienna" is a message to himself. The way he's quick to give a compliment but then say slow down, you're not going to accomplish everything now, "where's the fire, what's the hurry about." I think he's trying to convince himself that Vienna is out there waiting, no matter how much his brain is saying "go go go!" He's reassuring himself that he's doing fine and needs to realize he's got a long way to go. That's a message I think is relate-able as well.

I think it's worth a listen (or a re-listen if you haven't heard it in a while.) I know a lot of people that will just sigh when they hear this song because they constantly need the reminder to take life as it comes and enjoy their youth. Burnout is a very real thing in many parts of life and even more so now in such a fast-paced society. There are a lot of songs out there imploring the listener to wait, slow down, hit pause, smell the roses, breathe in the moment, cliche, cliche. I think the difference here is the message isn't "life is short and will end any minute." The message is the golden years of your life, should you make it there, aren't worthless. There is plenty to enjoy after being in your 20s, no matter what is portrayed to you on television. The idea that high school or college are the best years of your life doesn't have to be true. You can have the best years of your life whenever you choose. Life is good, life is sweet, life is enjoyable and has as much purpose as you give it, no matter your age. Work hard, but enjoy your youth, and realize that Vienna waits for you.