A Bed of Songs & Stories

"23" - Jimmy Eat World So, I'm definitely breaking my own rules, but I can't help it. I'm on a Jimmy fix and it's too addicting to ignore. I saw them live on Tuesday night and for the first time, I intentionally forgot my camera. And guess what? They were right above me, right there that I swear if I tried to squeeze through, I could've made it to the edge of the stage and touched Jimmy's feet. It was an intimate crowd inside the Fox Theater. It almost felt like I just happened to stroll by unexpectedly only to find a band that would hold my heart forever...They played oldies, but goodies that took me back to another time when things were different; when I was different. This song was the first song of their encore performance and it filled me with so much hope, but left me empty inside. Later, in an effort to fill this void, I searched for my sketch book with the infamous red dragon and remembered an entry I wrote about my accomplishments (and a few f...

"Stay" - Lisa Loeb I've missed this song. It will always remind me of cruisin' around in a Ford Probe through the Rose Bowl. I couldn't drive stick then and I barely can drive it now. I guess I'll never learn. I'm better with an automatic, but it's funny how I still leave my hand over the transmission as if I'm getting ready to shift. It makes me feel like a bad ass to think that I'd have that much control, but nowadays my semi-automatic usually kicks into gear as if saying, "No, no, no you still don't know." Sigh... I guess driving stick is a lot like falling in love. I think I got the hang of things and have at many times in my life, succeeded in getting at least half-way down the road without it stalling on me or worst, having it make that horrific scratching noise it makes when I put it in the wrong gear. And then sadly, it eventually dies and I'm sitting behind the steering wheel feeling like a complete failure because I...

"Last Words" - The Real Tuesday Weld I'm late as always, but I had to...I had to make sure that I wrote about a song especially for today...of all days, a Tuesday no less. Things are so unplanned, so unexpected, so happy, so sad. And I know I'll go back to this post and edit as I always do. But again for now (for the first time in almost a month), I'm listening to this song. A song that made me feel so full of euphoria is draining the very essence of me...This song is absolutely, preciously PERFECT. My ellipsis to you. Lyrics: Over Elgin Avenue A helium balloon Disappears into the sky You give some money To a junky Watch as the sunny day drifts by I’ll tell you why You said loved me And I kind of believe that These days who knows What it means? So we sat by the launderette With magazines and cigarettes Talked about a million Other things These are The last words I’ll say To you These are The last words I’ll say To you I never saw the world look the way The city lo...

"The One I Gave My Heart To" - Aaliyah For the first time in over 3 weeks, I stayed home and didn't mind it one bit. I popped in Sliding Doors , heated up a plate of my daddy's spaghetti (my fav dish), and let myself get lost in the moment of "me time." "Everything happens for the best. You'll never know if you don't try." - James (John Hannah) Lyrics: How Could The One I Gave My Heart To, Break My Heart So Bad? How Could The One Who Made Me Happy, Make Me Feel So Sad? Won't Somebody Tell Me? So I Can Understand. If You Love Me, How Could You Hurt Me Like That? How Could The One I Gave My World To, Throw My World Away? How Could The One Who Said I Love You, Say The Things You Say? How Could The One I Was So True To, Just Tell Me Lies? How Could The One I Gave My Heart To, Break This Heart Of Mine? Tell Me... How Could You Be So Cold To Me? When I Gave You Everything. All My Love, All I Had Inside. How Could you Just Walk Out The Door? ...

"Who Can I Run To" - Xscape I'm pressed for time, but want to stay committed to you dear Blog. So, I'll add a little something to this a little later. I can rush through a lot of things in life, but not this. While others sleep and the quiet of this hectic day settles in, I'll come back to you and fill this page with more than just a song. 10 hours later...just before midnight. Hello again. I had an 80's flashback a week ago and now it's all about the 90's. Either way I'm reminiscing about the past. I guess now it's time to unwind. So, here's my story with this song. Back in the day, this used to be on repeat. I'd just sit on my bed because I had no cell phone (not even a pager!), no car, no license, and really nowhere to go. All I had were a few cds, a pen and paper. And all I'd do was doodle. I'd write little quotes like, "Love, peace, and happiness" and "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." I'd s...

"End of the Road" - Boyz II Men So many songs, too little time. This music reminds me of lost love. Something all too familiar to me, but hard to pinpoint one in particular since I've had my fair share...unfortunately. I've liked Boyz II Men since they first popped up back in the early 90's. I feel so old as I write this, but thinking back now I know I just grew up too fast. I was always a step ahead of my years, trying to take on too much responsibility outside of being an ordinary kid. I remember doing the laundry for the first time the summer before junior-high started and taking the clothes out too soon (before the last rinse/spin cycle). The load was so heavy it almost broke the dryer! Yet I was so proud of myself for taking the initiative to clean my own clothes (even if I did it all wrong). I know I'm just rambling, but this explains who I am today. I'm ok with taking on more than I can handle. I usually mess up the first time around, but even throu...

"Givin' Him Somethin' He Can Feel" - En Vogue Of all the songs I remember most, this by far is my favorite. It lets me know that as "powerful" as men may think they can be, the true sensual power of a woman can throw them off their game just as quickly as they tried to play 'em. En Vogue's music video said it all. Check it out: Dressed in sexy red dresses and long, black gloves, four sultry ladies take the stage to perform for an overly-heated male audience. They don't strip, they barely lose a glove! But yet their "tease" drive the men crazy as they squirm in their seats, drinking ice-cold water, loosening their ties, unbuttoning their top collar and even hiding their damn rings! I know that as opinionated as I am, this may come off as surprising that I don't consider this slutty. Why is this ok when technically it shows women as the "eye candy?" Well, it's all in the packaging and presentation. Yes, the women may b...

"Listen" - Charice Pempengco Wow, I can't believe I found this on Playlist. It's not the best recording, but it's the only one up so far of Charice Pempengco's live performance of Listen , originally performed by Beyonce in the movie Dream Girls . She sang this as she guest-starred as Sunshine Corazon on Glee which premiered on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. I was planning to watch the very first episode of Season 2, but life got in the way and it slipped my mind (as things often do when it comes to me). Thankfully, we have the lovely Internet and beautiful fans on Facebook that didn't let this clip go to waste. Watch it while you still can at http://www.worldcorrespondents.com/charice-pempengco-on-glee-season-2-video-of-her-performance/8811574 and if it's no longer there, find it! No excuses! Even if I'm late I had to represent by writing about one of the many great Filipina singers who did what very few have done thus far: break through the Ameri...

"Breathe" - Taylor Swift & Colbie Caillat Ah, good ol' country music you sure know how to hit the spot for me when it comes to times like these. This is one of those songs that I could only listen to while driving alone through the hills of Elysian Park, where crying in the car is safely hidden behind trees and secret roads to nowhere. It's calm and mostly quiet and on a day like today, absolutely beautiful. So I drove on. When I came across a bump in the road, I didn't get out of the car. I didn't turn around and say, "Forget it, it's too hard to maneuver around." I pushed forward. Bump after bump, there I was driving over it because that is what I know how to do. I don't quit because it's difficult. I continued because I wanted to get somewhere; because it was worth it to get there. And now that there are little bumps, bumps I know I can handle, bumps that don't compare to the tire-popping, pot-holes of the past, now...now the r...

"Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac It's almost 1AM. I had a secret to share and didn't really know how to tell it and who to tell it to. My mom was tired and my older sister had her hands full. I was a little hesitant to talk to my baby sis for fear that she'd interrupt me, judge me, or even walk away because she didn't want to hear it. But I just can't keep anything from my sisters. They'll tell each other anyway and if neither one knew, they'd eventually see right through me and figure my soul out as they do so well. I don't even have to finish my sentences when I talk to them. They know every detail of my life and have dibs to my thoughts even before I do. I shake my head as I write this because it amazes me just how much they know. They sure have their ways. I decided that regardless of how I'd be perceived that I'm just going to go ahead and talk it all out and in the end, I had a great conversation with my baby sis. We laughed so hard we...

"In My Head" - Anna Nalick I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to jot this down before it leaves my head. I woke up early this morning with a heavy heart and hurried to my phone thinking that maybe I dreamt it all and a "Good Morning" text would be waiting for me. Ugh...but I texted anyway and received a sweet text in response. I know it makes it harder, but I needed the reassurance that I wasn't the sole reason for saying goodbye and then I went back to sleep. An hour and a half later, I woke up again. This time with a headache. I had another infamous nightmare of him with a potential someone, this being the real reason for walking away. It hurt like hell. It still hurts. Why does my head do this to me?! Nightmare: I was wondering when I'd hear from him, but heard nothing yet again. He didn't have a ride home so naturally, I got worried. I checked to see if he was already home (home being a two-story house - I should've made the connection...

"The Climb" - Miley Cyrus A day after. A decision made. Turning the page... I really didn't have much on my mind when it came to music, but I knew that a love song just wouldn't cut it. I know I wrote that I don't like writing about a song from the same artist so close together, but at this point it's about choosing something that fits where I'm at right at this very moment. These lyrics fit and it's definitely not a love song. Dear Blog, tell me what to do from here? Tell me how to give up because there's no other choice I can make with this. Tell me how to let go, walk away, move on, step forward, and have faith. Give me an easy-to-follow "How To" manual; some sense of direction because I'm definitely lost. The funny thing is that I'm no longer mad. I'm exhaustingly sad and know there will be days and nights ahead that will f@*k with my emotions. I know that I'll still laugh, play, work, and be who I am (maybe even bett...

"1901" - Phoenix Wow, you really do learn something new everyday. And it's true that some things are not always what they seem. Here's a great example. I've liked this song for a while now, ever since KROQ showcased it live on the Kevin & Bean show one morning. Frankly, I can't stand talk radio, but for some reason I tuned in because they were introducing an up and coming French band named Phoenix and to be honest, the name intrigued me. For me, you can tell a lot by a band who can play live especially under the pressure of such down-right and extremely blunt radio personnel like Kevin & Bean. If I remember correctly, their music wasn't doing so well back home so they were hoping to create a fan base elsewhere. I guess they figured that if their hometown was giving them shit than what's it gonna hurt to gain some exposure (even if it could potentially give them the same response) here. So, they played this song and a funny thing happened. They ...

"Too Much Heaven" - The BeeGees I woke up late this morning. What a shock, I know. My eyes were tired and my back was sore from all the cleaning the night before. I was tossing and turning and then realized the week wasn't over yet. It's only Friday. I checked my phone and apparently when I tried to hit "snooze," I deactivated the alarm altogether. I had 10-minutes to get ready for work. It was hard to get out of bed, but I did it. And this was the song I sang as I did it. Interesting that even with such limited time and as much as my body ached, my mind wanted this song for me to start a new day. But hey, it worked. I'm up. Lyrics: Nobody gets too much heaven no more It's much harder to come by I'm waiting in line Nobody gets too much love anymore It's as high as a mountain And harder to climb Oh you and me girl Got a lot of love in store And it flows through you And it flows through me And I love you so much more Than my life...I can see b...

"Always Be My Baby" - Mariah Carey Here I go again with my brilliant idea thinking that cleaning would be a way of cleansing away the past. After two loads of laundry, a ton of paperwork, and a blast from my college days, the last half of a decade came spilling out all over my carpet floor and I just couldn't stop it. I sat there in a circle of tears trying to turn the damn shredder on to get rid of it all; to say goodbye dammit, but low and behold it's still busted. I was hoping that it'd miraculously work again if I gave it a rest, but it just spat at me with no such luck as if to say, "Clean up your own mess." So I had no choice, but to sort through it all. All the knick-knacks, photos, dedications, trinkets, old concert tickets, movie tickets, sigh...old everything. I flipped through my planners of 2006, '07, '08, and '09 with little reminders, post-its and special dates of what the year held for me and mine. Come to think of it, I didn...

"Always Be" - Jimmy Eat World I've had this song on repeat for a couple of days (after my Eminem and Rhianna phase). It's only about 3-minutes long so I need a few plays before I'm ready to move on. I never really paid attention to the lyrics until yesterday afternoon and then it suddenly hit me. Funny... Anyways, I was trying to find another song since I recently wrote about Jimmy Eat World, but since I couldn't get passed it and no other songs were available (see Bitchin' post below), I figured that Jimmy wanted me to write about them again. Here's the latest updates. I've been keeping busy with each day that goes by, a definite change in me although a subtle one (I've yet to go through my metamorphosis). I used to want to go straight home to be in the quiet of my own room, pop in a Sex and the City DVD, and let the night end with a little food for thought and a certain someone by my side. Things have been difficult, but as they say "di...

My Playlist is getting on my nerves because I can't find the songs I've been singing all day! Not. A. One. Oh, wait I lied. I found some, but they were either altered or cut off. Argh!!!! Quit changin' things that don't need to be tampered with, people! Hmmmm, I should figure out how to put these songs up for myself considering I can't find it on any other existing playlists. I should...but knowing me I'll just complain and do nothing. Ok, enough bitchin'.

"Sweet Disposition" - The Temper Trap When I hear this song I think of being a kid again. Running around in an open playground, rolling down a hill, twirling around until I get dizzy, swinging so high up that all I see is my feet touching the skies and then jumping off and for a moment feeling like I can fly. It is so freeing that it almost makes me forget for a minute that I'm stuck behind a desk, inside a building that consumes me, stresses me, boggles my mind to no end. And as I sit here and type this I think back to a time when being young and full of life was all there was to my day. Lyrics: Never too soon Oh, reckless abandon Like no one's watching you A moment A love A dream A laugh A kiss A cry Our rights Our wrongs A moment a love A dream A laugh A moment a love A dream A laugh Just stay there Cause I'll be coming over While our blood's still young It's so young, it runs And won't stop 'til it's over Won't stop to surrender Songs o...

"Dancing in Heaven" - Q-Feel I'm stuck in an 80's whirlwind and I'm loving every minute of it! You can argue about the fashion sense and you can even hate on the hair styles, but dammit the music kicks ass! All the Aqua net, teased bangs, scrunchies and banana clips aside and passed the sharp shoulder pads, mix-matched clothing, and bright blue eyeshadow with red lipstick, you gotta admit this era was full of fun-filled, dance music that just can't get old! You gotta love the upbeat tempo, funky lyrics, electronic keyboards and quirky voices. If you don't, then you don't dance and for that I'm truly sorry. This was a time to "be cool" and let loose; a time to fill the dance floor with moves that really had no rhythm because it was yours to call your own. And ya, if it was great enough it would get a name like the Snake or Cabbage Patch , but hey if you went out there and gave it all you got, it was OK because everyone looked like they we...

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper I wanted to end this weekend on a happy note and almost gave up hope until my baby sis decided to make a night of it and watch a movie. We could've easily picked any one of her many Disney cartoons to recite the whole thing line by line, but of course I'm in no mood for princesses finding their Prince Charmings. No mood at all. We were gonna go back to the 80's with The Breakfast Club (which we've seen way too many times) or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (but we didn't have it), so we put on To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar . I gotta say, it's nothin' like a great Drag Queen movie to lift me outta my slump! It reminded me to refocus on the positive and keep trudging along no matter how rocky the road and how difficult the journey. I know I sound like I'm full of shit because I'm as pessimistic as they get, but I'm working on it. And with the help of my sisters, I know I'll ge...

"Strange" - Tori Amos One week later and I'm still breathing. Guess you were right, but no one said it's been easy. 4 days, 3 hours, and 11 minutes since our last conversation. A first in over 5 years. Things ended many times with us, haven't they? But I guess I didn't plan on it ending again so soon. I was prepared for one of our nothing fights and realized shortly after that everything suddenly changed. Your intentions, my mind, our hearts, everything. I've been going through several ups and downs. Reasons to stay, even more reasons to leave. The thing is this time I don't really have a choice if I'm the only one that's not sure which one to make. Maybe I'll know what I want by next Saturday. Maybe it wouldn't even matter what I want. Maybe next Saturday won't happen. All I know is it will definitely be strange. I just don't know in what way yet. Lyrics: strange thought i knew you well thought i had read the sky thought i h...

"Hold On" - Wilson Phillips I took it way back with this one. I can't even tell you how this came to mind because it really doesn't make sense unless you understand the kind of work that I do. In any case, I was hoping for something to write about that would go along with the last few songs from the last few days. Obviously, this doesn't match the genre, but once I played it I realized it does match my emotions. I feel like I'm singing it to someone. Maybe that someone is me. Let's change the subject... I thought of a time when all there was to worry about was getting up early for school. I guess I grew up way too fast because I had to think back to the 6th grade! And ya, there were boys there too. Baby boy crushes that I crushed because I didn't know any better. I was 11 yrs old! I barely kissed a boy, let alone knew what it felt like to have a "boyfriend." Back then it was a friend who happened to be a boy who I sorta kinda really liked a l...

"I Love You" - Faith Evans "Real Love (mixed version)" - Mary J. Blige It's Friday and the sun finally decided to break away from the clouds and shine today. I absolutely hate warm weather so the sun and I are far from friends, but for some reason I don't seem to mind it that much. Most people tend to be in brighter moods when they can step outdoors without a sweater so it helps to see them up and about, chattering and making noise to distract me from everything that has been going on in my head, not to mention my heart. It's not surprising through all the craziness that is my world that I would end up mixing two songs together, unintentionally. I was standing in the kitchen all by lonesome, waiting for my food to heat up when both choruses sprang to mind: Real love, I'm searching for a real love...I love you, I need you... And then I realized, "Wait that's not how it goes!" So I repeated the lines again, quietly giggling to myself, bec...

"Love the Way You Lie" - Eminem & Rihanna I wanted to play a slow and soothing R&B song, but the damn CD player busted or the burnt CD just won't play anymore. So, I started reviewing a few songs on other people's playlist featured on www.playlist.com and low and behold, I found this song. How fitting... I wanted to sulk some more. I wanted to cry some more (even though I am at work). I purposely wore water-proof eyeliner and locked my office door hoping for little to no interruption. Here I am secluded again when yesterday I was a bubbling social butterfly. How the mood swings... I guess I could take this as a sign that today is the day to get angry. Not necessarily at anyone or anything, but the kind of anger that settles deep in your soul and makes you remember what actually makes sense. Common sense rang loudly in my ears to back away... But who said common sense knew anything about love. Lyrics: just gonna stand there and watch me burn that’s alright beca...