The Soundtrack of My Life - Another Post About Music

Disclaimer: I am living in a foreign country, so I have absolutely no clue what is "hot on the streets" in America (as far as music goes) anymore. As far as "what's cool" goes in Japan, I swear I am stuck in the U.S. circa 1992 when people still threw up the peace sign, wore scrunchies and flowered dresses with tights underneath.

So music is and (for the most part) has always been major part of my life. I listen to it while I blog, while I study, while I drive, (or - now that I'm in Japan - while I ride my bike), while I read and it's just always in the background of whatever I'm doing. Life just doesn't feel right if there's no music playing. So when the time started to get closer and closer for me to depart for Japan, it wasn't too surprising that I'd already had a song picked out for the first seconds of takeoff. The song was "Window Seat" by Erykah Badu. Now, of course, this plan made absolutely no sense because #1 - I didn't actually have a window seat and #2 - well . . . you have to turn off all electronic devices when an airplane is taking off.

Either way, once I got past the music video, the lyrics to "Window Seat" really struck a chord with me and really put into words how I was feeling at the time that I was leaving. It even touched a little on why I was leaving in the first place.

so, presently I'm standing

here right now

you're so demanding

tell me what you want from me

concluding

concentrating on my music, lover and my babies

makes me wanna ask the lady for a ticket outta town...

so can I get a window seat

don't want nobody next to me

I just want a ticket outta town

a look around

and a safe touch down

can I get a window seat

don't want nobody next to me

I just want a chance to fly

a chance to cry

and a long bye bye..

but I need you to want me

I need you to miss me

I need your attention, yes

I need you next to me

I need someone to clap for me

I need your direction

somebody say come back

come back baby come back

I want you to need me

come back come back baby come back (3x)

so, in my mind I'm tusslin'

back and forth 'tween here and hustlin'

I don't wanna time travel no mo

I wanna be here

I'm thinking

on this porch I'm rockin'

back and forth like lightning hopkins

if anybody speak to Scotty

tell him beam me up..

So can I get a window seat (Chorus)

but I need you to miss me

I need somebody come get me

I need your attention

I need your energy

I need someone to clap for me

I need your direction

somebody say come back

come back baby come back

come back come back baby come back (3x)

So can I get a window seat (Chorus)

Now, I can totally identify with the idea of just needing to get away. Needing to go somewhere and not be caught up in the every day problems that wouldn't be so important if you were just somewhere else. And the desire to just look out the window and watch everything disappear into the distance. I can also identify with the idea of being mentally scattered, back and forth, here and there . . . thoughts everywhere except where they're supposed to be. Oh, and feeling nuts (if anybody speak to Scotty, tell'em beam me up!). And last but not least, despite the fact that you want to get away from it all so badly, you still want to know that people actually care that you left. You want to know that someone wants you're crazy butt to come back. So that's what I got out of that song, and that's why it was chosen as my "takeoff" song.

So when I got here, I kept hearing this song. I posted it in my last blog. For those of you who don't want to click the link, it's a song called "Sunshine Girl" by a Japanese artist named Moumou. I thought it was cute and while I was in the music store, I heard it play over the speakers so I decided that since it's been playing on rotation in my life's soundtrack, I might as well buy the single . . . which I did. So while at the record store, I also picked up Janelle Monae's album, "ArchAndroid." I decided that she has a very "not human" thing going on, and I feel like I'm on another planet . . . so what the heck?

The album did not disappoint. It was different, but refreshing and the girl is talented. Some of the songs were kind of out there, but they really matched my current environment so it was all good.

Either way, this is what I listen to every morning.

Other than that, I've been listening to a lot of the same'ol stuff from my iTunes. For now, I'm keeping my ears open for anything new that I may be missing out on in America and also I'm trying to expand my horizons and latch onto some talented Japanese artists.