You Could Be Happy

It rained REALLY hard today in LA. I like the rain. I don't like the hot, sunshine in February. It's February! Can we get some 'winter' weather please?

I work in North Hollywood/Universal City, and the streets were terrible. The right lane was pretty much useless. It was filled with massive amounts of water. To top it off, I had to go on nine runs that day. 

Not sure what it is about the rain, but it makes me think a bit deeper about things. It made me think about the homeless person who resides in front of the two unused doors in the 'front' side of the studio. How long has he been there? Is he getting splashed by all the water when the cars drive in the right lane? 

I noticed a trend among three of the last four albums I bought. They all had a song on their album with the word 'happy' in the title. Naturally, this made to think about happiness, and what each of them were saying about this very subject. Three very different songs about the same thing supposedly.

Snow Patrol- You Could Be Happy

You could be happy and I won't know

But you weren't happy the day I watched you go

And all the things that I wished I had not said

Are played in loops 'til it's madness in my head

Is it too late to remind you how we were

But not our last days of silent screaming blur

Most of what I remember makes me sure

I should have stopped you from walking out the door

You could be happy, I hope you are

You made me happier than I'd been by far

Somehow everything I own smells of you

And for the tiniest moments it's all not true

Do the things that you always wanted to 

Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do

More than anything I want to see you girl

Take a glorious bite out of the whole world

You should be happy no matter what

Listen to the song through a video slideshow someone made. It's overall a simple sounding song. The glockenspiel drives it for most of the song (more songs should have glockenspiels in it, in my opinion). With those lyrics, the song doesn't need to be overly complicated. Sometimes if you really care/love someone, you have to know when to let them go, and this songs amplifies that.

The Frames- Happy

Come help me out I'm sick from the fight

From inserting a laugh where there's none

Show me where this joke got tired

Tell me you know cause I'm slow catching on...

You're trying to break me down with your tuneless song

That kept me up all night

Take me to the fair where the lifeless singers

Will let you ride up beside them sometimes

And you're putting a line

Where there should not be a line

And your building divides...

Come cut me out I got caught in the wire

From believing the filtering downs

Show me where the stakes got higher

Just goes to show how slow we've become

And you're putting a line

Where there should not be a line

And your building divides

And putting a line

Why are you building divides

Is it some failing in your life.

Listen and watch a live version of the song here. The song has a very dark feel to it. Unlike the other two 'happy' songs, there is no mention of the word happy in the song. It's quite the opposite, which is somewhat ironic. 

The Fray- Happiness

Happiness is just outside my window

I thought it'd crash blowing eighty miles an hour

But happiness is a little more like knocking

On your door, you just let it in

Happiness feels a lot like sorrow

Let it be, you can't make it come or go

But you are gone, not for good but for now

And gone for now feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard

Happiness was never mine to hold

Careful child, light the fuse and get away

'Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks

Happiness damn near destroys you

Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor

So you tell yourself that's enough for now

But happiness has a violent roar

Happiness it's like the old man told me

Look for it and you'll never find it all

But let it go, live your life and leave it

Then one day you'll wake up and find she'll be home

Listen to the song here. I love the metaphors in this song. It talks about the different forms or happiness, and how we think we know what it is, but it could be something else. I remember being told that nothing is permanent. Not the bad, or the good. Happiness comes and goes, but just because it's gone doesn't mean that it won't come back. 

It's actually really hard for me to explain music. Music more than anything in the world is almost indescribable. It's just a feeling I get, and I can't put that into words. That's why I am trying to break through in the music industry. Music is a happiness that I want to have in all aspects of my life. There is no such thing as too much music. 

All those songs made me think about my level of happiness lately. For the most part, I am happy. I have been happier, but where I'm at isn't bad. It could always be a lot worse, and I'm thankful to have what I have now. Nothing is perfect, there could always be more, but I guess it's all on how you look at things too. I'm looking on the upside.    

Closing picture: