by John Jude Farragut
Well, it’s January 2, 2008, and there goes one of my wishes for the new year: A list of good Top 10 songs in iTunes. Instead, 2008′s first Top 10 list is full of songs that are mowed over, overplayed, or just plain awful. I had hopes for some of the people, and I was floored with the debut album of one. But I realized pretty quickly that all (except one) of those shining songs are significantly dimmer than expected, and the rest do their best at the level of irritating.
All lyrics are found at www.azlyrics.com.
“Tattoo” by Jordin Sparks
I can’t waste time so give it a moment
I realize, nothing’s broken
No need to worry ’bout everything I’ve done
Live every second like it was my last one
“Tattoo” by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks takes the lowest seat on the list. I have to admit that the above lyrics tipped me off; the last two lines are an excellent affirmation of how life should be lived. With God, we don’t need to worry about everything we’ve done. I entirely agree with Romans 3:23 (for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God), but I also abide in the fact that Jesus takes the sins of believers away and remembers it no more. Plus, we cannot add or retrieve a single second of time back into our lives. How many of them have were spent regretting our mistakes instead of offering them up to God Who forgives?
The chorus cliffdives at the end, turning worse than the rest of the song.
Don’t look back at a new direction
I loved you once, needed protection
You’re still a part of everything I do
You’re on my heart just like a tattoo
Ha! I always believed it went, “You’re on my arm”! Either way it goes, the last line can be filed under the “Embarrassing Lyrics” category. This is an excellent example of a lose-lose situation in the language aspect. First, it’s a little weird to envision someone hanging off your arm. It just doesn’t bode well, does it? And two – on my heart, like a tattoo? You know how tattoos get into the skin? Ouch!!
(Just like a tattoo, I’ll always have you
I’ll always have you, I’ll always have you)
Is this supposed to be good or bad? It’s as if she doesn’t like this guy anymore, and she’s going to have him attached to her for the rest of her life. Only thing about a tattoo: You can’t leave it behind, although she sings that she’s leaving him behind. The mixed metaphors and language are too inconsistent, and the lyrics are very poorly done. Whether she wrote it or not, this was a song she apparently loved at first listen. It’s unfortunate that her hit lacks the power of “This Is My Now,” the song that won her the American Idol title. Now her work has been watered down to something that lacks significance – not a new trend in music, per se, but a dismaying one. Her performance of “Tattoo” on Fox’s New Year’s Eve Live was a letdown, a testament to how futile it is to chase after fame and fortune.
I’ve noticed this trend in several American Idol winners and finalists, where their later works sadly lack substance and meaning, or the singer is unheard of just a short time later. What about Ruben Studdard? Has anyone heard any hits from Fantasia? (And William Hung wasn’t a finalist, but he became a local celebrity and, as to be expected, dissolved very quickly). Justin Guarini pretty much sold himself out to “From Justin to Kelly” and whereupon dropped off the face of the earth. And some of these former stars – such as Ruben Studdard and Fantasia – have great talent! But they disappeared from the spotlight, while those who remain as American Idols have continued to lose something that made them great to begin with.
For example, Kelly Clarkson is a singer with power and emotion in her voice, but she has used her talents to push intense negativity in all of her hits. However, “Break Away” hasn’t played much in radio these days, but it is a positive, motivating song. Then her later hits “Because of You” (inspired by her parents’ divorce), “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and “Walk Away” topped the charts with their increasingly negative lyrics. Maybe it’s her niche – or she thinks it’s her niche. But it gets tiresome to hear it play repeatedly. And her recent hit, “Never Again,” from “My December,” is probably her most jarring hit to date. When asked where she got the inspiration for her hit, she dumbly replied (paraphrased), “I – I was really, really angry,” and laughed anxiously. Another “angry” quote can be found here. Quite the inspiration for a song as loud and intense as this. It’s almost like a tantrum song!
Carrie Underwood is an example of someone else who has saddened me. She went from good girl to bad girl – all in her debut album. Whatever happened to “Jesus, Take the Wheel”? It got replaced with “Before He Cheats.” It’s as if Carrie doesn’t stand for what she used to believe in. I was hoping that she would remain a good girl, but her more recent album “Carnival Ride” shows otherwise. Take a look at Plugged In Online’s assessment and see what I mean.
Bottom line: American Idol chart toppers have disappointed me, and Jordin Sparks has become one of them.
“No One” by Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys returns to the spotlight, with her single “No One” landing in seat 9. If I had listened to her for the first time, and this was the song I listened to, I would be disappointed. The music is very poor, and her singing has lost its power. She used to have a strong voice; I am more moved by her voice in her past works. Today, it sounds to me as if she is out of her element, singing a song with flimsy lyrics such as these:
When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain
This is music now, folks. It’s a trend – mediocrity and malaise without substance or strength.
“Bubbly” by Colby Caillat
From the album, “Coco”
In consecutive months past, Sirius Radio has focused on “Coco,” the debut album of Colbie Caillat. There is something about Caillat’s voice that makes you unable to stop listening to it. Not only that, but the lyrics are also fresh – not the watered-down rhyme-this-with-that scheme. The words have substance and originality. “Bubbly,” her first hit, is a stark example.
In terms of popularity, it eked its way through the milquetoast mess to earn the golden seat in the Top 10. Today, it resides at No. 8. It took this long to drop from No. 1, as far as the public is concerned, but after just a couple listens, I myself lost interest in it. Today, not only does it remind me of a hurtful co-worker who loved it (which somewhat ruined my taste for it), but the content is a bit disconcerting.
The rain is falling on my window pane
But we are hiding in a safer place
Under covers staying dry and warm
You give me feelings that I adore
And earlier lyrics state that this person gives her “the tingles in a silly place.” Not good.
“Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy
It surprises me that Soulja Boy’s self-named song continues to remain on the chart. Only No. 7 on the list? Based on the 2-star average review rating, it sounds to me as though he should be banned from the list. Soulja has nothing good to offer; anything positive is dashed to pieces by the lyrics.
Here’s just an example:
Soulja boy off in this ho
Watch me crank it
Watch me roll
Watch me crank that soulja boy
Then super man that ho
Let’s not attempt to dive into the particulars of this, shall we?
Now watch me you
(crank that soulja boy)
Now watch me you
(crank that soulja boy)
Now watch me you
(crank that soulja boy)
Now watch me you
(crank that soulja boy)
Add language to it (which he does), and you’ve got another reason why hip hop and rap have been taken out to the woodshed and shot.
Just for the record, the rest of the song is nothing but insidious, as well. It has material that I am not going to insert into this article. Investigate the song and the album – but at your own risk. I haven’t been much more disgusted by any other rap lyrics I’ve read, and I’ve read some pretty graphic ones.
“Clumsy” by Fergie
From the album, “The Dutchess”
If Fergie-Ferg meant to make her music a refresher (namely “Clumsy,” which resides at No. 6), she did a good job. I’d listen to this song more readily than “Crank That (Soulja Boy).” First off, her album has held a large number of hits – “Fergalicious,” “Glamorous,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal),” and now “Clumsy.” But this isn’t one of her stronger songs at all. The music was poorly done, and the lyrics aren’t better by half. But there is a huge positive note: This is a clean song. I will give her props for that and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
“Kiss Kiss” by Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
from the album, “Kiss Kiss”
Apart from the lack of language in this No. 5 song, “Kiss Kiss” has little to offer. I was surprised that Chris Brown decided to team up with T-Pain (of “Buy U a Drank” fame) to do this. The two voices do not go together at all. Brown’s voice is excellent (especially in the higher ranges), while T-Pain’s is incredibly monotonous. Brown should have done a better song by himself; “Kiss Kiss” is musically and lyrically weak, and the references to fantasizing and pimping do nothing for it.
All in all, as Robert put it, “What can I expect? I’ve been disappointed before.”
“Paralyzer” by Finger Eleven
From the album “Them Vs. You Vs. Me”
Well, I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you
It’s tough to segue into one of the most overplayed songs on the radio: “Paralyzer,” by Finger Eleven. For one, it is fairly loud and somewhat stupid. The last four lyrics don’t make an ounce of sense. And I guess I characterized Finger Eleven by “One Thing,” their last recent hit. The blazing rock in “Paralyzer” was a bit of a surprise to me.
Anyway, the song continues to hold the No. 4 spot. The song’s lyrics are original, but that doesn’t make them any better. Some people would call them clever, and that makes sense when they’re sung angrily and incomprehensibly. But when read, they’re almost slipshod.
I hold on so nervously
To me and my drink
I wish it was cooling me
But so far, has not been good
It’s been sh***y
And I feel awkward, as I should
This club has got to be
The most pretentious thing
Since I thought you and me
Well I am imagining
A dark lit place
Or your place or my place
I see the potential for this song to be transformed by the Christian parody group ApologetiX. Until then, I will continue to put up with this as I listen to the radio at work.
“Apologize” by Timbaland (featuring OneRepublic)
From the album, “Shock Value”
The next two songs are much-needed bright spots in the current Top 10 list. Up until “Apologize” (No. 3 on the list) came out, I had never heard of OneRepublic, and I was never impressed by Timbaland to begin with. (For instance, it doesn’t strike me as impressive to see a song titled “The Way I Are.” That violates a huge barrier in the English language, but I’d better stay on-topic here.) But “Apologize” is actually a decent song. The music isn’t half-bad at all, and to my surprise, a lot of the lyrics have some meaning to them!
You tell me that you’re sorry
Didn’t think I’d turn around and say..
That it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I’d take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
(But that’s nothing new)
Yeah yeah
They may not be the deepest words I’ve heard, but I appreciate what they mean. Plus, the song is clean all the way through.
“Love Song” by Sara Bareilles
from the album, “Little Voice”
I’m unusually hard to hold on to
Blank stares at blank pages
No easy way to say this
You mean well, but you make this hard on me
I’m not gonna write you a love song
’cause you asked for it
’cause you need one, you see
I’m not gonna write you a love song
’cause you tell me it’s
Make or breaking this
If you’re on your way
I’m not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving I’m gonna need a better
Reason to write you a love song today
Like Colbie Caillat, Sara Bareilles now has a hit with her debut album. But “Love Song,” to me, is very much deserving of a high seat in the list. Bareilles has taken on a new concept of the love song and made it into an upbeat tune with all the infectious potential of a virus. The lyrics are immensely well put-together and enhanced by vivid, forceful music. For her debut album, her self-taught singing and songwriting, a fresh new song, and an incredible take on the concept of love, Sara Bareilles and “Love Song” get a perfect five out of five stars in this Top 10 list.
“Low” by Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain)
from the album, “Low”
I definitely hope that “Love Song” kicks the No. 1 song off the list for good. Just for the record, “Low,” by Flo Rida and featuring the ubiquitous T-Pain, has nothing to do with “Low Rider,” an incredible classic oldie. Flo Rida is not different at all from today’s rappers – examples of why hip-hop and rap have been massacred. “Low” is just another of the countless stripper songs out there, and much to my continuing disgust, it serves to go into nasty detail about this stripper. Two words: Enough already!
This Top 10 list has definitely been a ball to write about. As music continues to get worse, the good artists and songs only stand out taller. Until a fresh new iTunes Top 10 list comes along, be sure to check out “Apologize” and “Love Song,” and next time will await more prominent songs from artists who deserve the spotlight – and more mainstream pop and rap whose glaring mediocrity and horrific language somehow continue to fascinate us.
