I can be an asshole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it’s going out of style
I can be the moodiest baby and you’ve never met anyone
who is as negative as I am sometimesI am the wisest woman you’ve ever met.
I am the kindest soul with whom you’ve connected.
I have the bravest heart that you’ve ever seen
And you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as positive as I am sometimes.You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I’m ashamed
There’s not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still hereI blame everyone else, not my own partaking
My passive-aggressiveness can be devastating
I’m terrified and mistrusting
And you’ve never met anyone as,
As closed down as I am sometimes.You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I’m ashamed
There’s not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still hereWhat I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know
What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I goI’m the funniest woman you’ve ever known.
I am the dullest woman you’ve ever known.
I’m the most gorgeous woman you’ve ever known
And you’ve never met anyone as, as everything as I am sometimes.You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I’m ashamed
There’s not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still hereAnd you’re still here
And you’re still here…~Alanis Morrissette
Category Archives: poetic melodies
poetic melodies: india.arie
My favorite songs are essentially poetry put to music. Today’s spotlight on poetic melodies is india.arie. Enjoy:
“I See God in You”
Every time that I see your face, I wonder, what lies beneath your smile
What are your dreams, what are your fears, what does your heart hold dear
I know, that you don’t know me at allBut if you know yourself, well then you know me very well
“Good Mourning”
Good mourning acceptance
Good mourning inner strength
I’m loving every moment
even the strain
“Beautiful Surprise”
It’s like yesterday
I didn’t even know your name
Now today
You’re always on my mind
I never could have predicted that I feel this way
You are beautiful surprise
Intoxicated every time I hear your voice
You’ve got me on a natural high
It’s almost like I didn’t even have a choice
You are a beautiful surprise
“The Truth”
If he ever left me, I wouldn’t even be sad, no
Cause there’s a blessing in every lesson
And I’m glad that I knew him at all
poetic melodies: alanis morissette
Yes, me Ms. Naturally Alise is the biggest Alanis Morrisette fan ever. Shocked? Don’t be. Have you checked out her lyrics… AWESOMENESS. Definitely a poet. Here are my favorites:
“Simple Together”
This songs makes me cry every.single.time. I don’t have a favorite line, the whole song is just… just…. EVERYTHING.
You’ve been my golden best friend
Now with post-demise at hand
Can’t go to you for consolation
Cause we’re off limits during this transition
This grief overwhelms me
It burns in my stomach
And i can’t stop bumping into things
I thought we’d be simple together
I thought we’d be happy together
Thought we’d be limitless together
I thought we’d be precious together
But i was sadly mistaken
You’ve been my soulmate and mentor
I remembered you the moment i met you
With you i knew god’s face was handsome
With you i suffered an expansion
This loss is numbing me
It pierces my chest
And i can’t stop dropping everything
I thought we’d be sexy together
Thought we’d be evolving together
I thought we’d have children together
I thought we’d be family together
But i was sadly mistaken
If i had a bill for all the philosophies i shared
If i had a penny for all the possibilities i presented
If i had a dime for every hand thrown up in the air
My wealth would render this no less severe
I thought we’d be genius together
I thought we’d be healing together
I thought we’d be growing together
Thought we’d be adventurous togheter
But i was sadly mistaken
Thought we’d be exploring together
Thought we’d be inspired together
I thought we’d be flying together
Thought we’d be on fire together
But i was sadly mistaken
“You Oughta Know”
“
’cause the joke that you laid on the bed that was me
And I’m not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back
I hope you feel it…well can you feel it?
Well, I’m here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It’s not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know”
“Princes Familiar”
Ummm, dads can you listen to this, please?
papa love your princess so that she will find loving princes familiar
papa cry for your princess so that she will find gentle princes familiar
“You Learn”
So simple. Perfect song.
You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learnYou grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn
You live you learn
Do you have any faves?
Poetic Melodies: Erykah Badu
old poem of mine that I think fits:
You have finally faced the music
Cut through the overproduction,
Pushed through the synthesized keys and unlocked your destiny
Swam against the tide of superfluous watered down beats
Escaped the trap of snares…
Came up and breathed in the pure air of lyrics.
Unearthed what lies beneath and between the lines.
Found the treasures of knowledge in each syllable…..
I am trying to get back into the rhythm of writing in general. I think every week I will do some sort of music post about musicians that I see as poets, sometimes more, not putting myself on any sort of schedule, but I just want to expand myself creatively. Enjoy…
sang it girl!
Everyone who knows or semi-knows me, knows that I am a ridiculous, hardcore Erykah Badu fan. The funny thing is I don’t think she is the best vocalist and honestly sometimes I don’t know what the hell she is talking about. However, I love her because you can tell everything that comes out of her mouth is true emotion… she means it.
I think of her how I think of a lot of spoken word poets. I find that many spoken word artists are very Beyonce-ish, that meaning they have lovely voices, entertaining shows, and a glossy exterior, but when you listen they are not offering nothing to stimulate the mind, they throw around tired clichés and repetitive filler.
Then there are those artists who step on stage and Badu-ize the crowd. Those are the ones who come to the stage wearing what they wore all day with bags under their eyes, but by the time they leave the stage they leave your soul overfilled and salivating for more, leaving your inspiration gluttonous. Those that deliver any art form from the inside out, instead of the other way around are the best in my book.
Here are 3 of my favorite Erykah Badu performances where she really exhibits that soul-filled performance that makes me love her:
“Ye Yo”
I think this is my favorite Erykah Badu song ever. Though it does not have many lyrics, the ones it does have are so powerful. This song talks about the connection of mother and child. My favorite lyric being:
“Well see the suns in the east and the moon reflects
Like the knowledge and wisdom I manifest
If you wanna go to heaven lay upon my breast”
Beautiful. (The song makes me sad though because my relationship with my mom right now isn’t great… sigh…)
“Green Eyes”
Another favorite of mine is “Green Eyes”, from the Mama’s Gun CD. Not for the catchy intro of the song, but for the pure, raw emotion of the 2nd and 3rd part. I always view this song as 3 songs, the first part playfully poking fun at oneself for what seems to be just innocent jealousy. However, the next part of the song takes a journey into the deep feelings of jealousy, resentment and insecurity. I think often many people forget about the layers in Badu’s songs. She can take the most playful or seemingly benign concept and show the anatomy of it, not only through the lyrics but through the inflection and tones in her voice. This is definitely a song that displays that.
“I Want You”
Another Badu favorite of mine is “I Want You” from Worldwide Underground. Once again, this is a relatively simple song, but it expresses the depth of love/attraction she feels for her mate, one of my favorite lines is
“got a good book and got all in it
tried a little yoga for a minute
but it won’t let go”
I definitely know that feeling, where you are so enamored with someone (or thing) that you can’t concentrate on anything because the thoughts are so consuming. I know you’ve been there before!
These are just a few of my favorites….. What are your Erykah Badu faves?