Mirror

Lil Wayne feat. Bruno Mars

[Lil Wayne:]
With everything happening today
You don't know whether you're coming or going
But you think that you're on your way
Life lined up on the mirror don't blow it
Look at me when I'm talking to you
You looking at me but I'm looking through you
I see the blood in your eyes
I see the love in disguise
I see the pain hidden in your pride
I see you're not satisfied
And I don't see nobody else
I see myself I'm looking at the

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall, here we are again
Through my rise and fall
You've been my only friend
You told me that they can understand the man I am
So why are we here talkin' to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Uh, I see the truth in your lies
I see nobody by your side
But I'm with you when you are all alone
And you correct me when I'm looking wrong
I see the guilt beneath the shame
I see your soul through your window pane
I see the scars that remain
I see you Wayne, I'm looking at the...

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall, here we are again ([Wayne:] Yeah)
Through my rise and fall ([Wayne:] Uh-Huh)
You've been my only friend ([Wayne:] my only friend)
You told me that they can understand the man I am ([Wayne:] they can understand)
So why are we here ([Wayne:] misunderstood) talkin' to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Looking at me now I can see my past
Damn I look just like my fucking dad
Light it up, that's smoke in mirrors
I ain't even look good in the broken mirror
I see my momma smile that's a blessing
I see the change, I see the message
And no message could've been any clearer
So I'm startin' with the man in the...

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall,

[Lil Wayne:]
MJ taught me that.

[Bruno Mars:]
Here we are again
Through my rise and fall
You've been my only friend

[Lil Wayne:]
Take 'em to Mars man

[Bruno Mars:]
You told me that they can understand the man I am
So why are we talkin' to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Uh...

Mirror on the wall, here we are again ([Wayne:] yeah)
Through my rise and fall
You've been my only friend ([Wayne:] Any questions?)
You told me that they can ([Wayne:] I come to you) understand the man I am ([Wayne:] You always have the answer)
So why are we here talkin' to each other again?

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall.

[Wayne:]
Ay, B.P.
Looks like I did take 'em to Mars this time

[Bruno Mars:]
(So why are we talking to each other again?)

"Mirror" is one of Lil Wayne's song that actually has some depth to it, where he's not just singing about meaningless things. When Lil Wayne writes this type of song, I love it because his lyrics are incredibly well thought out and deep. The first lines of the first verse say "With everything happening today/you don't know whether you're coming or you're going", which I interpret as Wayne saying that with the competition in the music industry these days, you don't know if you're on your way to success or failure, or "coming or going". Following this is "But you think that you're on your way/life lined up on the mirror don't blow it", which to me has two meanings. The first, easier to understand, meaning is that you can believe you're on the road to success, and you can see it in the way you act, way you look and dress, and who you're associated with. The second, more thought out meaning involves the way success is handled by some people, specifically referring to drugs. Once again with "But you think that you're on your way", it can be understood that you are becoming successful. The next line "Life lined up on the mirror don't blow it", is what I believe to be a reference to blow, which is a slang term for cocaine. Cocaine is commonly lined up and snorted off of mirrors, which makes me believe that this interpretation is relevant. Then Wayne says "You looking at me but I'm looking through you", which could be that he believes that people only look at his outside, which can be seen in a mirror, while he looks deep into a person. All the things he claims to see show pain, as if he's saying he can see through the facade a person puts on to hide their true feelings. After the first verse, Bruno Mars comes in with the chorus "Mirror on the wall, here we are again/through my rise and fall/you've been my only friend/you told me that they can understand the man I am/so why are we talking to each other again". With "here we are again" we can see that this is a recurring instance. "Through my rise and fall/you've been my only friend" suggests that through his success and failure, being able to look at himself and evaluate himself is the only thing that has stuck with him. "You told me that they can understand the man I am" shows that Mars looks at himself in the mirror and believes that people will accept him, yet the next line "so why are we talking to each other again?" proves that he's still looking in the mirror for things to fix. The next verse seems to be about a friendship that has lasted throughout ups, and more specifically, downs. In the third verse, Wayne says "Looking at me now I can see my past", which is interesting because that means that his past has shaped the person he is now. "Light it up, that's smoke in mirrors" is another drug reference, possibly referring to his own drug use. Following this, we realize that Lil Wayne has decided to change himself because he says "I see my momma smile that's a blessing/I see the change, I see the message." This is Wayne saying that his change has helped others, specifically his mom because she is now smiling and he finds that a blessing, as if it's a rare occurrence. "And no message could've been any clearer/so I'm starting with the man in the [mirror]", shows that Wayne has realized that things need to change, starting with himself, or the man in the mirror.

Can't Repeat

The Offspring

I woke the other day
And saw my world has changed
The past is over but tomorrow's wishful thinking
I can't hold onto what's been done (woah)
I can't grab onto what's to come (woah)
And I'm just wishing I could stop, but

Life goes on
Come of age
Can't hold on
Turn the page

Time rolls on
Wipe these eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries

Memories are bittersweet
The good times we can't repeat
Those days are gone and we can never get them back
Now we must move ahead (woah)
Despite our fear and dread (woah)
We're all just wishing we could stop, but

Life goes on
Come of age
Can't hold on
Turn the page

Time rolls on
Wipe your eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries

With all our joys and fears
Wrapped in forgotten years
The past is laughing as today just slips away
Time tears down what we've made (woah)
And sets another stage (woah)
And I'm just wishing we could stop

Life goes on
Come of age
Can't hold on
Turn the page

Time rolls on
Wipe these eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries

Time rolls on

As I was randomly searching through my iPod for a song to blog about, this song came on. Having just gotten back from hanging out with a group of friends, it fit my mood perfectly. The Offspring's song "Can't Repeat" is one about moving on and remembering the past. As a senior about to graduate and leave some of my friends behind, the lyrics tell my feelings well. The entire song speaks of change happening, and wishing to go back in time. Analyzing the lyrics makes me think of the memories I have made, as well as the ones I wish I had made. "Life goes on/come of age/can't hold on/turn the page" is the beginning of the chorus, and what these lyrics mean to me is that you can't just stop time, you have to keep progressing through it. "Time rolls on/wipe these eyes/yesterday laughs/tomorrow cries" speaks of the more emotional side of things, where in our memories we are laughing, but now that we've thought of those "good times we can't repeat", we'll be sad. The verse after the first chorus, "Memories are bittersweet/good times we can't repeat/those days are gone and we can never get them back/now we must move ahead/despite our fear and dread/we're all just wishing we could stop" just reiterates that while we're glad we have the memories, they can be sad to think about. It tells us once again that we must move on, despite our fears of the world, and that we wish we could just stop, leading into the chorus explaining why we can't. The final verse starts with "With all our joys and fears/wrapped in forgotten years", which I believe is a very true statement. The years of our past have been forgotten, but we hold on to our valuable memories. "The past is laughing as today just slips away/Time tears down what we've made/And sets another stage/And I'm just wishing we could stop" then tells us as we move on, we're just going to "another stage" which will be a place for us to make more memories. I believe this gives the song a bittersweet ending, having the listener think about old memories, yet giving them hope that the new ones can be just as good.

All Signs Point to Lauderdale

A Day To Remember

I hate this town, it's so washed up
And all my friends don't give a fuck
They'll tell me that it's just bad luck
When will I find where I fit in
2,3,4!

Remember when I tried
I'd never strayed too far from you
Forever by your side
No matter what I was going through
But now I never know the things to say to you
That help me prove that I'm still on your side
I never show just what you do to me
Guess I'm what's always wrong

I hate this town, it's so washed up
And all my friends don't give a fuck
They'll tell me that it's just bad luck
When will I find where I fit in
I hate this town

Cause no one can understand, 
I just can't be tied down
Nothing comes between me and my plans
So now I never know the things to say to you
That help me prove that I'm still on your side
I never show just what you do to me
Guess I'm what's always wrong

I hate this town, it's so washed up
And all my friends don't give a fuck
They'll tell me that it's just bad luck
When will I find where I fit in

And don't believe a word they're telling to you
Don't believe a word they're telling to you
They let me down
When will I find where I fit in
I hate this town

Won't let a world gone mad ever bring me down
Gave everything I had to turn it back around
Cause our time's worth something 
Bigger than both you and me
I can't live my life always backing down
I gotta do this right so they can't make a sound
Cause I'm not here for nothing
Least I can say I stand for something

You and me we stand for something

I hate this town, it's so washed up
And all my friends don't give a fuck
They'll tell me that it's just bad luck
When will I find where I fit in

And don't believe a word they're telling to you
Don't believe a word they're telling to you
They let me down
When will I find where I fit in
I hate this town...

All Signs Point to Lauderdale is A Day to Remember's anthem about not fitting into society, yet being willing to do your own thing instead of bending to their will. The song begins with "I hate this town, it's so washed up / And all my friends don't give a fuck", saying that the singer lives in a place that is boring and behind the times. His friends also don't care about what they're doing with their lives. The second verse states "Cause no one can understand / I just can't be tied down / Nothing comes between me and my plans!" The singer is saying here that he can't be stuck in this washed up town. He believes that if the town holds him back or "ties him down", it'll intervene with his plans for his future. My favorite part of this song has to be the entire third verse, in which the singer sings "Won't let a world gone mad ever bring me down / Gave everything I had to turn it back around /  Cause our time's worth something / Bigger than both you and me / I can't live my life always backing down / I gotta do this right so they can't make a sound / Cause I'm not here for nothing / Least I can say I stand for something". This is the most emotional part of the song, in my opinion. Here he restates that he won't let the world keep him from doing what he wants. He also says that he's given it his all to make his life how he wants it, because his time is worth something to him. He then sort of repeats himself, just strengthening his point that he will not give up. Finally he says "'Least I can say I stand for something", meaning that he feels that he has a higher purpose in life, that he believes he shouldn't be held back. I believe that this song is very easy to relate to for anyone (especially high school seniors) who feel like they need to get out in the world and accomplish something.

My Heroine

Silverstein

The drugs begin to peak
A smile of joy arrives in me
But sedation changes to panic and nausea
And breath starts to shorten
And heartbeats pound softer
You won't try to save me!
You just want to hurt me and leave me desperate!

You taught my heart, a sense I never knew I had.
I can't forget, the times that I was
Lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine!

You won't leave me alone!
Chisel my heart out of stone, I give in every time.

You taught my heart, a sense I never knew I had
I can't forget, the times that I was
Lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine!

I bet you laugh, at the thought of me thinking for myself (myself).
I bet you believe, that I'm better off with you than someone else.

Your face arrives again, all hope I had becomes surreal.
But under your covers more torture than pleasure
And just past your lips there's more anger than laughter
Not now or forever will I ever change you
I know that to go on, I'll break you, my habit!

You taught my heart, a sense I never knew I had.
I can forget, the times that I was
Lost and depressed from the awful truth
How do you do it?
You're my heroine!

I will save myself!

"My Heroine" is one of my favorite songs by Silverstein, especially the acoustic version (shown above) because I feel like it conveys more emotion. The song uses a play on words, with heroine being a female hero and heroin being a drug. The singer is singing about what he's going through with his heroine, which relates to the withdrawal symptoms of heroin. "The drugs begin to peak / A smile of joy arrives in me" describes how someone first feels when they shoot up heroin, as well as how the singer feels around his heroine, who we can presume is a girlfriend or ex-girlfriend. They get the high and become happy, however next we see "But sedation changes to panic and nausea / And breath starts to shorten / And heartbeats pound softer", showing how the high doesn't last, quickly changing into a freak out state and feeling sick. Next we hear "You won't try to save me / you just want to hurt me, and leave me desperate", which relates the girl and heroin again, showing that neither of them is good for the singer, as they only bring hurt. "You won't leave me alone / chisel my heart out of stone, I give in every time" shows the singer's addiction. When he says the heroine won't leave him alone, it's proof that she's always on his mind, while the part about giving in every time tells us that he succumbs to what she wants him to do every time he's around her. After the chorus is repeated, we hear "I bet you laugh, at the thought of me thinking for myself / I bet you believe, that I'm better off with you than someone else", which is the singer saying that the heroine thinks that he can't live without her. The chorus is then repeated, followed by another verse which has the singer realizing how badly he needs to give up on his heroine. First, he thinks he finally has her but is then treated the same way he always has been, as seen in the line "Your face arrives again, all hope I had becomes surreal / But under your covers more torture than pleasure / And just past your lips there's more anger than laughter". He then realizes that it is a vicious cycle and that he must give up on her, saying "Not now or forever will I ever change you / I know that to go on, I'll break you, my habit!" Then he restates the chorus, finishing off with a rather intense "I will save myself" that once again shows that he's decided to give up on the girl. This is a very powerful song, that I believe anyone who's been a complete fool for someone can relate to. It proves that wanting someone who treats you poorly can be just as destructive as an addiction to a dangerous drug, such as heroin.

Mr. Highway is Thinking About the End

A Day to Remember

Wake up!

Oh how the times have changed
You're not the person I knew back then
Let's get this straight
This is a calling
When will they stop falling for this?
You lack all inspiration

We're not the same
I'll do whatever it takes
To get it through to you
We'll call this a day
We're not the same
You are worthless
Stay in your place

It's like speaking in tongues
To all of you now
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?
How long until the tables turn?
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?

I've created a monster
You bring out a side of me that no one should see
So quit stalling, pack your bags
Keep walking away
Your life leads to destruction

We are not the same
I've struggled too long to sit back
And let you take this from me
We are not the same
I have given everything

It's like speaking in tongues
To all of you now
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?
How long until the tables turn?
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?
(Get what we deserve) Get what we deserve
Get what we deserve

Disrespect your surroundings

You won't make it out alive
You won't make it out alive
You won't make it out alive
You won't make it out alive

It's like speaking in tongues
To all of you now
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?
How long until the tables turn?
When will we ever (when will we ever) get what we deserve?

When will we ever get what we deserve?
When will we ever get what we deserve?

To me, the song "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" by A Day to Remember, is about the singer losing someone who was once dear to them. In the first verse we see "Oh, how the times have changed / you're not the person I knew back then." This makes it very clear he is speaking to someone who has changed who they are. Next, we see "We are not the same /  I'll do whatever it takes / To get it through to you", this is the singer saying that he is not going to change like the person he is singing about. In the chorus, we see "It's like speaking in tongues / to all of you now", meaning that when the speaker says something to the person who is singing about, it is like he is speaking gibberish to the person, and that they don't understand him. Also in the chorus we see "When will we ever get what we deserve?", a question asked by the singer to say "Hey, I'm working hard over here, when will you change back (get what he deserves)?" In the next verse, we hear the line "I've created a monster / you bring out a side of me that no one should see", is the singer saying that he doesn't want anyone to see how he acts around the person he is singing about. "We are not the same / I've struggled too long to sit back / and let you take this from me / we are not the same / I have given everything" is the singer coming to the realization that he can't change the person and that he's not going to stress over it. It's him deciding to let go, because the person will obviously not change back, no matter how much the singer tries. Near the end of the song, the heavy instrumentals fade to a softer tone, and the chorus is sung quietly. I believe that this is the singer reflecting sadly on everything that has happened. The song ends after that, because the singer has poured his heart out and has finally given up.

Contraband

The movie Contraband is the story of Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-smuggler who is forced to do one last job to save his family. Cliched plot aside, the movie is actually well executed and entertaining. Chris was once an expert in the field of smuggling but eventually "became legit", starting his own business and raising a family. While on a smuggling job, his brother-in-law has to ditch a stash of cocaine, because the ship is being boarded and searched by customs. Due to this, the people he was working for kill his partner and badly injure him, threatening his life if he doesn't find a way to pay them back. Chris decides to get back into the business to protect him, as well as the rest of his family. I appreciated the fact that Chris isn't the "John McClane" action hero, thinking of himself as a bad-ass, spewing off one liners and lighting a cigarette every five minutes. He's intelligent and knows what to do to get the job done. He always seems to be one step ahead of everyone else, as he's able to out think the customs officers and ensure the safety of his family. The movie was able to put me on the edge of my seat at times, which is the trademark of a good action movie.  The acting was solid, from the ways I mentioned Chris behaving, to the secondary characters, who sometimes aren't potrayed very well in action movies. In all honesty, I was expecting the movie to be explosions and cheesy acting, but I was pleasantly surprised with an engaging story, decent acting, and an ending that left me wanting more. Contraband is definitely worth seeing for anyone who enjoys a good action movie.


Rating: 8/10


- Rob