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Mean by Taylor Swift

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Rise by Katy Perry

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Mean
By Taylor Swift

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You, have knocked me off my feet again,
Got me feeling like a nothing
You, with your voice like nails
On a chalk board, calling me out when I'm wounded
You, picking on the weaker man

You can take me down
With just one single blow
But you don't know what you don't know

Someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down,
Try to block you out 'cause I never impress you
I just want to feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold but the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know what you don't know

Someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening, washed up and ranting
About the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean
All you are is mean and a liar and pathetic
And alone in life and mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday I'll be living in a big old city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Yeah someday I'll be big enough
So you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so (mean)
Someday I'll be living in a big old city
(Why you gotta be so mean)

And all you're ever gonna be is mean
(Why you gotta be so mean)
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
(Why you gotta be so mean)
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

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This song is very clearly about bullying and came out when I was in 4th to 5th grade.  This song reminds me of all the times that I was so upset by some other kid at school or any middle school drama that took place.  Just like in the song, I often felt like there were many kids that I simply had to block out because they were just so mean to other people.  The reason why I called this collum Elementary was because a lot of the bullying that I saw took place during my elementary and middle school years.

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Dance the Night Away by Van Halen

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Van Halen - Van Halen II - Dance The Night Away

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Dance the Night Away
By Van Halen

Have you seen her?
So fine and pretty
Fooled me with her style and ease
And I feel her from across the room
Yes, it's love in the third degree

Oh, baby baby
Won't-cha turn your head my way?
Oh, baby baby
Ah come on take a chance
You're old enough to

Dance the night away
Whoa-oh (ah) come on g-girl, dance the night away

A live wire, barely a beginner
But just watch that lady go
She's on fire, 'cause dancin' gets her higher than-uh
Anything else she knows

Oh, baby baby
Won't-cha turn your head my way?
Oh, baby baby
Well don't skip romance 'cause
You're old enough to

Dance the night away
Oh oh oh (ah) come on g-girl, dance the night away

Oh, oh oh oh oh yeah

Dance the night away hey, hey, yeah
Dance, dance, dance the night away
Ah come on baby (dance the night away) hey, hey yeah
Dance, dance, dance the night away
Uh, come on baby, baby, dance the night away oh, ooh, yeah
Dance, dance, dance the night away ah, ha ow

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My mom made the decision to stay at home with my brother and I when I was about 4 instead of working full time along with my dad.  Growing up with my mom in the house was an amazing experience for me.  This song is her all time favorite song.  I remember hearing it every time I rode in her truck with her.  She still has that same truck and she plays that CD very often.  Every time we hear that song, she and I both sing along.  Every time I hear this song, I can picture all of the roads we drove on together in connecticut in her now extremely old truck and laughing together.

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Rise
By Katy Perry

I won't just survive
Oh, you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype
I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots, they run deep, oh

Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in my veins
I know it, I know it
And I will not negotiate
I'll fight it, I'll fight it
I will transform

When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, "You're out of time,"
But still I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise

I must stay conscious
Through the madness and chaos
So I call on my angels
They say

Oh, ye of so little faith
Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Victory is in your veins
You know it, you know it
And you will not negotiate
Just fight it, just fight it
And be transformed

'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, "You're out of time,"
But still I rise
This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise

Don't doubt it, don't doubt it
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You know it, you know it
Still rise
Just fight it, just fight it
Don't be surprised
I will still rise

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By the time I got into eighth grade, I was going through a lot of mental things.  The only thing that kept me sane was running.  That was the year that I joined cross country and continued to push myself to be able to run faster.  The song I chose for this time in my life was Rise by Katy Perry.  This is because the lyrics remind me of how I sometimes felt trapped by my own head.  I also sometimes felt like I had to conform with everyone else.  That comes up often in this song and describes pushing through your struggles and rising up to be the person you really are.

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Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift

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Never Grow Up
By Taylor Swift

Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No one will desert you
Just try to never grow up
Never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out
Someday and call your own shots

But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your p.j.s getting ready for school

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
And no one's ever burned you
Nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to
Just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder than I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up
Wish I'd never grown up
Could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up
Wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple

Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to
Please try to never grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just never grow up

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I chose this song because the lyrics describe my emotions as I met my baby sister and got to see her grow.  My sister was born when I was twelve years old so it was almost more like I was a second mother to her instead of just being her sister.  Often times, she would stay in my room at night when my mom needed more sleep and I would have to carry her around.  I sang this song and a few others to her when she couldn’t fall asleep.

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Far Away by Nickelback

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Far Away
By Nickelback

This time, this place misused, mistakes
Too long, too late, who was I to make you wait
Just one chance, just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you
I've loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
And you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all I'd give for us
Give anything, but I won't give up
'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you
I've loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
And you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

So far away, so far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away, so far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know

I wanted, I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed, I need to hear you say
That I love you, I've loved you all along
And I forgive you, for being away for far too long
So keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it, hold on to me and
Never let me go, keep breathing
Keep breathing, 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it, hold on to me and
Never let me go, keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go

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In tenth grade, I moved to this school.  For the first few weeks I felt really lost.  The lyrics of this song don’t exactly explain how I was feeling, but I feel as though the song goes along with the fact that I was missing my original home and I was just too “Far Away” from all of the people that I knew and loved for my entire life.  This feeling did eventually fade and I felt more confident than I had ever been.

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Good Direction by Billy Currington

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Good Directions
By Billy Currington

I was sittin' there sellin' turnips on a flatbed truck
Crunchin' on a pork rind when she pulled up
She had to be thinkin' this is where rednecks come from
She had Hollywood written on her license plate
She was lost and lookin' for the interstate
Needin' directions, and I was the man for the job

I told her way up yonder past the caution light
There's a little country store with an old Coke sign
You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
Then a left will take you to the interstate
But a right will bring you right back here to me

I was sittin' there thinkin' 'bout her pretty face
Kickin' myself for not catchin' her name
I threw my hat and thought, 'you fool, that it coulda been love.
I knew my old Ford couldn't run her down
She probably didn't like me anyhow
So I watched her disappear in a cloud of dust

I told her way up yonder past the caution light
There's a little country store with an old Coke sign
You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
Then a left will take you to the interstate
But a right will bring you right back here to me

Is this Georgia heat playin' tricks on me
Or am I really seein' what I think I see?
The woman of my dreams comin' back to me

She went way up yonder past the caution light
Don't know why, but somethin' felt right
When she stopped in and asked Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
Mama gave her a big 'ol glass and sent her right back here to me

Thank God for good directions…and turnip greens

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One of the things that helped me become more confident in myself after the move was the fact that my cousin began staying with me in the summers.  The summer after my sophomore year, she was really into country music and so was my mom.  They both enjoyed Billy Currington and therefore, I was roped into listening to all of his albums that summer.  My cousin and I sang this song many times as loud as we could most of the time.  She helped me to feel like even though I was in completely new surroundings, I could still be the same person I am without caring what these new people in my life thought of me.

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Lips Of An Angel

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Hinder - Lips Of An Angel (Official Music Video)

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Lips of an Angel
By Hinder

Honey, why are you calling me so late?
It's kinda hard to talk right now
Honey, why are you crying, is everything okay?
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud

Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words - it makes me weak
And I never wanna say goodbye
But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

It's funny that you're calling me tonight
And, yes, I've dreamt of you too
And does he know you're talking to me?
Will it start a fight?
No, I don't think she has a clue

Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words - it makes me weak
And I never wanna say goodbye
But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words - it makes me weak
And I never wanna say goodbye
But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel
(And I never wanna say goodbye)
But, girl, you make it so hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

Honey, why are you calling me so late?

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This song has absolutely nothing to do with purchasing a first car and passing a driver's test but it has meaning to that situation for me.  When I first bought my Jeep, I was spending Christmas break in Connecticut.  I had no plans on buying a car at that point and I was about to go on my driver’s test when I returned to Maine.  I went into work at my dad’s auto shop the day before christmas and saw a grey Jeep on the lift in the back corner.  If it is even possible to fall in love with a car, it was love at first sight.  It turned out my cousin had just bought and and no longer wanted it because of the extensive repairs it needed. So I took it and did the work on it myself and with my dad’s supervision.  This song is important to this scenario because it is the first song that came on the radio on my first ride in the Jeep.  Every time I hear this song it reminds me of how I found my Jeep.

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Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars

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Talking to the Moon
By Bruno Mars

I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away
I want you back, I want you back
My neighbors think I'm crazy
But they don't understand
You're all I have, you're all I have

At night when the stars light up my room
I sit by myself...

Talking to the moon
Trying to get to you
In hopes you're on the other side talking to me too
Or am I a fool, who sits alone, talking to the moon?

I'm feeling like I'm famous, the talk of the town
They say I've gone mad
Yeah, I've gone mad
But they don't know what I know
Cause when the sun goes down someone's talking back
Yeah, they're talking back, oh

At night when the stars light up my room
I sit by myself...

Talking to the moon
Trying to get to you
In hopes you're on the other side talking to me too
Or am I a fool, who sits alone, talking to the moon?

(Ah, ah, ah)

Do you ever hear me calling?
(Ah) oh oh oh
(Ah) oh oh oh

'Cause every night

I'm talking to the moon
Still trying to get to you
In hopes you're on
In hopes you're on the other side talking to me too
Or am I a fool, who sits alone, talking to the moon?

I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away

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Elizabeth is my Goddaughter who lives all the way out in New Mexico.  The first two lines of this song is what drove me to choose it.  This is because I relate to this line with Elizabeth.  My goddaughter is so far away from me and I would love to get to see her grow up.  Unfortunately, that is not possible seeing as we live on completely opposite sides of the country.  I only get to see her once a year and she barely remembers me each time I see her.