With Canadian Thanksgiving coming up this Monday, I have been feeling a bit patriotic and thinking a lot about my Canadian identity whilst in Glasgow. This will be the first Thanksgiving that I am not at home with my family and it makes me feel a tad bit uneasy. Luckily, I have lovely friends here who plan to spend the evening with me.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share a handful of my favourite songs by Canadian artists (in no particular order):
“Breathing Underwater” by Metric
“Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Bublé
“Perfect” by Hedley
“Ever After” by Marianas Trench
“Rebellion (Lies)” by Arcade Fire
“Guardian” by Alanis Morissette
“What I Wouldn’t Do” by Serena Ryder
“All I Can Do” by Chantal Kreviazuk
“Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
And, I can’t forget:
“Oh… Canada” by Classified
To my friends and family back home, Happy Thanksgiving!
“Lost Stars” by Adam Levine, from Begin Again (2013)
Take my hand, let’s see where we wake up tomorrow Best laid plans sometimes are just a one night stand I’ll be damned, Cupid’s demanding back his arrow So let’s get drunk on our tears
I recently watched a film called Begin Again (2013). Not only was it written and directed by John Carney (director of Once), but it also stars Keira Knightly, Mark Ruffalo, James Corden, and Adam Levine (eep!). Given this and the fact that it’s a musical film, naturally I was excited to see it.
Taking place in New York, Greta (a singer-songwriter and ex-rock star’s girlfriend) and Dan (struggling producer) meet coincidentally at an open mic, and together they work on producing an album together and recording all around New York. Like Once, it is the music that brings people together and drives the story. And I love it.
Lost Stars was really the theme song of this film — we’re all trying to find ourselves in this universe. But like a song, it’s important to not lose sight of who we really are in our search — our core values and beliefs give us the lens to see the world in a raw and real way. We shouldn’t be writing and playing songs for others, we should be doing it for ourselves.
Lyric video of Lost Stars can be found here, but I favour the acoustic version with Adam Levine and James Valentine. There is also a version of the song by Keira Knightley if you wish to check it out:
Are we all lost stars trying to light up the dark?
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, Sunshine on Leith (1988)
But I would walk five hundred miles And I would walk five hundred more Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles To fall down at your door
My first time listening to The Proclaimers at school when I was young (this song specifically), was probably my first ever encounter with the Scottish accent. I remember thinking they sounded funny, not having had much exposure to different accents. But I still really liked this song and it’s still one of my favourites to this day. I am excited to discover more Scottish music while in Glasgow soon!
I also encountered this farewell video on YouTube for David Tennant when he was wrapping up his time as the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who. Just seeing David’s bits in the video shows that he is probably The Proclaimers’ biggest fan, so it was really sweet that the cast and crew all did this for him as a farewell treat. 2:39 is the absolute cutest when The Proclaimers themselves debut.
“Falling Slowly” from Once The Musical London, (Phoenix Theatre) — Music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Take this sinking boat and point it home We’ve still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice You’ll make it now
I had the chance to watch the movie Once (2006) the other night starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová:
I really enjoyed this film. Granted, I tend to be a fan of musicals and musical films, but this film was really special as it was so delicate and simple, but had such charm and heart to it. Taking place in Dublin, Ireland, it is about a guy (a busker) who is approached by a girl intrigued by his performance on the street. They both then bond over music and past loves, and then spend time together writing and recording music.
This film is unique in that the songs and the emotions the characters share make up the plot and script. It shows just how powerful music is in bringing people together and inspiring each other. You can also see the raw talent the musicians have in this film — all of the songs were originally written and performed by the starring actors themselves which makes it feel so much more real.
After watching this film, I learned after that there was a musical adaptation made based on this film. Unfortunately, I missed it when they visited Toronto (but they will be back in February 2015 for those who are interested!). While I may not be in Toronto at the time, I found out the Phoenix Theatre in London is playing this musical for the next few months, so I will definitely try to make a visit to go see it whilst I am in the UK! The clip above is from the cast of Once The Musical London (starring Arthur Darvill and Zrinka Cvitešić).
“The Taste of Blood” from Only Lovers Left Alive Soundtrack (2014) by Jozef Van Wissem & SQÜRL
Adam: “I just feel like all the sand is at the bottom of the hour glass or something.”
Eve: “If the sand is running out, time to turn the hourglass upside down again.”
I just watched Only Lovers Left Alive in the theatres today. I remember it was one of the films I sadly didn’t get a chance to see during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, so I was happy to have had the chance to see it in theatres.
It was one of the most unique, intriguing, and mesmerizing films I have seen in recent years. Oh, and it’s also a vampire movie, but definitely not what you’d expect if you are thinking of Hollywood vampire movies. Not only is it a love story of a vampire couple (Adam and Eve) who have lived centuries long, but the film also reflects on the deterioration of culture over the years and the forgotten concept of “living life”. Adam and Eve have lived long enough to see that nowadays, it seems as though time continues with little appreciation or care for history, the arts, literature, and the natural environment. While Adam is more cynical and depressed about how the “zombies” (i.e. us humans) are treating the world, Eve takes a more optimistic and nurturing approach and enjoys the beauty that each era has to offer.
With its subtle but amusing humour and its stunning and detail-oriented cinematography, the film has a fluid yet refreshing story line. It also has one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard composed for a film. It is so simple, often only a lute sustaining the melody, but it creates magic that depicts the atmosphere and the emotions of the characters so well — loneliness, reminiscence, fear, love… It is clear that Adam and Eve are lovers and old souls longing for the rich culture of the past, but they also feel nervous (or maybe even a distaste) for what the future will be like. Despite the troubling thoughts they have and the obstacles they face, Adam and Eve continuously share the eternal love they have for each other, and it really is super sweet.
A beautiful film that I know will linger in my thoughts for a while. I will have to resort to YouTube until I get a chance to pick up a physical copy of the soundtrack.
“This self-obsession is a waste of living that could be spent on surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship… and dancing.”
Cause I’m starting to wear thin Find it harder to forgive Every time you let us slip Down your list of priorities
I first heard this song from a short called “Strangers, Again” by Wong Fu Productions. It’s one of my absolute favourites and still continues to be one of WFP’s most popular shorts.
Seeing people who were once very close drift apart and becoming strangers again is always really hard and a real shame. WFP looked at this from a couple in a relationship perspective, but the idea can be applied to different types of relationships, be it friends or family members.
I’m waiting For you to finally say You are here, and here to stay But, darling, if you know that it’s through Can’t keep doing what you do Is it time to let go of you?
“For the Nights I Can’t Remember” by Hedley, Famous Last Words (2007)
And I do wanna love you If you see me running back And I do wanna try Because if falling for you girl is crazy Then I’m going out of my mind So hold back your tears this time
I am going to see Hedley in concert with my sister tomorrow night, and I am super duper excited for it! I’ve been a fan of theirs since the release of their first album in 2006.
This is one of my absolute favourite songs from Hedley. I remember it was when I first listened to Famous Last Words, Hedley’s second album, that I truly believed they had (and will always have) the potential to touch the hearts of many people with their music. Their talent, enthusiasm, and charisma really shined through, making Famous Last Words one of my favourite albums of all time. It is amazing to see how far they’ve come in their 8 years.
“Feather on the Clyde” by Passenger, All The Little Lights (2012)
Well there’s a river that runs through Glasgow And makes her but it breaks her and takes her into the parks And her current just like my blood flows Down from the hills, round aching bones to my restless heart
I’m listening to All The Little Lights on loop as background music as I am working on a paper. At one point “Feather on the Clyde” started playing, and while I’ve listened to this album numerous times, I only now realized that this song is about the River Clyde in Glasgow.
Mike Rosenberg paints a beautiful picture of the River Clyde in this song. I am now excited to see it.
This song, while beautiful with its calming acoustics, has a sad tone to it. Rosenberg describes the River Clyde as a divide, separating Glasgow into two worlds. It feels like he longs to reach the other side but is unable to, thus leaving him feeling hopeless (like a feather floating along the Clyde). Lots can be interpreted from that. Maybe I’ll make that interpretation for myself when I see the River Clyde in person.
“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane, Hopes and Fears (2004)
Oh simple thing where have you gone? I’m getting old and I need something to rely on So tell me when you’re gonna let me in I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
There are days when it seems as though life has become a little too complex. It’s as if different things are whirling around, subtly stacking on top of each other. It’s only when the layers add up to be too much that it finally crumbles on top of you, and the weight of it all becomes a sharp, and at times painful, realization of what had happened.
It’s days like this when I need to take a step back and breathe before I lose grip. I then go to that place that I feel I need to be. I may need to physically be in a specific location and breathe in the air. Or I may need to be in mental state that I can only get to by eating certain foods or making a cup of tea, or by playing a particular album or watching a specific video. Or I need to contact that person who will get it and is willing to listen.
Various emotions tend to flow and come afterwards, nostalgia being a big one. I often talk about the past as the “good old days” but I wonder why the present days can’t be the good days as well. Why does the past seem so much more simpler than the present, and the future? And in the future, will I look back to these present days and wonder why they were so simple?
“And if you have a minute why don’t we go Talk about it somewhere only we know? This could be the end of everything So why don’t we go? So why don’t we go?
Somewhere only we know“
Hopelessly I feel like there might be something that I’ll miss Hopelessly I feel like the window closes oh so quick Hopelessly I’m taking a mental picture of you now ‘Cause hopelessly The hope is we have so much to feel good about
Not only is it one of the coolest music video’s I’ve seen in recent years, this song is a really good pick-me-upper. It’s a nice reminder to not just let the day go by without really appreciating what you have, who is there for you, and what the world has potentially in store for you.
I don’t know what’s in store for me tomorrow. All I can say is I am very thankful for what I have around me and the support I’ve gotten over the last few years.
“When you’re happy like a fool Let it take you over When everything is out You gotta take it in“
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Thoughts or Questions? 