As promised a couple of days ago, instead of a 2013 year-end summary I’m going to do something that friends and I often did at this time of year: the iTunes meme. It’s pretty simple, so here’s how to do it:
Copy the following questions into a new blog post:
1. How does the world see me?
2. Will I have a happy life?
3. What do my friends think of me?
4. Do people secretly lust after me?
5. How can I make myself happy?
6. What should I do with my life?
7. Will I ever have children?
8. What is some good advice for me?
9. How will I be remembered?
10. What’s my signature dancing song?
11. What’s my current theme song?
12. What do others think is my current theme song?
13. What shall they play at my funeral?
14. What type of men do I like?
15. How’s my love life?
Put your media player of choice onto ‘shuffle’ and then hit ‘play’. As each song comes up, that’s the answer to each question in turn. To make things fair, you’re allowed to hit ‘next’ three times for each song, but only if absolutely necessary (eg: the song that comes up isn’t something that could be construed as an answer, such as Sonata No.9 or what-have-you). After that, you just have to pick the most apt song out of the three you got for that question. (It goes without saying that, for question 14 you may need to change the gender…)
Finally, write a little bit about what the song makes you think, in relation to the question (eg: whether it’s apt, hilariously off-topic, or really makes you think). Sometimes, Dear Reader, iTunes has an uncanny knack of getting inside your head with this meme.
Here are my answers, complete with (wherever possible) YouTube embeds.
1. How does the world see me? – Ke$ha – Take It Off
Yeah, right. No I will not flash the crown jewels on this blog! :p
2. Will I have a happy life? – Melody Gardot – Worrisome Heart
The song suggests that I will, with the right person around. I don’t think that’s 100% accurate, as I believe it’s perfectly possible to be happy when you’re alone. Swings and roundabouts on this one: some people were born to be alone, some were born to need others. As long as I have Daros in my life, I’m perfectly content :-)
3. What do my friends think of me? – Morgan Page feat. Lissie – The Longest Road (Downtempo Mix)
Going down the longest road to nowhere. Yep, that’s summed up the past few years for me, actually. I don’t seem to be getting anywhere with certain old ambitions of mine, and I know that’s been a source of frustration for those near to me who know what I am capable of, and that I’ve been throwing that away somewhat.
4. Do people secretly lust after me? – Clannad – I Will Find You
Yikes, that’s stalkerish O.o
5. How can I make myself happy? – David Sylvian – Wanderlust
Travel always did make me happy, and I’ve been just about everywhere in the world that I wanted to go. I’d like to re-visit a few locations, though. That said, listen to the lyrics on this one.
6. What should I do with my life? – Duran Duran – Come Undone
Again, yeah, this song has layers for me. I could do with loosening up a little, coming undone, and letting go of a bit of my control-freakishness.
7. Will I ever have children? – Freemasons – Uninvited (club mix)
Well, yeah. They are, pretty much! I love kids, but I’m more the avuncular type than the paternal type. They’re great, as long as I can hand ’em back at the end of the day ;-)
8. What is some good advice for me? – Philip Glass – Koyaanisqatsi
This may strike some of you as one that I should have skipped and tried another track on (especially since the lyric is just the title word repeated continuously). However, this song, with this question? Big “woah!” moment for me. (Also a fucking amazing piece of music.) Koyaanisqatsi is one of my favourite movies (watch it all here; it’s absolutely mind-blowing and really makes you think). There’s no plot, no dialogue; just music and real life footage. And ‘koyaanisqatsi’ is the old Hopi word for ‘life out of balance’. Fucking hell, is that spot-on for me at the moment.
9. How will I be remembered? – Dave Grohl – If I Were Me
“If I were me, I’d wait forever / What’s your hurry? What’s your hurry? / Never learned how to say ‘never’ / What’s your worry? What’s your worry? / Once upon a time… The End.”
10. What’s my signature dancing song? – Daft Punk – Contact
Nothing to say to that but, Oh hell YES. (Watch the video. The creator played the Daft Punk song over the end segment of 2001: A Space Odyssey and it’s bloody awesome.)
11. What’s my current theme song? – Worm Is Green – The Robot Has Got the Blues
Oy, another spot-on one. I really do need a kick up the arse IRL of late. Talk about stagnating and wasting my days…
12. What do others think is my current theme song? – Adam Lambert – Strut
Oh honey, gimme that runway and I’ll show ya my strut ;-)
13. What will they play at my funeral? – Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake – Dance 2night
Damn right. I don’t want anyone bawling their eyes out at my funeral. I believe in celebrating lives, and dancing is one bloody good way of doing that.
14. What type of men do I like? – Depeche Mode – Somebody
Oh dammit, now I’m crying, thanks iTunes. This song has long been a (very obscure) favourite of mine. In fact, without knowing it was, the DJ at mine and Daros’s wedding played it as the final song. I got teary then, too. Just change the somebody’s gender ;-)
(Little-known bit of trivia about that Depeche Mode song: in order to find the emotional vulnerability that the vocal needed, Martin Gore sat, stark naked in a completely darkened recording studio when he recorded it.)
15. How’s my love life? – Sam Smith, Nile Rodgers, Disclosure & Jimmy Napes – Together
*snort* I wish! :p