Life Through Music: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

You want to know the kind of moments that I live for in life? 

Well, I ran across the type of moments that I live for recently when someone on Facebook posted a video that I’m going to post in a second right below this paragraph. It’s a moment taken off an interview given by Oprah to the musician/producer Pharrell Williams. Now you don’t need to know who these people are specifically because what happens to Pharrell is something that can happen to all of us and should as much as we can in life in my opinion. Now take moment to watch the video of the interview and after I will make some more comments. 

Go ahead... I will wait...

For Pharrell to sit back and take in the response that many people had with something that he created is something beyond words. Because really there are no words for these types of moments. Instead Pharrell shows the impact with his own tears. Its one thing to create something, but its something so much more when others connect to it. When something becomes elevated beyond even yourself there is such a magical energy that lies there. Some call this love. No matter what you call it that my friends is the kind of stuff that I live for. 

I have had similar moments with things that I have created myself. Many moments like the one in that video I just share with you just in the things that I have written in this blog alone. Its a big part of why I continue to write. Even if I connect with just one other person on some level, that alone makes it worth the effort to write it. 

This video I just shared with you and some other things in life recently have pushed me back on a path of more creation. Its interesting too because the things that I have created seem to flow so much easier than they use to when I tried years ago. Maybe its because of the work that I have done with myself that has cleared the channels of creativity for activation. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’m going to take advantage of it by creating more in my life. 

Don’t even think for a minute that I was going to skip over talking about the song that started this moment with Pharrell, then myself, and then so many others on this planet. The song is of course called “Happy” by Pharrell William who is one part of the producing duo called The Neptunes. The Neptunes did many of the top hits on the radio at the end of the 90’s and into the 2000’s. Since then Pharrell has taken on many projects for his on persona. His latest album is a much better solo album than the one he put out many years ago. I’m not the first to hear this song or even talk about it, but that is not really the point. The point is that I'm sharing this with you. Since November of last year he has had a website up to promote for this song. On this website the song "Happy" plays over and over with video of different people dancing to the song in a 24 hour loop. I have watched parts of it many different times and it's a lot of fun. That idea for the website alone was a pretty brilliant move of creativity. Lets go to the lyrics. 

"Happy"

[Verse 1:]

It might seem crazy what I’m about to say

Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break

I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space

With the air, like I don’t care baby by the way

[Chorus:]

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do

[Verse 2:]

Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah,

Well, give me all you got, and don’t hold it back, yeah,

Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine, yeah,

No offense to you, don’t waste your time

Here’s why

(I love this part of the song. It’s such a positive way of looking at life. Bad news always comes and tries to take your happiness away. You got to roll with the punches and don’t let it keep you down.)

[Chorus]

Hey, come on

[Bridge:]

(happy)

Bring me down

Can't nothing bring me down

My level's too high

Bring me down

Can't nothing bring me down

I said (let me tell you now)

Bring me down

Can't nothing bring me down

My level's too high

Bring me down

Can't nothing bring me down

I said

(More of that positivity and I love it! You can’t bring me down.)

[Chorus 2x]

Hey, come on

(happy)

Bring me down… can’t nothing…

Bring me down… my level's too high…

Bring me down… can’t nothing…

Bring me down, I said (let me tell you now)

[Chorus 2x]

Come on 

(Come on *waives you in to follow us* and join us...and clap along...)

The idea that happiness is an experience not a destination is something I often try to remind myself. However, I do believe that we can create an environment that can be a happy place or desination to live in for sure. I think that is always the goal in life so we must continue to put that effort out into the world. It certainly is for me. So, wonderful people, dig deep and find what really makes you shine. Dig deep and bring that inner shine out to the world and help create happy wonderful moments for yourself and others in this world! 

As always I bring this to you with soooooo much love and pure D-lite. = )

Life Through Music: "All Mixed Up" by 311

Apparently I have not been getting the message to believe in or trust myself quite as much as I should. I mean this is something that I have been working on over the last few years. I think what the problem is for myself is that sometimes I don’t like the answers that my intuition gives me and therefore I go against it. The more in tune with myself I get, the clearer that the messages get from my intuition. This process can make life a bit weird in many ways. When I listen to my intuition though I avoid many of the mistakes and unnecessary things in life.

This week’s song is another older song that came out in the 90's ( see a trend going on here...). I just threw this song on the newest playlist for the music I put in my iPhone recently without thinking much about it. I didn’t realize till this week how relevant it is to what I have been focusing on lately in my life. Once I made the connection of course it made sense to play it many times during this last week. I have a feeling I will have it in rotation for a while. 

The song is called “All Mixed Up” by 311 and it has a little reggae, punk, and pop feeling to it that makes it a fun little groove. I absolutely love the snare drum in this song because it is so punchy and tight. 311 is a band from the 90‘s that I never really got into more than their radio hits. Regardless they have provided me with a wonderful message and reminder for myself. So lets go right to the lyrics:

"All Mixed Up"

“You've got to trust your instinct 

And let go of regret 

You've got to bet on yourself now star 

'Cause that's your best bet” 

(This really is the best part of the song for me. Especially the trusting your instincts and letting go of regret. Easier sad than done of course, but I’m getting better.)

Watch me now with a wicked and wild and I said 

We come with the funky style that gets us known for the show 

And we'll mix the hip hop reggae if we say it is so 

And fuck the naysayers cause they don't mean a thing 

Cause this is what style we bring

 Now it's morning but last night's on my mind 

“There's something I need to get off my chest 

And no matter what may come to shine 

The dream will always be mine”

(This is important for all of us to remember that no matter what the universe throws at us it will always be your life, your dream.) 

“All mixed up, you don't know what to do 

Next thing you turn around and find the person is you”

(Life can turn you around and get you quite lost, but just when you think that you don’t know what to do...there you are again.)

Thought a freak might be the thing 

But the first could be the last, so just getoff of your ass 

All mixed up, you don't know what to do 

Next thing you turnaround and find the person is you 

Thought a freak might be the thing

“But you know this will pass, so just get off of your ass”

(All situations will pass. Especially when you get off your heine and take action to help you move forward.)

You've got to trust your instinct 

And let go of regret 

You've got to bet on yourself now star 

`Cause that's your best bet 

Watch me now with a wicked and wild and I said 

Sick sickbit got to have it 

Like bustin' in on a session but you got to call it quits

Sick sick bit just can't quit 

Fact that you don't even know makes it fully legit

Now it's morning but last night's on my mind 

There's something I need to get offmy chest 

And no matter may come to shine 

The dream will always be mine 

You keepme coming, 

That is a gal that'll kill dem stunning 

You keep me coming, 

That is agal that'll kill dem stunning 

You keep me coming, 

That is a gal that'll kill demstunning 

You keep me coming, 

That is a gal that'll kill dem stunning 

You make me nervous, throat dry 

My brain is empty, don't know why 

But I saw you doing something 

Which is really truly nothing 

But you could bust me out all day 

Many moons since first I saw you 

Many moons since first we did the do 

Many moons since first I saw you 

Many moons since first we did the do 

“And why did I try when I knew it was no and 

Why did I try when I say it was so 

But save it for late we should just let it skate 

'Cause the waiting feel is fine”

(I won’t give details, but she was a flash in the pan and I knew it from the beginning. Just chose to take a shot anyways. *shrugs shoulders* Oh well. No regrets. I really don’t get enough credit for being as observant as I am.)

Intuition can be a powerful thing for sure. I’m pushing myself to listen more. I may not like the answers that it gives me sometimes, but I’m going to stop trying to go against it so much. I believe I’m not the only one that goes against their intuition. I guess it’s just human nature to do such silly things to ourselves. I don’t like it when my intuition is right at times, but I suppose in life it’s necessary. 

As always I bring this to you with so much love and pure D-Lite. = )

Life Through Music: "Set a Drift On Memory Bliss..." by P.M. Dawn

I have one request....

....Send be back to the 90’s. Yeah I said it. Send me back to the 90’s and let me relieve my glory days. There is much about the 90’s that I would love to go back to without thinking twice. One of those things about the 90’s that I love so much was the music. I have talked about this many times with lots of people, but especially with my cousin Jason. There was just something about the music of that era that we both just can’t get over. We will listen to it over and over for the rest of our lives that I can guarantee. 

I miss the slow jams and dedications show that use to be a part of radio during the 90’s. There was so many great slow jams that came out of the 90’s both in the first half of the decade and in the later part of the decade as well. 

Lets us not forget the dance music from this era is just something else for sure. Yeah the movie "Night at the Roxbury" made fun of it for sure, but I loved it. I can remember falling to sleep to it because I always played Z100 (top 40 radio) as I fell asleep every night. My brother Justin (who I shared a room with) can attest to this and because of this there is many memories associated with 90’s music for him too. 

So, how do I pick a song for the week that really captures the 90’s music as a whole? I can’t really it’s far to difficult. I do, however, have a song lately that always sends me back to that part of my life. The song that I picked for this week is a song called “Set A Drift On Memory Bliss” by P.M. Dawn. Even from the title it seems so fitting as I drift off to my memories of the nineties like I do so often in my free time. Many great memories to be relived and enjoyed during that time period. 

I’m going to post the lyrics to this song here, but truly there is not a direct connection with myself and the lyrics themselves. My connection is more the feelings and memories that come up when listening to this song. To be set upon a 90’s memory bliss if you will...

“Set adrift on memory bliss of you...”

Baby you send me, baby you send me...

Set adrift on memory bliss of you

The camera pans the cocktail glass,

Behind a blind of plastic plants;

I found the lady with the fat diamond ring

Then you know I can't remember a damn thing

I think it's one of those de ja vu things,

Or a dream that's tryin' to tell me something

Or will I ever stop thinkin' about it

I don't know, I doubt it

Subterranean by design,

I wonder what I would find if I met you,

Let my eyes caress you,

Until I meet the thought of Missess Princess Who?

I often wonder what makes her work

I guess I'll leave that question to the experts,

Assuming that there are some out there

They're probably alone, solitaire

I can remember when I caught up

With a pastime intimate friend

She said, "Bet you're probably gonna say I look lovely,

But you probably don't think nothin' of me."

She was right, though, I can't lie

She's just one of those corners in my mind,

And I just put her right back with the rest

That's the way it goes, I guess

Baby you send me, baby you send me

Set adrift on memory bliss of you

Baby you send me, baby you send me

Set adrift on memory bliss of you

A careless whisper from a careless man,

A neutron dance for a neutron fan;

Marionette strings are dangerous things,

I thought of all the trouble they bring

An eye for an eye, a spy for a spy,

Rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh

Tell me that she's not dreaming

She's got an ace in the hole,

It doesn't have meaning

Reality used to be a friend of mine,

'cause complete control, I don't take too kind

Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on

Guess who's piece of the cake is Jack gone?

She broke her wishbone and wished for a sign

I told her whispers in my heart were fine

What did she think she could do?

I feel for her, I really do

And I stared at the ring finger on her hand,

I wanted her to be a big PM Dawn fan,

But I had to put her right back with the rest

That's the way it goes, I guess

Baby you send me, baby you send me

Set adrift on memory bliss of you

I could go on and on about all that I loved in the 90’s, but just generally speaking maybe it was just the fact that I was younger and life seemed so much more simpler than it is today. Even the state of America itself seemed in a better place than it has been over the last decade and a half or maybe I was just too young to care about the troubles of the world. I don’t know, but what I do know is that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the decade of 90’s. I may never go back physically, but I will take time here and there to put some of the 90’s music on to relive some of the best times of my life. 

What decade would you choose to go back to if you could?

As always I bring this to you with so much love and pure D-lite. 

Life Through Music: "The Aviator" by K-os

I have spent a lot of time looking at my imperfections over the last few months. This can be very taxing on the soul for sure, but I think that is totally part of the process for me. The process in which I continue making a better me. 

I had lots of ambition to start off the year to take my health to the next level and then with the loss of my mother things got all screwed up. Her death definitely put my plans on hold. I didn’t quite fall off the wagon I had been riding towards better health, but there was many times were I was barely holding on. 

Lately, I have made a big push to get back in motion and I have done a good job to set myself up for reentry into my path that is filled with health goals. I’m tracking my food again and I have added quite a bit of exercise activities to help this out. This term I'm taking two P.E. type classes. One is called Core fitness and the other is Flag Football. The Flag football is more of a fun class for me, but the Core Fitness class is no joke. The teacher in the Core Fitness class is kicking my heine in a good way. I asked for it and so now I’m put to the test. How I will I respond to the things that I asked for? So far I have taken both classes head on as a typical aries does. It’s hard work to be sure, but the reward is so great. Its only been a few weeks an I feel great already. I also have been going for a long run on mondays and riding my bike more consistently to and from work. 

The song that fits my push on getting back to me is a song by the artist K-os and it is called “The Aviator”. Really it is the chorus that speaks the most to me, but lets take a look and see if there is other words in the lyrics that I connect to. 

"The Aviator"

I walk a mile in my own shoes 

Crown the king, in the name of the father 

Let the sermon begin, hail observant again 

Watchin my mind spin 

Watchin how time can turn enemies into friends 

And friends to enemies, why did he envy me? 

Is it because I M.C. breakin in social scenes? 

How do you mean? 

Of course I miss em 

But I had to diss em all, cuz self-hating's not my mission 

Nope 

"I'm just a man 

Doin the best he can 

Doin the best he can 

I'm just a man 

I might fall short 

But I look a unseen hand 

Look a unseen hand 

Look a unseen hand 

I'm just a man 

Doin the best he can 

Doin the best he can 

I'm just a man 

I might fall short 

But I look a unseen hand" 

Yea, sometimes I ask myself 

I ask late at night: 

Who am I using? 

Who is abusing? 

Who is he choosing? 

Who am I sleeping on that im confusing? 

Who is my muse? 

(I do actually ask a lot of questions late at night. Some like the ones he lists and some that are more in depth.)

She probably plays the guitar 

Probably forth dimension, or probably liven large 

So many scars, young black boy in my room 

Made my style animated call my style cartoon 

That cha bump 

When your drivin up the coast line 

Your closed mine exposed by the sunshine 

Designed, by the most hot 

"I'm just a man 

Doin the best he can 

Doin the best he can 

I'm just a man 

I might fall short 

But I look a unseen hand 

Look a unseen hand 

Look a unseen hand 

I'm just a man 

Doin the best he can 

Doin the best he can 

I'm just a man 

I might fall short 

But I look a unseen hand" 

Do the hustle 

Rain down on me 

Rain down on me

Really it is the chorus that hit me in this song. I just need to keep on going doing the best that I can as I fly my way through this thing called life. 

I’m just trying to do the best that I can everyday. Learning from my mistakes and also focus on the things that I did well. Understanding your strengths and your weaknesses is very helpful thing to do in your life. Maybe...just maybe I have been harder on myself than I should be. I working hard to find a balance between pushing my self to the next level, but also stay away from beating myself up. I'm a work in progress. 

The P.E. classes I have taken are definitely helping me to do that. Basically get back on that horse and do the work Derrick Heine. It’s time. 

As always I hope everyone is doing great and if not putting in the work to do great things. 

As always I bring this to you with so much love and pure D-lite. = )

Life Through Music: “Love is...” by Common

For me death in life always makes me take a step back and reassess my life on many levels. Currently I have been really trying to figure out what are the most important things in my life? When I do this of course that thought always brings me back to love. Where is the love in my life and where is there not enough love? These questions are important to ask not just now, but throughout your life. If you haven’t ever asked that question I hope that you do now. 

I took all of this last spring break off to really take some time away from things. This break has given me much time to think about the love in my life. Love in life comes in so many different forms and it's truly amazing. Most people think of love as just between your partner, but that is only part of the story. Love really is all around us and happening in every moment whether we take notice or not. 

The song that I picked for this week is one that came on in the middle of one of the many deep contemplations I had about love over spring break. It seem to fit perfectly to where I’m at with love at least in the pondering stage. Lets go to the lyrics to pick out some thoughts I connected to and then I will share some of my moments of realizing love in my life in more recent times. 

"Love Is..."

Yeah, yeah

[Chorus]

How beautiful love can be

(Yes, it really can be and it is such a powerful force in the universe.)

On the streets love is hard to see

It's a place I got to be

(There are definitely places in life that are harder to find love, but it’s our searching for love in these places that brings love to them.)

Loving you is loving me

How beautiful love can be

On the streets love is hard to see

Gotta reach that frequency

Loving you is loving me

(Love the phrase “Loving you is loving me” because it is so true. Whether we realize it or not we are all more connected than we think. Big part of seeing that connection is tapping into that higher frequency where love is.)

[Verse 1]

Yeah, you know what love is

(We all know what love is even if we get lost a long the way love is always there.)

Even found it on the ground where the thugs live

My man had to dig deep to find his

Couldn't sleep 'cause on the real he had five kids

Live nig's, real niggaz express and taste it

At crap games, black dames and big faces

Cases in court, fam' showin' love and support

You and your baby's mom thought that love was a sport

“As men we were taught to hold it in

That's why we don't know how 'til we're older men

If love is a place I'ma go again

At least now, now I know to go within”

(Right here is the meat of the song for me. This is something that has resonated with myself for quite a few years. These lyrics alone are so powerful. They are the connection I made to myself when I realized I had grown into the man that I am. )

At time it can take ya for a spin

Heartbreak hotel then you're home again

(Crazy how twisted love can get in your life sometimes, but eventually you always come back to it.)

I've seen love make a nigga soul pretend

Like a story that he don't want to end

Yo

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]

It's all love where we come from

In the hood love we was told to run from

That same hood where the guns sung

We holla love, hopin' it would come one

Crack got so many lives undone

From lack of love many hide some run

I knew this girl with a son who dreamt of actin' in plays

Demonstration with her man had her trapped in a maze

Tryin' to find herself again, much of that she'd have gave

Love can free us, to it some of us react as a slave

Funny, we love 'em more when they're relaxed in a grave

(Why do we love them more after they leave us? Love can be the biggest freedom that we have in life and yet we do many things to keep us from it.)

Wonder if a thug is raw, is he actin' afraid?

Everybody loves sun, why do I attract shade?

Heard of the love of money, but compassion it pays

(Absolutely love this line above. No longer am I in love with money or the life that it brings. Funny the things that I thought I wanted not even a decade ago that seem so pointless now. I plan to be very rich in my life, but not through material things. Instead I try in every moment to add the true treasures that love gives us on the regular to my heart.)

Talk about it with my youth so she'd understand

What it is to be loved by a man

Uh

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]

Some say that I'm a dreamer 'cause I talk about it often

(It’s true and you may even be saying that right now as you read this. I will not stop and I hope you join us one day.)

Seen the hardest nigga soften wit' his homie in a coffin

We walk and stand in, fall in it

With the right companion we all in it

Mary sang a song about it, having broad limits

In the game of life, it's the scrimage

Reminiscing on letters I wrote in my small days

A letter to the people, love always

Yeah

[Chorus]

(These are my the words to the people, love always.)

Love is...

...having a second family that treats me like one of their own.

...having a best friend that stays that way over many many years. 

...listening to that best friend read books with his wife’s daughter. 

...to have deep conversations with my buddies mother.

...people that I know and don’t know stepping into my life to fill the holes of my life when life throws me for a spin

 ...having a family that cares a lot about me. 

 ...having my best friends family absorb me into there lives the more that I see them. 

 ...two wonderful young girls who wanted me to be involved with them being tucked in at night when I was visiting. 

 ...having a classmate help me stay on track in the class we shared together and even drove my take home exam to me when I missed class from being sick. 

 ...having a great meal with two really good friends and their son. 

 ...hearing my cousin laugh very hard. 

 ...having all my gamer friends playing together. 

 ...friends that aren’t just parents by necessity, but because they love it. 

        

 ...the thing my mother gave the most to all her children and everyone that was in her life. 

 ...waking up in the morning with another chance to take on the world. 

There is so many more moments that I can’t think of right in this moment, but those are some of the ones that I have taken notice of recently. I’m always trying hard to listen closely to find many more places that love is. I hope that you are too because there is true wealth all around us. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but maybe love does?

As always I bring this to you with so much love and pure D-lite. = )