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Music Portal!

The top 5 most meaningful songs

Lim Wei Jie

Eddy Grant – Gimme Hope Jo’anna

Eddy released this hit during the apartheid regime (Jo’anna stands for Johannesburg, South Africa). It was banned initially as it criticises the unwillingness of the international community for taking legal action against the South African government for using the Apartheid system. Part of the lyrics go:

The reggae beats and the explicit message blends seamlessly together to create the ultimate number that went all the way to #no.7 in the Top UK Hits in the 1980s. ‘Well Jo'anna she runs a country She runs in Durban and the Transvaal She makes a few of her people happy, oh She don't care about the rest at all She's got a system they call apartheid It keeps a brother in a subjection But maybe pressure can make Jo'anna see How everybody could a live as one’ The reggae beats and the explicit message blends seamlessly together to create the ultimate number that went all the way to #no.7 in the Top UK Hits in the 1980s. Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror Taking rides with Surain back to my house used to be pretty dull due to the presence of a broken radio. However, with my trusty handphone, we were bopping our heads to the beats of The King of Pop. The poignant lyrics in the song urgig for change resonated with the context we were in, IB. It became the ‘Ride song’ I suppose, as we critically analyse the world and its flaws, as cliché as it seems, the change needs to come from us first. RIP Michael Jackson. ‘I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change’

 

   

Des’ree – You Gotta Be

Life’s hard? Well, suck it in. This pretty much sums up the whole song as it urges for perseverance in a familiar, pedagogical manner. Her other notable hit, ‘Life’ is also worth checking out though the nonsensical lyrics might perhaps hint that life is unpredictably funny at times? Your remedy when you’re down in the dumps:
‘Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day’

John Lennon – Imagine

A fellow Liverpudlian,  John Lennon was shot dead after sparking anger in an American for this song, where he re-imagine society with noble ideas of no religion, no hunger and just peace. It’s the ultimate peace song that is ranked 3^rd by the Rolling Stones as one of the greatest songs ever written. Perhaps his utopian dream was too hard to comprehend, too large to be taken seriously, but really, it’s easy if we just try to . . .

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Des’ree – You Gotta Be

Life’s hard? Well, suck it in. This pretty much sums up the whole song as it urges for perseverance in a familiar, pedagogical manner. Her other notable hit, ‘Life’ is also worth checking out though the nonsensical lyrics might perhaps hint that life is unpredictably funny at times? Your remedy when you’re down in the dumps:

‘Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day’

Sugarland – Something More 

Really, who would’ve thought country music will make into the list? Even the band name is enough to make me cringe at first. The song reflects this question: You are alive, but are you Living? The music’s not epically fantastic but the lyrics do strike a chord. -Listen, are you breathing just a little and calling it a life? – Mary Oliver.

 There's gotta be something more

Gotta be more than this
I need a little less hard time
I need a little more bliss
I'm gonna take my chances
Taking a chance I might
Find what I'm looking for
There's gotta be something more

Five years and there's no doubt
That I'm burnt out, I've had enough
So now boss man, here's my two weeks
I'll make it short and sweet, so listen up
I could work my life away, but why?
I got things to do before I die

Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate
I believe that happiness is something we create
You best believe that I'm not gonna wait
'Cause there's gotta be something more

The Editor-in-Chief adds:

A great idea from our in-house author Wei Jie – songs with meaningful lyrics. I have some personal favourites as well, and this song by weirdo extraordinaire Björk contains some of the most intriguing lyrics about (what else can it be?) sexual desire!

He offers / A handshake / Crooked / Five fingers / They form a pattern / Yet to be matched
On the surface simplicity / But the darkest pit in me / It's pagan poetry / Pagan poetry
Morsecoding signals (signals) / They pulsate (wake me up) and wake me up / (pulsate) from my hibernating
On the surface simplicity / Swirling black lilies totally ripe / But the darkest pit in me / It's pagan poetry / Swirling black lilies totally ripe / Pagan poetry

Pagan Poetry (from Vespertine, 2001)