There is always something interesting about looking up artists who you thought, quite frankly, were dead or had just broken up. There are a few you forget about (Coolio, Kid-N-Play, New kids on the block, and who can forget when Lindsay Lohan made music?) but one day I was searching Hanson and I came across this great song they made called This Time Around. Now, being in my 20’s now, the song had a lot of meaning for me because the theme of the song is that you can’t wait for tomorrow but rather you have to take it now. I bought that album but once I came across this it had a much more mature sound. Frankly, when you think of Hanson you probably think ‘the guys that made that Mmmbop song’ and that’s what I thought too. But once I started listening to samples of this album I believed that it is always important to expand your musical choices. It has become a goal of mine to explore other sounds of music. I really don’t care how bad it is perceived or how well it may be perceived. Once I started listening to this, it was clear that Hanson was past that teeny bopper stage and they had now grown as artists and as musicians. I’ll go through each song as describing the vibe and theme of each song as I made my own burned copy and included the excluded bonus track so here goes:
1. Make it out alive
A great beginning to the album, it describes the relationship as being on shaky grounds but in the end you still love that other person. To me, it is told from the perspective of someone who knows they have to not do everything just for themselves and they have to compromise. But, that person telling that story also has to keep telling themselves that I can’t believe she is doing this to me’. Typically, you want to make sure you’re not hurting the other person’s feelings and having a sheer relationship where you’re always fighting must be difficut. So, in the end this song is about hanging on with that love till the end.
2. And I waited
A song for the ages! Probably one of the best on the album. This for me describes two stages and that is one being the person of seduction and the other being seduced. The first part of the song is about the first person tempting the other person or partner into doing things or believing in something (love, money, what have you) and they are trying to get the other to buy into it. However, the second part is about the second person having enough and they have decided to do something about it. A lot of good solid themes in the song about love and temptations.
3. Carry you there
A decent song but not my favorite song. Pretty self explanatory with the title of the song. It is about a girl that refuses help (or love) but the guy keeps insisting that he will always be the perfect match for her. He wants her to look forward to better and bigger things but she keeps looking back at the risks that have been left behind. From my point of view, it sounds like the guy wants to help this girl but she keeps pushing him away because he has something that she doesn’t.
4. Waiting for this
I really don’t get this song from a meaning standpoint but it is one of the best on the album. From one perspective, it could be about a girl falling for a guy and she is afraid to do so because he keeps pressuring her for them to be together. But, on the other hand it could also be about the need for the guy to tell the girl that he knows the girl is cheating on him so why doesn’t she say it already? A song that in my opinion represents what might go through a person’s head when they are getting ready to make a decision regarding love.
5. Voice in the chorus
Great piano and great melodies accompany the song. From the meaning, it is about a girl that is there when the good times are rolling and when the bad times come she vanishes. On this song, it is clear that Hanson got very creative incorporating horns and trumpets, keyboards, the guitar, and drums. Pretty much, this is what life is sometimes because we have all these people in our lives when good times come but when it goes down then they leave.
6. Make it through today
One of the more depressing songs on the album but was actually excluded from the US version of the album. A very sad melody about a guy that has realized his life is nothing and his regrets have come back to him as his life is loneliness. They also realize that they have dreams which keep them away from being so sad and hateful all the time. They also contemplate whether they are leading a good life beyond what has hit them already and they also want to end it as soon as possible. very telling song and shows the diversity of the group.
7. Thinking ’bout something
Awesome song that goes along with a great theme and that is two can play that game. The basic story of the girl cheating on the guy and the guy decides ‘you know what’ why not chase after some girls if she has guys going after her. Ultimately, he also realizes that the girl wasn’t for him because he knew he was a good companion for her. Also, the song includes a great guitar solo and some great handclapping. Just an overall, fun and enjoyable song that anyone can move their head to.
8. Use me up
One of the more intrapersonal songs on the album that is just about nothing. It is about pain and not feeling it when it fact you should be. One of the lines said on the song ‘I’ve carried it all too long, the fear of the pain it brings’ is just about being alone and feeling numb due to some unfortunate circumstances that may happen. Human emotion is meant to happen in our lives and the singer is conveying to us that sometimes we want to feel but it is difficult due to us not being able to feel anything. A very emotional and raw song about being stuck between pain and emptiness.
9. Kiss me when you come home
At first, I hated this song but then I thought what a positive song. Just like the title says, the guy wants the girl to enjoy herself but he also wants some love too. He needs to understand the girl and realizes his own faults with the lyric ‘you know that when I get mad I don’t mean a word that I say’. The song is also about reasoning and coming to logical conclusions and not basing our understandings on assumptions. Such a powerful and a necessary song that talks about love.
10. Give a little
What can I say about this song? Just a bass pedal, a guitar, and some horns and you got yourself a good song about guys trying to get some love from the ladies. Basically, guy approaches girl and girl has to be interested in the guy so you have yourself an instrument for success. In the process, the girl has to tease the guy a bit in order for the guy to come back. Also, a great dancing number for anybody.
11. Musical Ride
Probably the song that has the most meaning for me. As the title says, the guy wants to invite the girl along this musical ride where he wants to change the girl’s life. The girl, in a way is very conservative , and she is hesitant with the guy. The guy, however, understands this but he wants the girl to enjoy herself in her own life. It is a long journey for the both the guy and the girl as he wants to convince her to go on this journey with him. He’ll let the girl, as the song says ‘pick the destination and he’ll pick the road’.
12. These walls
Kind of a breakup song that emphasizes that both partners do not want to be in the relationship that they are in. It could also be about speaking their minds being passive agressive throughout the whole relationship. The guy doesn’t want to see the girl realize she made a mistake and just end it right there. The guy realizes that it is too hard to handle and he would rather not just be there but is he stuck there? An interesting song.
13. Me, Myself and I
What a conclusion to the album! Being alone and breaking up with a girl is something I haven’t experienced so this song is something that is sad and has an optimistic outlook. The guy understands that the relationship has ran it’s course and he had his life out there with this girl. He also sees that sometimes things happen for a reason as he is left with himself in the end. he has himself to talk to and the relationship he had been in has had a bitter end. The guy sees that once he has been left alone that he’ll be able to understand that everything has collapsed and now he has to look forward to the future. Something about this song makes me think that relationships can devastate people and they can also bring hope to people as well.
Well, as you can see I do enjoy this album and it will be in my playlist for a while. So, if you get a few minutes check out Hanson and be open minded with music! (A sample video below)
Just Another Day... 