Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it’s been far too long. Welcome back to my humble little corner of the blogging world. In case you weren’t sure, last week’s title headings for my post and each subsequent headline were all different lines from songs that have been gracing my IPod on my journeys to and from work each day. The title, in case you’ve been living under a rock, is from the Drake song “Over,” while the remainder of the headlines came from “For the Record,” a little gem by a band called Every Time I Die. For those of you who don’t know, Every Time I Die puts out southern metal gems that not only contain some of the best lyrics I’ve ever had the fortune of hearing in a song (eloquently composed by the brilliant, yet equally tortured Mr. Keith Buckley), but also just simply make you want to rock-the-F&*% out. Sometimes that’s all we need in life, to let it all loose. Call it cathartic; call it junk, I don’t care: ETID tends to bring out the best, and worst, in me. 

For those of you who may not know me all too well, music is a bit part of who I am. In fact, I dare say that it's one of my defining characteristics. Over the years I've sampled it all. I've listened to a lot of junk, but I've also gotten the pleasure of listening to a lot of good. With this in mind, I plan on devoting this entire post to relating each of my week's highlights to a song that I feel properly defines the experiences I've had. Now, keep in mind, many of you might not like the song selections I've picked. Simply put...I don't care. I'm not sitting here trying to play Bobby-B-Hipster and tell you about how X band was better before they got signed, or about how Y sold out. I'm just here to share my thoughts on this past week's experiences in one of the most heartfelt ways I know how: through something I'm passionate about. If you care to listen to the songs I've mentioned, feel free to watch the YouTube links I'll include.

*note to readers: I am not hosting these links, they simply happen to be the search results I found on youtube when searching for each of these tracks. So don’t go running off to the cyber-police tattling like little, sissy children.*

The National Air and Space Museum – “Come Sail Away” by Styx

As Styx famously crooned in their ballad “Come Sail Away:” “I’m sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea.” As you ponder this classic opening line, think of how it applies to everything we’ve accomplished beyond our atmosphere. Space really is our last “uncharted sea.” We may have broken the barrier, but there’s so much let for us to discover. Walking through the National Air and Space Museum, I couldn’t help but reminisce of the melodic ivory-tickling and soft, spacey zaps that litter the opening of this Styx classic. Just as man saw the sky as the ultimate peace in the world, we too look towards the stars with an eerie calm. Everything seems so still, so simple, so vast. Yet, building up to a crashing crescendo, we, as Styx’s “Come Sail Away,” begin to fathom the vast chaos that lies beyond our humble Earth. Behind the initial stillness lies a world of exactly the opposite. A world filled with violent change, immense expulsions of energy, and unfathomable wonder blasts our mind like the timeless chords and riffs that helped “Come Sail Away” transform into a classic. Dennis DeYoung croons “we’ll search for tomorrow on every shore,” aptly summarizing humanity’s overarching goals in our endless quest to understand our universe. Pondering thoughts like this, I couldn’t help but hum this little number through my head as I gazed up at hulking missiles, suspended lunar landers, and gazing at blooming, high-resolution photos of the stars above. Space, while initially mystifying, presents a whole new world of opportunity that awaits us as denizens of Earth. Blasting off into the bowels of space seems to be the only direction we have left to travel. We should all take a cue from DeYoung and “sail away” into what lies beyond. But in order to fully comprehend this head-trip of a feeling that one gets from the mysterious of what lies beyond, one has to understand the technological achievement that got us there In the first place. This is what makes the National Air and Space Museum so memorable. It helps common schmucks, like myself, fully realize the challenge that space travel presents towards humanity; fighting our very nature to explore the unknown.

Arlington National Cemetery – “Jesus Christ” by Brand New

Now before you begin to hate either way, “Jesus Christ” by indie-hit Brand New has, arguably, very little, if absolutely nothing to do with religion. Instead it chooses a more moderate ground, pondering what truly lies beyond; something I can strongly relate to. I won’t sit here and pretend I know what’s going to happen to me after I pass on, because I don’t. In fact, I don’t think anyone truly knows until you actually kick the bucket. In reflection of this, Arlington National Cemetery presented an interesting specimen for me to tackle. On one hand, I couldn’t help but be depressed. Heaps of bodies stacked ever-so neatly into nearly endless rows. Hulking statues of marble and stone. The solemn wind breathing softly through the trees. It all seemed so chilling, so uncomfortable: the same kind of feeling I got as I first listened to this very song. Jesse Lacey shares this exact same sentiment, pondering: “Jesus Christ, I’m not scared to die; I’m a little bit scared of what comes after. Do I get the gold chariot? Do I float through the ceiling?” Therefore, as I wandered the countless roads, avenues, and walkways that snaked around the cemetery, I couldn’t help but reflect on myself as I am now and myself as I will be beyond life. It’s strange how the dead can make you reexamine your entire existence, unfairly measuring who you are against who they were. I’m not saying that I’m any better than the countless men and women who lie in rest at the cemetery. Instead, I wonder if an unseen reason for memorializing those who gave the ultimate sacrifice is simply a way for us to reflect on what we, as those who are alive, are capable of. So, while initially I felt downtrodden at the stark reality of death while roaming the chilling grounds of the cemetery; as I left, I felt an easy calm at simply being alive. This, to me, was the most important realization made while there.

The Pentagon – “Children of Cybertron” by Emmure

Ohhhh no I DIIDDDDDNN’TTT!!!. For those of you who know me personally, you knew I’d have to throw in a heavy metal song in here somewhere. Now I most of you will cringe at the thought of all the growling, howling, chugging, and general beat-down madness associated with the heavy metal genre, but hear me out. What could possibly be more brutal than the nerve center of our national defense: the Pentagon? Buried within lies the tricks of the trade that helps to keep us the premiere military power in the world today, and with that I bring to your attention: Emmure’s “Children of Cybertron.” As Frankie Palemeri, quite forcefully, exclaims: “We are unstoppable. We are unbreakable!” Come to think of it, he could very well be right, especially when talking about the nature of the Pentagon. For one: it survived a surprise attack made by suicidal extremists. Two: it houses (unofficially) some of the most advanced and destructive military hardware somewhere deep within its bowels. Three: it contains many of our nation’s (and the world’s for that matter) best and brightest, with the sole intents of producing a U.S. victory wherever we have been, and will be militarily opposed. Come to think of it, the Pentagon could be argued as the nexus from which the U.S. extends its long-reaching arm of military might. As Palemeri ravages out: “How much more proof do you want?” With this in mind, I couldn’t help but think at the overall might of the U.S. while on my tour through the Pentagon. I felt a certain pride in being in the heart of the American war machine. The Pentagon represents the pinnacle of our military might, a fixed, unwavering testament to our ability to seriously mess up anyone who dares come face to face with us. This was readily apparent in my tour. Simply put, we were not allowed to see much, for fear of spoiling DOD secrets. That’s how utterly badass the Pentagon is. You can’t even see a fraction of it on a tour, but underneath, you inherently know lays a cornucopia of mind-blowing government and military hardware and secrets. For me, this equates to nothing less than the most brutal of my music catalogue: a spot that Emmure’s new CD (Speaker of the Dead) currently holds.

(Credit goes to: http://blog.usnavyseals.com/uploads/pentagon.jpg)

Well, now that we’ve glimpsed into both some of my musical tastes, but also how they relate to my experiences over the past week, I encourage you to do the same. What about your favorite song makes your day-to-day so special? Leave me some love about it in the comments box/crackbook/email, share it with your friends, do something for Christ’s-sake! Too many times people keep to themselves, but today I’m offering you a chance to express yourself. The purposes of things like blogs are to have open discussions between individuals (albeit in an online setting). This post is merely my soapbox for the week, but now it’s time for you all to take a stand. If anything, everything I’ve said over the course of the last couple weeks should be an inspiration for you all to do something similar: whether that’s because you like, or absolutely hate what I do. Each post is designed to give you a glimpse into my thought process. But, beyond that, I can only hope that you’ll take my words and make your own opinion about their content. Plus, I promise if you leave me a comment I won’t bite… too hard (*cackles maniacally*).