Songs in the Key of Life has returned, and KJ has a story to tell!
Search Result / "songs in the key of life"
Songs in the Key of Life: “Stress”
I’m addicted to stress, that’s the way that I get things done When I’m not under pressure then I sleep too long and I hang around like a bum I think I’m going nowhere and that makes me nervous A confession, then, to kickstart this edition of “Songs in the Key of Life”: I am stressed. I hear the familiar chorus rising once again. “Join the club,” you all say, unimpressed. “Welcome […]
Songs in the Key of Life: “You Get What You Give”
This edition of Songs in the Key of Life begins with a confession: I’d completely forgotten about this song for over a decade. It wasn’t until a few years ago when a student DJ played it on WIUP that I reacquainted myself with the New Radicals’ 1998 hit, “You Get What You Give.” The music video emphasizes youthful mischief-making in the face of authority and impending adulthood, and sure enough, a portion of the song’s lyrics reflect a similar sentiment. But […]
Songs in the Key of Life: “You Can Make it if You Try”
Gonzo considers the motivational message of Sly and the Family Stone’s “You Can Make it if You Try” as a means to push through highly stressful periods.
Songs in the Key of Life: Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Cinderella”
I may be a little overzealous, or maybe overzealous isn’t the correct word to use, maybe I’m just a little abnormal. I’ll ask you. Is it odd that I have already picked out the song I want to use for the father/daughter dance at my daughter’s upcoming wedding? You see she turns five this week. Yes, five, as in not-quite-old-enough-to-be-in-Kindergarten-yet five. And the upcoming wedding is just a presumption. We’re hopefully at least 20 years out, and in all honesty, […]
Songs in the Key of Life: “Can’tneverdidnothin'”
Part of me wants to launch into a discussion about the fact that Nikka Costa should have blown up much more than she did a decade ago, but that’s another discussion for another post. For this edition of Songs in the Key of Life, we have the title track from Nikka Costa’s 2005 album Can’tneverdidnothin’. The album is a notable followup to 2001’s Everybody Got Their Something – an easily digestible blend of funky rock/pop carried by Costa’s fantastic vocals. […]
Songs in the Key of Life: “Accentuate the Positive”
I’m going to take a bit of liberty with my first contribution to this column. Rather than a life event, this post is more about the effect that music can have on our personal outlook, worldview, etc. I’m a pretty easy going guy. At least that’s what I like to think. Turns out, in some ways I’m wound up pretty tight. This is probably most true in my work life. Although it wasn’t my initial plan, at this point I […]
Songs in the Key of Life 34: “Fistful of Tears”
Ever stand in front of a mirror and just stare at yourself for a while? What happened? Did you check out your wonderful/flawed physical features? Did you begin to talk to yourself? Did you sing? I did it just a few days ago and the reflection lacked any type of humor. I realized that I am angry. For mother’s day, my family went to go pay a visit to my mother at her old South Carolina church’s backyard cemetery. My […]
Songs in the Key of Life 33: “I Quit”
This past weekend I spent my whole afternoon watching reruns of this show called “Undercover Boss”. This was my second time seeing the sitcom as I shunned it the first time for thinking the executives are just playing for the cameras. Not that I didn’t still think so, I decided to give it another shot and I got hooked. More so, I b!tched up. Yeah, I got teary eyed. (Read Songs in the Key of Life: 18 – who says a man isn’t supposed to cry). Let […]
Songs in the Key of Life 32: “Grenade”
Circa de 2000, I was introduced to this woman named Morgan. She was different from any other woman I had been with. She had this very high class aura about her; the way she spoke, dressed, moved… just everything. I used to come around to her house and file all of her paperwork. She was so busy that she could not keep everything in order so she needed someone like me around to do these little things. She never took […]
Songs In The Key of Life 31: “Turning Around for Me”
“Sometimes discouraged but not defeated; Cast down but not destroyed; There are times when I don’t understand; But I believe it’s turning around for me.” Every once in a while I like to take the time to reflect about how I feel when I overcome some of my struggles. This time is no different. If you didn’t know I have an entrepreneurial spirit as do the partners I’ve aligned myself with. Sometimes we don’t always do the best things we […]
Songs in the Key of Life 30: “Don’t Know Why”
Years back there was a woman in Brooklyn, NY who gave birth to a baby boy. As he grew, he developed a particular set of skills that made him a nightmare to his peers. His confidence made him soar above expectations. With his chosen weapon in hand he would shoot for the stars and most times hit his target. As a matter of fact, he became one of the greatest marksmen of all times. What made him so great was […]