(SMS) Oficina G3 - Depois da Guerra

Background picture:

June 1944, two boys overlooking
the ruined remains of the village of
St. Lo, France after the D-Day
invasion of Normandy.
(Corbis)

I see ruins of a war
One more war by our hands
The weapons were the words
Vanity, motivation

Wounds that bled the soul
The faith of many has been lost
One day brothers, enemies today
The love that once made us one have been murdered

   Who will win?
   A war between brothers
   A war that is lost
   Who will lose?
   A chosen nation
   A wounded nation

The alliances were broken
Words that brought division
Preached, sung, spoken
By many who claimed to be brothers

Wounds that bled the soul
The faith of many have been lost
At the Cross was given to us the example
Where lies the love that once made us one?

Besides the songs I write about talk a lot to me, I think that's nice when I'm "challenged" by someone on a song. This time who brought the main idea was my brother Matheus, and also him was the adviser on the picture. He's a person of great musical inspiration to me. He's the one who sought the seeds of good music in me though I've followed a different path of his, and we're always exchanging musical ideas.

It's curious seeing how this song's perspective have changed since its release, in 2008. Knowing the themes approached by the band, since their first album, back in 1990, we could imagine about quarrels created by religious divergences. Ten years after its original release, as noted by my brother, it's clear as a crystal that these quarrels and separations happen by political views.

Following what are being posted on Facebook's timeline, people admitting they have broken friendship, telling they started fights with their families and were really not caring for this. And what's the end of this? Will your political god take you anywhere? Is he the savior of the world? Is he the one who will take care of your emotions? Is he your friend/relative who heard you in your worst days? He's only another public manager in this country. And what about LOVE for people? And what about caring for PEOPLE? The one and only losers here, in the end, are you and me.

Mano Brown, a famous rapper in Brazil, who sings in Racionais MC's group, gave a speech during an election rally favoring Haddad, one of the two presidential candidates running on the second round polls in Brazil (the one on the right side of the picture), last Tuesday (October 23rd). Many may say that he humiliated the Worker's Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, also PT, in Portuguese). Just as my brother, I see the other side of the coin: he humiliated Brazil. At the end of his speech, he said "what kills us is blindness and fanaticism". 

I see ruins of a war. The weapons were the words, vanity, motivation.

God bless the future of Brazil, and may the elected president not end with even more families and friends bonds.

If you understand/know Portuguese and is interested in Mano's Brown speech, you can click here to read and watch. I have no tools to translate a video and didn't find anything in English about. Sorry about this.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3JnXLE2aYxWDPk1OoFHieV
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/track/93544314
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtEGOql1TsE

Picture: 

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history#section_8&gid=ci0230e631405a26df&pid=saint-lo-in-ruins

(SMS) Smash Mouth - All Star

Originally posted on August 23, 2017.

Good morning one more time, sailors from all the intergalactic internetic internet. Here I am with another project (I haven't forgotten Album Recommendation), though this one is more factual.

Almost every week I send a message for a contacts list inspired in a song, just like the first stuff I've posted on Construindo Uma Memória. So I have in mind to put it here for those, that somehow is not in that list, or you read that I have never seen but for some reason follow my blog, making some adjustments to fit it in here. Also I'm giving preference for those people for they have been with me for a while, they will receive in advance before posting it in the blog. It was something that itched my mind, talked to some of my friends and they said it was cool.

So to make it different, just like I did with Album Recommendation, I'll put between parentheses the (SMS) description, and also to remember when the mobile phones were monochromatic.

The idea is bringing the texts on Wednesdays, at 6:30 PM and that's a lie for they are being posted on Fridays.

Have you all a nice day.

So much to do so much to see

So what's wrong with taking the back streets

You'll never know if you don't go

You'll never shine if you don't glow

Hey now you're an All Star, get your game on - go play

Hey now you're a Rock Star, get the show on - get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

The 90s saw a generation of great bands that, unfortunately, just a few got deserved success. Many of them got just one, and when lucky two, hits that everybody remembers.

Smash Mouth were no different. I can name I'm a Believer (which actually is a cover from The Monkess), and All Star, that I have chosen for today. Both are remembered because they were on the first Shrek's movie. Also, nowadays, there's a meme on internet (check the bonus link at the end of the text).

Everyday we live is full of highs and lows. The challenge is always to try keeping higher than low. And these challenges, in lots of time, imply taking risks into unknown areas. Who will we ever know that will work if we don't try?

The big deal is to take the risk and, even though goes against the desire, give your best in seeing the positive side of everything (and the "crap" is real), because your motivation and happiness will be the shine that many people need.

Go! Take the back streets! Glow! Try! Do your show and run after your dreams and challenges.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/L_jWHffIx5E

YouTube BÔNUS (meme): https://youtu.be/lGxP9XU0pNA

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ntXYU4zboGuq5ZunkrXRB?si=IGP8tGj4

Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/track/2176951

(SMS) MxPx - Secret Weapon

Originally posted on October 19, 2018.

You've always had some trouble with authority

And that's the way that growing up's supposed to be

Yes, you can make it through, you gotta believe

You are your own

Secret weapon

It's all up to you

To come out swingin'

It's all up to you!

Take back the stolen years, the truth will set you free

Don't lay down and lie, shut down the fallacies

Throw all of your fears into the sea

You are your own

Secret weapon

It's all up to you

To come out swingin'

It's all up to you!

So call all your cars

And take to the streets

Raise up your voice and sing

You can't change the past

'cause nothing will last

Embrace what tomorrow brings

You can't change the past

You are your own

Secret weapon

It's all up to you

To come out swingin'

It's all up to you!

Today's the day of rocking out everything with this punk rock in loud and clear volume! Two minutes of high energy from the very beginning to till the end. Also a band that was part of my childhood and make their first appearance on blog.

It's funny to look up on their lyrics. Some seem so mature and strong, and others seem made by a rebel child hahaha and this is one of the most curious things in this band: the mix between maturity, "silliness" and fun.

There are days we are okay, and there are days we are bad. The past keeps on mulling over in our heads, thinking what I should've, or not, done, said. Thoughts that thousands of times destroy our spirit, our will of living. But there's something only you can do to go back in having endless happiness: seeking the Truth. Abandoning your fears. Carry on. Abandon the lies.

It's way easier and comfortable to make a lie and live around it. With no need in justifying yourself. Though with theses lies an insulating blanket cover us and turn us dull to the world. Because of them we gather fears after fears. Only one Truth can really set us free: Jesus. He is the Truth that brings unexplainable joy. Even in sad or difficult moments, He cheers us up.

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 8.32

This is something only you can run after. I can't force you to do anything. It is you your own secret weapon to run after true happiness. And the past suits as model to not repeat the same mistakes in future.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/46TNbyP7mz88vH4BAepEpl?si=cnAM5c5USG22Z-rfIHyffg

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/track/3109493
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeTz2_aQ70M

Original picture: https://br.pinterest.com/pin/376683956312117557/

The concept of "Building a Memory"

Hello there!

First of all, let me introduce myself:

I am Aloísio Júnior, a 25 year-old (till the moment I'm writing this, duh 😂) christian, English as Foreign Language teacher in Brazil, and bass player at the church I attend to. I always loved music, since I was a little baby, and their meanings, being instrumental or not, and always tried to bring a meaning to my life through them.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, memory, is the ability to remember information, experiences, and people. Let me focus mainly on experience. For me, songs are like experiences you live. They always remember us of moments and situations and even people. And just like a construction site, I'm building (and sharing) my memories with you.

The original idea started back in 2010/11, where I wrote and shared not only songs but also videos, comic strips, readings and my opinion on various topics. If I'm not mistaken, since 2013 I've focused more on music than other topics, though sometimes I write different things.

And what does this have to do with this blog?

Well, the original idea is still alive and kicking, but written in Portuguese. Throughout my life I've met some non-Brazilian friends, and also some Brazilian friends who love English. What am I doing? I'm taking those notes and putting them in English. Construindo Uma Memória is my blog's name in Portuguese, which in English can be literally translated as Building a Memory.

On August 23rd, 2018, I started a series called "SMS". This series is named after the old text message system, for I send my interpretation of songs on my friends WhatsApp or Telegram numbers. As long as time allows me, I'll try to translate everything from the series from the very beginning, and not forgetting to put the last one written together with the Portuguese.

If you're curious on watching/reading what I have already written in Portuguese, you can check it on construindoumamemoria.blogspot.com.

Finally, there are both Instagram and Facebook pages from my original blog, and a main playlist on Spotify and Deezer, concerning the SMS series.

May the peace of God be upon you, your family and choices.

Aloísio Júnior