28 March 2020

(SMS) Skillet - Feel Invincible


[Verse 1: John Cooper]
Target on my back
Lone survivor lasts
They got me in their sights
No surrender no
Trigger fingers go
Living the dangerous life

[Pre-Chorus 1: John Cooper & Jen Ledger]
Hey, hey, hey
Everyday when I wake
I'm trying to get up, they're knocking me down
Chewing me up, spitting me out
Hey, hey, hey
When I need to be saved
You're making me strong, you're making me stand
Never will fall, never will end
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Nothing can stop me tonight

[Chorus: John Cooper & Jen Ledger]
You make me feel invincible
Earthquake, powerful
Just like a tidal wave
You make me brave
You're my titanium
Fight song, raising up
Like a roar of victory in a stadium
Who can touch me cause I'm
I'm made of fire
Who can stop me tonight
I'm hard wired
You make me feel invincible

[Post-Chorus: John Cooper]
I feel, I feel it
Invincible
I feel, I feel it
Invincible

[Verse 2: John Cooper]
Here we go again
I will not give in
I've got a reason to fight
Every day we choose
We might win or lose
This is the dangerous life

[Pre-Chorus 2: John Cooper & Jen Ledger]
Hey, hey, hey
Everyday when I wake
They say that I'm gone; they say that they've won
The bell has been rung, it's over and done
Hey, hey, hey
When I need to be saved
They counting me out, but this is my round
You in my corner, look at me now
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Nothing can stop me tonight

[Chorus: John Cooper & Jen Ledger]

[Post-Chorus: John Cooper]

[Bridge: John Cooper]
You make me feel invincible
You make me feel invincible
Shot like a rocket up into the sky
Not gonna stop
Invincible

[Chorus: John Cooper & Jen Ledger]

[Post-Chorus: John Cooper]



Skillet is a rock/metal Christian band I've met around 2005 and 2006, at that time having in their catalogue as last release the album Collide (from 2003). One of many things I enjoy in this band are their lyrics, which give a step further of what a Christian band must be. They don't talk only and solely about biblical themes. They hold society and, mainly, the human feeling. This is being a Christian: being part of a society and make the best to change it.

This song's lyrics is very clear in its message. There's no need in reading another sources to understand what happened, which was the case with the song Trilogy by Silent Planet. Someone has been through a difficulty and s/he had her/his spirit uplifted, making her/him stronger, to the point of feeling invincible. Knowing the band's Christian origins and me, being a Christian as well, I can see that it's God's hand helping.

God, in other hand, empowers and puts people, we can fondly call angels, in our lives who inspire us. People that look after us and make us feel safeguarded, in peace and inspired! People we know we can count with all moments, even if time or distance has put a silence, or even death has split us apart during this walk called life. I have lived many experiences like this.

My former student and nowadays, friend, Lucas Marcelino, the same who asked the song The Light by Disturbed (check his website www.lucasbm.com and meet a competent guy who is growing professionally), asked me to write about this song.

Since the very first moment I met him, which was a bit earlier before he became my student, he always liked playing CS:GO, and always had the desire of participating in great championships around the globe. As I have been following him for many years, I've seen highs and lows during his journey. I've noticed a few people motivating or even understanding his motives, but there was one person who believed, motivated and supported: his grandmother.

According to our chats, since his childhood she always supported him in every dream he had, and not even a computer game, which is usually considered a waste of time for elderly people, let her from supporting him. Even in his first local CS:GO championship she was there. Sadly, not many months after this championship, she passed away.

He is so fond of her that for every decision he needs to take, he remembers her, and this song is an example of how he feels when she's on his mind.

You are not alone in this world. God prepares people for us, so we don't feel alone in this big globe. People that make us feel lighter and stronger. I invite you to not be just someone who is motivated, but be yourself a motivator! Let God use your life.

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26 March 2020

(Albums Recommendations) Galactic Cowboys - At The End Of The Day [1998]



I like to talk a lot about music and mainly, recommend songs. Sometimes I get so excited with the subject to the point of annoying 😅. But I have never stopped to think in recommending full albums here on the blog, though I usually do this with people who are closer in my daily basis.

We live in a world of one just one song. That one song from the radio or from that playlist, which usually are the singles¹. I won't deny this is cool, but I like the pleasure of stopping and listening whole albums and, when possible, following the lyrics. An amazing experience of appreciation the piece of work as whole. My cousin Vini even mentioned about the perspective of observing to an album as it was a book, and the tracks, the chapters.

With all of this in mind, I've decide to start a new project of albums recommendations. They'll be texts justifying why I like them and what are my favourite songs. And, to start, one of the albums I like the most from one of my favourite bands.

The album At The End Of The Day is the sixth (if we consider the EP Feel The Rage) and a masterpiece among the Galactic Cowboys's discography. The songs have a variety between fast and slow, but both sides are very melodic. It is clear the influence of bands like The Beatles (mainly in vocals) and Soundgarden (representing grunge's aggressiveness).

This mixture of fast and slow generates a contrast that, on the other hand create a unique ambience only the Galactic Cowboys can do. At the same time it gives you the mood to throw everything up, the album it invites you to take some reflexive time of introspection. Songs that, by their singularity, are not well remembered, and others that will stick in your mind because of the "pop" formula. The quartet makes each of the instruments well-defined in the sound spectrum, showing independence and, also, interdependence between them.

In the album's lyrics it is noticeable they are talking about life, Christianism, humour and, believe or not, space (even though this applies to every album as general rule). There's a mix between solemnity and amusement. The icing on the cake is what it is called "The Machine Fish Suite", which are the set of songs from the 4th to the 10th tracks that, according to some information), constitutes a summary of the band's story till this album's release.

The songs I like the most, following the album's order, are:

  • Ants
  • Bright Horizons
  • Ranch On Mars pt. 2 (Set Me Free)
  • Shine
  • It's Not Over
  • Through

Possibly one of the most singular bands you will ever listen to.

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20 March 2020

K7 #008 - Matheus Duarte Lopes



Today's playlist is dedicated to a very important person in my life. A person who helped to mould a little of who I am. A person that was and is my influence, since little aspects of life, like musical. The man who showed me rock n roll and metal (it's a shame he doesn't like this last one as much as I do hahaha). I'm talking about my brother, Matheus, whose playlist takes his name.

He's got a work proposal and, consequently, change of domicile to Curitiba. I don't know if it's hurting for him as much it is for me. It was nearly 10 years living together, being 8 in the same home and 2, after his marriage, in the same city. His moving happened this week. I think it is one of the hardest ruptures I have ever had in life.
As said in the first paragraph, he was important in many parts of my life. This month of March we had many of our “last”. Last time playing as Revolution and Cristianize bands; celebrating his birthday together; going out to our traditional burgers and draft beers. Last time of a “guardian” counselling. I'm not telling this won't repeat from now on but, with the distance between our cities, it will be more difficult.

So, with all of this in mind, and having him as my musical reference, this playlist is about songs that remind me of him, that I know he enjoys and, at some point, we enjoyed it together. Also, because I was always the responsible for creating his playlists, being it in games (like the earliest PES) or for his business trips.

Matheus, I love you a lot! May this new period be blessed and preserved by God. Keep on being strength to Aline, as I hope she keeps being strength to you. I wish to see you two soon!

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13 March 2020

(SMS) Silent Planet - Trilogy

[Intro: Garrett Russell]
No

[Verse 1: Garrett Russell]
Static, static
There's no rest for a machine
Only circles and lines in my binary mind
I fade to static
Harvesting synapses in my dreams
I breathe, choke, let it go
But the fear never left when I slept alone
So I'm fading to static in the disconnect

[Chorus: Thomas Freckleton]
Now I know it's delusion
In love with the slow demise

[Post-Chorus: Thomas Freckleton]
We're all numb in the hum of progress

[Verse 2: Garrett Russell]
Borrowed light, a parasite
I fed on the dusk and hid myself from the night
And we don't speak, we barely hear
I watched you watch me disappear
As I'm fading to static in the disconnect

[Chorus: Thomas Freckleton]
Now I know it's delusion
In love with our slow demise
Be still and human
Breathe in and be consumed

[Bridge: Garrett Russell]
It's always red, the static in my head
It's always red, the static in my head
It's always red, the static in my head
It's always red, the static in my head

[Outro: Garrett Russell]
Return to the hands of time
There's nothing human in this room of white
Be still as the noise divides us
Be still as the noise divides us



At first sight the lyrics seem complex and disconnected however, understanding the reason behind composition, all complexity disappears.

The band's main vocalist, Garrett Russell, in November 2019 had been through a strong mental crisis demanding the other band members to cancel the tour so Garrett could re-establish, and him, admitting this publicly, pointed the he would be signing up for a mental hospital to get proper treatments. Garrett publish on February 7 and 14, respectively, on his Twitter and Instagram that the song's lyrics was written inside the mental hospital.

It's curious how we enter in a cycle and start acting like machines. Life follows the autopilot. You lose the pleasure for what you love the most. Your life loses its meaning. It's almost like everything is in static.

There is no problem having problems. It is not wrong being Christian and get through mental crisis. Being a Christ's follower don't prevent you from having physical or mental diseases. I completely agree with Garrett's announcement when he says:

"You are not defined by your disorder. You are not your disorder. I believe you are a human, made in the sacred image of God. Whether or not you believe that, I hope you at least realize how mathematically unlikely your existence is in this universe."

And he also adds:

"However, it’s one thing to talk about mental health… and it’s another thing to take care of it. I have been neglecting my own mental health, and unfortunately, I was given a harsh reminder over this last week."

My harsh reminder wasn't the same as his, not even in the same intensity, though my physical and mental health had a great impact in 2019. I didn't collapse as Garrett, but surely had been through some difficulties during 2019 that made me question for many days and, sometimes crying, my mental health. Who lived near me noticed some behavioural changes. Including my hair loss and, eventual hair cutting, happened because of this. For those who don't live near, my hair length was in my chest.

As said some paragraphs above, there's no problem in passing through problems and, the same way, there's no problem in seeking help, mainly professional. I've been to a few psychological counselling, but they were enough to take me out from an automated machine state to human being.

After this song, I'm glad to know Garrett is returning to his human state. And about me? I've been fighting to stay human. I've been changing my routine, running after taking care not only of my mental health but also the physical one, since both were affected.

Return to the hands of time, to the hands of the Creator. Take care of yourself and don't permit yourself turning into a machine.





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6 March 2020

K7 #007 - Interlude


Today's playlist is, besides a request, a big challenge proposed by Vinícius Duarte, popular figure here on the blog as proof reader and one of the biggest producers of requests hahaha.

As said other times, he works with musical production and, this request, makes a specific part of music, the INTERLUDE.

What is an interlude? A small part, mostly, instrumental which creates a climax in the song, with the possibility of changing the song's dynamics after its performance. It is also used, quite often, to emphasise the story that is being told in the song, which tons of progressive bands use this element, remembering that many produce conceptual albums.

As said in the beginning of the text it was a challenge to me and, now, I extend this challenge to you: in which time of the song happens each of the interludes? Some songs have more than one.

PS: Deezer's playlist doesn't have the song Mscron by Falling Up.


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