Song Lyric Sunday – The Devil In I by Slipknot

I didn’t really know who Slipknot was until just this year; they were the headline band for a concert I took Jaxon to this summer.  I listened to some of their music and found I liked them, but then Jaxon asked if I had seen a picture of the band.  I thought it was an odd thing for him to say, because when Adelle wanted me to look at pictures of the band, it’s because she thought one or two of the band members were hot.

When I looked up a picture of the band, I finally realized what Jaxon was talking about.  Honestly, they are a “scary story” all by themselves.  They are a band who step into what I will call full character when they perform.  I found it interesting and disturbing and I ended up enjoying their concert quite a lot.  They put on  a kick-ass show.

So, when I asked Jaxon about my theme this week, this was the first song he mentioned.  I wasn’t too sure about it until I listened to it and watched the video.  I think it fits this week’s theme perfectly!

I will say that the video is pretty disturbing, so if you don’t like gory things, I suggest just listening to it and not watching the video.

I do hope you enjoy the song; but if it’s not to your taste, I hope you appreciate the different type of music and their performance.  I also think the lyrics are powerful.

The Devil In I by Slipknot
Written by Corey Taylor (Lead singer of Slipknot)
Lyrics found at AZ Lyrics

Undo these chains, my friend
I’ll show you the rage I’ve hidden
Perish the Sacrament
Swallow, but nothing’s forgiven
You and I can’t decide which of us was taken for granted
Make amends, some of us are destined to be outlived

Step inside, see the Devil in I
Too many times, we’ve let it come to this
Step inside, see the Devil in I
You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore

Under the words of men
Something is tempting the father
Where is your will, my friend?
Insatiates never even bother
You and I, wrong or right
Traded a lie for the leverage
In between the lens in light
You’re not what you seem

Step inside, see the Devil in I
Too many times, we’ve let it come to this
Step inside, see the Devil in I
You’ll realize I’m not your Devil
I’m not your Devil anymore

Your station is abandoned
Fooled you ’cause I know what you’ve done
Sensation – Depravation
You should’ve burned when you turned on everyone

So, Step inside, see the Devil in I
Too many times, we’ve let it come to this
Step inside, see the Devil in I
I know you’ll find your answers in the end
Step inside, see the Devil in I
You’ll realize I’m not your Devil, anymore

So step inside, step inside
See the Devil in I
See the Devil in I

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The Song Lyric Sunday theme for this week was to share a scary song.  It is open to anyone who wants to share music, so please feel free to click the link, read the rules and post one of your own.

Song Lyric Sunday Theme for 10/30/16

I had a different theme going for this week, but right in the middle of it I realized that it’s Halloween! and I can’t pass up the opportunity to post a pretty much freebie theme.

I love Halloween, not for the dressing up and the candy, but for the scary stories.  I love watching scary movies.  I love that I still scream at jump scares, and I still get so spooked after watching a scary movie that I have to turn on the lights in each room I walk into.  I’ve also found myself running down the stairs because I was scared something was going to jump out of the closet and attack me.

It doesn’t make sense, why I like the scary stuff so much, but I do.

So, our theme for Song Lyric Sunday is to post a scary song.  I don’t necessarily want it to be stereotypical of Halloween, but I do want to be creeped out either by the lyrics, the music and/or the title.  So, go explore, my friends and we’ll start Halloween off early this year!

As always, you can go your own way and post a song that has nothing to do with the prompt.  We’re all here sharing our love of music and lyrics, and most of all, having a great time!

Also, if you would like to suggest a theme, I am open to suggestions.   Please either pop it in the comments or send me an email at redesp75@yahoo.com.

Here are the “rules”:

• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due and it’s honestly just a simple Google search
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and provide a link to where you found the lyrics
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song
• Ping back to this post or my own Song Lyric Sunday post
• Read at least one other person’s blog so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process

Feel free to use the Song Lyric Sunday badge by copying it into your post or add it to your site to show you are participating.

SoCS – The “Ins” and “Outs” of Depression (Sort-of)

I was reading a book last week and the two main characters were having a conversation, revealing backstory.  She admitted that she wrote books but she hated them because they were full of anger and rage.  Depression was also mentioned and the guy said, “You don’t look like a depressed person.”

It got me to thinking.

What the hell does a depressed person look like anyway?  It’s pretty stereotypical to think that all depressed people walk around wearing black and crying all the time.  It bothered me because Depression isn’t something that is necessarily recognizable, as much as some people might think it is.

It makes me angry when people talk about depressed people as if they know what it’s like.  Oh, you’re depressed?  Here’s a list of things that you can do and you’ll be cured:

• Just take a pill
• See a therapist
• Just be happy (Seriously??)
• The sun is shining and you have all these amazing things in your life.  Just focus on those things and everything will be better

The sad reality is that many people think all of these things are cures, rather than tools.  I don’t believe Depression can be cured.  It’s something you live with every day.  Some days are worse than others, but you survive somehow.  I think the worst thing you can do is go into it thinking it will all just go away at some point.

I spent at least ten years of my life firmly believing that I would one day be cured.  I took pills, I saw therapists, I focused on goodness, only to find myself in a deeper, darker place than I was when I admitted I had Depression.

I know it’s different for everyone, so I’m not here to tell you how you should handle your Depression.  But for me, I found that acceptance was my best friend.  Rather than fighting the bad days, I accept them.  It isn’t easy.  It’s hard to wallow in the darkness, but I do it with the firm belief that it is temporary.  I know things will look better soon and that whatever is going on internally doesn’t define who I am.

That’s probably the hardest part of Depression (for me); in those moments when the Depression hits me full force, I truly believe I am an awful person and everyone in my life would be better off without me.  It’s a scary thing to realize your thoughts are basically beating the shit out of you and it’s hard not to fall into the trap of believing yourself; well not yourself, but the thoughts.  See, even I have a hard time separating my thoughts from my self.

This doesn’t have much to do with in/out, except that maybe you can think of Depression like that.  Rather than letting it define who you are, think of it as being “in” the Depression and then being “out” of it.  Does that work?  Maybe in a simplistic sort of strange way.  I really just wanted to rant about what I read in that book, and somehow fit it into the theme for this week.  I’m probably cheating, but I did Stream of Conscious, so I guess that’s probably all that matters.

Happy Saturday everyone!

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Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G. Hill. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “in/out.” Use one, use both, use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!” Feel free to click the link and join us in our stream of consciousness writing.

Wordless Wednesday – The Stare Down

This post is part of Wordless Wednesday.

One-Liner Wednesday – Flowers Blooming

“When we see the beloved in each person, it’s like walking through a garden, watching flowers bloom all around us.”

-Ram Dass

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One-Liner Wednesday is hosted by Linda G. Hill. Click the link, read the rules and join in now! You won’t regret it!

Teaser Tuesday – The Good Guy

I’m not sure how I’ve found the time to read, but I have and I decided to share with all of you.  I actually just finished this book over the weekend and I have to tell you that Dean Koontz does not disappoint.

I used to read books for the stories.  I still do, but since I started writing, I also notice writing style and story composition.  I consider Koontz to be in a league of his own.  I’ll be reading along and suddenly he writes prose so beautiful that I have to stop and read it again.  It fits the story, but somehow it doesn’t at the same time.  I also managed to look up five or six words that I didn’t know.  I always feel pretentious when I use a “big” word, but he manages to fit them in so smoothly that you think you’ve always read those words.

I always wonder how anyone can write from the perspective of the killer, but Koontz makes it seem so easy.  He is also a master at creeping me out.  Anyway, The Good Guy is yet another Dean Koontz novel that I highly recommend.

The teaser is from page 249.  I hope you enjoy.

“Sorrow is not a raven perched persistently above a chamber door.  Sorrow is a thing with teeth, and while in time it retreats, it comes back at the whisper of its name.”

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Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Music playlist to help pull you out of a dark place

My plan for yesterday was pretty limited – do the laundry, go grocery shopping, finish a book.  I was well on my way to finishing the book when the author finally revealed one character’s back story.   I’ve posted before how sometimes the smallest thing can take you to a dark place hidden in your tragic memories.  I have a memory that is similar to what was revealed about the character, and as much as I tried to separate reality from the story and/or the memory, I just couldn’t.

I decided to step away and listen to the music that my fellow bloggers and family posted for Song Lyric Sunday and I was not disappointed.  I found myself laughing and crying and, while still feeling the sticky cobwebs of the past, I was able to step back into this moment.

So, I wanted to take some time today to say thank you to everyone who follows my blog prompt every Sunday.  Music and lyrics are powerful and have impacted my life in many ways.  I love sharing those memories and my favorite music with you and all of these amazing people each week.   If you haven’t checked out these blogs, I highly encourage you to do so.

I also wanted to give you a playlist of songs that can help pull you out of a dark place.  You never know when you might need it, and I can tell you that it works (from first-hand experience).  I hope you enjoy!

1. My sister doesn’t have a blog but she posted All of Me by John Schmidt and  I believe by Joe Satriani.
2. Willow posted White Flag by Dido
3. Bee Halton posted Walk Through Walls by Kyla La Grange
4. KG posted Masterpiece by Jessie J
5. Lynn B posted Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears
6. Karuna posted Pen Pineapple Apple Pen
7. Sadie posted I’m down by The Almost
8. Chosenperspectives posted Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
9. My Frilly Freudian Slip posted Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac
10. My rather strange contribution was I Don’t Love You by My Chemical Romance

Sunday Photo Fiction – The Session

His office is nestled in the middle of a tree-lined street just on the outskirts of downtown.  Pushing my way through the huge glass doors, I make my way slowly to his darkly ornate office.  Leather chairs and dark bookcases filled with dark books assault my senses just as much as the smell of stale coffee, and I repress the urge to gag.

His voice is soothing, and his peppered beard welcomes me with thoughts of Santa Clause and silver-wrapped presents.  He directs me to lie back in the recliner and close my eyes, and I find myself descending that lonely elevator, his voice my only guide.

I expect to disappear.

“Who do you see?”  He asks.

It’s my best friend Laurel, but I can’t say that because I’m sure that’s not what he wants.  Is it?

“Just relax and tell me the first name that comes into your head.”

It’s still Laurel.  Why can’t I think of anyone else?  Do I have to say something?  Will I get into trouble if I don’t?  Maybe if I say her name, this will be over.

When I open my eyes, he smiles and gently pats my shoulder.  “Great work.  I’ll see you next week.”

His silky voice whispers its way across the guilt and shame clinging to me as I walk out of the office and shut the door.

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The rules for Sunday Photo Fiction are to create a story/poem or something using around 200 words with the photo as a guide, although it doesn’t have to be center stage.

Sometimes writing about things that have happened in my life helps me come to terms with them.  While I was reading today, I remembered a dark time in my life and was inspired (or forced depending on how you look at your own muse) to put it in story form when I saw the picture for today’s prompt.  It’s 228 words.

Click the blue froggy link to read other amazing stories!

Happy Sunday!

Song Lyric Sunday – I don’t Love You by My Chemical Romance

This might seem like an odd choice for this week’s theme, but I promise there’s a story.  Also, I’m not sure how to take this band seriously.  I can’t tell if they take themselves seriously or if they overdo the lyrics and they’re performances on purpose.  I found myself watching the video tonight and laughing, but the lyrics aren’t all that funny.  I don’t know… Perhaps it’s a combination of the two.

Anyway, when I was thinking about which song to choose for the theme, I remembered all the times in my car with my kids and how when certain songs came on, we would sing them at the top of our lungs.  Also, Adelle went to a performing arts school, and she started actually performing the songs in the car, so me and the boys started to play along too.  I can only imagine what people must have thought when they happened to look in our car in passing.  But, I don’t even care how ridiculous it was.  It was so much fun and I will always have those amazing memories of when me and my kids sang our guts out to these songs.

This particular song makes me think of that moment you get to after a relationship has ended… that moment when you have finally moved on and you realize how ridiculous it all was.  It takes a while to get to that point, but it’s a good place to be after all the anger, heartache and loss.   Despite the lyrics, this song always manages to lift my mood.

I don’t Love You by My Chemical Romance
Written by My Chemical Romance
Lyrics found at AZ Lyrics

Well, when you go
Don’t ever think I’ll make you try to stay
And maybe when you get back
I’ll be off to find another way

And after all this time that you still owe
You’re still a good-for-nothing I don’t know
So take your gloves and get out
Better get out
While you can

When you go
Would you even turn to say
“I don’t love you
Like I did
Yesterday”

Sometimes I cry so hard from pleading
So sick and tired of all the needless beating
But baby when they knock you
Down and out
Is where you oughta stay

And after all the blood that you still owe
Another dollar’s just another blow
So fix your eyes and get up
Better get up
While you can
Whoa, whoa

When you go
Would you even turn to say
“I don’t love you
Like I did
Yesterday”

Well come on, come on

When you go
Would you have the guts to say
“I don’t love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday”

I don’t love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday

I don’t love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday

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The Song Lyric Sunday theme for this week was to post a song that helps pull you out of a dark place.  Please feel free to click the link, read the rules and post one of your own.

Song Lyric Sunday Theme for 10/23/16

It’s hard to believe it’s Saturday again and time for your Song Lyric Sunday theme.  I have to say that I’m exhausted today and I had the hardest time thinking of one.  I was ready to throw it and just tell you all to go your own way, but then I decided to reach out to my sister for ideas.  She ended up giving me way too many choices, but one of her contributions is  a theme that is near and dear to my heart.

Before I give you your theme, I wanted to say that the coolest part about this for me is that my sister and her family started to play along.   So, not only have I found music lovers here in the blog community, I’m able to share my love of music with one of my best friends in a fun, new way.  She’s been playing along for a while now, so if you want to check out her picks each week, she can be found in the comments as “dlrands” since she doesn’t have a blog of her own.

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Music is such an emotional experience for me.  My fiance says all the time that music can change my mood and that I should always listen to music.  I love it when I’m in a really bad mood and I hear a song that makes me smile and I end up forgetting why I was upset to begin with.

 

So, our theme for Song Lyric Sunday is to post a song that helps pull you out of a dark place.  

As always, you can go your own way and post a song that has nothing to do with the prompt.  We’re all here sharing our love of music and lyrics, and most of all, having a great time!

Also, if you would like to suggest a theme, I am open to suggestions.   Please either pop it in the comments or send me an email at redesp75@yahoo.com.

Here are the “rules”:

• Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not
• Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due and it’s honestly just a simple Google search
• Make sure you also credit the singer/band and provide a link to where you found the lyrics
• Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song
• Ping back to this post or my own Song Lyric Sunday post
• Read at least one other person’s blog so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process

Feel free to use the Song Lyric Sunday badge by copying it into your post or add it to your site to show you are participating.