This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Nobody can tell ya
There's only one song worth singing
They may try and sell ya
'Cause it hangs them up
To see someone like you
But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
You're gonna be nowhere
The loneliest kind of lonely
It may be rough going
Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do
But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
So if you cannot take my hand
And if you must be going, I will understand
You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own kind of song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
There's only one song worth singing
They may try and sell ya
'Cause it hangs them up
To see someone like you
But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
You're gonna be nowhere
The loneliest kind of lonely
It may be rough going
Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do
But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
So if you cannot take my hand
And if you must be going, I will understand
You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own kind of song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along
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More Featured Meanings
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
yes! finally someone submits this song. This song gets me going every morning, but apparently there's a meaning behind it in relation to the tv show "lost". Can anyone figure it out?
I think that the meaning of this song is particulary relevant to Desmond's job:
You're gonna be nowhere The loneliest kind of lonely It may be rough going Just to do your thing's the hardest thing to do
Perhaps the whole library of record was carefully selected by Dharma's psicologists to encourage and motivate the hatch crew, to keep pushing the button.
On the other hand, it may refer to the big picture. I have this theory that the Dharma initiative where trying to influence, manipulate reality, either through genetics manipulation, electromagnetism, psichology, etc. (remember the "history" part on the orientation video). If this is it's meaning, it may refer to " Do not conform with the way the world is. Go out and change it ! ".
The numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42, may be the constants they're hoping to change... the result to some equations. When they enter them into the computer, it runs them through the system, and checks if the results have changed... like adding 2 plus 3 gets 5 everytime... but if you're able to change mathematics themselves, maybe it would sum 6, or 4.
Anyway, just a thought.
The actual meaning I get from this song (non-Lost), is that maybe the record executives wanted her (or them) to keep making hit singles... the kind of songs they knew would sell. But Mama Cass just wanted to make "her own kind of music", the songs she wanted to make...even if nobody else sang along.
I LOVE THIS SONG..it makes me wanna get up and start dancing and singing as loud as i can!!! and i like the way they put it in lost when everything was so suspensfull!!...lol
w/r/t Lost...I have this theory that all the survivors of the crash have something specific to learn about themselves, this is why fate put them in this situation. Locke has a new outlook on life, a purpose to live. Charlie faces his heroine addiction. Pretty much everyone faces his or her demons on the island. I think this song is relevant to that, each of the losties is "making [his or her] own kind of music, singing [his or her] own special song". In other words, finding meaning on the island.
The fact that this song qeues up every morning in the hatch is just absurd though, what a way to wake up.
The numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42, may be the constants they're hoping to change... the result to some equations. When they enter them into the computer, it runs them through the system, and checks if the results have changed... like adding 2 plus 3 gets 5 everytime... but if you're able to change mathematics themselves, maybe it would sum 6, or 4.
Anyway, just a thought.
That quote reminds me alot of 1984 and how O'brien made Winston believe that 2+2 =5. Anyway I love the use of this song in Lost, the whole song gives a sense of independence which is symbolic of Desmond David Hume's solitude. Also the song was released in 1969 and the dharma initiative was founded in 1970 so its likely that they had popular records and singles with them.
For those few who remember this song from Beautiful Thing movie: You are awesome. I think this song is about being unique and staying unique even if nobody else "sings along", even though it's pretty obvious, it's still great song.
Be brave, Be yourself
This song is a gay anthem.
The meaning is obvious, of course... I don't know about Lost but, to go a little further, when I first listen the lyrics of this song it made me think instantly of Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead. It's amazing how these lyrics sum up the whole philosophy of the book.