You know how when you first listen to an album, one or two or even three songs grab you right off the bat? But then, after you’ve listened to the whole thing a few times, lived with it a while, other songs float to the surface and it’s like you’re hearing them for the first time? No, just me then? lol
Seriously though, that’s what Don’t Give Up has been like for me. I did like it right off, but it wasn’t in my BEGIN. top 3 … Broken, True Colours and Somewhere Only We Know held those spots.
But the more I heard it, the more I wanted to hear it, the more I kept hoping it was the one that would come up next on my BEGIN. shuffle. I don’t know if it’s because I do worry too much and it’s nice to hear someone tell me to rest my head, or because I need the encouragement not to “give up” or just because David Archuleta’s voice sounds extra lovely in this song, but it’s gotten under my skin and I just love it now.
I especially love the combination of David’s strong, earthy voice with Libbie Linton’s ethereal indie vocals floating in and out … makes me think of something in nature … like a breeze wafting through a redwood forest or something. 🙂
At first I thought her verses were like his conscience whispering encouragement to him, but then I saw someone on Twitter say her words made them think of what we fans wanted to collectively tell him …
don’t give up
you still have us
don’t give up now
we’re proud of who you are
… and that made so much sense to me.
…. it is so strange the way. things. turn….
How about you guys? Any BEGIN. songs you feel differently about now than you did at first?
P.S.
*DYINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG* (thx. @janinachos)
From this vid: 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 
I know what I’ll be singing all day! And thank you!
OK Archies! time to vote for EH MV on MYX. Let’s do this! Please put in a vote before you go to bed 🙂
http://www.myxph.com/default.aspx
don’t give up
you still have us
don’t give up now
we’re proud of who you are
YUP! Tha’s the line that most resonated with me. Am sure we’d love to duet with David just to be able to say those lines 🙂
Gee, I’ve been voting for EH for a while now on MYX, guess it wasn’t counted previously! Oh well, what do I know, will continue to vote though for sure.
Love this post TOfan, “Don’t give up ‘cuz you’re half French”. LOL, love that. Have actually loved DGU from the BEGIN.ning. A “hauntingly beautiful” song for me, especially sung by David and the duet with Libbie is wonderful. Know what you mean though about loving some songs more than others but having them reach the top level after a while. Have always loved each song on the album but had a few favorites. Now, all of them (or most) are my faves. All are amazing!
LOL….so much at that dancing David video! ohmygangnamgoodness!
Ack!!!!!! Came back to comment on the “you’re half French” post (that is what I always hear the lyrics as, lol) and totally got sidetracked by David doing Gangham style!!!!!!!!!!! ROTFL!!!!
The one song that took a while to grow on me was “Somewhere only we Know” Not sure why, but the first few listens I was not hooked> the tone of his voice just was not what I expected. Needless to say I LOVE it now, that’s the power of the Archuleta I guess.
Love the idea of these words being us to him:
don’t give up
you still have us
don’t give up now
we’re proud of who you are
And JR> dueting it with him would be pretty sweet.
When I first heard the snippets, Somewhere Only We Know was my favorite. When I heard the entire album, Don’t Give Up replaced it, and it’s still killing me. His voice. So much emotion.
The two that have reintroduced themselves to me over time are Bridge Over Troubled Water and Angel. There were so many songs on the album that I loooved, songs that I wasn’t really familiar with, BOTW kinda got lost in the shuffle…but now it gets me, the arrangement, everything, from the very first note. Angel just snuck up on me. So, so beautiful, each listen gives me pause.
I LOVE Don’t Give Up!! Broken, Everybody Hurts, True Colors & Don’t Give Up are my top 4 from BEGIN.
Something interesting happened on the drive home tonight. It was late – 11:30, I had my music playing on shuffle. One minute I was listening to David’s Fields of Gold, so beautifully rich and like melted brown sugar or something, one of my favorites from that tour, and the very next song was Don’t Give Up. I noticed a difference in his voice right away. I hadn’t before, but back to back, driving home alone in the dark, I noticed it.
It’s that cry in his voice, which has always been there. The emotion. It’s much more pronounced now. I think it was almost 2 1/2 years between the two recordings.
Anyway. I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. Just that, I guess.
I know what you mean, betsy… I’d been listening to my “book signing” playlist (my fave is GBTBR) and then switched to BEGIN. and really heard the difference… I guess he really communicates just how he’s feeling at the time through his singing, I mean I always knew that but hearing the contrast really brings it home. I remember one reviewer said he had “natural melancholy” in his voice and boy does that ever come through in BEGIN., imo.
Lately its Be Still My Soul that I simply cannot get enough of. David’s albums are all like a huge box of impossibly gourmet chocolates – sweeter and better and MORE than I can ever absorb at first. And when I get lost in a song, Im just a goner for days or weeks. Broken was my first love. Then Angel. I had wanted David to sing Angel on AI and when I mentioned it at the time, someone said it was too iconic and he wouldnt be able to do it. HA. My first listen to Angel was pretty overwhelming.
“Natural melancholy” – waaaah. Yep.
“a huge box of impossibly gourmet chocolates” YES!!!!!!!!
here’s a bonbon for you 🙂 (never saw this vid before!):
New post/thread!
🙂