.
Just ‘cuz
Click pic 2 stream!
Click pic 4 Losing Sleep vid!
Click pic 4 @rhiminee’s AWESOME tumblr
Click pic for all D’s links!
Follow D. on BandsInTown
Follow D. on Instagram!
Click 4 D’s TikTok
Fan mail address
PO Box 4297 Apopka, FL 32704 USA
Let’s go on a roadtrip
Let’s grab our concert tickets, pack our bags and hit the road.
Let’s crank up TOSOD, drive the roads never taken and get there with minutes to spare.
Let’s motor through snowstorms, hail and sleet to get where we need to go.
Let’s share a ride with best friends we’ve never met and speak a language only we understand.
Let’s savour every second because we never know when we’ll get this chance again.
Let’s tell our bosses … nothing… and thank family members for humouring our insanity.
Let’s get lost in the wilds of New Jersey and eat American cheese in vinyl-boothed diners.
Let’s take cab rides with guys who point out the bullet holes in the driver’s seat.
Let’s stand in sub-zero weather until we can’t feel our feet.
Let’s see how many people we can fit into one hotel room.
Let’s laugh and laugh. And laugh.
Let’s feel nauseous right up till the music starts.
Let’s scream our throats raw.
Let’s make him understand.
Let’s never sit down again.
Let’s choke back the lump in our throat.
Let’s remember to breathe.
Let’s steal this moment right away from time.
Let’s go. Who’s with me?
P.S. 🙂
P.P.S.
ohmygoodness ohmygoodness am I the only one who’s never seen this vid?? THIS is what road trips are all about, my friends….
Wait a minute, Mr. Postman
One thing I’ve learned while David’s been away is how LAME Toronto’s postcards are. I’m talking…
and….
See what I mean?
I’ve never had reason to send one before since I only usually do that when I’m on vacation somewhere. But by sending D. a postcard from here I wanted to:
a) Make sure he got at least one piece of mail with a Canadian stamp on it (although when he sees the pathetic pics on these postcards, he’ll probably try to avoid ever coming here for a show);
b) Thank him for what he was able to do for us before he left; and
c) Remind him that a lot of us are still here for him. *wipes tear stains from postcard*
How about you guys?? I’m curious to find out if you’ve sent him anything at all. Please share or take this quick poll.
Please do share in the comments! 🙂
P.S.
From the amazing @rhiminee’s tumblr:
“i will never get over that chick behind him. never.”
Whisper words of wisdom revisited
Source: Tumblr/peacelovedavid
The lovely @Attwittsend stumbled on this 2010 SAz post and suggested I repost it since “it holds true today.” Does it? You tell me.
****************************
There have been some mighty memorable David Archuleta performances these past two years, but also some memorable words written about those performances — by fans! I’ve been keeping a collection of some of my favourite comments from a bunch of different fan sites and I thought now would be a good time to dust some of them off and post them during this, ahem, dry spell. If anyone else has a similar “archive,” please feel free to share!
“Oh my God, I’m bawling. I am going to miss this tour so much! I’m going to miss these people together as a group. Archie and DC will still be around, but it’s going to be so different. I’m not ready for it. It’s like graduation. You know it has to come eventually, whether you want it to or not. Archie grew on me towards the end of Idol, and now I’m full-fledged crazy about him. He’s my Archiekins.”
— MochaNicolatte
“His voice has this wonderful, big, wholesome, warm and fuzzy sound yet it resonates and cuts through with great energy. It’s sort of like being attacked by a giant cushion.”
— Chenson
“Have you ever listened to, concentrated on one of Archuleta’s studio recordings such as Think of Me on your stereo in an otherwise silent darkened room? Well if you have then you would know that you had just listened to a little slice of heaven. I was thinking of one word to describe Archuleta’s voice and the word that comes to mind is mesmerizing. His upper register is truly remarkable.”
— Marc
“I wish David the best of luck. I pray to God that David gets everything he wants in life, I pray that David will always and forever be happy. David deserves everything good and beautiful in life because David is goodness, kindness, hope, peace, joy. He is a blessing, he is a miracle. I will be there, next to him in one way or the other, supporting him, admiring him, respecting him, loving him for being such an amazing talented person and for being one of the most beautiful creatures God has placed on this planet.”
— Fan from Venezuela
“I just listened to How Great Thou Art. NEVER have I heard anything so moving and beautiful. Just when I think I’ve heard the most beautiful sound in the world, he goes and does something like this. He keeps outdoing himself. I swear his voice could stop wars.”
— betsy
“Seems I may have waited too long to delurk to post this, but I never saw anything wrong in any way regarding an older woman being a fan of a young singer. But, try being a 48 year old guy being a fan of an 18 year old male singer and see what kind of looks that’ll get ya! Do I care? no. Is it going to prevent me from following this amazing young man’s career? no. I know what I like and at this point in my life, I’m too damn old to care about what others may think of me. David’s voice and his music move my soul like nothing ever has before. He makes me feel like I’ve never felt before. If I am to be ridiculed for my fandom, so be it, Jedi.”
— kurt1960
“I do have to agree with Marc that the world does need David Archuleta. That’s why we love him so much, because we need him in our lives, we need his voice, we need to hear his positive messages, we need to feel his spirit connecting with ours. I truly believe that David was given his incredible gift for a divine reason–to give the human race a reason to hope for good, a reason to believe we can be better, a reason to see a beautiful present and future despite all the negativity and darkness around us. It’s as if the world lights up whenever David sings. When he sings about these things, we believe him and resolve to do better. As Gandhi said, we must be the change we want to see in the world. Most singers are just interested in entertaining their fans. David knows and understands the power of music–particularly in this day and age when anyone, anywhere can listen to anything they want at any time. If David sings a song, someone can record it, put it on a website for millions to watch and it’s all over the world within a few minutes or hours. David can reach more people in a few minutes than Elvis did in a year (or years). … Can you imagine what the future holds for him? And we are all here to watch it unfold before our eyes and enjoy the journey with David every step of the way.”
— lulu
“I want him to have something with a lot of ROOM to be himself – I want the music to be playdoh for his voice. Sometimes the tight framework of radio pop seems like a cage, a tight even framework waiting for a bunch of perfect-fit pieces to be dropped into place and layered on top of each other. I want more yeah yeah no nos and more David-shaped melodies like what he did with One. Mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm”
— violet4ever
And from the comments:
“David Archuleta has come a long way since Idol. I voted for Cook but recently went to a DA concert and was blown away by his talent, maturity, stage presence, and unbelievable vocals. When I’m honest with myself, DA’s concert was the best concert I’ve ever been to (including Cook’s). I am now a huge fan of his and look forward to his new music. As many of his fans have noted, David Archuleta is the real deal, no bells or whistles (or distractions) required!!!”
— anonymousfan (posted by peppertara)
“Topic: I feel I need to say I’m sorry to you all
Posted: Thu, Aug 07 2008, 12:10 PM
Making this confession will hopefully make me feel better.
I attended my first American Idol tour this past week. I was a faithful american idol 7 watcher, and voter. My feelings have drastically changed after seeing the contestants perform live. On finale night, I must say, I was shocked to see David Cook take the crown, although at the time I was jumping for joy. Throughout the season I was rooting for Brooke White. After she was eliminated, I no longer voted. I figured America would get it right regardless, so my votes were no longer needed. My perception of David Archuleta was not good. I read all the articles about what was going on backstage during idol, and honestly, I believed the majority of it. I did not think Archuleta deserved to win. I looked at him as a kinda funny looking kid that couldn’t remember his words half the time. I thought that him having his Father there to push him along was unfair.
Fast forward to concert day. I was lucky enough to meet the idols. I came face to face with David Archuleta. The boy is the farthest thing from funny looking. He blew me away. He is a gorgeous human being. I was shocked. He was THE nicest young man I have ever met. So sweet, so genuine. I instantly felt the pangs of guilt. My mind was racing.. I thought, oh my God… I was so wrong. He has a halo that follows him, I swear. I could honestly see it. People around me shed tears over the mere thought that they were breathing the same air as him. I was almost instantly bit by this Archuleta mania bug. It floored me. Up until that moment, sadly, I was not a fan.
He sang Angels first. I was overcome at this point with guilt. To think I did not vote for this boy made my stomach turn. After watching all the other performers up until his performance, it was so obvious he was put on this earth to sing.
His voice filled my heart like nothing I ever remember feeling. It was unreal. He has this energy that just blew me away.. I truely felt a connection to his heart. The entire arena was filled with his spirit. So emotional for me. By the time he got to his last song, I was in tears. I wish with all my heart he would have been able to portray this GIFT on live television. I wished I would have taken the time to really “hear” him instead of trying to ignore him. I wish american idol would have shown him as more of a person… instead of an awkward boy. He deserved to win, and the media portrayed him in an awful light. I feel dooped.
I just wonder how many others feel this way after meeting him and hearing him sing live. I can not begin to express how sorry I am. I needed to say this. I found these forums today after deciding to try to dig up a little more info on David.. and I was so surprised to see he has a single coming out already. I will be buying it, and anything else this young man records. There is something very magical about him!
I wish him the best.”
— (posted by bluebarsa, as found on MyIdol Forums)
… And perhaps my favourite of all, from HERE:
“David Archuleta is like an Altoid: small, white, and curiously strong.”
P.S.
The lovely Ms. Janey also sent me this gem from our beloved Beebee (and friends):
Read rest here (click to enlarge).
P.P.S.
From my favourite yellow whistler, Ms. Jonerz:
Hey, wait a minute….
A little too not over TOSOD
I’ve been listening to TOSOD a lot lately (esp. the Asia-tour edition because I love LDH, ZG and NM) …and I even caught hubs listening to it in the car when I wasn’t there 😯 … so I thought this would be a good time to repost this. My feelings about the album haven’t changed at all. In fact, my four initial favourite songs (TOSOD, Elevator, STR and MKOP) are still my top-four. And the live version of SBL has even grown on me. 🙂
Take a read and please share if you’re still listening to TOSOD….
Originally posted March 2011:
Seeing a David Archuleta tweet pop up on my timeline is usually a cause for celebration. Virtual corks are popped and cartwheels flipped. It’s the online version of that little wave David gives in the middle of even the most serious song. I swear, he could be starring in a production of La Bohème and just before belting out the last note of “La Gelida Manina” … *wave*.
But I digress. This time, after reading his tweet, a wave of sadness washed over me. The love we still show for TOSOD??? Like he’s surprised? As if maybe he thought we’d all moved on and tossed our Fan Packs in the corner with the recycling?
Yes, okay, this album didn’t sell as much as his first record, but I hope he realizes that has nothing to do with the quality of his songs and everything to do with the fact that few people outside his core fan base heard about its release.
One great thing about MelindaGate was that a lot of the websites that ran with the erroneous “Jive dropped Archie” story also linked to David’s page on Amazon. And the album started to climb almost immediately from down in the 2000s up to 25 in Vocal Pop even before the Angels for a Cause CMN Children’s Hospital CD campaign.
David might have tweeted because fans were trying to let him know about The Other Side of Down‘s ranking on the Barnes & Noble “best sellers” list, along with the AFAC campaign. But I do hope he realizes the campaign wasn’t the only reason for the bump in sales.
I lost count of how many comments and tweets I saw after the Jive-split story saying “David Archuleta has a new album out?” … usually accompanied by “I loved him on Idol.” Clearly, a lot of people checked it out and bought it once they knew it existed. … funny how that happens. 🙂
And as excited as I am to hear whatever music comes out of this new writing David’s doing, and the new direction he mentioned in his vlog, I’m not the least bit tired of TOSOD. I still listen to the whole album every day, more than once if I can. Not out of loyalty. Not out of support for David. But because it’s that good.
As much as I love the new albums from Adele, The Civil Wars and Mumford & Sons (who self-financed their album, btw, and toured all their songs before they recorded them!) … it’s TOSOD that I keep coming back to most often … I get totally absorbed by it, the melodies, the quirky lyrics, that Voice … it takes me over and changes the way I feel … in a good way, the best way.
I confess I skip over SBL (sorry, that’s just me), but I find something new in the other songs every time I hear them. I’m not done with it yet, not by a long shot. And if David thinks we aren’t interested in hearing these songs on tour, and plans on “out with the old, in with the new” … that couldn’t be further from the truth. For me anyway.
Anyone with me?
P.S.
Here’s the vlog posted on that thread, along with the tags (that, sadly, aren’t on the youTubes anymore):
More info:
Wanted to talk about American Idol this season, and also wanted to give you guys a challenge to take some time to just ponder over things for 15 to 20 minutes and then write down what’s on your mind after that.
Tags:
* David
* Archuleta
* American
* Idol
* Season
* 10
* Need
* You
* Now
* Smokie
* Norful
* Pondering
* ponder
* thinking
* think
* meditate
* blog
* less-talking
* gorrila
I’m so gangsta, I’m so thug….
Look all up in mah grill, I’m schmooove, yo.
Have you guys discovered gizoogle yet? It’s a spoof search engine where you can “translate” any web page into gangsta slang. For example, SAz is listed as: “A hood of Dizzy Archuleta hustlas from Canada n’ around tha ghetto.” …Accurate.
This is part of David’s wikipedia page:
Early life
Archuleta started doin thangs up in Miami, Florida, ta Lupe Marie (née Mayorga), a salsa thug n’ dancer, n’ Jeff Archuleta, a jazz musical mofo. I aint talkin’ bout chicken n’ gravy yo. His mutha is from Honduras n’ his wild lil’ daddy iz of Spanish�”Basque, Danish, Irish, German, n’ Iroquois descent. Dude speaks a lil bit of Spanish n’ aspires ta learn more. Archuleta has four siblings. His gang moved ta tha Sandy, Utah, suburb of Salt Lake City when da thug was six yo. Dude now lives up in Murray where he attended Murray High School. Dude be a gangbangin’ forma Boy Scout n’ be a gangmember of Da Church of Jizzy Christ of Latter-dizzle Saints.
Archuleta started rappin all up in tha age of six, inspired by a Les Misérablez vizzle. “That musical is what tha f*** started all of this,” da perved-out mutha holla’d. Dude started struttin publicly at age ten when he participated up in tha Utah Talent Competition, rappin “I Will Always Ludd Yo A$$” by Dolly Parton; he received a standin ovation n’ won tha Lil Pimp Division.
Archuleta is up in tha second year of a Mormon mission up in Downtown America, not just takin his a$$ outta tha U.S. yo, but placin his game on hold until his bangin return, so check it before ya wreck it. I aint talkin’ bout chicken n’ gravy. That hasn’t stopped Dizzy from appearin on tha Bizzleboard charts, n’ you can put dat on yo’ toast. Most recently, his crazy-ass mixtape No Matter How tha f*** Far peaked at No. 23 on Top Independent Albums. Az of February 2012, Archuleta has sold 1,108,000 mixtapes n’ 3,327,000 tracks up in tha United Hoods.
And on Twitter… I mean, Twizzle:
Dizzy Archuleta (DavidArchie) on Twizzle
https://twitter.com/DavidArchieAll tha sickest bullshizzle from Dizzy Archuleta (@DavidArchie). I’m David. Y’all KNOW dat shizzle, mf! I like beatz. Drop dis like itz hot! Kind of Utah…
And who could forget these wise words from his wonderful book:
FO’SHIZZLE, check it out HERE (*def. language warning!*).
P.S.
I’m off to listen to “Dope Place,” “Things Is Gonna Git Better” and “What a Lil Pimp Is This.”
From TheRealNewangel: Help! I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up! (Or, how I realized there’s no way out of this)
So, the other night I’m on youtube watching David and tour manager Ray duet on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for the millionth time and over on the side where they show the “recommended for you” videos, what should I see but my guilty pleasure of all David performances, the very thing that made me realize there was no getting out of this fandom. Yes, I’m talking about three little words that changed my world forever.
Build-a-Bear.
Mock me if you will. I’m owning it loud and proud. We all have one or two “what was he THINKING??” moments; yours may not be mine and vice versa. On the surface, this song and video are everything that would normally make me cringe and look away:
1. Cheese.
2. Extra cheese.
3. Teddy bears and hearts dropping from the sky at the beginning of the video.
4. Teddy bears wearing clothes in the recording studio (no, I’m not talking about David).
5. David wearing yet another ill-fitting sloppy hoodie (in his defense Bench hadn’t entered his consciousness yet and I’m sure comfort trumps style when you’re recording).
I remember the hand-wringing that accompanied the debut with certain camps being sure he was finished before he began, doing something aimed at the unicorns-and-Care Bears crowd when we were so desperate for him to be taken seriously by adults. There was outright anger and lots of career and management advice and on and on…
I don’t know what his motivation was. Is he passionate about putting children and teddy bears together to make dreams come true? Did he do it selflessly for charity? Did he get a whopper of a paycheck for lending his voice to the campaign? Is he playing some sort of crazy career-path leapfrog with his idol, Natalie Cole (I did Pink Cadillac, now you do it! Now teddy bear songs! Now MoTab Christmas!)?
I have no idea and I don’t really care because from the moment the la-la’s start at 2:29 till the end, I’m hooked. It’s brilliant. He’s putting his heart and soul into it as seriously as he’s done with anything else.
If this ship’s going down in a big whirlpool of cheesiness, he’s not sinking with it. The licks, the runs… do I have any idea what the difference is between those words? No. I call it all “fancy stuff.” And, boy, is he good with the fancy stuff. He’s pouring it on without overdoing.
Yes, this song was on my iPod for awhile. I jogged to it. It put a spring in my step, and that’s saying a lot for someone who hates to jog as much as I do.
But most of all, after I survived my first listen and went back again and again I realized something profound. I was stuck and I wasn’t getting out. Like one of those prehistoric bugs encased in amber. As stuck as I was the time my then-boyfriend lost his contacts and I saw him wearing his old glasses from the ’80s with those enormous face-engulfing coke-bottle lenses and I said to myself, wow, I must really love him — we should get married.
And that’s how it is with this fan thing. I’m married to it now. Like any marriage, it has its ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns (hello, Nandito Ako, I didn’t see you coming) and yes, there are still one or two things he could do to make me file for divorce. But I don’t see that happening. I’m committed. Or, I should be committed? I’m not sure there’s a difference anymore.
— @TheRealNewAngel
Q: When did you realize you weren’t going to be able to get out?
The so-called @DavidArchie personality shift
Source: Tumblr/@rhiminee … Happy B-day, btw, Tina! 🙂
On the last thread, the lovely Ms. Kizzi posted a link to a Jim Cantiello column I’d never read (I LOVE Jamba Jim but only discovered him when he started tweeting). I don’t think a lot of fans have read it either, judging from the number of comments … zero … and we were nothing if not rabid David-defenders back then, lol).
During AI7, I followed Entertainment Weekly’s recaps of the show but somehow missed MTV’s. Looks as though they had a lot of the same misconceptions that EW did. I didn’t get it then and I still don’t get it.
Were they watching the same show we were? Were they watching the same David??
Sure, he seemed young for his age, but in a sweet, genuine way. A throwback to a kinder, gentler time. “Creeped out”?? By what? Incredible singing? An actual humble person in Hollywood?? Someone who isn’t fake or manufactured or swagger-coached???
*Deep breath* Sorry, having AI7 rage-issue flashbacks.
But if you read Jim’s column, he does make a good point. To some, David came across in person, much more mature, well-spoken and full of personality than he did on the show.
We brilliant people, of course, saw through all the hijinks Idol tried to play on David and watched every interview we could get our hands on, so we saw that maturity and personality in action.
But those not as gifted and insightful as we lot 🙂 needed to be bashed over the head to “get” the amazingness that is David.
So for those who think he has an “image problem,” I say it’s more a perception problem. Ours, not his.
Maybe wider audiences need to be helped along to see the magic that’s right there before their very eyes… and ears. Sort of a “closed captioning for the David impaired.”
How to do that? I have no idea. Do you?
(Personally, I’m happy with letting David be David … that sure worked for all of us… and eventually Jim, too. 🙂 )
p.s. Here are excerpts from the column:
Having Survived ‘Idol,’ Jim Can Now Finally Reveal the Truth: David Archuleta Is Not Who You Think!
Posted 5/27/08 3:12 pm EST by Jim Cantiello in American Idol, Behind The Scenes, MTV News, Television
 |
So I’m back home in NY and finally on a normal sleep cycle. Hallelujah! And even though I had a three-day weekend to detox from “Idol,” I still can’t shake one thing I witnessed at last week’s Grand Finale…
Nope, not Fantasia’s awesome hair. Nope, not the fact that Ruben Studdard was really 9 feet tall in person. Actually, it didn’t even happen on the red carpet. It occurred backstage in the press room, and I call it the David Personality Shift.
The two David’s made their way to a podium to answer a few questions. First came the Cookster, who just 30 minutes earlier was crowned America’s Next Top Clive Davis Slave. We were all expecting him to be over the moon with excitement, or maybe he’d still be crying like he was on TV. (He did, after all, just win a crazy-popular reality show.) But, nope. He waltzed up to the mic, mumbled a few words about his music teacher, then politely smiled and walked off. A few of us turned to each other and said, “He knows he just won, right?” Was it dawning on him that it might be tough for him to break out of the “Idol” mold? Or maybe it just hit him that his first single was a steaming pile of goo? Or, most likely, he was just damn exhausted, and would rather chill with his family (standing backstage waiting for him) than answer silly questions about fashion accessories. (Yes, stupid tabloid reporter who drove everyone nuts. I’m looking at you.)
Conversely, there was ArchuRunnerUp, who haters bashed for his awkward “gosh’s” and giggle fits. Several of my co-workers have been “creeped out” by how he often acted like an eleven-year-old boy, as opposed to a seventeen-year-old dude. Well, based on the few minutes I witnessed in the press room, Archuleta was a shockingly mature, well-spoken young man. He finished all his sentences; he didn’t gasp for air more than John Goodman on a staircase; he didn’t shrug and turn away from the camera like a Harajuku girl. In other words, he came off like the complete opposite he did while on the telly. And he…had…tons of personality! Where was this Archuleta all season long???
Could it be that losing “Idol” was the best thing that could happen to this kid’s emotional growth? Was he just freezing on camera all season because of the intense pressure? (Or was he just relieved to finally get away from Seacrest?)
Won’t you be… my neighbour, @DavidArchie
Throwback to when I went to lunch with David Archuleta❤ pic.twitter.com/YsAUtAulhr
— britt hixenbaugh (@britthixenbaugh) August 8, 2013
It’s a beautiful day in this neighbourhood,A beautiful day for a neighbour,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
It’s a neighbourly day in this beautywood,
A neighbourly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
A neighbourly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
I have always wanted to have a neighbour just like you,
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighbourhood with you.So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbour?Won’t you please,
Won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbour?
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighbourhood with you.So let’s make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we’re together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbour?Won’t you please,
Won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbour?
That is all.
p.s.
Thank you, David Archuleta, for once again making my day.
p.p.s.
Seriously though, wouldn’t D. be the best neighbour ever??? He’d rake your leaves, plant trees, take care of your leftovers… although your heating bills would go WAAAY up because you’d be leaving your windows open all year in the hopes of hearing him sing. *TOTALLY WORTH IT*
p.p.s.s.
bringing this over from the end of the last thread, from peppertara. Thx. pepp!
“perhaps I am the only CDN fan who missed this short little interview back in 2008, with a Vancouver radio station. How on earth I missed this one, I have no idea. Came across it by accident really. If anyone else missed it here is the link if interested. D’s answers are so cute and humorous, especially to the silly question asked by the DJ. Sorry if it is old, old news for others. I’m not always ‘up’ on things, obviously. 
http://archuletamusic.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/david-archuletas-crave-95-interview/ ”
http://archuletamusic.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/david-archuletas-crave-95-interview/ ”BEGIN. again
i’m not trying to be cool here with all lowercase, it’s just that the caps key is possessed on this computer, grrr … since today is the anniversary of the release of begin., i thought i’d repost my original review to /a/ see if i still felt this way about it and /b/see if you guys still the same way about it that you did last august.
the one song i feel differently about is broken… i love it even more now… i listened to it in the car friday night in the dark, during a 7 hour drive, and my hubby, who was driving, actually cranked up the volume… it sounded that good… haunting really.
i find even more now that it stands out distinctly from the rest of the album. the style of it, the sound, the vibe, his voice, everything. please keep tapping into that motherlode, d.
from august 7, 2012….
I’m feeling overwhelmed at the moment. After the buildup of excitement for BEGIN., then staying up late last night to download it and listen to it, I got zero sleep because some of the lyrics and melodies kept running through my head.
What also kept running through my head was David’s last BTS vlog, telling us that he hoped this album would help us all understand why he made the decision to go on a mission… then he mentioned that again in the special OS note up above.
The fact that he even cared that we understood really touched me. Who does that? It’s his life, he doesn’t owe anyone any explanations, least of all us. And yet he wants us to “get” it, to feel where he’s coming from? Wow.
So even though I planned on simply basking in that voice when I listened to BEGIN. for the first time, I couldn’t help but listen with his plea for understanding in mind.
And as beautifully as David sings every single note on BEGIN., the overwhelming feeling I get from these songs is pain … the pain of going through some very tough times … and how to make sense of the world as you navigate through those struggles. Are these his struggles? Others’ lives he wants to help heal? Both? Neither?
I also get a feeling of hope, however. That we’re not alone in this. That we can get through it … with love. Love for yourself, one another, your Creator, humankind, and for music itself ….
I know, I know, I’m probably reading too much into it. But these passages about pain jumped out at me:
Beautiful
“Everyday is so wonderful … and suddenly, it’s hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure… from all the pain… feel so ashamed”
There, David sings “I” but then switches to “We” in the next verse, “We are beautiful” (even though the original uses “I”) …
David, David, David, YOU, YOU, YOU are beautiful and someday you will sing the “I” in that song and really mean it! Not in an inflated-ego way (because I really don’t think that’s even in your DNA) but in an “I am a child of God therefore I am beautiful” way. Embrace your beauty inside and out, David. We sure do. 🙂
My guess as to why this song’s on the album? David’s mentioned in interviews that he learned how to sing runs from Christina Aguilera’s songs… repeating them over and over until they came naturally. I picture David singing this in his room. To his dog. And maybe it helped him feel a little better about the world. Or maybe it’s because his dog loved it.
Somewhere Only We Know
“I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
… this could be the end of everything,
so why don’t we go somewhere only we know”
Doesn’t mention pain specifically here, but he’s tired. He needs somewhere to BEGIN. … We can all relate to this, I think. Go for it, David! (Love this track, btw, probably my favourite after Broken.)
Everybody Hurts
Title says it all, doesn’t it?
And when his voice drops low on “well, hang on” I just about dropped to the floor. Especially love the background “Hold On”s … I want a track of that on a loop to help me get through tough days. (I’m serious.)
Don’t Give Up
“I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail
No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose”
Lots of pain in this one. “No one wants you when you lose”? Ouch. I do love the two voices… I just wished we’d heard them together more. Hearing them separately made it seem as though hers was a “still small voice” telling David “Don’t Give Up.”
Angel
“So tired of the straight line … and everywhere you turn
there’s vultures and thieves at your back.”
*cough*Jive*cough* … Seriously though, I can’t help but wonder if David knew the original meaning of Sarah’s song (about a heroin addict)… doesn’t really matter because it ultimately tells you that when you’re at your darkest point, may you find comfort in the “arms of the angel.” Beautiful.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Hmm, he moved the “when pain is all around” verse to the beginning. Coincidence? I think not.
At the end, “All your dreams are on their way” I felt the hopefulness rising in his voice… “I will ease your mind.” Oh, the sobbing.
Broken
“Do you see what I see?
Do you feel what I feel?
It doesn’t matter until we see broken lives heal”
Even after hearing everything else, this is still my favourite track. Everything I gushed about in my last post still stands. It feels so him. Stunning.
True Colours
Besides Broken, I think this song, SOWT, EH and Pride are my favourite tracks on the album. Here, I really felt he was singing his way out of a dark place and trying to help others do the same.
He repeats:
“If this world makes you crazy … and you’ve taken all you can bear
You call me up because you know I’ll be there”
… his “Don’t need to be afraid” felt like it was meant for both him and for us… to help us all stay true to who we are.
Pride
Really need to hear this live. He. Will. Kill. It.
I know U2 originally wrote this as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., but I think it’s also an anthem for all those who take action on behalf of others “in the name of love” – selfless love, in its purest form. No need to guess why David included this one.
Be Still My Soul
Every time David sings BSMS, it’s new and different to me. But one constant is the way this particular verse hits me every time:
“Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.”
There’s something so powerful that wells up from him here that you can’t help but feel love and hope and comfort. It’s no wonder he ended with this.
Yes, David’s voice is more incredible than ever on this album and “Broken” is just, well, spectacular, what blindsides me most about BEGIN. is that it exists at all. That, instead of spending those last weeks with family and friends he won’t see for two years, he was recording all this. For us. For us.
And what BEGIN. says to me is that despite the pain and struggle, there is always hope. We’re not alone. There are times when you need to listen to your heart and regroup, keep the faith, and hopefully come back stronger than ever.
(Sorry about the rambling, btw, I’ll blame it on being sleep deprived! 🙂 )
How about you guys? Did these songs help you better understand David’s decision?
p.s. and how do you feel about the album a full year later?
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SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 