Having a European-born fiancee has led me to listen to music from her country that I otherwise would have not listened to. If you are tired of English music, and crave something new, check out top music from bands\musicians across the globe!
Albanian : Adelina Ismajli is a hot singer, Sinan Hoxha is widely listened to and Bujar Qamili's lyrics are very contagious.
Italian : Try listening to Zucchero, Negrita, Luca Derisio and Mario Venuti for funky, music you will enjoy.
French : Nouvelle Vague {music is actually in English}, Daisybox, Superbus (although you may need a refresher in French to understand the lyrics, or you can try to decipher them using a translation program) But good music that shouldn't be overlooked.
Spain - Spain has unique and influential music the Western world could dig, including music from Mecano and Spain's David Villa.
India - Papon is widely popular, and Raghav Sachar has beats that infuse Western and Indian music smoothly, up for a listen is Bombay Rockers and Baba Sehgal. You'll be nodding your head to the rhythm in no time!
Thanks to MTV glorifying teenage pregnancies and motherhood in their shows (and Much Music too!), teens across the Western world will think nothing of getting nice and round in their high school and early college years with their boyfriends. Children are not the next Prada bags, they aren't this trendy thing that young girls should be acquiring. Children require a lot of hard work, attachment, commitment and money. Every single one of the teenage mothers I know are all suffering. They are stuck in a vicious government assistance cycle and will likely never get a university degree.
Teenage motherhood worries me for a lot of reasons. For one thing, black teen moms are already predisposed to living a life of poverty so why would they hurt their chances at success by becoming mothers so young instead of fighting the system and getting jobs and going to a post-secondary institution? Another thing, these girls are having babies with a boyfriend they may not keep dating and leave their children with a 'baby daddy'. If you're not going to marry the guy, don't have kids with him! It will be complicated and unfair for the child(ren)! It's really a sad situation that can be prevented with birth control and condoms. There should be no reason why you would WANT to be a teenage mom, because as humans, we want to succeed and live good lives.
In my personal opinion, you should be actively trying to have a baby after you've had some technical training, some post-secondary education, a secure job that will give you maternity leave, if you won the lottery, if your boyfriend is a millionaire and wants to marry you FIRST, if you are 22 and older, if you're already married and relatively financially secure, if you're engaged and 22+ and\or if you are about to graduate from your post-secondary institution.
High school kids should NOT be getting pregnant and neither should first-year college students. Don't fuck it up, you only GET one chance at life and you will regret not doing more with it than pushing around a stroller and waiting in a welfare line up every month!
I do understand that some pregnancies are mistakes, but it isn't a cool fad, or trend. Not only are you putting yourself in a life of poverty and misery (young teen moms earn significantly less than their older mom counterparts) but you will be putting your children's life in poverty and misery too, and they don't deserve that because they didn't ask for it. So what if all your friends are popping out kids? You don't have to give into the peer pressure. 85% of my female friends are mothers but I didn't see the urge to get pregnant when I was 18 years old. Education should be the main goal at that age, and also it would help if you saved up money for your own car too. I feel so sorry for all the teen moms and their babies being stuffed on public buses. It's very sad to see, and don't act like it's this amazing thing and you're so happy.
I'm sure you all have ambitions. Use condoms if you have a boyfriend! Sure babies are nice, but babysit your friends or older siblings babies if you like them so much. Focus on you!!!!!!!!
I like white people. Don't get me wrong, and don't think I'm racist...because I'm not. I'm engaged to a white woman. I have 99% white friends. But, sometimes, usually for research reasons...I need to find something with a black\mixed person or child in it and it's SO hard to find. All these advertisements and my favorite gossip magazines only portray white people 99%. Sure, there's the odd picture of Halle Berry or something, but that doesn't cut it. And it's even more shocking that black celebrities are found in magazines like "Juicy" while white celebrities are found in 10 other ones like In Style, Star!, In Touch, etc. Why are magazines so segregrated? And why, every time I Google: adorable black babies....I only get pictures of WHITE babies with black hair??!!?!?! Is there an explanation for this? I am definitely going to explore this further. But for the record I do have to puncture more black, successful photography and news into my blog since it is so obviously lacking in the media. Shame on you, media moguls!
1. Black people drive cars. Yes, it's true. Following Hispanics, African Americans are the second-largest minority market in the US. Researchers estimate they will spend $860 billion in 2007, rising to $1.1 trillion by 2012. Source: emarketer.com With this kind of moolah to be made, don't you think you should try to entice us\them with including them in advertisements for vehicles?? And not just Cadillac Escalades and Hummers either!
2. Black people own homes. Nationally, 73 percent of whites own their homes compared with 47 percent of blacks in America. Still, that is nearly half of all black people in the USA who own homes. It shouldn't surprise anybody to see that they have a black family in their suburban neighbourhood. This isn't 1880, folks.
I think people assume black people don't live in nice neighbourhoods, but the truth of it is, a lot of people regardless of colour like to live in nice neighbourhoods. And they make NICE neighbours. Why don't you talk to your neighbour instead of prejudging them by their colour? Maybe you two ended up going to the same university or something!
3. Black people like instruments and rock music. When I was growing up, I was exposed to a lot of techno, house and rock music thanks to my older sister, and then, moving to a rural town where urban music couldn't be played on the radio. I went back to the city and found a lot of black people in Toronto really love rock music, love to play instruments (guitar, violin, sax) and love techno, house, indie, etc. Other races ASSUME all black people love rap music, r&b, reggae or soca. This is a falsity. Sure, if you see a black person hanging out with a lot of white suburbanites, odds are they will be listening to the same punk rock kind of music. But music is available to everybody, and some music grows on people. Not to mention, there are black rock artists such as Lenny Kravitz and Jimi Hendrix. Furthermore, a lot of black people still love the performing arts including jazz and opera. Canadian greats include: Measha Brueggergosman, (opera singer); FeFe Dobson, Murray Lightburn from the Dears, and Mojah the guitarist from Big Sugar. These are just a few from a list of 30 or so Canadian musicians who do not "do" rap, hip-hop, reggae, soca or R&B. Just to let you know.
4. Black people travel on vacations, too! It is nice to see photographs of Rihanna and Beyonce travelling the world from Croatia to Los Cabos to the South of France. I love travelling and who doesn't? A lot of black people go on vacations, go on luxury cruises and travel. It cost a lot of $$$ to go but smart people, regardless of race, know when\where to travel to get good rates, where to stay, how to backpack and how to be open - minded. Everybody knows it's hundreds of dollars cheaper to fly in the off season and 3rd class and 4th class hotels are nearly the same thing! Coming from tropical, hot places--who would appreciate a beach and sun more than black people?
Although personally, I was the only black person on my flight to Cuba. I think black people should save that $800 and see the world. It's a beautiful experience!
5. Black people wear sunscreen and sun hats!
It is a HUGE misconception that black people don't need any protection from the sun due to their darker pigment, and that they won't get skin cancer. Black people DO get skin cancer, and I know many that cover from the sun and protect their skin. I have bottles of sunscreen lined up on my dresser because I never go outside without sunblock and it's spf 45 or higher. I've worn sunscreen every summer since I was 16. I also wear ridiculous wide sun hats and I'm not the only person. White people like to keep their skin fair and try to stay out of the sun because it ages you, well shit, who wants to be aged? I don't! So I protect my skin. Besides, sunscreen is so cheap anybody can afford it. I think whenever someone sees a black person in a sunhat it shouldn't be a paradox. The sun can be extremely harmful, and I'm not sure why sunscreen companies NEVER depict a black person---we need SPF protection too!
6. Black people date outside their own race. Interracial dating is very widely accepted here in Canada, especially Toronto. I regularly see Black and white couples, white and Oriental couples, Oriental and black couples, etc etc. There are beautiful biracial children from these couples and I approve of interracial dating, but on TV and in the media, they always have to depict the "happy black family" and the "happy white family". Why can't they every have a white man and a black woman with beautiful biracial children in front of the BBQ? It has to be "Date your own race" and that's the message the media is sending. It's very backwards and very wrong. Watch TV and look at the commercials. Do you see many (if any?) interracial couples\families?
7. All black people are NOT on welfare. Do you know the AMOUNT of black police officers I see? And guess what? Surprise! There's black pilots, fire fighters (I personally know one in Florida, where my uncle lives), black judges (there's a black judge in Newmarket, Ontario), black lawyers, black businessmen, black engineers (quite a FEW), black athletes (and I mean hockey and baseball, not just basketball), black accountants, etc. I actually like seeing black teenagers working in the mall. I love the diversity. I love seeing them working next to white people and Orientals and South Asians. I love it because it's visibility, and the more other people see black people in the workforce the more they realize we're not any more lazier than any other race!
8. Black people attend colleges and universities. I was shocked by the amount of black people at my fiancee's college when I first met her 3 years ago. I was still a high school senior and hadn't been exposed to college life yet. I thought (thanks to the media) all black people struggled, couldn't get out of the "ghetto" and spent their adolescents and young adulthood in jails, gangs and selling drugs. The "struggle" to get out of the hood and into college was the stories you heard in the newspaper. But no, that's not true nor real life. I know one woman who's an author and has gone to Dartmouth and Harvard; my cousin is also an author and went to the same college as me, my grandfather is an accomplished author and went to university, and tons of black authors are university graduates, but they also go to law school, medical school, Ivy League schools, they get business degrees and English degrees, and they go to teacher's college too. There are many intelligent, educated black people. Black people love and crave knowledge. This comes as a shock for many people, as it did to me 3 years ago thanks to the media. I had the wrong idea.
9. Black people shop at expensive stores. Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Holt Renfrew would like you to believe their clientele are uber-rich Caucasians. That isn't wholly true. Yes, there are tons of rich white people who shop there, but there's tons of wealthy Asians, blacks and other minorities who can afford and appreciate quality material goods from watches, clothes, shoes and accessories. I, myself, do not care about the price tag of an item I want (usually camera-related), and I love a few select name brands like Ron Herman's Free City line, Burberry and Ralph Lauren. I think black people have the ability to dress well and may initially feel embarassed or singled out in wealthy stores (which I'm routinely ignored or under-appreciated, but I ignore that...because VISIBILITY is important, once again) but as they shop there more often, feel more comfortable and not as if it they don't "fit in".
10. Black people speak other languages. Do you think it's just ambitious white people who set forth learning new languages? Nope. I, myself, taught myself German and can pick up a bit of Albanian (thanks to my partner) but in my life I have met a Zimbabwe woman who can speak Swedish, and blacks who can speak Italian and French fluently out of SHEER desire. Do not assume they all speak "slang".
Bag lady you gone hurt your back Dragging all them bags like that I guess nobody ever told you All you must hold on to Is you, is you, is you
One day all them bags gone get in your way One day all them bags gone get in your way I said one day all them bags gone get in your way One Day all them bags gone get in your way
So pack light Pack light Pack light Ooh ooh
Bag lady you gone miss your bus You can't hurry up Cause you got too much stuff When they see you comin Niggas take off runnin From you it's true oh yes they do
One day he gone say you crowdin my space One day he gone say you crowdin my space I said one day he gone say you crowdin my space One day he gone say you crowdin my space
So pack light Pack light Pack light Ooh ooh
Girl I know sometimes it's hard And we can't let go Oh when someone hurts you oh so bad inside You can't deny it you can't stop crying So oh, oh, oh If you start breathin Then you won't believe it You'll feel so much better (So much better baby)
Bag lady Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go Ooh, ooh Girl you don't need it I betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (Need someone to love you right) Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, betcha love) Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, betcha love) Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, I betcha love, oh) Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (Oh...) Betcha love can make it better...
Bag lady, hmm Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go Girl you don't need that, hmm *************************************************** Source: Wikipedia - The song is about a woman trying to begin anew in a relationship but she has too much emotional "baggage", and can't get close to people. The moral of the song is to "pack light", and have hope for the future.
I take this song many ways. In the literal sense, a bag lady is a homeless woman who is living out of her bags. It seems that Erykah is not only implying that a woman is to begin a new romantic relationship but one with herself, letting go of her history and past. Even the most well-dressed people are carrying a metaphorical bag on their bag of burdens and worries. She says you might "miss your bus" meaning perhaps, any opportunities in the future because you are weighed down by your perceived problems and issues that you can't let go. That "bag" can be many things: alcohol, jealousy, vanity, etc. If could be a number of things for a number of people.
It's about being conscious of the emotional baggage you're carrying and checking yourself and making sure that you are consciously in the moment, living each moment and taking it for what it is--good or bad, and moving on. It's about not holding grudges, not regretting past mistakes, or being bitter about a great life that has changed (and probably not for the best). She's say "betcha love can make it better", but love for yourself is also a way that can heal a lot of internal issues one may have with oneself.
In her music video, each black woman is dressed in a different coloured dress and headwear, possibly symbolizing that each dress is a different sort of 'baggage'.
Bag lady you gone hurt your back Dragging all them bags like that I guess nobody ever told you All you must hold on to Is you, is you, is you
One day all them bags gone get in your way One day all them bags gone get in your way I said one day all them bags gone get in your way One Day all them bags gone get in your way
So pack light Pack light Pack light Ooh ooh
Bag lady you gone miss your bus You can't hurry up Cause you got too much stuff When they see you comin Niggas take off runnin From you it's true oh yes they do
One day he gone say you crowdin my space One day he gone say you crowdin my space I said one day he gone say you crowdin my space One day he gone say you crowdin my space
So pack light Pack light Pack light Ooh ooh
Girl I know sometimes it's hard And we can't let go Oh when someone hurts you oh so bad inside You can't deny it you can't stop crying So oh, oh, oh If you start breathin Then you won't believe it You'll feel so much better (So much better baby)
Bag lady Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go Ooh, ooh Girl you don't need it I betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (Need someone to love you right) Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, betcha love) Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, betcha love) Betcha love can make it better (I betcha love, I betcha love, oh) Betcha love can make it better Betcha love can make it better (Oh...) Betcha love can make it better...
Bag lady, hmm Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go Girl you don't need that, hmm
Although I believe most, or at least a lot of , forms of art are not made to be take literally, a lot of people forget that there is meaning behind the lyrics, the paint, the dance, etc and it may not be so obvious.
In the case of this song, Bag Lady, for example, if you asked someone at first listen what this song is about they may have not even considered it has a deep meaning beyond homelessness....
A few meanings I found on the web for this song:
This song means that you shouldn't live in the past because you will only be hurting yourself more and more in the end.
I think this is about shedding our material desires.
this songs about letting go of the things that arent important and holding on to your piece of mind.
So, where my garbage bag lady Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go What about the grocery bag lady Betcha love can make it better I'm talkin' to my Gucci bag lady Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go What about my paper sack lady Betcha love can make it better What about my nickle bag lady Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go
^thats just sayin people of all classes should relate to this song. let go of the things that hold you down and move on with life. "all you must hold on to is you"
The song is, basically, saying to forget all of the things from the past and look to the future!!! Like it said: "bag lady, you gone miss your bus; you cant hurry up cause you got too much stuff"
It's saying that if you carry on thinking about the past, you can never move forward to have a better future; hence, she misses the bus, she's missing a good future!!! People, keep this in mind. It's a good message that people should take in and think about.
Ms. Badu tells us that in order to be free to have positive things in our lives, we must rid ourselves of the negative.
she's telling women to let go of their baggage. i took it to be specifically baggage from relationships/men/etc... because of the "one day he gon say you crowdin my space" line. She repeats it 4 times, so it seems like a pretty important part of her message. She's saying if your hurt, admit it, think about it, solve it, cry it out, move on. Allow yourself to drop the anger/sadness/resentment/neediness/insecurities/distrust/cynicism that your broken heart is full of because it will weight you down and cause you to miss out on happiness. looooooooooooove this song. because it truly speaks to ALL women. (gucci bags, garbage bags, nickle bags, baby bags....)
Never heard the song that way?
What does it say to you? What do you think it means?
Posted by Jenny Stradling
******************* Thank you Jenny S for the interpretation!
