Critical Response #2

This is an example of Concerto:
Howl's Moving Castle Lives (3 songs combined, solo part is near the end)

This is an example of Dance

Grande Valse Villageoise (The Garland Waltz)

-AMV of Good Life-

Good Life by One Republic, released in November 19, 2010.

Lyrics:

Woke up in London yesterday

Found myself in the city near Piccadilly

Don't really know how I got here

I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know

Address to places like Abbey Road

Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want

We're young enough to say

Oh, this has gotta be the good life

This has gotta be the good life

This could really be a good life, good life

I say, "Oh, got this feeling that you can't fight"

Like this city is on fire tonight

This could really be a good life, a good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello

My friends in L.A. they don't know

Where I've been for the past few years or so

Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out

Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now

We are God of stories, but please tell me

What there is to complain about?

When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over

When everything is out you gotta take it in

Elements of Music:

• Lyrics: The lyrics of this song was very unusual. The sequence of this song is A-B-A1-C-B-D-B-A1. There are more than 1 bridge between a chorus. At the end, it end with A2 which most of the song end with chorus. Also the lyrics was talking about a story but I did not quite get it, I know he woke up in a places he doesn't know, but hes having a good life. I really enjoy this irony of been happy of getting lost in a place.
• Harmony: The combination with drums, piano, guitar, vocalists, xylophone, bass, and whistle. I found it powerful very powerful, and have this delight mood along the spot. The vocalist sound like he enjoys his life and have been through a wonderful and exciting adventure. I found it rare that whistle are used in there and it goes with the song, I can picture them walking in the city whistling and enjoy their happy time. 

Summary:

I think this song is about been in a place that you have no idea how you got here is actually not scary but exciting. Since most people would panic and thinking this is a worse day of their life, instead this song shows the opposite of it. The song sounds like they enjoy been in an unknown place and exploring. So I think this song is trying to tell us, even if we are in a strange and different place, we should find some enjoyment in a time like this and enjoy what we have now. I have heard this song many time in the radio on the car. I love this song because it somehow inspired me to have a good time out there and enjoy the exploration I am having with the powerful beat and voice. This song remind me of the experience I had when I went back to Taiwan for a summer camp. It was a the first time went back to Taiwan after been away for 3 years. My dad brought a new house. My relative moved to some places, and some people I knew changed, for example, my aunt who once I knew was taller than me now is shorter than me. I had to live in a different place since my dad's new house was still under construction, so I lived with my aunt which was my first time to live with my relative. I had many fun living with my relative, I get to play with my little cousins whom grown up so much that they seems to be smarter than me. There were many places changed too, and I do not have very much experience in Taiwan since back then I was only a child. The sky train that was still under constructing when I last visited was now finished. I had many problems using the sky train to get to  my summer camp, I kept getting on the wrong train and going to opposite way. The camp I joined was sort of an international students that want to learn or improve Chinese. I've meet many new faces from different country. Most of them are from America, I didn't meet any Canadian there. There were many amazing people, some of them can speak 3 to 5 different languages. It was fun to make friend with new people. During that summer, I had many fun time with newly made friend, and I explored a lot in Taiwan.