Assignment #5

My favorite song always changes overtime. No matter how good a song is, I will be bored of it at one point. For the time being, however, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' song "Growing Up"featuring Ed Sheeran is a considerable favorite.

Link to the audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mhtJduoCZ0
Link to the lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/macklemore/growingupsloanessong.html

This is  a rap song filled with advises from a father to his newborn child. It also mentions about his insecurities about being a new parent, an especially busy and famous one, as this song was written based on Macklemore's own experience in being a new parent. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is a musical duo based in Seattle, Washington, and the song features the English vocalist Ed Sheeran. Both of them have enjoyed a successful career, as the song is only one of a lot of hit songs they released.

3 new words I learned from the song:
1. Dogma: a principle laid down by authorities and seen as indisputably true. Example: The dogma of religion is often used for ill purposes.
2. Jaywalk: illegally walking on public roads made for cars. Example: He was fined for jaywalking yesterday.
3. Sledge: a vehicle that slides on snow and ice. Example: They played sledge on the hills yesterday.

Rap doesn't have the best of reputations as a song genre. Its lyrics are often not deep, sometimes even offensive, not deemed as "serious" music, and definitely doesn't have "class". This song breaks through all those stereotypes. "Growing Up" is inspiring, filled with emotions, and is packed with the best advises you can get from a parent. The melody is not crude, even subtler than a lot of songs that I've heard before. Also, it promotes gender equality in its lyrics. The link to it is up above, check it out. It is truly beautiful. Then it puts you into two possible points of view when listening to it, either the parent who gives the advises, trying to show his/her love to the child, or the child, receiving the advises, processing it. I can't completely relate to Macklemore in being a parent, obviously because I am not one, and am not going to be for a long time, at least. However, I do feel like this song gave me a loose guideline as to how to lead a life, the guideline being from Macklemore here, taking the role of my parents. I actually learned a few things from this song, and felt like the lessons were delivered in one of the best ways possible, from a catchy yet meaningful song. Nothing negative, just true advises depicting the perfect love.