Someone tell me I’m not the only one who feels as if they’re going back to their past self. Being quarantined has made me return to old habits and ideas, which I now do on a daily basis. It’s the same: wake up, online school, play video games, eat, play ukulele and sleep. I’m repeating this routine, day after day and everything feels the same. (Good song lyric by the way).
To keep things short and simple, I wanted to take a trip down memory lane with you and discover childhood songs again. There’s a beauty in childhood, with a feeling that one will never grow old. I want to analyze a song with you today that holds a special place in my heart.
Intermission: Diary Entry #4
My featured collage is based on my favorite middle school artists (Lolo Zouai, Lana Del Rey, Post Malone, etc). As my music taste evolved, I’ve moved on to other artists, but I do miss listening to them on loop!
“Daughters” by John Mayer
What makes “Daughters” by John Mayer so special is the story behind the tune. Throughout the song, John Mayer sings about how her parents should treat her well, as one day, she will become a parent herself.
[Chorus]
Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
As a kid, this song didn’t strike me in the feels. (Same goes for “Whistle” by Flo Rida). Lately, you don’t hear many songs unrelated to love. There’s a beauty in returning to throwback songs when you realize that there are messages beneath surface level romance. For me, I can empathize on the chorus because I feel as if there’s a lot of pressure on kids as we mature. Growing up in an Asian household conjures stereotype of parents hitting kids with a belt, demanding that they get all Ass or risk being disowned. Sadly, this stereotype is common for many households, not just Asian families. What a lot of parents don’t realize is that the impact of pressure they put onto their children will have affects down the road.
“Daughters” offers clear advice to parents about treating your kids compassionately, because the echoes will last for decades to come. Parents have such a big influence over your life, especially when you’re a teenager. (They already got me thinking about college and moving out!) This leads me to the subject of forthcoming posts here at Teenage Fever. Since the start of Sunset Media Wave, my very, very popular friend and I created a song together. It may sound like a typical heartbreak song, but as I analyzed “Daughters,” I realized that there are lyrics about growing up that mean a lot to us. I hope that the story line shines brighter than the music itself, which you will be hearing soon. Stay tuned for the next entry of Teenage Fever!
