Sometimes we look to others' words for inspiration on how to go about our lives. It gives us guidance and hope, regardless of how fucked up, metaphorical, or philosophical those words may be.
So with the semester dwindling down to its final weeks, days, and hours, why not provide Up on the Sun readers with a little inspiration from some credible famous musicians on how to survive times like these. A different perspective on life is always good, right?
If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it. -- Frank Zappa
Well, Frank makes a point. (Sorry Mom and Dad. Love you!) Eventually you gotta do things on your own and figure it out for yourself. Hopefully it's the right thing, but if not, you'll learn. I hope.
I guess if Frank's advice doesn't work, we're all fucked into a world of misery because we can't listen to ourselves.
I'm your knight in shining armor. I'm here to save you from Linkin Park. -- Rufus Wainwright
Okay, so Rufus makes a point: Maybe listening to Linkin Park won't get us very far in life -- although I will confess I do miss old-school Linkin Park. But the screaming, depressing, want-to-kick-my-door-down stuff is gone, or at least reformatted into a series of pop-ish, Top 40 radio tunes. So study tunes probably shouldn't include Linkin Park? Listen to our savior, Rufus!
A friend is nothing but a known enemy. -- Kurt Cobain
Realize that a friend knows things about you that others don't. At a bad time, that can end horrifically. It's hard to trust another person. Although I'm pretty sure my own best friend is not my enemy, Kurt may have a point when more emotional situations come lurking around the corner.
Watch this incredible Nirvana show filmed in Phoenix.
I've always been a true believer that if men had babies, nobody would be trying to tell them what they can and can't do with their bodies. -- Scott Ian
Scott Ian (of Anthrax fame) wants you to ignore people who try to tell you what you can and can't do with your bodies (or anything else, probably). Do what you want without worrying about how someone else is going to view you.
There's a big difference, I discovered, between wanting to die and not wanting to live. When you want to die, you at least have a goal. When you don't want to live, you're just empty. -- Marilyn Manson
As creepy and sad as this may sound, we at least recognize that Marilyn is on to something. You should always have a goal, though probably not a goal of dying.
I wish people would turn off their computers, go outside, talk to people, touch people, lick people, enjoy each other's company and smell each other on the rump. -- Tre Cool
I think the idea that Tre Cool is trying to get at is that people really need to go experience others, instead of sitting at their computers.
Read more: Music festivals aren't just about bands performing live--they're about touching the rumps of like-minded fans.
Yes, you're on your computer or phone right now, but maybe afterwards you should think about going outside and smelling someone's rump.
It's pure black label. It's about violence and booze. That's all it is. There is no plan. -- Zakk Wylde
Maybe things will never go quite as you plan. Just go with the flow or roll with it. Maybe some black label and violence will help you along.
My motto is, you know, you kinda shouldn't fuck me over. -- Adele
Fucking people over can lead to a Grammy-winning album all about how much of a scumbag piece of shit you are.
I wouldn't call myself a Christian. -- Marcus Mumford
Labeling yourself isn't always the smartest decision -- Marcus Mumford doesn't like the baggage this one comes with. But hell, it's your life -- Marcus isn't even insisting you shouldn't label yourself, only that he doesn't. So if you'd like to follow his lead, go for it.
At a certain point, you realize you have a responsibility more behind yourself and your need for adrenaline. I'm glad I did things in my 20s that were more reckless. -- Eddie Vedder
Responsibility is something you'll have to deal with eventually, but Eddie Vedder suggests getting a little irresponsibility out of your system in your 20s is a good move.
Birds of a feather . . . flock together. Fuck those other stupid-ass birds. -- Deadmau5
Sometimes you've gotta just say, "Fuck those other stupid-ass birds." Pretty simple lesson.
Most chick singers say, 'If you hurt me, I'll die' . . . I say, 'If you hurt me, I'll kick your ass.' -- Pat Benatar
Be warned: Not all girls are emotional sobbing wrecks. Some will want to kick your ass after you've obliterated their heart. Guard your ass at all times if this is something you think you have already achieved, and hope that a woman like Pat isn't out to harm you and your precious buns.
All I wanted to do was ride skateboards -- I wanted to be a professional skateboarder. But I had this problem. I kept breaking half my body skateboarding. -- Travis Barker
Lesson learned: If you fail at something so much that your own body is broken into pieces, please stop for your own sake, no matter how much you love it. Maybe, like Travis, you'll find you have another, less hazardous talent.
They're always saying I'm a capitalist pig. I suppose I am. But . . . it's good for my drumming. -- Keith Moon
People may judge you, but the key to harnessing this is to take other people's views and opinions out on something else. Emotions, if handled correctly, can produce pure melody.
Well, this has been an interesting lesson from many famous musicians. Perhaps you learned something, or maybe now you look at life from a new perspective. For example: "Fuck those other stupid-ass [people]."