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Dismantle. Repair.
An Affirmation Mixtape.
[donwload entire zip here]
This playlist is quite personal to me, it's meant to be a playlist of encouragement. I'm Christian, and often encouragement for me comes from my faith - as such, there are a couple of religious songs here. Songs that are clearly about Faith are marked with a †. All files are mp3 - download separately or as one zip. Let me know about broken links etc.
A-Side: Dismantle.
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." ~ Marie Curie
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." ~Epictetus
01. Dismantle. Repair. - Anberlin [download]
The night was young, and so were we,
talked about life, God, death and your family,
didn't want any promises - just my undivided honesty,
and you say "oh, who-ah, things are gonna change now for the better."
Before you can repair yourself, you have to pull yourself fully apart, examine each part, see it for what it is - no more, no less.
02. Amazing Again - Matt Nathanson [download]
And all the wan, hip, full-lipped lovers...
they're locked against one another
and I waiver, uncomfortable in my skin.
I'm glad I have someone who's willing to put up with me when I'm at my worst, because sometimes it feels like I'm so hopeless, and he's there to let me know I'm not.
03. Unwell - Matchbox Twenty [download]
It makes me think there must be something wrong with me,
out of all the hours thinking somehow, I've lost my mind.
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell,
I know right now you can't tell
But stay a while and, baby, then you'll see a different side of me.
It feels to me like no one wants to put up with me when I'm insecure and unhappy; it feels like the whole world is against me unless I can smile for it.
04. Mean - Taylor Swift [download]
Some day I'll be living in a big ol' city,
and all you're ever gonna be is mean.
The worst thing is, no matter how hard you work to build yourself up, there's always someone to pull you back down.
05. Beautiful - Glee Cast [download]
Every day is so wonderful,
then suddenly it's hard to breathe.
Now and then I get insecure from all the pain,
I'm so ashamed.
I like this song because it helps me remember I'm not the only one who feels like this. I like the Glee version better than Christina's for this purpose - it's the Glee thing of being united and together that I'm going for.
06. The Resolution - Jack's Mannequin [download]
I'm alive, I don't need a witness
to know that I've survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution.
The thing that gets me about this song is that it talks about overcoming difficulties like it's an endless struggle in the dark - there is no easy 'resolution', but things might be a little easier if we just could see what we were doing.
07. Have You Got Heart - Luke Leighfield [download]
Have you got heart? Have you got soul?
have you got anything at all?
Do you know passion? Do you know pain?
Have you got the courage to try again?
It's not just me I hate sometimes, it's everything about my life. I feel like I've lost purpose. This song helps me because it keeps me struggling on, it makes me feel like I am strong enough to do it just because I care, it's a real thing for me, and I'm not a fake.
08. Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional [download]
Hope dangles on a string like slow-spinning redemption,
winding in and winding out, the shine of it has caught my eye,
and roped me in, so mesmerising, so hypnotising, I am captivated,
I am vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong,
I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along,
And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well,
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself.
I know I'm not perfect, but I am getting better. And I'm beginning to believe in myself, and I'm beginning to believe I can make up for the person I used to be.
09. Watch The Sky - Something Corporate [download]
I will crawl;
There's things that are worth giving up I know,
But I won't let this get me, I will fight,
you live the life you're given.
You just have to keep fighting, no matter how hard things get.
B-Side: Repair.
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." ~Helen Keller
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." ~Henry Van Dyke
01. Who I am hates who I've been - Relient K [download]
I heard the reverberating footsteps,
syncing up with the beating of my heart,
and I was positive that unless I got myself together
I would watch me fall apart.
Now I want to say goodbye to the old broken self and embrace the new.
02. Rain King - Counting Crows [download]
Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone?
I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it home.
Well I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking in,
if there's anyone at home at your place, darling, why don't you invite me in?
You deserve better. You will find the place you belong. When I am unhappy or alone, these are the things I have to learn to believe.
03. I am - Michael Tolcher [download]
One of these days, I'll catch up to my convictions,
One of these days, I'll be more than just man,
One of these days, I'll be stronger than addictions,
I am, really, sometimes. I am.
You can't get it right all the time. You can just trust that you will get better at it, slowly. Hold on to the times you do things right. If you've done it once, you can do it again. And then you can always do it.
04. Mirror - Barlowgirl † [download]
Mirror, mirror on the wall: have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am.
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect,
So sorry you won't define me,
Sorry you don't own me
This song says to me that God made me, and He knows what he's doing. So I can't be all that bad.
05. Firework - Katy Perry [download]
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
We all have the potential to be so amazing.
06. 32 Flavors - Ani DiFranco [download]
I am a poster girl with no poster,
I am 32 flavors and then some.
If someone's making trouble for you, you're better than them. Don't let anyone stop you from being who you are.
07. Bring it On - Alistair Griffin [download]
Turn it up, turn it on,
tell the world they've got it wrong,
'cause my friend, it won't be long...
so bring it on.
No matter what hard times come your way, you can deal with them. They won't last. You can beat them.
08. Welcome Home (you) - Brian Littrell †[download]
"Welcome home you! I know you by name,
How do you do? I shine because of you today,
So come and sit down! Tell me how you are!
I know, son, it's good just to see your face."
Just writing those lyrics made me happy. At the end of this struggle, there is Someone who is proud of you, who loves you exactly as you are, who will always be there for you. For me, that is the greatest comfort.
09. Things Will Go My Way - The Calling [download]
So take my hand, and don't let me surrender
'Cause I know some day, in time,
Things will go my way.
I wanted to finish the playlist on an optimistic note. Sometimes, all it takes to make the future good is for you to believe it will be.
An Affirmation Mixtape.
[donwload entire zip here]
This playlist is quite personal to me, it's meant to be a playlist of encouragement. I'm Christian, and often encouragement for me comes from my faith - as such, there are a couple of religious songs here. Songs that are clearly about Faith are marked with a †. All files are mp3 - download separately or as one zip. Let me know about broken links etc.
A-Side: Dismantle.
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." ~ Marie Curie
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." ~Epictetus
01. Dismantle. Repair. - Anberlin [download]
The night was young, and so were we,
talked about life, God, death and your family,
didn't want any promises - just my undivided honesty,
and you say "oh, who-ah, things are gonna change now for the better."
Before you can repair yourself, you have to pull yourself fully apart, examine each part, see it for what it is - no more, no less.
02. Amazing Again - Matt Nathanson [download]
And all the wan, hip, full-lipped lovers...
they're locked against one another
and I waiver, uncomfortable in my skin.
I'm glad I have someone who's willing to put up with me when I'm at my worst, because sometimes it feels like I'm so hopeless, and he's there to let me know I'm not.
03. Unwell - Matchbox Twenty [download]
It makes me think there must be something wrong with me,
out of all the hours thinking somehow, I've lost my mind.
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell,
I know right now you can't tell
But stay a while and, baby, then you'll see a different side of me.
It feels to me like no one wants to put up with me when I'm insecure and unhappy; it feels like the whole world is against me unless I can smile for it.
04. Mean - Taylor Swift [download]
Some day I'll be living in a big ol' city,
and all you're ever gonna be is mean.
The worst thing is, no matter how hard you work to build yourself up, there's always someone to pull you back down.
05. Beautiful - Glee Cast [download]
Every day is so wonderful,
then suddenly it's hard to breathe.
Now and then I get insecure from all the pain,
I'm so ashamed.
I like this song because it helps me remember I'm not the only one who feels like this. I like the Glee version better than Christina's for this purpose - it's the Glee thing of being united and together that I'm going for.
06. The Resolution - Jack's Mannequin [download]
I'm alive, I don't need a witness
to know that I've survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution.
The thing that gets me about this song is that it talks about overcoming difficulties like it's an endless struggle in the dark - there is no easy 'resolution', but things might be a little easier if we just could see what we were doing.
07. Have You Got Heart - Luke Leighfield [download]
Have you got heart? Have you got soul?
have you got anything at all?
Do you know passion? Do you know pain?
Have you got the courage to try again?
It's not just me I hate sometimes, it's everything about my life. I feel like I've lost purpose. This song helps me because it keeps me struggling on, it makes me feel like I am strong enough to do it just because I care, it's a real thing for me, and I'm not a fake.
08. Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional [download]
Hope dangles on a string like slow-spinning redemption,
winding in and winding out, the shine of it has caught my eye,
and roped me in, so mesmerising, so hypnotising, I am captivated,
I am vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong,
I am right, I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along,
And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well,
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself.
I know I'm not perfect, but I am getting better. And I'm beginning to believe in myself, and I'm beginning to believe I can make up for the person I used to be.
09. Watch The Sky - Something Corporate [download]
I will crawl;
There's things that are worth giving up I know,
But I won't let this get me, I will fight,
you live the life you're given.
You just have to keep fighting, no matter how hard things get.
B-Side: Repair.
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." ~Helen Keller
"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars." ~Henry Van Dyke
01. Who I am hates who I've been - Relient K [download]
I heard the reverberating footsteps,
syncing up with the beating of my heart,
and I was positive that unless I got myself together
I would watch me fall apart.
Now I want to say goodbye to the old broken self and embrace the new.
02. Rain King - Counting Crows [download]
Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone?
I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it home.
Well I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking in,
if there's anyone at home at your place, darling, why don't you invite me in?
You deserve better. You will find the place you belong. When I am unhappy or alone, these are the things I have to learn to believe.
03. I am - Michael Tolcher [download]
One of these days, I'll catch up to my convictions,
One of these days, I'll be more than just man,
One of these days, I'll be stronger than addictions,
I am, really, sometimes. I am.
You can't get it right all the time. You can just trust that you will get better at it, slowly. Hold on to the times you do things right. If you've done it once, you can do it again. And then you can always do it.
04. Mirror - Barlowgirl † [download]
Mirror, mirror on the wall: have I got it?
'Cause Mirror you've always told me who I am.
I'm finding it's not easy to be perfect,
So sorry you won't define me,
Sorry you don't own me
This song says to me that God made me, and He knows what he's doing. So I can't be all that bad.
05. Firework - Katy Perry [download]
You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
We all have the potential to be so amazing.
06. 32 Flavors - Ani DiFranco [download]
I am a poster girl with no poster,
I am 32 flavors and then some.
If someone's making trouble for you, you're better than them. Don't let anyone stop you from being who you are.
07. Bring it On - Alistair Griffin [download]
Turn it up, turn it on,
tell the world they've got it wrong,
'cause my friend, it won't be long...
so bring it on.
No matter what hard times come your way, you can deal with them. They won't last. You can beat them.
08. Welcome Home (you) - Brian Littrell †[download]
"Welcome home you! I know you by name,
How do you do? I shine because of you today,
So come and sit down! Tell me how you are!
I know, son, it's good just to see your face."
Just writing those lyrics made me happy. At the end of this struggle, there is Someone who is proud of you, who loves you exactly as you are, who will always be there for you. For me, that is the greatest comfort.
09. Things Will Go My Way - The Calling [download]
So take my hand, and don't let me surrender
'Cause I know some day, in time,
Things will go my way.
I wanted to finish the playlist on an optimistic note. Sometimes, all it takes to make the future good is for you to believe it will be.