Songs for the Cancer

CANCER: The position of Jupiter says that you should spend the rest of the week face down in the mud. Try not to shove a roll of duct tape up your nose while taking your driver's test. -Weird Al Yankovic

First off, I just have to say that this week's blog research has taken a little bit of extra care. With the other star signs, it's super easy to say, "Hey, you're a Gemini, would you be willing to tell me what your favorite song is and why?" It's also super easy to type in "Scorpio Aesthetic" and find a million different images and song ideas. It's NOT so easy to do that with Cancer because, you know, death and dying and disease. That being said, we got through that first world problem just fine this week to bring you this post.

The predominant traits that people attribute to Cancers include loyalty, protectiveness, intuitiveness, caring, over sensitivity, moodiness, and vindictiveness. Today's song selection does a pretty fair job of covering most of that ground, so let's go ahead and jump in.

Whistle While You Work by Adriana Caselotti (written by F. Churchill, L. Morey)

Snow White is the Cancer representative for the Disney Princess delegation, which makes a lot of sense because the core of her character is how caring she is. Whistle While You Work is a good example of this - going back to what I said in my Snow White post several months ago, this girl puts her heart and soul into everything she does without complaint. Even though she's good at housekeeping because she was literally forced into it, she's takes pride in her skill and does it not for praise, but because she sees a need and wants to meet it.

Just whistle while you work/And cheerfully, together we can tidy up the place/So hum a merry tune/It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace/And as you sweep the room, imagine that the broom/Is someone that you love and soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune/When hearts are high, the time will fly, so whistle while you work

hostage by Billie Eilish (written by B. O'Connell, F. O'Connell)

This song from Eilish's 2017 EP dont smile at me for some reason always takes me by surprise when I hear it. I'm never expecting it to sound the way it does, but I really love the sweeter, simpler sound of it compared to some of her other songs, especially since it's in stark contrast with the subject matter of the lyrics. The narrator shows Cancer traits like loyalty and protectiveness in a way, since, you know, she's wanting to take this person and lock them up to keep them to herself instead of keeping them safe. You might could argue some sort of a caring aspect here, too, especially in the lyric "It's not like me to be so mean, you're all I wanted." I think most people are guilty of having at least one jealous possessive relationship in their life, so more than just Cancers would be able to relate to this song.

I wanna be alone/Alone with you, does that make sense/I wanna steal your soul/And hide you in my treasure chest/I don't know what to do/To do with your kiss on my neck/I don't know what feels true/But this feels right, so stay a sec/And let me crawl inside your veins/I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain/It's not like me to be so mean, you're all I wanted/Just let me hold you like a hostage

Blown Away by Carrie Underwood (written by C. Tompkins, J. Kear)

If this song doesn't scream "vindictive" I'm not sure what does. Don't get me wrong, I've loved this song since this album released in 2012. The Blown Away era for Underwood leaned a little more dark than some of her previous stuff, which was honestly right up my ally, and I'm a huge sucker for a story-based song like this one. The narrative of a girl who's been abused by her father for far too long finally breaking free, even if it is by leaving him to be squashed by the house during a tornado, is extremely satisfying. Underwood's vocals are, of course, clear and open and great, and I still think this is one of her best albums to date.

Dry lightning cracks across the skies/Those storm clouds gather in her eyes/Her daddy was a mean old mister, Mama was an angel in the ground/The weatherman called for a twister, she prayed, "Blow it down"/There's not enough rain in Oklahoma to wash the sins out of that house/There's not enough wind in Oklahoma to rip the nails out of the past/Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away/Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away/'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday/Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away/Blown away

Wild World by Cat Stevens (written by Y. Islam)

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) is a Cancer himself, so finding themes of loyalty throughout the lyrics of this song shouldn't be too surprising. Stevens actually wrote this song, which appeared on his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, about his girlfriend at the time, American actress Patti D'Arbanville. It's written as a sort of goodbye letter from the narrator to his lover as she's leaving, and even though he knows it's over and he's brokenhearted over it, he'll always keep the good memories they made together.

Now that I've lost everything to you/You say you wanna start something new/And it's breaking my heart you're leaving, baby, I'm grieving/But if you wanna leave, take good care/Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear/But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there/Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world/It's hard to get by just upon a smile/Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world/I'll always remember you like a child, girl

Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart by Chris Cornell (written by C. Cornell)

I had never heard this song by the late great Soundgarden frontman (who also happens to be a Cancer), but I got hooked on it immediately. Released in 2015 as the lead single from his album Higher Truth, we see some Cancer type themes of loyalty and over sensitivity throughout Cornell's lyrics. Cornell himself said that the song is reminiscent of a person getting distracted by a new person or thing so that they forget that they'd had their heart broken and almost given up on life. Like with hostage but in a vastly different way, the message of this song is super relatable and extremely enjoyable to listen to.

Every time I stare into the sun/Tryna find a reason to go on/All I ever get is burned and blind/Until the sky bleeds the pouring rain/When you came along, the time was right/Pulled me like an apple, red and ripe/Wasn't very long, you took a bite/And did me wrong and it serves me right/And I nearly forgot my broken heart/It's taken me miles away/From the memory of how we broke apart/Here we go 'round again, again

Nights Without You by Dalton Mauldin (composer unknown)

Our first personal pick of this post is coming from my good buddy and might-as-well-be-another-brother Cole:

"I would say that my favorite song at the moment would be Nights Without You by Dalton Mauldin. It's a song that no matter what mood I'm in I can listen to and have a good time jamming out to. On the surface it's a very upbeat song that can put you in a good mood, but if you listen closely you can hear the deeper meaning of the song. I feel as though it's a great representation of what life can be like when you get your heart broken. While it might feel like it's the end of the world and you can't get over this empty feeling you have, you can still find a positive look on it. I have personally felt like this when I've had my heart broken and yes I thought it was the end of the world and I never thought that I could live without this person, I can see that there is a positive to it and that I'm probably better off without them. No matter how much I feel like they were the one and I loved them, they say that love never fails, so if it fails it wasn't love."

Got a steel frame photo of us sitting on my nightstand/Every time I'm rolling over, wishing it was different, yeah/I can't help but think about you/Had a change in the weather, baby, now we're like strangers/Living life without you, knowing I can rearrange it, yeah/I don't know what to do/When the sun's up high and I'm doing all right, I forget it's really over/When the moon creeps in, yeah, there I go again, girl, missing you on my shoulder/My broken heart fades like the stars when the sky turns back to blue/'Cause I can't, I can't get used to the nights without you

From Now On by Hugh Jackman & The Greatest Showman Cast (written by B. Pasek, R. Mathes)

The big revelatory song of 2017's The Greatest Showman fits well with the Cancer aesthetic since it's all about Barnum remembering that the whole reason he got to where he was in the first place was out of loyalty to his family and providing the best life he possibly could for them. This is the perfect last act song for the movie with how powerful of a message it includes mixed with powerhouse vocals from Hugh Jackman and Keala Settle, just to name a few. It's so hopeful listening to him realize that he was chasing something that he'd had in front of him all along and that the didn't just give up and think he'd lost it forever - he was ready to drop everything else and run full out to get his family back.

I saw the sun begin to dim and felt that winter wind blow cold/A man learns who is there for him when the glitter fades and the walls won't hold/'Cause from the rubble, what remains can only be what's true/If all was lost, the more I gain, 'cause it led me back to you/From now on, these eyes will not be blinded by the light/From now on, what's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight, tonight/Let this promise in me start like an anthem in my heart/From now on, from now on

Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Israel Houghton (written by T. Chisholm, W. Runyan)

Our second personal Cancer pick goes to one of my favorite singing partners, my beautiful soul of a friend and all-time style icon Gloria:

"I love this song because it declares the Father's love, care, and mercy towards me and that there's nothing I could, should, can, or need to do to earn His faithfulness. This song simply declares God's unmerited favor towards me. For that I am eternally grateful and humbled to call Him Father and pleaded to serve Him."

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father/There is no shadow of turning with Thee/Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not/As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be/Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness/Morning by morning, new mercies I see/All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided/Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Lamentations 3:23 NLT Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Still In Love With You by Jonas Brothers (written by J. Jonas, K. Jonas, N. Jonas)

My boys are coming in this month with a song from their 2007 self-titled album that even 13 years later is still a total bop. Similar to Nights Without You, the bubbly, upbeat tone of the song can sometimes hide the heartbreak in the lyrics. The narrator is clearly still loyal to the girl who left him since he claims to still be in love with her, and he's definitely sensitive (though maybe not overly so) in the final verse of the song when he sings "I don't know what hurts worse, baby: seeing you with him or being alone."

She was all I ever wanted, she was all I ever needed and more/She walked out my door/Yeah, she went away, left my heart in two/Left me standing here, singing all these blues/You left without a single word, not even sorry/It might've hurt worse to hear you say, "I'm leaving, goodbye"/But your smile still makes my heart sing another sad song/I can't forget it, I won't regret it, 'cause I'm still in love with you

Wonder Woman by Kacey Musgraves (written by A. Wadge, H. Lindsey, J. Frasure, K. Musgraves)

I think that in today's world where we've lived with an amazing female superhero movie starring the absolutely bad ass Gal Gadot, most people will agree that Wonder Woman is cool as hell. This song from Musgraves' 2018 album Golden Hour is a super chill track where the narrator is trying to get across to her partner that she's not a superhero - she's just a normal human being who isn't going to get it right 100% of the time, and she doesn't expect him to do that, either. The lyrics show Cancer characteristics like loyalty and a certain amount of protectiveness throughout, and the song is overall a great feel-good track.

I like where this is going, you like it, too/We rarely never ever don't see eye to eye, we're going to/I can show you strong, I can fight for you/I can try to move mountains if you want me to/But baby, I ain't Wonder Woman, I don't know how to lasso the love out of you/Don't you know I'm only human, and if I let you down, I don' mean to/All I need's a place to land, I don't need a Superman to win my loving/'Cause baby, I ain't Wonder Woman

All the Pretty Girls by KALEO (written by J. Júlíusson)

I'm a fan of Icelandic rock band Kaleo's song Way Down We Go from their 2016 album A/B, and finding this song on that same album was a very nice surprise. The folky sound of the guitar mixed with the lyrics creates an aesthetic worthy of Cancer traits like over sensitivity and moodiness - the narrator is definitely a little bitter that he's not the one the pretty girls flock to. The song is definitely worth a listen, it's super chill and I personally really like JJ Son's vocals.

All the pretty girls like Samuel/Oh, he really doesn't share/Though it's more than he can handle/Life is anything but fair, life is anything but fair/Just as they turn older/He'll come and sweep 'em off their feet/It's only making me feel smaller/All the hidden love beneath/So won't you lay me, won't you lay me down/Won't you lay me, won't you lay me down/Won't you lay me, won't you lay me down/You lay me, won't you lay me down

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson (written by K. Clarkson, L. Gottwald, M. Sandberg)

I am so jealous of Cancers here because, as stated in a previous post, this is my favorite Kelly Clarkson song of all time. This heartbreak track from her 2004 album Breakaway is all over the board with Cancer traits - she talks about her previous loyalty to the person who broke her heart, about how she cared abut this person longer than she probably should have, she still feels overly sensitive about what happens, and she's understandably a bit vindictive since the pain is still so fresh.

I told you everything, opened up and let you in/You made me feel alright for once in my life/Now all that's left of me is what I pretend to be/So together, but so broken up inside/'Cause I can't breathe, no, I can't sleep/I'm barely hanging on/Here I am, once again, I'm torn into pieces/Can't deny it, can't pretend, just thought you were the one/Broken up deep inside, but you won't get to see the tears I cried/Behind these hazel eyes

My Baby by Kid Francescoli (written by J. Minkin, M. Hocine)

This was a really cool find during Pinterest research by French pop duo Kid Francescoli off their 2014 album With Julia. She has a really, really nice voice, and the delicate sounding instrumentals behind her create kind of a shiny sort of atmosphere that's cool to listen to. With a narrative of a woman trying to get her partner to forgive her for something, there's Cancer characteristics of loyalty and intuitiveness throughout the lyrics that are, again, super relatable to everyone.

Maybe I broke a couple little promises/Just wait, I'll make you forget/Give me one chance, you'll see/Our love so strong, no one will ever bring you harm/Once you are back in my arms where you're supposed to be/My baby, I know I made you angry/But you love me, I love the way you kiss me/Kiss me once, boo, before you leave angry/'Cause I love you, so won't you forgive me now

I Can't Slow Her Down by L.A. Salami (written by L. Salami)

I was introduced to L.A. Salami a few months ago when I listened to his 2017 Tiny Desk Concert he did at NPR Music, and I highly recommend him as an artist if you haven't heard of him before. He's got a very folksy, bluesy type sound to him, and this single of his from 2017 is another really chill song to listen to and relax. The narrator is very Cancer like in his loyalty to the woman he's enraptured with and also protective of her - he wants to "catch" her to take care of her, but he's just not quick enough to keep up with her.

She moves like lightning/Is as contagious as the sun/Her moods are frightening/And I'm pretty sure that soon, we'll be done/I try to pin her down/But she's always on the run/I wanna catch her/But I can't slow her down

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (written by S. Germanotta, N. Khayat)

This is still one of my favorite songs by Mother Monster - seriously, it came out eleven years ago and it STILL slaps. Featured on her 2009 EP The Fame Monster, you may raise your eyebrows at the thought that the main Cancer trait in these lyrics is loyalty, but really stop and think about the lyrics that aren't "ra-ra-ra-ah-ah" for a second. Gaga has said the inspiration behind this song was her early relationships with men that just weren't romantic partner material and how she was drawn to a specific type, no matter how she knew that specific story would end. This was also one of the earliest radio singles I can remember hearing of her thinking, "Holy crap, this girl can actually sing pretty well," especially on the bridge and final chorus of the song.

I want your ugly, I want your disease/I want your everything as long as it's free/I want your love/Love, love, love, I want your love/I want your drama, the touch of your hand/I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand/I want your love/Love, love, love, I want your love/You know that I want you, and you know that I need you/I want it bad, your bad romance/I want your love and I want your revenge/You and me could write a bad romance/I want your love and all your lovers' revenge/You and me could write a bad romance/Oh, oh, caught in a bad romance/Oh, oh, caught in a bad romance

You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt (written by C. Ballard)

You may or may not know multi-genre superstar, multi-award winning Cancer artist Linda Ronstadt by name, but you've almost definitely heard her music to some degree. She has such a killer, amazing, versatile voice that she can perform almost any genre well, and she's been around long enough that even though she's retired, she still gets played on the radio. Her cover of the Dee Dee Warwick song You're No Good was featured on her 1974 album Heart Like a Wheel and is a great example of her vocal range. There's definitely a vindictive air to this song, which is only to be expected because it's a breakup anthem.

Feeling better now that we're through/Feeling better 'cause I'm over you/I learned my lesson, it left a scar/Now I see how you really are/You're no good, you're no good, you're no good/Baby, you're no good, I'm gonna say it again/You're no good, you're no good, you're no good/Baby, you're no good

Video Child by Many Voices Speak (written by M. Hard, P. Nygårdh)

This is another chill Pinterest find by Swedish artist Many Voices Speak. She has a really nice, sweet, clear voice that creates a really pleasant listening experience. Released as a single in 2016, the lyrics for Video Child explore Cancer traits like protectiveness and caring in a very dreamy sort of soundscape created by her vocals and the instrumental behind her.

Tucked away under a garden/There's summer's goal/I was out shooting the garden/With your plane's gone/I lost sight of your grace/Chasing my fate, chasing my fate/And our fictional moon/I left it too soon/And all will never gonna go back again/Video child/And all will never gonna go back again/Video child

Be Kind by Marshmello & Halsey (written by A. Allen, A. Frangipane, F. Wexler, G. Stone, C. Comstock)

Our final personal Cancer pick is from one of my favorite people, my funny, smart, bad ass, all around wonderful sorority sister Camisha:

"Okay well currently [my favorite song is] Halsey and Marshmello Be Kind. One, I love the part Halsey is playing in the BLM Movement being front and center and very vocal. Two, the lyrics just kind of speak to me. I try to always be there for the people around, see the best in them and help in any way that I can!"

Wanna believe, wanna believe that you don't have a bad bone in your body/But the bruises on your ego make you go wild, wild, wild, yeah/Wanna believe, wanna believe that even when you're stone cold, you're sorry/Tell me why you gotta be so out of your mind, yeah/I know you're choking on your fears, already told you I'm right here/I will stay by your side every night/I don't know why you hide from the one, and close your eyes to the one/Mess up and lie to the one that you love/When you know you can cry to the one, always confide in the one/You can be kind to the one that you love

I Fall Apart by Post Malone (written by A. Post, W. Walsh, C. Montagnese)

Posty is also a Cancer, and that can be seen through the moody, somewhat vindictive lyrics of this song from his 2016 album Stoney. This is one of his more R&B sounding songs and has a smoother sound to it than some of his other music. Like I said in the Gemini post, I just really love Post Malone as a whole, so any excuse to listen to any of his music is fine by me.

She told me that I'm not enough/And she left me with a broken heart/She fooled me twice and it's all my fault/She cut too deep, now she left me scarred/Now there's too many thoughts going through my brain/Now I'm taking these shots like it's Novocaine, yeah/Ooh, I fall apart down to my core/Ooh, I fall apart down to my core/Ooh, I didn't know it all before, surprised when you caught me off-guard/All this damn jewelry I bought, you was my shawty I thought

You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift (written by T. Swift, L. Rose)

T-Swizz is closing us out again this month with what may still be one of her biggest hits to date. Featured on her 2008 album Fearless, I remember this song literally EXPLODING onto the radio both on country and pop channels. Plus, she got Lucas Till to be in the video after everyone fell in love with him in The Hannah Montana Movie, AND she got to play an evil version of herself, too - basically, the video is still fairly iconic. The narrator is super loyal to this guy who has friendzoned her over and over again, she's very intuitive to his feelings, wants, and needs in a relationship, and very caring towards him, especially in the second verse when she sings "And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town. I haven't seen it in a while since she bought you down. You say you're fine, I know you better than that. Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?"

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset/She's going off about something that you said/'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do/I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night/I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like/And she'll never know your story like I do/But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts/She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers/Dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find/That what you're looking for has been here the whole time/If you could see that I'm the one who understands you/Been here all along, so why can't you see/You belong with me, you belong with me

Happy Cancer Season, little crabs! As always, whether you subscribe to astrology or not, I hope you at least found some new music to listen to and enjoy. See ya'll next week!