Songs for the Gemini

GEMINI: Your birthday party will be ruined once again by your explosive flatulence. Your love life will run into trouble when your fiancée hurls a javelin through your chest. -Weird Al Yankovic

Ya'll, I apparently know a LOT of Geminis. Which is fine with me because my experiences with Gemini have been, for the most part, extremely positive and I count multiple best friends as Geminis. So what I'm really trying to say is I'm excited to talk about them this week and provide a sample of the playlist I curated for them.

These air signs are known for being adaptable, outgoing, and intelligent, and can also be accused of being indecisive, impulsive, unreliable, and nosy. I think (because this is my blog and my opinion is the top one that matters, obviously) that the songs listed below showcase those traits pretty well.

Almost There by Anika Noni Rose (written by R. Newman)

Our Gemini princess representative is none other than Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. Tiana is shown as outgoing and intelligent, knowing exactly what she wants out of life and figuring out a structured plan on exactly how to get there. I LOVE the music from this film and damn does Rose have a set of pipes on her, so this one was so much fun to listen to all week long.

Momma, I don't have time for dancing, that's just gonna have to wait a while/Ain't got time for messing around, and it's not my style/This old town can slow you down, people taking the easy way/But I know exactly where I'm going, getting closer and closer every day/And I'm almost there, I'm almost there/People 'round here think I'm crazy, but I don't care/Trials and tribulations, I've had my share/There ain't nothing gonna stop me now, 'cause I'm almost there

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

The Eilish pick for this playlist is from her 2017 album dont smile at me and is pretty spot on Gemini in my opinion. The narrator shows adaptability in being able to change things she doesn't like about herself, and while that theme in this song may not be the healthiest, adaptability and indecisiveness are key Gemini traits that kind of go hand in hand most of the time. This song is also just really good and really chill to listen to, so there's that.

Don't be that way, fall apart twice a day/I just wish you could feel what you say/Show, never tell, but I know you too well/Got a mood that you wish you could sell/If teardrops could be bottled, there'd be swimming pools filled by models/Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore/If I love you was a promise, would you break it if you're honest/Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before/I don't wanna be you anymore

All-American Girl by Carrie Underwood (written by A. Gorley, C. Underwood, K. Lovelace)

This song from her 2007 album Carnival Ride is easily one of Underwood's most popular songs from her career. She tells the story of a classic "All-American" girl from birth through having a daughter of her own with her high school sweetheart, and the girl in the song shows an outgoing Gemini personality that makes everyone fall in love with her (well, except maybe the boyfriend's football coach and his father). The girl's father even shows some Gemini adaptability when he finds out the son he'd always wanted is actually a daughter and instead of pouting over it, devotes everything he possibly can to raising his baby girl. This song's a total bop still even after 13 years and is just so much fun to listen to.

Since the day they got married, he'd been praying for a little baby boy/Someone he could take fishing, throw the football and be his pride and joy/He could already see him holding that trophy, taking his team to state/But when the nurse came in with that little pink blanket, all those big dreams changed/And now he's wrapped around her finger/She's the center of his whole world/And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect, All-American girl

Get What You Give by Felix Cartal (written by G. Alexander, R. Nowles)

I was introduced to the music of Canadian DJ Felix Cartal this week with this single of his from 2017, and I gotta say I dig it. It's very upbeat, positive, and this song especially has a fun, bubbly feel to it. There's some big time Gemini impulsiveness running through the lyrics here, as well as a very outgoing vibe. I am interested to check out more of Cartal's repertoire for sure, and if his other songs are as fun as this one I'll be very pleased indeed.

Wake up, kids, we've got the dreamer's disease/Age 14, we got you down on your knees/So polite, you're busy still saying please/Frenemies who when you're down, ain't your friend/Every night, we smashed their Mercedes-Benz/First we run, and then we laugh 'til we cry/But when the night is falling, you cannot find the light, light/You feel your dreams are dying, hold tight, you've got the music in you/Don't let go, you've got the music in you/One dance left, this world is gonna pull through/Don't give up, you've got a reason to live/Can't forget, we only get what we give/We only get what we give

Never Be Like You by Flume ft. Kai (written by H. Streten, G. Earley, A. De Gasperis-Brigante)

Australian producer Flume and Canadian singer Kai are two more artists I was introduced to this week, and this song from Flume's 2016 album Skin is definitely alright. We've got some adaptability shown in the lyrics for sure in the narrator discussing how she's now with someone who is the opposite of the person she's trying to forget, and there's also some classic Gemini indecisiveness here, especially in the lyric discussing a fickle-minded heart that loves fake shiny things. This is another kinda cool, chill track to check out, especially for fans of electronica.

What I would do to take away this fear of being loved, allegiance to the pain/Now I'm fucked up and I'm missing you, he'll never be like you/I would give anything to change this fickle-minded heart that loves fake shiny things/Now I'm fucked up and I'm missing you, he'll never be like you/I'm only human can't you see, I made, I made a mistake/Please just look me in my face, tell me everything's okay/'Cause I got it, ooh, he'll never be like you

Runaway (U & I) by Galantis (written by A. Rudberg, C. Dennis, C. Karlsson, J. Koitzsch, J. Karlsson, L. Eklöw)

Before you say anything, yes I am fully aware how much electronic dance music is on this playlist and honestly it's fine. The Swedish production duo Galantis is another new find for me this week, and this song from their 2014 album Pharmacy is definitely the most "house music" sound of the week I think. The lyrics show some Gemini impulsiveness in talking about how the narrator wants to run away, and there's also an outgoing vibe throughout this song as well, but I feel like that's the case with most house type music to be honest.

Think I can fly, think I can fly when I'm with you/My arms are wide, catching fire as the wind blows/I know that I'm rich enough for pride/I see a billion dollars in your eyes/Even if we're strangers 'til we die/I wanna run away, I wanna run away/Anywhere out this place, I wanna run away/Just you and I, you and I/You and I, you and I/Just you and I

Paranoid by Jonas Brothers (written by J. Jonas, N. Jonas, K. Jonas, C. Dennis, J. Fields)

My boys are coming in this week with the lead single from their 2009 album Lines, Vines and Trying Times. In my opinion this is one of their more vastly underrated songs because though they were still caught in that boy band trap that ultimately led to their devastating hiatus, they were trying out new sounds they hadn't before and I really dug it then (and still do now). The lyrics show Gemini traits like intelligence (even if it is detrimental to the narrator as he slips into paranoia) and impulsivity. Plus, Joe has some killer vocals on the choruses and bridge and I just really love the song and him.

I make the most of all this stress/I try to live without regrets/But I'm about to break a sweat, I'm freaking out/It's like a poison in my brain/It's like a fog that blurs the sane/It's like a vine I can't untangle, I'm freaking out/Every time I turn around, something don't feel right/Just might be paranoid/I'm avoiding the lines 'cause they just might slip/Can someone stop the noise/I don't know what it is, but it just don't fit/I'm paranoid, yeah

Space Cowboy by Kacey Musgraves (written by K. Musgraves, L. Laird, S. McAnally)

I know I just talked about this song from Musgraves' 2018 album Golden Hour literally last week, but it's just really damn good and I think is a good pick for the Gemini playlist. The narrator shows that classic Gemini adaptability in her changing relationship as well as intelligence - she's not stupid enough to ignore the growing rift between she and her partner and is smart enough to go ahead and let him know he can go if he wants because keeping him there would only hurt them both win the long run.

After the gold rush, there ain't no reason to stay/Should've learned from the movies that good guys don't run away/But roads weren't made to not go down/And there ain't no room for both of us in this town/So you can have your space, cowboy, I ain't gonna fence you in/Go on, ride away in your Silverado, I'll see you around again/'Cause I know my place, and it ain't with you/Sunsets fade and love does, too/We had our day in the sun, when a horse wants to run/Ain't no sense in closing the gate/So you can have your space

Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson (written by G. Kurstin, K. Clarkson)

I discussed the title track from Clarkson's 2015 album Piece by Piece in an earlier post, but like with Space Cowboy, it's just that damn good and it fits well with the other songs collected here. Honestly, Clarkson's adaptability in this song is really heartbreaking because of the circumstance - no little girl should have to adapt on the fly to her father's flaky attitude. Her dad shows a more negative Gemini trait as well in his unreliability, but we won't dwell on that or I'll start crying all over my keyboard and have to soak my laptop in rice and I really don't want to have that hanging over me the rest of today.

And all of your words fall flat/I made something of myself, and now you wanna come back/But your love, it isn't free, it has to be earned/Back then, I didn't have anything you needed, so I was worthless/But piece by piece, he collected me/Up off the ground where you abandoned things/And piece by piece, he filled the holes/That you burned in me at six years old/And no, he never walks away, he never asks for money/He takes care of me 'cause he loves me/Piece by piece, he restored my faith/That a man can be kind and a father could stay

Ex-Factor by Lauryn Hill (written by A. Bergman, C. Smith, C. Woods, G. Grice, D. Coles, J. Hunter, L. Hawkins, L. Hill, M. Bergman, M. Hamlisch, R. Diggs, R. Jones)

As a Gemini herself, R&B/Hip Hop icon Lauryn Hill is naturally going to have traits of her sign shine through in her lyrics. In this single from her 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she drew on personal experiences throughout her life (such as her pregnancy and her relationship with former band members Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel of The Fugees) and showed herself to be adaptable and intelligent in handling these emotions in her own journey. I'm not super familiar with Hill's music catalogue just because I don't personally listen to a lot of R&B regularly, but I really enjoyed this song and how beautifully emotional it was.

It could all be so simple/But you'd rather make it hard/Loving you is like a battle/And we both end up with scars/Tell me who I have to be/To get some reciprocity/See, no one loves you more than me/And no one ever will

Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz (written by L. Kravitz)

Kravitz is another Gemini whose traits bleed over into his work. Well-known for being fairly impulsive and a free spirit himself, this single from his 1998 album 5 (and one of his most well-known singles from his career) shows that outgoing personality and impulsivity as he narrates just wanting to get away from it all and not have a care in the world. I can't help it, I really like this song a lot even if it has been a little overused in its heyday.

I wish that I could fly into the sky, so very high/Just like a dragonfly/I'd fly above the trees, over the seas in all degrees/To anywhere I please/Oh, I want to get away/I want to fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah/I want to get away/I want to fly away, yeah, yeah, yeah

Never Enough (Reprise) by Loren Allred (written by B. Pasek, J. Paul)

Both versions of this song from The Greatest Showman are really powerful. I think the Reprise ends up being a good fit for Geminis because of the scene in the movie where it takes place. Jenny Lind makes a very impulsive move in kissing (married man with two children) P.T. Barnum on stage in front of everyone after she cries her way through this song. It's a very bold, very stupid move as we know as spectators, but it luckily ends up being a wakeup call for Barnum and he gets to start putting his life back together when he gets back home.

All the shine of a thousand spotlights/All the stars we steal from the night sky/Will never be enough, never be enough/Towers of gold are still too little/These hands could hold the world, but it'll/Never be enough, never be enough

Verona by Lostboycrow (written by C. Blair, D. Bauld)

If I had to pick a favorite "new find" from this week, it would for sure be this song. This song is from Portland based artist Lostboycrow's 2017 EP Traveler: The First Legend and I loved it from the very first time I heard it. Still a little electronica with a little more pop than the others, the narrator shows more adaptability and impulsiveness like we've seen in the other songs as he talks through the beginnings of a relationship. Take a listen to this one for sure, it really is enjoyable.

Tangled in the sunrise, pretending we care what the clock strikes/Yeah, I see storms in your eyes, the little left over from last night/If it's in your heart, it's hard to find, but I can't stop looking since you/Found me attractive, I can't get past it/If it's in the deep of your sky, stare into the morning, you can't/Hold me captive, tell me without asking/And I'll make you mine/'Cause baby, we can't know where to go/And I'll make you mine/'Cause baby, we can't know where to go

Wonderwall by Oasis (written by N. Gallagher)

I'm gonna let one of my favorite Geminis (and people in general), my sorority sister college bestie Jaclyn, take over the explanation on this one:

"Okay so I aim but a true Gemini and cannot make my mind on a favorite song. We tend to be all over the place. I really could not pin it down to a favorite. But, I could think of 4 very specific songs that I listen to ALL the time, and have listened to consistently for over a decade. They are my go-tos. I know every word, I never get tired of them, and every single one of them transport me in one way or another. [Wonderwall] is the perfect example of the genre of music I love. I've contemplated many many times learning acoustic guitar specifically for the joke 'Anyway, here's Wonderwall.' I love it. Sue me."

Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you/By now, you should've somehow realized what you gotta do/I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now/Backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out/I'm sure you've heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt/I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now/And all the roads we have to walk are winding/And all the lights that lead us there are blindinig/There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don't know how/'Cause maybe/You're gonna be the one that saves me/And after all/You're my wonderwall

Candy Paint by Post Malone (written by A. Post, L. Bell, C. Rosen)

I love Posty in equal parts due to the fact that he's a "local boy" for me (our hometowns are about 20ish minutes away from each other) and just that his music is damn good. This song from his 2018 album beerbongs & bentleys was also featured in the 2017 movie The Fate of the Furious (starring, in case you've been living under a rock, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, & Jason Statham). We have more outgoingness and impulsiveness in these lyrics as well, as well as one of my personal favorite Posty pop culture references to Michael Scott from The Office.

Didn't know that was your girl when she gave me top/Kicked her out the Rolls, said, "Thanks a lot"/G**damn, I love paper like I'm Michael Scott/I can do things that your man cannot/Slide boy coming down, damn, I'm hot/Everybody say that I gotta be stopped/Even though my final form ain't unlocked/I'm so ahead of you muhfuckers/How you comprehend what you ain't understandnig/Count a hunnid bands and I watch it vanish/Diamonds going crazy like on the dance floor/Got a lot of ass, nothing I can't handle/Flavor lasts forever, you should try a sample/Baby, I'm the boss like I'm Tony Danza/Everybody tryna tell me what I stand for/But you don't fucking know me, homie/You don't want war/Candy pant with the white on top/Lambo doors are the oo-op drop/If you busy plotting on what I got/Kick in your door, SWAT, you thot/Hunnid thousand dollars on the table top/Half price my whip, same price my watch/Got no jumper, but I ball a lot/Bitch, I'm young Stoney, I do what I want

Lay It All On Me by Rudimental ft. Ed Sheeran (written by P. Aggett, K. Dryden, A. Englefield, E. Harris, A. Izadkhah, J. Manson, M. McElligott, J. Newman, L. Petersen, L. Rolle, E. Sheeran, G. Slater, J. Wood)

Let's throw this explanation to my best friend and confidant of 16 years (and best person to drink Torchy's sangria with, and best person to grocery shop at Trader Joe's with, and best person to do life with for almost two decades), Andrea:

"In typical Gemini fashion, my favorite things are always changing. It was really hard to pick just one favorite song, but a song that I can listen to over and over without getting tired of it is Lay It All On Me by Rudimental featuring Ed Sheeran. I've always loved Ed (especially after seeing him live!) and songs that have a beat that I can dance to will always draw me in. Plus, the lyrics beautifully describe what a friendship, or relationship, should look like."

All alone as you look through the door/Nothing left to see/If it hurts and you can't take no more/Lay it all on me/No, you don't have to keep it under lock and key/'Cause I will never let you down/And if you can't escape all your uncertainties/Baby, I can show you how/Let my love in, let my love in/Lay your heart on me/If you're hurting, if you're hurting/Lay it all on me/You can lay it all on me/Lay it all on me/You can lay it all on me/If you're hurting, if you're hurting/Lay it all on me

Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks (written by S. Nicks)

One of rock music's leading ladies, Nicks' song from her 1981 album Bella Donna emits some of her serious Gemini vibes. She shows her outgoing free spirit and intelligence as she analyzes this boy she's interested in to see just exactly what her next move will be in seducing him. Maybe it's cliche, but I love this song. The rhythm created by the guitar and the drums is right up my ally, and this song is so fun to both sing and dance to. Also, the scene in School of Rock where Jack Black gets Joan Cusack drunk to this song in a bar is so funny.

And the days go by like a strand in the wind/In the web that is my own, I begin again/Said to my friend, "Baby, everything stops"/Nothing else mattered/He was no more than a baby then/Well, he seemed brokenhearted, something within him/But the moment that I first laid eyes on him/All alone on the edge of seventeen/Just like the white winged dove sings a song/Sounds like she's singing, "Ooh, baby, ooh, said ooh"/Just like the white winged dove sings a song/Sounds like she's singing, said, "Ooh, baby, ooh, said, ooh"

Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift (written by R. Tedder, T. Swift)

Let's close this post out with a song from Swift's 2014 album 1989. Swift's narration of moving to Manhattan shows classic Gemini characteristics of impulsiveness and outgoingness in trying new things for the pure thrill of being in a new city and recreating yourself (something else Geminis are known to do). I love this song because I adore New York City and anything that reminds me of it, and it's just such a fun, colorful song with a great beat to dance around to.

Walking through the crowd, the Village is aglow/Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats/Everybody here wanted something more/Searching for a sound we hadn't heard before/And it said, "Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you/Welcome to New York, welcome to New York/Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you/Welcome to New York, welcome to New York"/It's a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore/The lights are so bright, but they never blind me, me/Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you/Welcome to New York, welcome to New York

Happy Gemini Season, little twins! Hopefully you found some fun new music to enjoy and add to your ever changing list of stuff you love. See ya'll next week!