Let me hold your crown, babe

I chose the song King of Anything sung and written by Sara Bareillies. I love this song, and I feel like the music video really fits well, but I won't let that cloud my interpretation of the song lyrics. The character in the song is listening to someone else speak, someone who tries to be their knight in shining armor. The line "so many things I'd say if only i were able, but I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by" tells you that the subject is feeling almost ignored, like she can't speak her mind. Another line says "so let me thank you for your time and try not to waste any more of mine, get out for here fast". The boy she is talking about is probably ignoring her, and she is sick of it.

The chorus lyrics are "who cares if you disagree/ you are not me/ who made you king of anything/ so you dare tell me who to be/ who died and made you king of anything". Compared to the message Sara Bareillies might have been trying to send in the first verse, this is confusing. Here it sounds like she is saying no one can control her, and she is her own person.

The line "you are not me" really stands out to me.  The subject doesn't care what others think, and will go her own way. Maybe in the first verse, the subject was being told what to think or do, and she was looking for a way out.

The second verse and bridge connect more to the chorus, I think. "You sound so innocent/ all full of good intent/ you swear you know best" makes me think the person scolding the subject is oblivious to the fact that others have ideas also. The bridge is the strongest part of the song, next to the chorus, in my opinion. This is because it grabs your attention, and you can actually understand and connect to the lyrics, "all my life/ i've tried/ to make everybody happy while I/ just hurt/ and hide/ waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn/ to decide". The subject is really under the influence or control of someone else, and she wants out.

This can connect to people under pressure, or people who are forced to continue something their hearts aren't into. Like if someone is forced to play an instrument or sport by their parents. Or if a kid is pressured by tests and studying, they want to be able to make their own decision. The last line in the song that Sara Bareillies says is "let me hold your crown babe". The crown symbolizes the right to speak up for yourself, and the subject wants to be able to have that right. Like how certain rights aren't given to kids until they reach an age. Then they can get their crown.

King of Anything lyrics
King of Anything music video

Some Brotherly Advice About a Fake Alzheimer’s Patient

[SPOILER ALERT {like, every spoil possible}]

In the book White Cat by Holly Black, Cassel discovers he is a worker. A worker is a criminal who can change something about or for someone else. There are Dream, Memory, Luck, Body, Death, Emotion, and Transformation workers. Transformation workers are one in a thousand and the most powerful, and Cassel just discovered that he is one. His brother Barron has been memory working him so he doesn’t remember anything under the orders of his other brother Phillip, and their mom. Cassel and his brothers have a really messed up relationship, and it’s mainly because Cassel is the strongest of the three of them, but doesn’t know it.

Cassel is very strong, for someone who thought he was “the only straight person in a crooked family”. Cassel felt like he didn’t belong, and I think that was really hard for him, especially since his brothers were so distant from him.  Barron always looked up to Phillip, and Phillip acted like Cassel was a waste of time. Cassel tried to prove himself to them, which is really heartbreaking considering how much they had deceived him. I think that although his relationship with his brothers isn’t the best, it helped make Cassel stronger, and eventually strong enough to work against his brothers.

At the end of the book on page 298 Barron drives over to Cassel’s school to have pizza with him. Barron is a memory worker, but the downside is that whenever he works someone, he looses his memories too. Cassel had changed some of Barron’s notebooks that held memories, and one of the memories that Cassel changed was that he and Barron went out for pizza every Tuesday. Cassel says, “Memory is funny. Barron seems relaxed, like he really likes me, because he doesn’t remember hating me. Or maybe he remembers the feeling of dislike but he assumes that he liked me more than he hated me.” I feel really bad for Cassel here because he remembers how his brother tried to kill him; while they are sitting together eating pizza, Barron is acting like he cares about Cassel. Barron hated Cassel because he felt that transformation work was wasted on Cassel. It must be really hard to see both sides of your sibling, and know that they are both partially fake. 

The fate of the world, decided by a twin's fight

[SPOILER ALERT-ISH]

In the book The Enchantress by Michael Scott, the two main characters Josh and Sophie are about to make a decision that could end the world. Josh and Sophie Newman discovered that they are the twins of an ancient legend, and they learn that they can do magic. Their auras are pure silver and gold and they are naturals at elemental magic, but that makes them valuable. Sophie and Josh have lots of fallouts, and learn that trust is difficult. They learn throughout the book that they can only trust each other, or the world could end.

In the end of the book before this one, Josh joins John Dee and Virginia Dare (the bad guys) because they led him to believe that they were good. Sophie is heartbroken and wishes that Josh could see straight. When they see each other next, Josh tries to show Sophie how the side she is on is bad. While Josh is being influenced, and trying to influence Sophie, they put their trust and lives in other people. This proves to be dangerous when Dee repeatedly tries to use Josh or Sophie's auras while killing them.

Later in the book Josh and Sophie are kidnapped by their "parents", and are taken back in time. Everyone there knows them, or has heard of them, and are very dangerous. They only know what Sophie can remember, but that still isn't enough. Powerful Elders (gods) surround them, and most of them want to kill them. Josh and Sophie start to realize that they can only rely on each other after they understand the danger everyone that they have trusted gets them into. Sophie says, "I wish someone were here who could advise us what to do," and Josh responds, "We don't need anyone. We've never needed anyone else. We are going to do whatever we think is right."

Josh and Sophie always love each other, and whenever they choose sides, they are thinking of their sibling. But they have to understand and completely trust the other for their world to be saved.

Never underestimate a girl

[SPOILER ALERT]

In the book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Frankie poses as Alpha, her boyfriend's best friend, in emails in a duel for control. Alpha and Frankie don't really like each other, and they both feel like they have to compete with each other for Matthew (Frankie's boyfriend) and control over The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Alpha is the senior 'alpha dog', hence his nickname, and Frankie is the sophomore Matthew drags around for whatever they do. Matthew genuinely likes Frankie, and Alpha don't have a very good reason to dislike Frankie. Well, until she poses as him in some emails. Frankie only does this because she is upset with Matthew for lying to her, and because Alpha kept pulling Matthew away from their dates. Frankie uses the emails to have the Bassets do her bidding, all in good nature.

When Frankie poses as Alpha she uses her own ideas for the Basset's annual prank on Halloween. She feels like she can do it because Alpha is gone for 4 days, and no one would guess that it's her. Frankie is expecting a certain reaction from Alpha when he hears about the prank, but instead he takes credit and Frankie isn't satisfied. Frankie emails Alpha at his real email, and tells everybody in The Order of the Bassets what other pranks to do through him. I believe Frankie is just trying to put a spin on something so serious. She could not become a member of the Bassets because it is a boys only group, so she tries another way. Frankie already feels lucky that Matthew is dating her, but she realizes that she will never be a part of their group. The book quotes, "Sure, they like Frankie fine, found her attractive and didn't seem to mind her hanging around; but if Matthew had dumped her, none of them would ever have given Frankie a second glance. None of them." Frankie wants to show them that she's no one to underestimate or tamper with.

I read a whole series that is about girls being underestimated. The four main characters all go to the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, which is an incognito spy school for girls. Only members of the CIA and MI6 with the right clearance know the truth of Gallagher and it's students. The main character Cammie mentions the looks that she and her best friends get when the go out as a school group, but then enjoys it when she's on a mission. Because if you see two fifteen year olds walking around town, you wouldn't think for a second that either of them could paralyze you with their bare hands. At Gallagher, the girls learn how to defend themselves in P&E (Protection and Enforcement), and are taught how to infiltrate and take information from buildings armed with top security. They are taught how to pin down a man three times their weight, and no one would suspect it. People think Gallagher Girls are helpless, spoiled rich girls. This relates to Frankie because Cammie believes that underestimation is a girls best weapon, but Frankie wants people to know what she is capable of doing.