Songs that Describe Your Life: 'If You're Going Through Hell"

Introduction

If you had to choose one song that would be used to describe or sum up your life, what song would that be and why would you choose that song? What are the songs that describe your life? If I had to pick one song to be played as my life. The one song that I would choose to best describe my life would have to be “If You’re Going Through Hell” by Rodney Atkins. I feel that my choice of song gives multiple vivid examples of the problems. As well as the struggles that I face in my life, with the positive outcomes that come with these hurdles that I face in my life. The song, “If You’re Going Through Hell” by Rodney Atkins, relates to my life by how the musical score of the song reminds me to keep a positive and upbeat attitude in life, no matter the difficulty, such as my struggles and obstacles, voids and vices, and reminds me of how only the strong survive.

One of the Songs That Describes My Life

One of the ways the song “If You’re Going Through Hell”, relates to my life, is the fact that it depicts some of the struggles and obstacles that I face in my everyday life. In the song, “If You’re Going Through Hell”, Rodney Atkins quotes the following lyric stating, “Well you know those times, when you feel like there’s a sign there on your back that says I don’t mind if you kick me, seems like everybody has.” (Atkins). This lyric quote relates to me as to those days, that make feel as if I am the target of everybody. Even if those people do not have those intentions, it just seems like the whole world is out to get you. An example of this lyric quote in my life is one of those days, that start out bad as soon as you get out of bed. You just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, just irritable and agitated for no reason. Someone says something, that you do not like or do not want to hear, and it just sets you off. For instance, when someone is aggravated or having a bad day, I begin to catch their hostility since I happen to be the closest person to them. They tend to let their frustration out on me for no reason. One more way that my life relates to this song is just when I think life cannot get any worse, than it already is. Something can always come and create more havoc in my life, Furthermore, this would be one of those days when nothing seems to go your way, and you feel as if you are having the worst day ever. Something can always come around and make your day worse. For instance, like the time in my life when I was running late for school, I was mad because I knew I would be receiving a lunch detention, but then after arriving at school I realized that I forgot my lunch, my phone; I was unable to call home to get my lunch. This would be a prime example of when I thought things were going, so bad for me that my day could not possibly get any worse. The song, “If You’re Through Hell”, states. “Things go from bad to worse you think they can’t get worse than that then they do”. (Atkins). This gives the realization, that you might think that you are having the absolute worst day or luck ever, but no matter how bad it may seem. It can always get worse, than it already is. It may be better to keep a positive outlook on life and a positive attitude; things might just get better.

Life Struggles Reflected in the Song

Moreover, the song, parallels my life, and the problems as well as the struggles. That I face and how I choose to cope with them. The song gives a problem and solution to some of life's and struggles, that myself and others face in life. In addition, to the vices people use to fill voids, that these problems inflict on my life. The problems being the void and the vices being the solution. A quote from the song that would sum up my life would be, “You step off the straight and narrow and you don’t where you are use the needle of your compass, to sew up your broken heart”. (Atkins). The way these lyrics relate to my life, is when I started out in beginning of high school. I had no true friends but many acquaintances, and I was not sure of who I really was, so I started to hang around with the wrong crowd, this made me realize. That I was trying to be someone that I was not. People tend to use vices to fill the voids in their lives. That tend to come as a result of the problems that they face in life. My first-hand experience to using vices to fill voids would be, when I struggled with trying to fit in; I started smoking and acting out to make other people think. That I was just like them so that they would accept me. Further, a vice I used to try to fit in in high school would be going parties and surrounding myself with people who partook in illicit activities. The song, “If You’re Going Through Hell” relates to me. By the way choose to deal with the struggles and obstacles of life. A way that voids and vices pertain to this song. Would be the use of alcohol to solve or what I thought would solve. Some of the problems that I faced in life. A way to escape from the problems and struggles. I was face in life, with the use of alcohol. This turned out to cause more problems for me down the road. A lyric quote from the song that would be used to best explain this would be “ask directions from a genie in a bottle of Jim Beam and she lies to you that’s when you learn the truth.” (Atkins).

Survival: Main Theme of the Song

Another way that the song relates to my life is that, I should never give up and that I need to say to survive in this world. A lyric from the song states “I’ve been deep down in that darkness. I’ve been down to my last match. Felt a hundred different demons breathin’ fire down my back, and I knew that if I stumbled, I’d fall right into the trap. That they were layin’.” (Atkins). This lyric means that Rodney Atkins had one of those days. Where might have been depressed, unwanted, pushed around and rejected. He felt like giving up, but he knew that he could not give up. That it would show the people, who were trying to put him down. That they had more power and control over him. An example of this quote would be when I was getting bullied and pushed around. At my last college because I was the new kid from a different state. Like the time when I was out on break during lunch, and one of the students from my class, decided to roll down his window and throw his McDonald’s garbage from lunch at me. He knew I would be very upset, reactionary and violent in my response to him doing this, so I decided to ignore the situation to keep myself from getting in trouble. Furthermore, when I was away at school and I was never invited to the weekend parties or barbecues, the guys from class would be having because they did not like the fact that I was from their hometown. They would later invite me last minute, deciding not to go to find out that the guy who would have been giving me a ride to the party was drinking and driving. On his way to the part, he hit a tree head on with open containers in the car. The final way the song “If you’re Going Through Hell” relates to my life. Is that when times get tough, if you keep an open mind. There are people out there who are always willing to help you. A connection of this to my life would be with my schooling, out of all my years of schooling. I have never had a teacher turn away a student that asked for help. When I need help with school related topics, I have never had a teacher tell me, that they could not help me. I once had a science teacher help me with English, because that this how much this teacher cared about student success. The final lyric I will quote from the song states, “But the good news is there’s angels everywhere out on the street holdin’ out a hand to pull you back up on your feet.” (Atkins). This quote means that there are people in this world who will help anyone out there, you just need to be willing to look hard enough to find them.

Conclusion

The song “If You’re Going Through Hell” represents my life, because when times get tough you just need to keep going and know that it will soon get better. Whether it be the struggles and obstacles that I face in life. The voids and vices that become of, the struggles and obstacles. The song also is a reminder to me that only the strong survive. So, what song would describe your life?

Work Cited

1. Rodney Atkins. “If You’re Going Through Hell.” If You’re Going Through Hell Curb Records, 2006.