Here Without You by 3 Doors Down

Here Without You

A hundred days had made me older
Since the last time that I've saw your pretty face
A thousand lights had made me colder
And I don’t think I can look at this the same

But all the miles are separate
They disappear now when I’m dreaming of your face

I’m here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight it’s only you and me

The miles just keep rollin
As the people either way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
But I hope that it gets better as we go

I’m here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

Everything I know
And anywhere I go
It gets hard but it won’t take away my love
And when the last one falls
When it’s all said and done
It gets hard but it won’t take away my love

I’m here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

Storm by Lifehouse (Who We Are)

Got a copy of Lifehouse's fourth album Who We Are and of all the tracks, the 12th song Storm hit me like there's no other music worth listening to. Read the lyrics and you'll know why this band has been considered by some as a Christian rock band, which I think not.

Storm
How long have I been in this storm
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form
Water's getting harder to tread
With these waves crashing over my head

If I could just see you
Everything will be alright
If I'd see you
The darkness will turn to light

And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright

I know you didn't bring me out here to drown
So why am I 10 feet under and upside down
Barely surviving has become my purpose
Cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface

If I could just see you
Everything will be alright
If I'd see you
This darkness will turn to light

And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright

And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright
Everything's alright, yeah
Everything's alright

Vipers (a.k.a. Yummy Mommies) are at it again

Vipers--Grade 1/Pre-Elem Volleyball Team (my wife Lhen's a player)--bid their 3rd runner-up winning with this infectious Beautiful Girl dance number, on yesterday's Mater Carmeli School Sportsfest Awarding.


These Yummy Mommies, as they are otherwise known, are gorgeously, beautiful girls!

MCS Grade One on a roll out

At the recently concluded Mater Carmeli School Foundation Day Dance Competition, these select Grade One students (including my youngest Kirk Marcus) strut then grooved to the fusion of decade-old Sister Act and Transformer snippets with today's pop dance hits. They won second place, ain't them cute? You can also watch the video at YouTube.com.

Yummy Mommies

Here's my wife Lhen (in red shirt) gyrating to the tune of SugaBabes' Push the Button together with fellow Yummy Mommies at Mater Carmeli School's Grade One Family Day last October. Watch this video clip at YouTube.com.

Reunited after 18 years (after Yoyong)

Watch Aristotle Bautista and Melissa Cabalic (ERJHS '89 Batchmates) belt out a classic meet-you-after-so-so love song. I took the video while Guillermo Lorca cheered on.

From Mac and Me: Take Me I'll Follow

This piece I dedicate to my friends Aristotle Bautista, Guillermo Lorca, and Melissa Cabalic--you guys are proof that high school spans the best of memories--you are the fine prints of meaningful friendship still obvious after more than 18 years.

Mac and Me is a 1988 movie largely based on the more successful E.T. film. I'm sure you've forgotten about the feel-good, friendship-centered movie (did you know that Mac is actually an acronym for Mysterious Alien Creature?) but you'll definitely remember the song associated with it--Take Me I'll Follow by Bobby Caldwell:

Tired of feeling all by myself
Being so different from everyone else
Somehow you knew I needed your help
Be my friend forever

I never found my star in the night
Filling my dream was far from my sight
You came along and I saw the light
We'll be friends forever

I can't take the thought of you leaving
So take me along I swear I'll be strong

If you take me wherever you go
I wanna learn the things that you know
Now that you made me believe

I want you to take me
'Cause I long to be able to see the things that you see
Know that whatever you do I'll follow you

Somebody must have sent you to me
What do I have you could possibly need
All I can give is my guarantee
We'll be friends forever

I can't take the thought of you leaving
So take me along I swear I'll be strong

If you take me wherever you go
I wanna learn the things that you know
Now that you made me believe
I want you to take me
'Cause I long to be able to see the things that you see
Know that whatever you do I'll follow you

Teach me more in each passing hour
By your side I know I won't cower
Is it true that you have the power
To capture this moment in time

Take me wherever you go
I wanna learn the things that you know
Now that you made me believe

I want you to take me
'Cause I long to be able to see the things that you see
Know that whatever you do I'll follow you

Take me wherever you go
I wanna learn the things that you know
Now that you made me believe
I want you to take me
'Cause I long to be able to see the things that you see
Know that whatever you do I'll follow you

Smashing Pumpkins's back!

...minus James Iha and D'Arcy though. For fans like me, I'll miss the synchronized outrage and melancholic melodies. Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberline still rock-kick-ass? Let's find out...


For those who miss the original members together, here they are at The Simpsons...

I'm a dead horse

One of my favorite Guns N' Roses tunes playing in my Palm T|X, what I call my cigarette buddies way back in college.

Dead Horse

Sick of this life
Not that you'd care
I'm not the only one with
whom these feelings I share

Nobody understands, quite why we're here
We're searchin' for answers
That never appear

But maybe if I looked real hard I'd
I'd see your tryin' too
To understand this life,
That we're all goin' through
(Then when she said she was gonna like
wreck my car...I didn't know what to do)

Sometimes I feel like I'm beatin' a dead horse
An I don't know why you'd be bringin' me down
I'd like to think that our love's
worth a tad more
It may sound funny but you'd think by now
I'd be smilin'
I guess some things never change
Never change

I met an old cowboy
I saw the look in his eyes
Somethin' tells me he's been here before
'Cause experience makes you wise
I was only a small child
When the thought first came to me
That I'm a son of a gun and the gun of a son
That brought back the devil in me

Sometimes I feel like I'm beatin' a dead horse
An I don't know why you'd be bringin' me down
I'd like to think that our love's
worth a tad more
It may sound funny but you'd think by now
I'd be smilin'
I guess some things never change
Never change

I ain't quite what you'd call an old soul
Still wet behind the ears
I been around this track a couple o' times
But now the dust is startin' to clear
Oh yeah!!!

Sometimes I feel like I'm beatin' a dead horse
An I don't know why you'd be bringin' me down
I'd like to think that our love's
worth a tad more
It may sound funny but you'd think by now
I'd be smilin'
Ooh yeah, I'd be smilin'
No way I'd be smilin'
Ooh smilin'

Sick of this life
Not that you'd care
I'm not the only one
With whom these feelings I share

Home with Chris Daughtry

The kids (actually the wife) surprised me with Chris Daughtry's debut CD. Of course he's one of my favorites from American Idol, and consider his (Taylor Hick's) season the best.

Daughtry's music is easy to listen to, it's rock with a heart. 'Home' says it all as it expresses probably Chris's feelings during his AI stint, and it's my favorite. My wife said this track also is about me, as I moved heaven and hell really just to be home.

And I'm glad I did.

One (Featuring U2) by Mary J. Blige

Been listening to Mary J. Blige's breakthrough album THE BREAKTHROUGH and I just can't get enough of this song. I think Bono's being himself and MJB's vocal prowess blended well, and the chemistry gave more meaning to the music and lyrics.

Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to blame

You say one love, one life (one life)
It's one need in the night
One love (one love), get to share it
Leaves you darling, if you don't care for it

Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without

Well it's too late, tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other
One...

Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head

Well, did I ask too much, more than a lot?
You gave me nothing, now it's all I got
We're one, but we're not the same
Well we, hurt each other
Then we do it again

You say
Love is a temple
Love is a higher law
Love is a temple
Love is the higher law
You ask me to enter
Well then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters and my
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...
One love

Third salvo from Bamboo

Today, I got a copy of Bamboo's third album 'We Stand Alone Together.' I have a complete discography of their albums -- 'As The Music Plays' their first and the only CD I brought with me to Amsterdam 2005 (I practically memorized all the songs!) and the more popular sophomore album 'Light Peace Love' that includes the chart-busting 'Hallelujah' and the sensational hit 'FU.'

Nope, this is not a review of their album, but give me a day or two and I'll tell you how I like or dislike it/the album/songs. I'm hoping against hope that this is not Bamboo's attempt to jump into the let's-make-old-songs-new bandwagon--this album is of covers obviously.

Two songs included in this album ring huge, rustic bells to me--'Tatsulok' originally by Buklod and a personal favorite back when I was active (read: an activist) in college and 'Alive' of Pearl Jam, one of their first major hits, that made me listen to grunge and all other alternative genre.

Let's see (I mean listen) whether this album is worth your iPod most played playlist or this is one of the usual we-made-it-now-we-want-to-make-a-statement phases of the band lifecycle.

Your Love by Alamid

You're the one that never lets me sleep
To my mind, down to my soul you touch my lips
You're the one that I can't wait to see
With you here by my side I'm in ecstasy

I am all alone without you
My days are dark without a glimpse of you
But now that you came into my life I feel complete
The flowers bloom, my morning shines and I can see

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

Every time I hear our music play
Reminds me of the things that we've been through
In my mind I can't believe it's true
But in my heart the reality is you

I am all alone without you
My days are dark without a glimpse of you
But now that you came into my life I feel complete
The flowers bloom, my morning shines and I can see

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

This is for my love, my wife Lhen Lozano, who's celebrating her birthday this Valentine's Day, I love you!

Inside Job by Pearl Jam

Underneath this smile lies everything
all my hopes and anger, pride and shame

I make yourself a pact, not to shut doors on the past
just for today... I am free

I will not lose my faith
It's an inside job today

I know this one thing well...

I used to try and kill love, it was the highest sin
breathing insecurity out and in

Searching hope, I'm shown the way to run straight
pursuing the greater way for all... human light.

How I choose to feel... Is how I am.
How I choose to feel... Is how I am.

I will not lose my faith
It's an inside job today

Holding on, the light of night
On my knees to rise and fix my broken soul

Again.

Let me run into the rain
To be a human light again

Let me run into the rain
To shine a human light today

Life comes from within your heart and desire
Life comes from within my heart and desire
Life comes from within your heart and desire

Jammin' with Pearl Jam

It was a gift last year by my wife but until now Pearl Jam's album (I call it avocado) is on my most played tracks (N73 ME).

I wake up to 'Army Reserve' as my morning alarm, answer calls with 'World Wide Suicide' as my mobile ringtone, and kill time travelling, napping to 'Gone' and 'Come Back.' Eerie sometimes, but I get a different high when listening to 'Inside Job.'

Now that's like eating a forbidden avocado.