Ok can we talk about Alec Benjamin’s old music for just a sec
Like he is the absolute BOSS of heartbreak melodies and mental health struggles and… just all of it. Absolute masterpieces. Here’s a breakdown of my favorites (yes I’m aware that literally no one cares)
I’m gonna color-code it based on the vibes it gives me. Cause like… why not
Now she’s getting married – the way it slows down and the music turns really soft and simple right before he sings “and if I had the chance, I would ask for one last dance – and though we’re not together, I love her forever, even when I’m buried” it is ABSOLUTELY CRUSHING and genuinely so beautiful and just.. AAAAAHHHHH
Journey to the lowest place on earth – it is honestly so relatable and this is one I used to sing at the top of my lungs (or just listen and cry) during my worst mental health periods, just sitting there waiting for my own breakthrough to finally happen. It’s also sort of spiritual which I love. “When the light began to leak into the cave, I cried because I knew I had been saved” is such a freaking powerful line for a Christian. Sometimes it takes an unreasonably long time to remember that when you’re at rock bottom, He IS the rock at the bottom. So this song is just so… uhg
Settle down – THIS SONG IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS EVER ITS JUST SO FRICKIN GOOD… and the line (which makes more sense in context) “even Da Vinci couldn’t have sketched a more perfect woman than the one that he met” I’m sobbing. That line just.. I’m sobbing. Send help. I’m on the floor. I can’t get up. Bro is the MASTER of romance lines. And then the crescendo right as he starts singing “SHE WAS THE OUTLAW, SHE WAS THE ONE” IM SOBBING. SEND HELP. IM ON THE FLOOR. I CANT GET UP. MY CHEST HURTS. EVERYTHING HURTS. JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM
Ocean eyes (cover) – I cant
Gabriel – mmmmm. Mhmmmmm. Magic. This song kills me every time. You can FEEL his pain bleeding through the lyrics. Especially when it gets to “as the problems slowly drifted, all the weight was quickly lifted, from his back into the sea, he finally felt he was free – when he got home after months, sat down and waited for lunch – he looked down at an empty dish, cause all their sins had killed the fish” AAAAAAAHHHHHHH THIS SONG BREAKS ME IM GONNA CRY it’s not a real story in the Bible but I still love it. It’s similar to “Steve” in that it mirrors and draws on what Bible stories are like. It is such a deep song and I totally feel it in my bones because I have been Gabriel in the past, having friends who needed me to listen but didn’t want to hear about MY problems. So it may mean more to me than to others but that’s okay. I just love it sm.
Lock me up for life – this song is so powerful and speaks to the human sin nature. Even if you know it’s wrong and would never do it, you still have weird moments where you imagine “what if?” And suddenly free will seems really tempting to exercise in the wrong way. I’ve definitely been through that and felt HORRIBLE after, so it’s really comforting to know I’m not the only one. Plus the melody is really pretty. Especially when he sings “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” AAAAAHHHHH
How it feels to be replaced – this song is sooo sad. It’s another one I’ve experienced personally and it hurts so much. It sounds bad to say “I want to hang out but he’s busy with his dumb anniversary” but it’s a brutally honest admission of how sometimes it just hits you how much you miss someone. Even if the timing is bad and you understand they’re genuinely busy with something important. It’s hard but I LOVEEE those songs where he’s delving into the difficult moments that most songs avoid. It’s not talking about an achy breaky heart. It’s talking about that hole in your chest that comes from losing someone you love – even if they’re right in front of you. AAAHHH. That’s all I gotta say.
Last of her kind – AAAHHH THIS SONG IS SO GOOD it’s really sad but the mental visuals are sooo gorgeous. The scene it paints in your mind is so emotional and heart-wrenching and it’s like it just tears you apart. I love it sm. It feels almost like a fiction-fantasy novel which is my favorite genre but also with a tragic ending. Which is horrible but so lovely and beautiful at the same time. Uhggg
Don’t get me wrong, I love most of his Spotify-released songs too, but I sooo wish they would have included his old ones. I would listen to those all. the. time. I even got them downloaded onto my phone just in case they take them off YouTube. I am NOT willing to lose those songs 😠 mostly I love his storytelling ones, but all of them paint a picture in my head. It’s like a vivid dream. Every lyric sucks you into another world. (At least it does for me.) I can’t help it. I’m not a psycho fan for him, cause I know basically nothing about him, but there’s something so magical about entering someone else’s mind through their music. I love it. I also love how he sometimes uses “big words” that most songs avoid and it flows so easily into the melody. Uhg. It’s just so good.
Anyways… yep
♡~ Skippy
