این ترانه Daughtry که به عنوان برترین ترانه آلبوم از سوی سایت رسمی گروه معرفی شده، سومین ترانه از آلبوم اول گروه Daughtry می باشد.

Chris Daughtry در مورد معنا و مفهوم ترانه "Over You" گفته:
تو با یه کسی برای مدت طولانی هستی، و فکر می کنی که این همون کسیه که بقیه عمرت رو می تونی باهاش سپری کنی، اما بعدش اونا در موردت اشتباهی می کنن. بعدا فکر می کنی که تموم شده، زندگیت تموم شده ولی بعدش یکی بهتر وارد می شه.

ویدیوی این ترانه معنای مختلفی از ترانه را نشون میده که در اون به جای جدایی، از بهبودی به معتاد الکلی حرف میزنه.

موقعیت این ترانه در چارت ها(2007):
U.S. Billboard Hot 100: رتبه 18
U.S. Billboard Pop 100: رتبه 14
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs: رتبه 21
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay: رتبه 9
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40: رتبه 3
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks: رتبه 16
Canadian Hot 100: رتبه 16
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart: رتبه 26

ترجمه لیریک Over you:

Now that it's all said and done
حالا که همه چیز گفته و تمام شده
I can't believe you were the one
نمی تونم باور کنم که تو تنهاترین کسی بودی
To build me up and tear me down
Like an old abandoned house
که مثل یه خانه کهنه و متروک، منو اول درست کردی و بعد خرابش کردی
What you said when you left
وقتی ترکم کردی چی گفتی
Just left me cold and out of breath
فقط منو همینجوری ترک کردی
I fell too far, was in way too deep
خیلی دورها افتادم، خیلی توی عمقش
Guess I let you get the best of me
فکر کنم گذاشتم بر من پیروز بشی

(Chorus)
Well, I never saw it coming
خب، من هرگز اومدنش رو ندیدم
I should've started running
باید از همون اول فرار می کردم
A long, long time ago
خیلی وقت ها پیش
And I never thought I'd doubt you
و هرگز حتی فکر اینو نمی کردم که بهت شک کنم
I'm better off without you
من بدون تو بهتر و آسوده ترم
More than you, more than you know
بیشتر از تو، بیشتر از اون چیزی که می دونی
I'm slowly getting closure
یواش یواش تمومش می کنم
I guess it's really over
فکر کنم که دیگه (ماجرا) تمام شده
I'm finally getting better
و سرانجام خوبتر می شم
And now I'm picking up the pieces
و الان اون تکه ها رو برمی دارم
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together
تمام این سال ها را برای برگرداندن قلبم (به حالت اولش) گذراندم
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through
چون فکر می کردم که هرگز نمی تونم تمومش کنم
I got over you
من شکستت دادم

You took a hammer to these walls
تو با چکشی به این دیوارها زدی
Dragged the memories down the hall
و تا پایین اتاق، خاطرات رو (با خودت) کشیدی
Packed your bags and walked away
وسایلت رو جمع کردی و رفتی
There was nothing I could say
و من نتونستم چیزی بگم
And when you slammed the front door shut
و وقتی با ضربه در جلویی رو بستی
A lot of others opened up
درهای دیگه ای (در عوضش) باز شدن
So did my eyes so I could see
هم چنین چشام (هم باز شدن) پس می تونم ببینم
That you never were the best for me
که تو هرگز برای من بهترین نبودی

(Chorus x2)

Shadows fill an empty heart
As love is fading,
From all the things that we are
But are not saying.
Can we see beyond the scars
And make it to the dawn?

Change the colors of the sky.
And open up to
The ways you made me feel alive,
The ways I loved you.
For all the things that never died,
To make it through the night,
Love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

The sun is breaking in your eyes
To start a new day.
This broken heart can still survive
With a touch of your grace.
Shadows fade into the light.
I am by your side,
Where love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love, it never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Now that we're here,
Now that we've come this far,
Just hold on.
There is nothing to fear,
For I am right beside you.
For all my life,
I am yours.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Descobri por acaso a banda Shinedown formada por Brent Smith (vocal), Nick Perri (guitarra), Eric Bass (Baixo, piano, vocal), Zach Myers (guitarra) e Barry Kerch (bateria). Através do MySpace vi o vídeo da música Devour e achei muito bom.

A banda norte-americana é de Jacksonville na Flórida e existe desde 2001, mas ganhou um grande reconhecimento através de Chris Daughtry que cantou a música I Dare You do Shinedown no American Idol (link youtube).

site oficial: www.shinedown.com

So what did we watch?

 Speed Racer

It was nothing like "Fast&Furious" - that much I can guarantee. It was a bit too cartoonish, with the bright colours and the very obviously digital backgrounds etc. Not that I'm complaining though. Afterall, it was based on an anime series/American cartoon series in the first place...one which I am starting to recall watching when I was young!!! ;)

It wasn't a great movie (THE SPECIAL EFFECTS WERE AWESOME THOUGH! I loved the effects in the Ice Cave - very cool!) but it was enjoyable...especially because of the eye-candy!!! ;)

Honestly, before watching the movie I'd seen the poster (first picture above) and thought the guy (didn't know he was the title character then) looked pretty handsome...Reminds me of a young Elvis Presley actually. Well, in that poster at least. LOL. (But then again, I guess THAT WAS THE POINT? ;) )

The first eye-candy on screen was Scott Porter, playing the role of Rex Racer, the older brother of the title character. When he was macho-ly leaning on his Mach5 as the then still-a-boy Speed Racer approached him, I fell in love. Handsome eh? Hehe...Rex Racer was the original driver of the Mach5. Unfortunately, the character was "killed in an accident" so it was quite brief...

If you think he looks farmiliar, that's probably because you've seen him in "Friday Night Lights"...

The grown-up Speed Racer is played by Emile Hirsch, who is not bad-looking either. After the death of his older brother Rex, he took over the race tracks, the Mach5 and continued in his brother's legacy...He doesn't look like Elvis here but if he comes across as farmiliar, it's highly likely you've seen one of his movies before. :)

Mathew Fox plays the role of Racer X, whose identity is unknown. Actually, he is the un-dead brother of Speed Racer! SURPRISE!!! He's not dead but he had plastic surgery so last time he looked like Scott Porter and now he looks like Mathew Fox.

Confused? LOL.

I know he's more "season"-ed than Scott Porter and Emile Hirsch up there...but he still looks handome, in a more mature way. Hahaha...Or maybe I'm just drawn to the mysterious-ness of a guy with a mask...LOL!!!

And it should definitely be no surprise if he looks farmiliar - he's the dude in "LOST"!

Next, not quite eye-candy for me, but I know he is for some...

Rain (Korean singer) aka nama-saya-Rain as we call him here ;) plays the role of Taejo Togokhan, one of Speed's rivals...

So yeah. That's basically all I have to say about the movie. You weren't expecting a review with a post titled "Eye Candy" were you? LOL!!!

~~~

So, while we're on the topic of Eye Candy...

Today in history...

David(s): Archuleta and Cook; both talented and hopefully, this is just the beginning of both their careers...

And both are equally delicious looking eye-candy, dontcha think? ;)

Personally, I agree with Simon Cowell's last line before the results were announced:

"I don't actually mind who wins (because both are very talented)"

...and I adore both. They're like brothers! I can see the closeness of the two, the older David looking out for the younger David. Awesome...but still, I am glad that the new American Idol is...

David Cook!!! *drools* ;)

He deserves it...

And with this win, I finally lay to rest the shadows of when Hicks won instead of Daughtry...

Do: Check out the backstage interview with Cook (click here) and Archuleta (click here) after the results.

Oops. That's right. Daughtry was the second one shown. Didn't someone else win? Who was that? Taylor? McPhee? I completely forget.

Looks like winning isn't everything. In fact, my favorite Canadian Idol performer was Jacob Hoggard. He finished third but, with his band Hedley, he's the most successful to come out of Canadian Idol.

(This boxing theme is getting old really quick. In case you were wondering.)

Los Miercoles se los dedico a dos programas musicales.

Este hiper conocido reality show lo veo solo cuando veo cantantes con un estilo que me gusta, lo empecé a ver con Sony en la 2da temporada donde ganó el entrañable Ruben Studdarts, veia el programa porque las posibilidades de este gordito para perder eran demasiado obvias, este carajo desde que se dejó ver por vez primera se supo que sería el ganador... lo malo es que su carrera musical no ha sido tan exitosa como la de Clay Aiken (2do en esa temporada) o su predecesora Kelly Clarkson.

La siguiente temporada casi no la seguí y en caso parecido con Rubben, estaba garantizado que Fantasia (una bembona para los que no la recuerden) ganaría, mi favorito por su particular estilo era George Huff, su voz era distintan, y no era un simple cantante Pop, se veia pasear comodamente por el Jazz, y el R&B.

La 4ta trajó consigo diversidad de sonido, Nikko Smith hijo del salón de la fama Ozzie Smith llegó de noveno, bueno pero no lo suficiente, Anwar Robinson que si mal no recuerdo era un tipo de piel oscura con dreadlocks, profesor de música pero tampoco llegó, y la semana siguiente, uno de mis favoritos que no me terminaba de convencer también salió, fue Constantine Maroulis con una floja interpretación de How You Remind Me (Nickelback) cuando la semana anterior interpretó Nights on Broadway y la anterior a esa, una de la más memorables de todo American Idol, Bohemian Rhapsody. Solo quedaba Bo Bice a quienes los jueces no dejaban de alabar, un artista arriesgado, con personalidad y estilos definidos, peeeerooooo... perdió

SI me parece que en la 4ta temporada hubo talento y variedad, entonces que será de la quitan, donde a mi parecer todos, o por lo menos casi todos debían ganar..

Taylor Hicks, uno de mis favoritos finalmente ganó

Sus constantes roces con el Blues y el Jazz lo hacían único en un programa de tv acostumbrado al tipico niñito cantando baladitas pop, lo mejor es cuando usaba una de sus mejores armas... La Harmonica y su carisma, es un carajo que cae bien de solo verlo, definitivamente merecía ganar, recuerdo mucho su interpretación de Crazy Little Thing Called Love, In The Ghetto, Jailhouse Rock,

Elliot Yamin

Era otro con pinta de que ganaría, su estilo era más pop pero no era un pop preproducido, era más bien un pop muy bien hecho sin mucho adornito y que provocaba escucharlo, quedó tercero.

Chris Daughtry

Un calvo hardrocker, también impresionaba con sus interpretaciones y uno de mis favoritos, mi top 3 era él de primero, Hicks en el segundo y Yamin tercero, ya grabó su album en el cual tiene a Slash como colaborador, entre sus interpretaciones me gustaron mucho, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands), Higher Ground, I Walk the Line, Innuendo, "What a Wonderful World, I Dare You, y Suspicious Mind.

y Bucky Convinton con su inconfundible estilo sureño, hubieron muchos más, todos muy buenos, pero estos son los que esperaba con ansias escuchar a ver que se inventaban.

La 6ta temporada casi no la vi, sin embargo había alguien que parecía marcar la diferencia.

Blake Lewis, el chamo del beatbox y una espectacular interpretación de You Give Love a Bad Name

Aquí el video

En esta 7ma temporada...

Mi favorito es David Cook, me gustaba mucho Amanda Overmeyer al igual que Chikezie, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Brooke White y para estas instancias (en Estados Unidos) solo quedan Syesha Mercada, David Cook y David Archuleta...

También una buena temporada pero los que han perdido lo han hecho por sus propios errores, aunque no estoy muy seguro sobre David Hernandez quien pensé que también llegaría lejos, pero mi enfermera rockera sí fue uno de esos casos, ok, bien chevere que todas las canciones las llevaba a su propio estilo, pero hubo un momento que se convirtió en algo predecible, su mayor error fue cuando la semana de los Beatles, la priemra semana, excelente, la siguiente, hizo lo mismito, no había duda de que iba a salir, la semana siguiente Chikezie salió, cometío el mismo error. Con Michael Johns, pues no lo sé, me gustó mucho su Dream On, el que tenía que haber salido hace tiempo era Castro quien no deja de cantar las canciones casi que con el mismo ritmo todas las semanas, verg... que ladilla con ese chamo. Kristy Lee Cook, mejoró, siguió consejo pero igual no llegaría lejos.

Carly Smithson fue otra que con su extraña apariencia conquistó a más de uno, esos ojos locos provocaban verlos siempre, y caso contrario en apariencia fue Brooke White, sin embargo su salida se veia venir, de pronto comenzó a irse en picada.

Esta semana por Sony veremos por última vez a Castro y luego quedarán 3 participantes de los cuales lo más probable sea que queden tanto Archuleta y Cook, y como Archuleta es un niño que juega seguro y hacen lo que le piden seguro ganará, sin embargo Cook es un artista más completo por lo tanto tendrá más exito, pero eso ya lo veremos.

Bueno lo otro que veo los miercoles lo publicaré

]]> http://sadieandleo.wordpress.com/?p=147 Fri, 09 May 2008 17:44:51 +0000 sadieandleo http://sadieandleo.wordpress.com/?p=147 May 9th, 2008

I would like to pretend that I am not interested in American Idol and that I just watch it as a spectator from the fence, but c'mon.  The other night Mike was even on the edge of his seat in anticipation... maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but he does have a favorite and he wants to see her take it to the end.  I've got my sights set on this guy:

David Cook.  Not surprisingly I always go for the rocker or the guy/gal who can actually sing.  I'm not taken with the kid who is all prepared for this, like they've been groomed for their first 16 years by Mom and Dad to "become" famous.  I like this guy because he is honestly behind his music and that is pretty hard to get through to people when you are paraded around a stage by Ryan Seacrest and made to sing a bland cross-section of pop music.  But this guy does it and does it well.

Sure I had/have a love affair with Chris Daughtry (4th place runner up on season 5) and I won't lie, I still do.  I'm a sucker for the lovelorn, raspy voiced, hardened, soulful and honest all-American rocker and I won't apologize for it.  Like Daughtry, I hope David Cook doesn't win and I know that sounds crazy... crazy like a fox.  I look at it this way, this guy has it made, he's got all it takes and he just needed to be seen.  He has done all he can to put himself out there and the venue has done its job.  So many artists come out of Idol and they are almost forced to put out these contrived cookie-cutter albums right out of the gate.  I don't want that to happen with this guy, it shouldn't happen with this guy.  He's probably got original songs coming out of his ears he has just been sitting on waiting for his big break.

Do I want him to win: yes and no.  I would love to see someone with lots of talent and for lack of any better reason, because I dig him, beat out that crappy kid who makes me want to punch Muppets.  The other David, the favorite to win, leaves me empty.  Sure he's adorable and a prodigy but he's also annoying and predictable.  I guess if I was 13 or 76 I would prefer him.  But I'm not.  I care about what new music is being made and I want to see this guy make albums, lots of albums.*

*I know, I still refer to them as "albums", I should really get over that.  As a matter of fact, I downloaded for the first time today 5 tracks from iTunes.  I'm a serious Mac user now.  Obviously they were David Cook tracks.

Need another reason to like this guy: he's hot.

"What About Now" is the seventh and final single off of American rock band Daughtry's eponymous debut album. The song is a ballad, that was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges (both former members of Evanescence), and Joshua Hartzler, who is married to Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence. It is one of only two songs on the album not at least co-written by Chris Daughtry. The song was announced as the band's next single on their website. It was officially released in the U.S. on July 1, 2008.
[dailymotion id=x63kxq]

Wow! Two of my favorite acts are coming here in Manila for a concert before this month ends! Lifehouse on the 26th and Daughtry on the 29th.

Lifehouse skyrocketed to fame via their debut album No Name Face on 2000 which produced the #1 alternative hit Hanging By A Moment. I remember those days I got crazy for that amazing song! Back in 2005, the ballad You And Me, from their self titled album, was such a hit as well. I equally loved that song, the wonderfully written lyrics really gotten into me. And now with their new album Who We Are, the band gets back to basics, their roots which made them form their group. I am not a super fan (unlike two of my friends who already bought VIP tickets haha!), but I really like this band! Too bad I won't be able to watch them live because I am saving up for something. I will just probably sing along from afar, while they were performing.

Chris Daughtry, on the other hand, was my favorite Idol back in their time on the 5th season. I really rooted for him that's why I am so upset when he got eliminated. But he proved the fact that you need not to be the grand winner to reach the top. His debut album went four times platinum, produced hits such as It's Not Over, Home, and Over You, received a Grammy nomination, and even topped hit charts. Clearly he accomplished more than Katharine McPhee and the grand winner Taylor Hicks (seriously, where is he now?!). Fast forward to 2008, Chris together with his band will pay a visit here to wow their uber exciting Pinoy fans. With his credentials alone, it is an understatement that this event would be a huge success.

(Photos courtesy of Clickthecity.com & Ticketnet)

It wasn’t really easy for everyone to actually get over from something that brought them pain. To forget everything and move on. No one ever said it does gonna be easy cause everything would take a lot of time to heal.

It’s even harder to get over something without a closure. Pain is always present and it’s difficult to look for a remedy. Most especially when it ended in a rough way. A person who loves deeply wouldn’t find any reason to give up.

Heartbroken people would look for something that will accompany them to get through this pain. Some would take alcohol for a whole week or even until the time they’d finally get over it. They would wake up one morning and they’ll be feeling fine. Sometimes we’d be surprised that they have moved on. But the truth is, no one had ever moved on in just one week. Maybe we’ll think that they had already moved on because they’re like walking around with a big smile on their face. But I bet 70% of broken-hearted people are just pretending to be feeling okay. They don’t want to feel pity about their selves so they go out and show everyone that they’re fine. But it really hurts a lot. It even sucks that it hurts big time.

It’s always been very helpful to tell someone what you really felt. If you can’t be true to yourself then at least try to be true to someone else. That’s the purpose of having friends.

“When you slam the front door shut, a lot of others opened up. So did my eyes so I could see, that you never were the best for me..”

Kelly Clarkson leads the pack, with 9 Top 40 HAC hits, including 5 top 10s and 1 number one.  Her only number one is "Behind These Hazel Eyes" with 5 weeks at #1. Her coronation song, "A Moment Like This", only reached #24.

Next up in terms of success is Chris Daughtry. He's had 5 HAC hits, including 3 number ones. His biggest #1 was "Home" with 11 weeks on top. Chris' first HAC song was a solo effort from Idol, his remake of "Wanted Dead or Alive".

Carrie Underwood has charted 2 songs, including her top 10 "Before He Cheats".

Jordin Sparks has 2 top 20 hits: "Tattoo" and "No Air" (which is still climbing at the time this was written).

One Hits Each: Clay Aiken charted with the top 30 "Invisible", Bo Bice charted with the top 20 "The Real Thing",  Elliot Yamin hit the top 20 with "Wait for You", and Katherine McPhee charted with the top 40 "Over It".

The latest winner, David Cook, is climbing the charts as this is written and is already top 30 with "Time of My Life".

i so love this song.. because it has helped me moved on.. it's my getting-over-heartbreak song.. apart from the music, the lyrics are true sentiments of a broken heart.. while admitting the fact that it really hurts to get your heart broken.. it still realizes the fact that one needs to get over it and move on with life..

'now that it's all said and done, i can't believe you were the one to build me up and tear me down like an old abandoned house.. what u said when u left, just left me cold and out of breath.. i fell too far was in way too deep.. guess, i let you get the best of me..'

i sang this song when i got off the hook an engagement.. i just never thought i'd sing it again to someone who's been a good friend since high school.. he has helped me get over the engagement.. even told me that i deserve better.. well.. i thought he was better.. he was actually worst than ever.. he took the lead in the ranks of my ugliest breakups..

well, i never saw it coming.. i should have started running a long long time ago.. and i never thought i'd doubt you, i'm better off without you.. more than you, more than you know..

this part of the song.. i only got myself to blame.. the signs were all over.. i was just too blind not to see it.. i hang on to their words and promises only to have it broken by them.. that's why don't make promises that you can't keep.. it was too late when i realize that i was better off without them..

.. and when you slammed the front door shut, a lot of others opened up.. so did my eyes, so i could see that you never were the best for me..

true indeed.. when He closes the door, He keeps the windows open.. so when He took the people I love away from me.. it was because He wanted to teach me a lesson.. and believe that the best is yet to come for me.. He was molding me to be right woman for the right man..

.. i guess it's really over.. i'm finally getting better..

Yeah, umm ... i'm gonna live up to the "one's blog is for them to express themselves" so i'll just write random stuff that most probably wont make sense, so, yeah, go away if you want ^^ =p

You know what, I love David Cook. Too much :\ I mean, it might seem like a "oh she was obsessed with Blake last year, next year she'll pick another fav" but I'm telling you this is SERIOUS. I just LOVE his voice. Its so mesmerizing, yeah I think thats the word ... listen to "First time ever I saw your face," its all his voice, least music possible, and its BEAUTIFUL! Oh and he's really hot =p I'm glad he's our idol <3 I made a painting and wrote his name on it and stuck it on my door, I love it <3

Okay, another obsession: Milo Ventimiglia. The hottest guy on earth, maybe, after David Cook =p But, he looked hotter when he was younger, like in Gilmore girls, he looks funny in Heroes. Okay, im out =S

CHRISSSS DAUGHHTRYYYYYY. LOL, his song jz started playing ... He shouldve been the american idol man, Taylor Hicks sucks BAD. And Im not even kidding ...

Man, I'm bored, yeah you know that, I know you know that, but I dont care, MY blog, I can say the same thing a million times if I want :\ PUDDLE OF MUDD: not a bad band if you ask me, I like them, like themmm ... i mean theyre just okay lol ...

Last christmas: This song has I dunno how many covers ^O) But I know George Michael wrote it, or was atleast the first to sing it .. Switchfoot's I dare you to move is AMAZINGGGG. Man, this year, I have found out abt MANY cool cool cool songsss. Dare you to mooooooveeee like today never happeneeeeddddd!

Blehh im going, good luck Adam Cook, hope you get well soon ^^

grandparent favourite david archuleta was obviously not a hugely better prospect but at least he wasn't a throwback to the early 90s unless you think the fact that he was born in 1990 qualifies that comparison. neither of them are a leona, hell, they're not even a jordin sparks. i'm even going to go out on a limb here and say i preferred carrie unde-robot-wood and taylor 'father ted' hicks.

god i just didn't really care that much about any of the contestants after chikezie went. he peaked too early with 'i believe to my soul'. i liked syesha but she clearly wasn't as good as similar artists from previous years, like vonzell a few years back.

do kids still listen to complaint rock? seriously? i didn't believe it in the 90s and i don't believe it now. scenes of kids jumping up and down on their bed playing air guitar are always the most unrealistic elements of any movie or tv show for me, and I didn't know anyone who did that.

at least we had a few who were enjoyably shit keeping up the sanjaya malakar/that stupid marine/jasmine trias tradition. that er, jason er...dreads bloke, clinched the cringe of the 'season' with his double bob marley massacre. jason castro, just looked it up. kristy lee cook was unenjoyably shit. brooke white looked like a little old alien, like gail from corrie...

doubtless there will be another 'season' so here are some of the better performances from the last 6 years...

ruben studdard - a whole new world

latoya london - somewhere

elliot yamin - if you really love me

tamyra gray - a house is not a home

chikezie eze - i believe to my soul

jennifer hudson - weekend in new england

mario vasquez - do i do

lakisha jones - and i am telling you

anwar robinson - what's going on

mandisa - i don't hurt anymore

Last night was bitter sweet. The sweet - our kickball team walked away with a win (I knew all we needed was our official t-shirts - see previous post) followed by some celebration drinks, flip cup, and karaoke at the bar Samba in Somerville.

The bitter - while we were consumed in kickball victory bliss, David Archuleta was defeated by rocker David Cook on American Idol. Don't get me wrong "big" David has talent, but I was rooting for Archie, hands down. From the beginning I knew "little" David was going to make it to the final - but I guess he just didn't have the "right stuff" (Citation: New Kids on the Block).

I guess I can't really complain about the outcome, though, since I never vote. On the flipside, you can look at the loss as a positive - being an American Idol winner doesn't guarantee success. Many AI "losers" have had great careers thus far - ahem, Chris Daughtry.

Now, Fox, bring on So You Think You Can Dance! It starts tonight - right now actually, so Elicia Buzz OUT!

(Note to Ryan Seacrest - it was a wise decision to die your hair back to a somewhat normal color and please don't ever go back to saying "Seacrest Out" - it was a dark dark time in American Idol history.)

According to Ryan, "It's all come down to this: two men with one name and one desire - to be crowned champion.  Their prize: a heavyweight title reserved only for superstars (a group of former AI greats that, according to the video montage, somehow includes Chris Daughtry even though he didn't even make it to the top three ...?).

This elaborate extended boxing metaphor makes me think that the producers have been working on this little gem for longer than a week.  I wonder what would have happened if David and David were not the top vote-getters this season ... a rigged finale, perhaps?  Hey, they even thew in a coin toss to see who gets to sing last.

Round One

Clive's Pick for David Cook, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," by U2:  Of course I liked it.  DC does kind of look like he's a little over the whole competition thing.  I do think he meant it when he said that to him, it was no longer a competition, but just having fun.  Judging from the revelation last week that he didn't even come to auditions to try out but to support his brother when a producer talked him into auditioning, I think it would be safe to say that DC probably has mixed feelings about being on the American Idol train.

Clive's Pick for David Archuleta, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," by Elton John and Bernie Taupin: Well, it's the second week of little Archuleta performing without input from his dad.  And he brought it with this song.  It was fabulous ... but not as fabulous as Sir Elton, of course.  Loved it.  Simon gave round one to Archuleta, and I would have to agree ... begrudgingly.

Round Two

DC's Pick from the AI Songwriting Competition, "Dream Big": This is a catchy song.  A little cheesy, but catchy.  I liked it for AI, what I could understand of it.  DC was a little inarticulate on this one.  Simon made the point that this is supposed to be a "winning song," but it didn't feel like a "winning moment."  In this respect, little Archuleta has a leg up on DC because he sings the moving ballads, whereas DC is more of a rocker.  He's not going to deliver that Kelly Clarkson "A Moment Like This" sap fest.  And I would not want him to.

Archuleta's Pick from the AI Songwriting Competition, "In this Moment": Now, this is the sap fest that the producers have been hoping for.  Random Question: How many AI finale songs include the word "moment" or something like that?  Aren't all these songs the same?  Simon loved the "egotistical lyric."  He goes on to say that Archuleta "definitely chose the better song there, much more in keeping with the night."  He gave Round Two to David Archuleta as well.  And little David teared up, sincerely this time.

Round Three

DC's Contestant's Choice Pick, "The World I Know," by Collective Soul: He chose a song that he's never performed before.  LOVED IT, but not sure that it will stand up next to Archuleta's beloved "Imagine" performance.  Simon disagreed with the song choice saying that he should have sung "Billie Jean," but DC didn't want to sing a song that he'd done before because this show has been a progression for him and he wants to show that.  Tears were shed by DC after this one.  I don't think he ever thought he would be playing for millions of fans across America.  Regardless of what happens tomorrow night, DC has a wonderful, and hopefully long, career ahead of him.  This guy is the real deal, not a manufactured child star puppet.

Archuleta's Contestant's Choice Pick, "Imagine" again: He's going with the song that  made him an early front runner.  Smart choice.  Throughout the competition, none of his performances have lived up to that early one.  Ironically, this one didn't either.  The song was beautiful, but it didn't capture the magic of the first time he sang it.  Randy says that he's the best singer of Season 7 and exactly what the show is about.  Simon says that Archuleta  has delivered a knockout against DC.

It's tough to say which David will be the next American Idol.  This one's going to be close.  But judging on the finale, alone, I think little Archuleta may be the last one standing tomorrow night, but only by a small margin of victory.  It all came down to song choice tonight.  If we take into consideration the weeks leading up to tonight, David Cook would be the clear winner.   He is obviously the better performer, though Archuleta is an amazing technical singer.

I guess we'll have to tune in tomorrow night and see.  Either way, I won't be too disappointed with the outcome, unlike when Reuben beat Clay ... or when Fantasia beat everyone else.  Both Davids are great.  This has been one of the most talented, albeit BORING, seasons of American Idol, yet.

It’s down to the final two: David and David. Who’s going to win? My bet’s on Cook. It hasn’t always been that way, though. There was a time when I thought he was an average rocker with a bit of bad fashion. But he rocked Billie Jean, and then lost that streak of blonde hair. Suddenly, I was looking at him in a different light.

At the start, I was really rooting for Syesha. She was the classic choice. She had that big voice and big hair. I was particularly struck when she sang the high notes during the Hollywood auditions even though she’d lost her voice. She kept saying that she’s going to be the next American Idol and I almost believed her. I really wanted her to win. But somehow, during the contest proper, I’d suddenly lost interest in her. She was still a good performer but she was typical. There wasn’t anything spectacular about her songs. Sure, she sang in tune and reached the high notes but there was nothing different about her. She was merely repeating the performance of the original singers. While she had personality, it wasn’t enough for her to be called magnificent. And now that I’ve thought about it, perhaps that’s the reason why some American Idols haven’t succeeded in the real world. They were great imitations of the original. But they lacked personality.

Look at Chris Daughtry. He didn’t win and yet he’s doing better than Taylor Hicks. Not that Taylor wasn’t good. He was charming but he didn’t have enough personality. Chris Daughtry is a person who knows what he wants and how to get it. He stuck to what he knows and doest best. That’s what’s made him successful. Personality is key.

That is the reason why the two Davids have moved on to the finals. They both have personality. They’ve both “rearranged” the songs they sing to match their personality, not just to copy the original. The songs adjust to them and not the other way around. But the question remains: Who will be the next American Idol?

Perhaps, the better question is “Does David A. stand a chance against David C.?”

In my book, David Cook has the bigger chance of winning. Sure David A. has charisma. I mean, he is kinda cute and he sings great. But ask yourself, has he done anything as mind-blowing as David C.? I don't think so. What's more, I don't think David A. would survive in the real world where he'll sing his original songs. I think he'd be eaten alive. Just like what happened to Taylor Hicks. Don't get me wrong, I like Taylor Hicks. He's charming...just like David A. But charm can only get one so far.

I’m staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I’m going to the place where love
And feeling good don’t ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel’s a different kind of pain.

Well I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.
Well I’m going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I’ve not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love, it makes true.
And I don’t know why.
You always seem to give me another try.

So I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.
I’m going home.

Be careful what you wish for,
‘Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don’t want.
Be careful what you wish for,
‘Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I’m going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I’m not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don’t regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,
So I’m going home.
I’m going home.

In a small room backstage at Nashville, Tennessee’s historic Ryman Auditorium, Chris Daughtry sits quietly, dashing off his Christmas cards. It’s five days before the holiday, and a couple hours before he’ll bound onto the Ryman’s venerated stage, one which he imagines is still baptized by “Johnny Cash’s spit.” Daughtry sets aside the pile of Christmas cards, and rolls up the sleeve of his T-shirt to admire a fresh, tender-looking tattoo on his right bicep.

“My wife’s so good that I actually had her tattooed on me yesterday,” Daughtry says, showing off a buxom blonde pinup girl with a pair of angel wings. “Those are actually her wings, if you tickle her just right.”

It took Chris Daughtry eight hours to get that tattoo, and it’s taken him years to learn how to be a good husband, he says. In light of the massive success that plucked the American Idol contestant from his Greensboro, North Carolina hometown and sent him around the world, this past year has been particularly challenging, and he discusses it with the same plain-spokenness that informs his songs.

“I used to call [my wife] and just quickly throw in the towel,” Daughtry says. “But I’ve found that the less I say and the more I actually listen to her, and just be there without actually being there, is the best thing I can do. As a man, I always feel like I need to say something. Sometimes I have to stop myself because all I want to do is call and tell her about how much awesome stuff is going on in my life, and, you know, her day is sucking hard. I could write a book on it, I’m serious.”

Daughtry guitarists Josh Steeley and Brian Craddock crowd into the tiny dressing room, and Chris’ heartfelt relationship talk vanishes. “Now this guy,” Daughtry says, nodding at Steeley and adopting an effeminate voice, “When he talks to his wife, he’s all like, ‘Hi babyyy.’”

Though the Ryman gig is but one of 265 shows that Chris Daughtry and his band played in ’07, their chemistry doesn’t seem any worse for the wear. He fondly points out that he’s known Craddock since they were teenagers, when Daughtry worked at a car dealership and Craddock at a local guitar shop. Daughtry came in often, Craddock says, and was “famous for getting on our BOSS pedalboard and making some racket, turning the phaser on, cranking the delay.”

Though the other members of Daughtry were born of an audition staged by Chris’ label, Steeley describes the band’s connection as “instant.” Already they have 17 songs in the can for their sophomore album, which they hope to finish writing in the spring.

“Chris just sits at the back of the bus and will come out with something and say, ‘I just wrote this thing,’” Steeley says. “And it’s amazing. The new stuff isn’t too far from the album that’s out now, but it’s more complex.”

Not the only songwriter in the bunch, Daughtry says most of his bandmates do their writing separately and fit the pieces together later. “Some songs are coming out a little heavier than the last record, and some songs are just way more beautiful,” he says, mentioning that drummer Joey Barnes has written some new material on piano.

Chris does his songwriting on guitar, but says, “For me the guitar is just a writing tool. Let’s talk about diminished scales. I don’t know a damn thing about ’em. I know a blues and E-minor pentatonic scale, and that’s as far as I needed to go.”

But Daughtry obviously hasn’t needed advanced guitar skills to carry him. This past year alone, Daughtry was nominated for four Grammys, and Billboard named them the best-selling act of ’07, among other coups.

“Oddly enough, this year all felt very natural, like it was meant to happen,” Chris says. “The whole Idol thing is what felt weird for me because that was obviously something I wasn’t used to. I wasn’t used to singing everybody else’s songs. I wasn’t used to not having a band behind me. I wasn’t used to having cameras in my face. But, honestly it all prepared me for interviews later. I didn’t realize then that I’d have about 10 of them a day.”

A manager carries in an armload of posters and dumps them onto a sofa, and the Daughtry guys gather around to scribble out their signatures. Outside, the old theater creaks with the weight of thousands of fans taking their seats. But, in this moment, Chris Daughtry is a different man than the one he’ll be on-stage, when he’ll doff a black beanie hat and an avalanche of screams will come spilling over the balcony.

Now, with “Welcome to the Jungle” thumping dully through the dressing room speakers, Daughtry and his band gather together backstage to pose for pictures. Chris examines the screen shots on a digital camera and deems himself “so f---ing fat.” Several photos must be taken before he’s content. In an hour, women will shimmy out of their cropped leather jackets, and fathers will hoist grade-school girls onto their shoulders to catch a glimpse of him. Chris Daughtry will prop a combat boot on a speaker box and wince valiantly into the spotlight, but first he wants to know if you can take just one more picture.