Kanye West's "Touch the Sky"

It's funny how a pop song with lyrics like "bottle shaped body like Mrs. Butterworth," can stand the test of time and still make an impact on people three years after its release, but here I am, getting inspired by Kanye. I was at the Nike Human Race last night (not running due to injury), where I saw Kanye performing for the second time (this time with a little help from Common). The last time I saw him (Coachella 06), I remember being underwhelmed, and didn't know whether or not to chalk it up to Kanye or the fact that it was well over a hundred degrees in broad daylight. Maybe it was the fact that it was at night, or that 12,000 audience members had the adrenaline of a 10K run in them, but the concert had a lot more energy. Not having run, it took me a bit longer to get captivated, but what really did it for me was "Touch the Sky."
Purists would say it isn't fair for me to be so moved by a song that so blatantly samples Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up." Fortunately, I come from a land of remixes and mashups, and thus believe no such thing, and can enjoy what some might call a bastardization. What I love so much about "Move On Up" is it's unfailing cheerfulness which resonates with a sense of resolution. If I had a degree in music, I'd probably be able to attribute it to something technical, but I don't, so I'll just go with the warm fuzzy feeling I get. That feeling might also have to do with the association of "Move On Up" and its numerous placements in key film montages and ending sequences. What Kanye did was capture that happy, resolute vibe with lyrics like "For the day I die, gonna touch the sky." Perhaps not eloquent poetry, but it gets the point across and frankly, it's always the simple messages that touch me most.

I was going to post the video, but I'm not that into it. If you can't find this song on the internet, you must live under a rock, and shouldn't be allowed to play with technology anyways.