Song #23: "You Can't Stop The Beat" by Cast of Hairspray

        Along with being a Broadway classic, "You Can't Stop The Beat" from Hairspray is very transcendental. A common belief in transcendentalism is to rebel against those who hold you back, and that is a very prominent in this song; in the chorus it even says "If you try to hold me down I'm gonna spit in your eye and say that you can't stop the beat!" In addition to the rebellious nature of this song, it also embraces the individuality of the characters involved. From a man dressed as a woman who loves to eat, to an interracial couple, there is no conformity with this group!

Song #22: "Uprising" by Muse

        The next example of transcendental music is "Uprising" by Muse. This song reeks of transcendental views. It has elements of ridding yourself from material things with the line "Another promise, another seed. Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed," along with the rebellious spirit of resisting authority in the lines "They will not force us, they will stop degrading us. They will not control us, we will be victorious." Another theme that is evident is that we are being controlled by the ideals of society, and that appears in the lines "Interchanging mind control, come let the revolution take it's toll. If you could flick the switch and open your third eye, you'd see that we should never be afraid to die." This is definitely a great song to get you pumped up about transcendentalism.

Song #21: "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley

        Bob Marley is known as an advocate for peace, rights, and self-empowerment, and his song "Get Up, Stand Up" is no different. It's all about standing up for your rights and resisting authority who tries to tell you what to think, which are both common ideas in transcendentalism. The idea of living life for the now instead of for the future is also tossed about a lot in transcendental culture. Next time someone tries to tell you what to do, pull out your transcendental knowledge of Bob Marley, and "Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights!"

Song #20: "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield

        Another wonderful example of transcendentalism is Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten". The first view this song supports is that you are in charge of your own life and destiny; the lines "No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten," represent that perfectly. Another view this song embraces is one of non-comformity and being willing to do what others may not in the lines of "I break tradition, sometimes my tries are outside the lines. We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way". All in all, this is a wonderful song that represents transcendental beliefs to a tee.

Song #19: "Hollywood" by Jonas Brothers

       "Hollywood" isn't just a great Jonas Brothers song, it's also an example of transcendentalism. It shows the value of staying strong and sticking with your beliefs in the lines "You can try to break us and make us fall apart, but the fire's in our hearts." The importance of not conforming and getting out of situations where it's common is also shown in the lines "And don't forget to hold back your thoughts and live like robots 'cause we all know what goes on. Reminisce on memories 'cause we're gone." This song is essentially proof of the transcendental view that being unique and staying true to yourself is key to enjoying life.

Song #18: "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold

        The song "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold is a great song, but also a great example of transcendentalism. The lines in the chorus "I can say I'll hope it will be worth what I give up if I could stand up mean for the things that I believe," show the value that giving up things and standing up for what you feel can have on your life, which is common in transcendentalism. Another important line is "I'm here for myself, not to know you. I don't need no one else." It shows another common transcendental belief that people shouldn't live to please one another, but only to live up to their own standards.

Song #17: "Piggy Bank" - Never Shout Never

        "Piggy Bank" by Never Shout Never may seem to be an upbeat pop song, but if you look closely, it has transcendental themes intertwined throughout it. In the first verse, the lyrics say "A poor man would kill for the bank but a rich man would die for it. If that's the case, why am I runnin' this race? It's the last place I waste time," which relates to the transcendental belief, often talked about by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essays like Self-Reliance, that money and charity should not define a person. This song also talks about the other common belief that one should not strive for money alone, but to do things they want to do in the lines "If you're working for a paycheck you better cash in, 'cause life's too short to never have lived."