You are only one voice in a million but everyone’s voice is still very powerful and is worth getting a chance to be heard. Why chase rainbows when you are already a beautiful, colorful rainbow without having to chase anything. Sometimes all you need is to believe in yourself more and find out through mistakes that if you let someone strip all your layers away from you then you will have nothing left. No one should make you feel like you are not worth something and are not a unique and valuable individual.
The most powerful song writer that has inspired me to love myself more is Natasha Bedingfield who in her song “Strip Me” asks the question “If you strip me and strip it all away what would you find?” Her answer in response is that she will be alright. Take what you want, steal my pride, build me up, cut me down to size, shut me out but I will still scream and find a way to be heard. Everyone is only one voice in a million but no one should take that voice away from you because without expression what type of world would this be to live in. If you take everything away from someone, it is what lies way deep down inside of them that they still have that will shine. Natasha’s song continues to express not to let anyone stop you from being heard because in the end you’ll find that those people were never worth listening to anyway. Make noise and be proud of who you are. When you really listen to what someone has to say you will find that you learned something from them because we are learning every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month and every year from everyone that we come in contact with. Fight for your right to speak up and don’t be shy or give in to other people’s judgments. Get angry and prove to the world who you are. Let everyone see who you really are and stop being afraid to be yourself. No one is taking who I am away from me. I am who I am and I love myself. Keep reminding yourself of that. This day right in front of you is the day to make a change and not take any crap from anyone else. I’m still the same person no matter how many layers that you strip away from me.
From the very first time that I heard one of Natasha Bedingfiield’s songs she instantly became my role model. Her lyrics are profound and every time you listen to her music you fall in love with each of her songs like it is the very first time that you heard them. Natasha bring her own sound, that is like no other female singer, to her music that for me has gave me the strength to not be ashamed or embarrassed to be who I am and to not let a few people tell me that I am not beautiful. With every step that we take we learn more and more about ourselves and find that we all have several layers that just need to opened up through the journey of life. Forgive yourself and everyday start a new beginning.
In the “Strip Me” music video Natasha Bedingfield starts out putting on different hats of different people and different professions to show that you do not need to pretend to be something or someone that you are not. Underneath all the shiny, sexy and flashy clothes that we wear, we are still the same person before you put on those clothes. Clothes might enhance a person’s look but clothes do not make you a different person. You might have to choose between what outfit you want to put on one day but no matter what is on the outside no one can change who you are on the inside. You will always be the same person that you started as.
You better say what you mean to others because it’s what you say that makes you who you are. It only takes one voice to make chance happen and that voice could be you if you dare to be heard. Natasha says that you need to choose the person that you want to be and a microphone is not necessary because, when you are true to yourself, people will be able to hear you without needing any equipment. Natasha is being made over by several different people in her music video but all you see are the arms and hands that are making her over. However, she realizes that, no matter how you make her look, she will still be her beautiful self. In one point in the video, she is wearing feathers and warrior makeup to make the point that she will fight for who she wants to be and has the right to express herself in her own unique way and no one has to like it. After all the hands keep dressing Natasha up in different costumes, she gets sick of the fact that people keep wanting to change her look that you see her rip off what they have put on her. One by one she gets rid of what she was wearing and towards the end of the video she is just wearing a slip to prove that even if she was close to naked she should still be worthy of love and the same acceptance from others. In parts of the ending, you see the color in the video go to black and white to symbolize that just because the color is taken out, life does not have to be boring. However, color does enhance things and make things look better to the naked eye. It is all a matter of the way that you look at life. Everyone has a different view of life and Natasha likes to undo herself to see if she would be better living in a different body but proves to herself that the only body she wants to be in is her own.
Think about who you are and do not take it for granted. God made you who you are for a very specific reason. You might not think you matter but, to someone out there, you do matter. Even if you only matter to one person, that person would be lost without you even if they have forgotten to show you what you mean to them.
At the very end of the video, to make a statement, Natasha starts throwing lots of different colors of paint on a white wall and she is rolling around in the paint as well. The colors show that people can be a combination of different colors and even when the colors are all blended together something wonderful is created. Natasha is having fun drawing hearts and other shapes in the paint. Get messy and enjoy life even if it is only for a brief moment. Each little moment joined together makes for larger moments that help to shape us into the people that we are already but with that extra something that was needed to bring it out of us. A rainbow is inside of every one of us and now all we need to do is go ahead and paint that picture.
Take everything you have and make the most beautiful and interesting picture that you possibly can with your imagination. Your picture does not have to make sense to anyone but yourself because you should not be looking for approval from anyone because as long as you like it then you have created art. As the saying goes, art is in the eye of the beholder. Do not let anyone squash your creativity because everyone has his or her own view and perspective on things. Just because someone has a different perspective does not mean it is the wrong perspective. You can strip me of everything but you will never take away the true essence of who I am. Why would you want to be a copy when you can be an original, and an original is always much better than a copy.
Natasha has drifted away from the public eye and she really should come back because this song should have become popular on the radio. “Strip Me” has the power to inspire so many people who are having a hard time in life and have lost their way. Everyone falls off track sometimes but with listening to songs like “Strip Me” they just might find their way back on the track and see a better tomorrow. Think about the lyrics in the song and focus on the message behind Natasha’s words. At the end of the day, you want to go to sleep loving yourself and leaving all your regrets behind you. Just tell the world that you are not going to let it get the best of you. Do not spend a lifetime letting every damn little thing bring you down because you will hopefully one day realize that all that worrying was a waste of time. Surround yourself with people who will bring out your extraordinary qualities. Friends come and go but you will always have yourself, so you should always treat yourself like you are your own best friend. Listen to your heart all the time because the heart usually knows what is best. If you find yourself in a bad situation, and you are being stripped down to nothing, stay strong and do not be afraid to speak up and stand up for yourself. No one can steal anything from you. People can only steal something from you if you let them so do not give up on yourself too easily. Fight for yourself because no one is going to get away with taking anything away from you that does not belong to them. Even if people were able to strip you of many of your possessions, clothes, belongings, and material items, you still have yourself, your true essence and that is what matters most.
CLICK PLAY ON EACH VIDEO AND LISTEN TO ALL THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SONG “STRIP ME.” SEE WHICH ONE YOU ENJOY THE BEST !!
THE FIRST VIDEO IS OF THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO TO NATASHA BEDINGFIELD’S INSPIRATIONAL SONG “STRIP ME.” SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STRIP YOURSELF DOWN TO NOTHING.
THE SECOND VIDEO IS THE MUSIC TO “STRIP ME” WITH THE LYRICS ON THE SCREEN SO YOU CAN LEARN ALL THE WORDS AND UNDERSTAND NATASHA’S POWERFUL MESSAGE.
THE THIRD VIDEO IS OF NATASHA BEDINGFIELD PERFORMING HER SONG “STRIP ME” LIVE ON THE TODAY SHOW.
THE FORTH VIDEO IS OF NATASHA BEDINGFIELD PERFORMING HER SONG “STRIP ME” LIVE ON REGIS AND KELLY.
THE FIFTH VIDEO IS OF NATASHA BEDINGFIELD PERFORMING HER SONG “STRIP ME” LIVE ON DICK CLARK’S NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN EVE IN 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9CsW7TRxr0
THE SIXTH VIDEO IS OF NATASHA BEDINGFIELD PERFORMING HER SONG “STRIP ME” LIVE FROM MORNING GLORY ON EXTRA @ THE GROVE.
THE SEVENTH VIDEO IS OF AN INCREDIBLE COVER OF “STRIP ME” FROM SINGER GAVIN MIKHAIL. HIS VERSION IS MUCH SLOWER AND VERY UNIQUE.
- NATASHA GETTING MADE OVER BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT HANDS IN HER MUSIC VIDEO FOR HER SONG “STRIP ME.”
