Chords for Alessia Cara | Austin City Limits Interview
Tempo:
121.75 bpm
Chords used:
C
D
Eb
F
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Let's talk about the pains of growing.
You wrote every song on this album.
You said this album is kind of like a story.
What do you mean?
I think it's a story that there are a bunch of different subcategories within the bigger story,
but it's a story of not only the last three years of my life and my experience transitioning into adulthood,
but I think the human experience of everybody's phase of transition where you're becoming an adult.
Even in adulthood, I think there are many different phases that we all go through,
and we're constantly growing, constantly evolving.
It's the story of that, the story of growth,
and sometimes the troubles and struggles of that growth and the things you need to go through [N] in order to grow.
So did you decide going into this project that you were going to write all of the songs by yourself?
Yes, I did, which was kind of a scary decision at first or sort of a risky one, especially for your second album.
There's kind of like a stigma around the pressures of the second album,
but I wanted to do it anyways because I felt like this story needed to be mine,
and I wanted all of my fans to know that every single word and melody came from me.
Is your [B] songwriting approach, your [C] style, different now than it was when you started?
A little bit.
I think my writing style has changed in the sense that I'm not as afraid to talk more personally in a more reflective way.
I think before, my music was very socially conscious, and still is, and it was just in a different way.
But I think before, I was always afraid to talk too much about myself.
All the messages were directed to the listener,
but it was more so about running away from things and rebelling against certain things
rather than just facing them and looking at [D] myself and looking at my [C] own struggles and my own faults,
which is, I think, the way that I try to write a little bit more now,
because I think that's also a crucial part of being socially aware
and a crucial part of a message to give too is, you know, we're not perfect,
and we need to go through certain things in order to get to a place where we're happy.
So did you learn [Abm] something about yourself that you didn't know [F] in the process of making this album?
Well, I learned that I am capable of making an album by myself, which is good, I hope.
So that's one good thing.
I think, I don't know, I think you kind of do learn about yourself,
because for me, I don't really have any other way of expressing myself properly.
So when I write a song, it's like I can see it there in a tangible way if I'm writing it on paper or [D] something.
I'm like, wow, okay, this is how I was feeling.
So I learn about, you know, my true feelings about certain things,
or they help me make decisions a little bit.
And I don't know, you just kind of see yourself in a different way,
and your relationships in a different way when you write about them like [C] that.
So talking about phases in your life, whether it's three years or five or ten years or whatever,
the last few years have been pretty amazing for you.
Yeah.
When you think about it, six global hit records,
the whole success and the story behind the 1-800 song,
[Db] and then there's the Best [Eb] New Artist Grammy Award.
Yeah.
Do you even process?
How do you think or process all of this that's happening all around you,
or is it like just being caught up in a whirlwind?
A little bit.
It definitely feels like a whirlwind a lot of the time,
because every day just goes by so fast,
so you don't even have time to process anything because you're on to the next thing.
But I think as I'm getting older and as more time goes by,
I'm trying to remember to live as cheesy as it sounds in the moment,
and just really take it in, because it goes by so quickly.
It feels like two days ago that I was with Coldplay,
or that I just put out my first song, and I'm here, and I've done all this stuff.
I think moving forward, I really, really want to just take it in for what it is,
and just be as grateful as possible, because I've wanted this my whole life,
so it would be a shame if I didn't take it in properly.
Some people, some [F] previous winners of the Best New Artist Grammy, have [E] said that it's a curse.
Yeah, I've heard that.
So what do you think about that?
How do you feel about it?
I don't know.
I hope not.
Yeah, that would really be bad for me if it was a curse.
[D] I don't think so, though, because I think you see all the people who have won that award,
and there are so many people that are still making amazing music now,
and I feel like if I focus on those silly things, then maybe they'll come true.
And maybe we manifest them because we think that they're real,
but I think it's more of an honor than anything else,
and it's just a really nice thing to be recognized for not only a song of mine,
but who I am as an artist and a person.
I think a lot of people focus on the wrong things,
and especially as a young woman, going into the industry
and just seeing the way that people treat me and seeing the way that, I don't know,
a lot of girls come up to me telling me [Eb] their stories
and saying how much pressure they feel at such a young age,
people as young as 8, 9, 10, to look a certain way all the time.
And I think there are these messages that are being thrown at us,
like literally, not literally thrown at us, but figuratively thrown at us every single day,
telling us that we need to look a certain way
and live up to this standard that was created by someone,
and now we feel like we have to follow it.
And so I really try very hard as much as possible,
even though I get insecure a lot of the time,
to remind people of what I feel should be important.
And I think what should be important is the things we have to say
and the ways that we make people feel and what we leave behind,
because we're so small and we forget that.
And it's like, why are we placing importance on the smallest things
when this won't matter 100 years from now, you know?
So, yeah.
I think it's so important, and if you love yourself,
and if I think the core is at a good center,
then nothing around can affect you, or it can affect you,
but it won't affect you as much [D] as it could if you were a little bit hurt on the inside.
I think a strong interior [Eb] brings really good things.
I'm still [G] figuring that out, though.
It's very difficult.
Well, get used to it, because you'll be figuring [C] it out for the rest of your life,
like we all are, you know?
Yes.
I had a really big admiration for Amy Winehouse growing up,
and artists like Lauryn Hill.
I loved her performance on Austin City Limits, by the way.
But yeah, I think I've always just gravitated towards artists,
especially female artists, that had that grit to them.
And I don't know what the psychology was behind it.
I just think I just really connected with women who didn't feel like they needed to be preppy all the time,
or just had these imperfections and weren't afraid to just be raw.
I just always loved that, and I think that's where it naturally comes from in me,
because that's where I feel like my heart just naturally sits.
You wrote every song on this album.
You said this album is kind of like a story.
What do you mean?
I think it's a story that there are a bunch of different subcategories within the bigger story,
but it's a story of not only the last three years of my life and my experience transitioning into adulthood,
but I think the human experience of everybody's phase of transition where you're becoming an adult.
Even in adulthood, I think there are many different phases that we all go through,
and we're constantly growing, constantly evolving.
It's the story of that, the story of growth,
and sometimes the troubles and struggles of that growth and the things you need to go through [N] in order to grow.
So did you decide going into this project that you were going to write all of the songs by yourself?
Yes, I did, which was kind of a scary decision at first or sort of a risky one, especially for your second album.
There's kind of like a stigma around the pressures of the second album,
but I wanted to do it anyways because I felt like this story needed to be mine,
and I wanted all of my fans to know that every single word and melody came from me.
Is your [B] songwriting approach, your [C] style, different now than it was when you started?
A little bit.
I think my writing style has changed in the sense that I'm not as afraid to talk more personally in a more reflective way.
I think before, my music was very socially conscious, and still is, and it was just in a different way.
But I think before, I was always afraid to talk too much about myself.
All the messages were directed to the listener,
but it was more so about running away from things and rebelling against certain things
rather than just facing them and looking at [D] myself and looking at my [C] own struggles and my own faults,
which is, I think, the way that I try to write a little bit more now,
because I think that's also a crucial part of being socially aware
and a crucial part of a message to give too is, you know, we're not perfect,
and we need to go through certain things in order to get to a place where we're happy.
So did you learn [Abm] something about yourself that you didn't know [F] in the process of making this album?
Well, I learned that I am capable of making an album by myself, which is good, I hope.
So that's one good thing.
I think, I don't know, I think you kind of do learn about yourself,
because for me, I don't really have any other way of expressing myself properly.
So when I write a song, it's like I can see it there in a tangible way if I'm writing it on paper or [D] something.
I'm like, wow, okay, this is how I was feeling.
So I learn about, you know, my true feelings about certain things,
or they help me make decisions a little bit.
And I don't know, you just kind of see yourself in a different way,
and your relationships in a different way when you write about them like [C] that.
So talking about phases in your life, whether it's three years or five or ten years or whatever,
the last few years have been pretty amazing for you.
Yeah.
When you think about it, six global hit records,
the whole success and the story behind the 1-800 song,
[Db] and then there's the Best [Eb] New Artist Grammy Award.
Yeah.
Do you even process?
How do you think or process all of this that's happening all around you,
or is it like just being caught up in a whirlwind?
A little bit.
It definitely feels like a whirlwind a lot of the time,
because every day just goes by so fast,
so you don't even have time to process anything because you're on to the next thing.
But I think as I'm getting older and as more time goes by,
I'm trying to remember to live as cheesy as it sounds in the moment,
and just really take it in, because it goes by so quickly.
It feels like two days ago that I was with Coldplay,
or that I just put out my first song, and I'm here, and I've done all this stuff.
I think moving forward, I really, really want to just take it in for what it is,
and just be as grateful as possible, because I've wanted this my whole life,
so it would be a shame if I didn't take it in properly.
Some people, some [F] previous winners of the Best New Artist Grammy, have [E] said that it's a curse.
Yeah, I've heard that.
So what do you think about that?
How do you feel about it?
I don't know.
I hope not.
Yeah, that would really be bad for me if it was a curse.
[D] I don't think so, though, because I think you see all the people who have won that award,
and there are so many people that are still making amazing music now,
and I feel like if I focus on those silly things, then maybe they'll come true.
And maybe we manifest them because we think that they're real,
but I think it's more of an honor than anything else,
and it's just a really nice thing to be recognized for not only a song of mine,
but who I am as an artist and a person.
I think a lot of people focus on the wrong things,
and especially as a young woman, going into the industry
and just seeing the way that people treat me and seeing the way that, I don't know,
a lot of girls come up to me telling me [Eb] their stories
and saying how much pressure they feel at such a young age,
people as young as 8, 9, 10, to look a certain way all the time.
And I think there are these messages that are being thrown at us,
like literally, not literally thrown at us, but figuratively thrown at us every single day,
telling us that we need to look a certain way
and live up to this standard that was created by someone,
and now we feel like we have to follow it.
And so I really try very hard as much as possible,
even though I get insecure a lot of the time,
to remind people of what I feel should be important.
And I think what should be important is the things we have to say
and the ways that we make people feel and what we leave behind,
because we're so small and we forget that.
And it's like, why are we placing importance on the smallest things
when this won't matter 100 years from now, you know?
So, yeah.
I think it's so important, and if you love yourself,
and if I think the core is at a good center,
then nothing around can affect you, or it can affect you,
but it won't affect you as much [D] as it could if you were a little bit hurt on the inside.
I think a strong interior [Eb] brings really good things.
I'm still [G] figuring that out, though.
It's very difficult.
Well, get used to it, because you'll be figuring [C] it out for the rest of your life,
like we all are, you know?
Yes.
I had a really big admiration for Amy Winehouse growing up,
and artists like Lauryn Hill.
I loved her performance on Austin City Limits, by the way.
But yeah, I think I've always just gravitated towards artists,
especially female artists, that had that grit to them.
And I don't know what the psychology was behind it.
I just think I just really connected with women who didn't feel like they needed to be preppy all the time,
or just had these imperfections and weren't afraid to just be raw.
I just always loved that, and I think that's where it naturally comes from in me,
because that's where I feel like my heart just naturally sits.
Key:
C
D
Eb
F
B
C
D
Eb
_ _ _ Let's talk about the pains of growing.
_ _ _ You wrote every song on this album.
You said this album is kind of like a story.
What do you mean?
_ I think _ it's a story that there are a bunch of different subcategories within the bigger story,
but it's a story of not only the last three years of my life and my experience transitioning into adulthood,
but I think the human experience _ of _ everybody's phase of transition where you're becoming an adult.
Even in adulthood, I think there are many different phases that we all go through,
and we're constantly growing, constantly evolving.
It's the story of that, the story of growth,
and sometimes the troubles and struggles of that growth and the things you need to go through [N] in order to grow. _
So did you decide going into this project that you were going to write all of the songs by yourself?
Yes, I did, which was kind of a scary decision at first or sort of a risky one, especially for your second album.
There's kind of like a stigma around the pressures of the second album,
but I wanted to do it anyways because I felt like this story needed to be mine,
and I wanted all of my fans to know that every single word and melody came from me.
Is your [B] songwriting approach, your [C] style, different now than it was when you started?
_ _ A little bit.
I think my writing style has changed in the sense that I'm not as afraid to talk more personally in a more reflective way.
I think before, my music was very socially conscious, and still is, and it was just in a different way.
But I think before, I was always afraid to talk too much about myself.
All the messages were directed to the listener,
but it was more so about running away from things and rebelling against certain things
rather than just facing them and looking at [D] myself and looking at my [C] own struggles and my own faults,
which is, I think, the way that I try to write a little bit more now,
because I think that's also a crucial part of being socially aware
and a crucial part of a message to give too is, you know, we're not perfect,
and we need to go through certain things in order to get to a place where we're happy.
So did you learn [Abm] something about yourself that you didn't know [F] in the process of making this album?
Well, I learned that I am capable of making an album by myself, which is good, I hope.
_ So that's one good thing.
I think, I don't know, _ _ I think you kind of do learn about yourself,
because for me, I don't really have any other way of expressing myself properly.
So when I write a song, it's like I can see it there in a tangible way if I'm writing it on paper or [D] something.
I'm like, wow, okay, this is how I was feeling.
So I learn about, you know, my true feelings about certain things,
or they help me make decisions a little bit.
And I don't know, you just kind of see yourself in a different way,
and your relationships in a different way when you write about them like [C] that.
So talking about phases in your life, whether it's three years or five or ten years or whatever,
the last few years have been pretty amazing for you.
Yeah.
When you think about it, six global hit records,
the whole success and the story behind the 1-800 song,
_ [Db] and then there's the Best [Eb] New Artist Grammy Award.
Yeah. _ _
_ Do you even process?
_ How do you think or process all of this that's happening all around you,
or is it like just being caught up in a whirlwind?
_ A little bit.
It definitely feels like a whirlwind a lot of the time,
because every day just goes by so fast,
so you don't even have time to process anything because you're on to the next thing.
But I think as I'm getting older and as more time goes by,
I'm trying to remember to live as cheesy as it sounds in the moment,
and just really take it in, because it goes by so quickly.
It feels like two days ago that I was with Coldplay,
or that I just put out my first song, and I'm here, and I've done all this stuff.
I think moving forward, I really, really want to just take it in for what it is,
and just be as grateful as possible, because I've wanted this my whole life,
so it would be a shame if I didn't take it in properly.
Some people, some [F] previous winners of the Best New Artist Grammy, have [E] said that it's a curse.
Yeah, I've heard that.
So what do you think about that?
How do you feel about it?
I don't know.
I hope not.
_ Yeah, that would really be bad for me if it was a curse.
[D] I don't think so, though, because I think you see all the people who have won that award,
and there are so many people that are still making amazing music now,
and I feel like if I focus on those silly things, then maybe they'll come true.
And maybe we manifest them because we think that they're real,
but I think it's more of an honor than anything else,
and it's just a really nice thing to be recognized for not only a song of mine,
but who I am as an artist and a person.
I think a lot of people focus on _ the wrong things, _ _
and especially as a young woman, going into the industry
and just seeing the way that people treat me and seeing the way that, I don't know,
a lot of girls come up to me telling me [Eb] their stories
and saying how much pressure they feel at such a young age,
people as young as 8, 9, 10, to look a certain way all the time.
And I think there are these messages that are being thrown at us,
like literally, not literally thrown at us, but _ figuratively thrown at us every single day,
telling us that we need to look a certain way
and live up to this standard that was created by someone,
and now we feel like we have to follow it.
And so _ I really try very hard as much as possible,
even though I get insecure a lot of the time,
to remind people of what I feel should be important.
And I think what should be important is the things we have to say
and the ways that we make people feel and what we leave behind,
because we're so small and we forget that.
And it's like, why are we placing importance on the smallest things
when this won't matter 100 years from now, you know?
So, yeah.
I think it's so important, and if you love yourself,
and if I think the core is _ _ at a good center,
then nothing around can affect you, or it can affect you,
but it won't affect you as much [D] as it could if you were a little bit hurt on the inside.
I think a strong interior [Eb] brings really good things.
I'm still [G] figuring that out, though.
It's very difficult. _
Well, get used to it, because you'll be figuring [C] it out for the rest of your life,
like we all are, you know?
Yes.
I had a really big admiration for Amy Winehouse growing up,
and artists like Lauryn Hill.
I loved her performance on Austin City Limits, by the way. _
But yeah, I think I've always just gravitated towards artists,
especially female artists, that had that grit to them.
And I don't know what the psychology was behind it.
I just think I just really connected with women who didn't feel like they needed to be preppy all the time,
or just had these imperfections and weren't afraid to just be raw.
I just always loved that, and I think that's where it naturally comes from in me,
because that's where I feel like my heart just naturally sits. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ You wrote every song on this album.
You said this album is kind of like a story.
What do you mean?
_ I think _ it's a story that there are a bunch of different subcategories within the bigger story,
but it's a story of not only the last three years of my life and my experience transitioning into adulthood,
but I think the human experience _ of _ everybody's phase of transition where you're becoming an adult.
Even in adulthood, I think there are many different phases that we all go through,
and we're constantly growing, constantly evolving.
It's the story of that, the story of growth,
and sometimes the troubles and struggles of that growth and the things you need to go through [N] in order to grow. _
So did you decide going into this project that you were going to write all of the songs by yourself?
Yes, I did, which was kind of a scary decision at first or sort of a risky one, especially for your second album.
There's kind of like a stigma around the pressures of the second album,
but I wanted to do it anyways because I felt like this story needed to be mine,
and I wanted all of my fans to know that every single word and melody came from me.
Is your [B] songwriting approach, your [C] style, different now than it was when you started?
_ _ A little bit.
I think my writing style has changed in the sense that I'm not as afraid to talk more personally in a more reflective way.
I think before, my music was very socially conscious, and still is, and it was just in a different way.
But I think before, I was always afraid to talk too much about myself.
All the messages were directed to the listener,
but it was more so about running away from things and rebelling against certain things
rather than just facing them and looking at [D] myself and looking at my [C] own struggles and my own faults,
which is, I think, the way that I try to write a little bit more now,
because I think that's also a crucial part of being socially aware
and a crucial part of a message to give too is, you know, we're not perfect,
and we need to go through certain things in order to get to a place where we're happy.
So did you learn [Abm] something about yourself that you didn't know [F] in the process of making this album?
Well, I learned that I am capable of making an album by myself, which is good, I hope.
_ So that's one good thing.
I think, I don't know, _ _ I think you kind of do learn about yourself,
because for me, I don't really have any other way of expressing myself properly.
So when I write a song, it's like I can see it there in a tangible way if I'm writing it on paper or [D] something.
I'm like, wow, okay, this is how I was feeling.
So I learn about, you know, my true feelings about certain things,
or they help me make decisions a little bit.
And I don't know, you just kind of see yourself in a different way,
and your relationships in a different way when you write about them like [C] that.
So talking about phases in your life, whether it's three years or five or ten years or whatever,
the last few years have been pretty amazing for you.
Yeah.
When you think about it, six global hit records,
the whole success and the story behind the 1-800 song,
_ [Db] and then there's the Best [Eb] New Artist Grammy Award.
Yeah. _ _
_ Do you even process?
_ How do you think or process all of this that's happening all around you,
or is it like just being caught up in a whirlwind?
_ A little bit.
It definitely feels like a whirlwind a lot of the time,
because every day just goes by so fast,
so you don't even have time to process anything because you're on to the next thing.
But I think as I'm getting older and as more time goes by,
I'm trying to remember to live as cheesy as it sounds in the moment,
and just really take it in, because it goes by so quickly.
It feels like two days ago that I was with Coldplay,
or that I just put out my first song, and I'm here, and I've done all this stuff.
I think moving forward, I really, really want to just take it in for what it is,
and just be as grateful as possible, because I've wanted this my whole life,
so it would be a shame if I didn't take it in properly.
Some people, some [F] previous winners of the Best New Artist Grammy, have [E] said that it's a curse.
Yeah, I've heard that.
So what do you think about that?
How do you feel about it?
I don't know.
I hope not.
_ Yeah, that would really be bad for me if it was a curse.
[D] I don't think so, though, because I think you see all the people who have won that award,
and there are so many people that are still making amazing music now,
and I feel like if I focus on those silly things, then maybe they'll come true.
And maybe we manifest them because we think that they're real,
but I think it's more of an honor than anything else,
and it's just a really nice thing to be recognized for not only a song of mine,
but who I am as an artist and a person.
I think a lot of people focus on _ the wrong things, _ _
and especially as a young woman, going into the industry
and just seeing the way that people treat me and seeing the way that, I don't know,
a lot of girls come up to me telling me [Eb] their stories
and saying how much pressure they feel at such a young age,
people as young as 8, 9, 10, to look a certain way all the time.
And I think there are these messages that are being thrown at us,
like literally, not literally thrown at us, but _ figuratively thrown at us every single day,
telling us that we need to look a certain way
and live up to this standard that was created by someone,
and now we feel like we have to follow it.
And so _ I really try very hard as much as possible,
even though I get insecure a lot of the time,
to remind people of what I feel should be important.
And I think what should be important is the things we have to say
and the ways that we make people feel and what we leave behind,
because we're so small and we forget that.
And it's like, why are we placing importance on the smallest things
when this won't matter 100 years from now, you know?
So, yeah.
I think it's so important, and if you love yourself,
and if I think the core is _ _ at a good center,
then nothing around can affect you, or it can affect you,
but it won't affect you as much [D] as it could if you were a little bit hurt on the inside.
I think a strong interior [Eb] brings really good things.
I'm still [G] figuring that out, though.
It's very difficult. _
Well, get used to it, because you'll be figuring [C] it out for the rest of your life,
like we all are, you know?
Yes.
I had a really big admiration for Amy Winehouse growing up,
and artists like Lauryn Hill.
I loved her performance on Austin City Limits, by the way. _
But yeah, I think I've always just gravitated towards artists,
especially female artists, that had that grit to them.
And I don't know what the psychology was behind it.
I just think I just really connected with women who didn't feel like they needed to be preppy all the time,
or just had these imperfections and weren't afraid to just be raw.
I just always loved that, and I think that's where it naturally comes from in me,
because that's where I feel like my heart just naturally sits. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _