Mary J. Blige

December 15, 2004

Music Appreciation

MUS 118

Vincennes University- Fort Benning

Rudy Barraca - Instructor

This is a review of the song, BE HAPPY. Sean "Puffy" Combs now known as P Diddy produced this song. The song was composed Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Arlene Delvalle, and J.C Oliver, however Mary and Arlene DelValle wrote the lyrics to this song with background vocals sang by her sister Latonya Blige. Be Happy contains samples from " You're too good to me" performed and written by Curtis Mayfield.

The song Be Happy is a very creative song and very emotional. A guy named Chucky Thompson played all the instruments played in the song. Chuck Thompson played several of instruments in this song, but the instrument that really stands out are the flute, clarinet, keyboard and the drums. This song starts out with the introduction of the flute with a slow tempo as a solo instrument. The flute plays a solo for about a minute and a half, and then the clarinet joins in for about another minute and a half. After about three minutes into the song the flute and the clarinets kind of fades out and the keyboard and the drums comes in with syncopated beats with a medium tempo and full of rhythm. There are three versus to this song with a chorus of " all I really want is to be happy, and to find a love that mines who can be so sweet". The chorus of this song tell why she wants to be happy, and starts her versus with sayings such as, "How can I love somebody else, if I cannot

find the time to love myself" expresses why she can't be happy. In her next verse, "I ask for the sign from the sweet Lord above" tell you that she is looking for happiness, and is just waiting on the sign. In her last verse, "Life is too short to be trying to play some games" cries out for help saying that can not spend the rest of her life playing games, taking life for granted, she is just looking for happiness, nothing else. She ends her song with, "I don't want to have to worry about nothing no more". Her lyric to this song expresses what makes this song so emotionally because this is a woman who is crying out for the most important thing in this world, happiness.

This song has various composers, and the song has appeared on seven different albums, ranging from years of 1994 to 2004. Sean Combs has produced several of Mary J. Bilge's music including Changes I've been going through, Leave a message, and Keith Murray Interlude. Sean Combs also produced the whole album "My Life", he is also a musician his self, as well as a performer, producer, clothing designer and CEO of Bad Boy Records. Arlene Devalle help composed Be Happy as well as another one of Mary's hit song My Life. Arlene Delvalle was also the executive producer of the soundtrack for the motion picture Hoodlum which day viewed in 1997. J.C Oliver is a rapper that also helped compose Be Happy, he composed other songs for other various rap artists, and R&B singers like Foxy Brown, Jay-Z, Chubb Rock, Nas, and R. Kelly.

Mary J. Blige and Arlene Devalle wrote the lyrics to this