Happiness and Sunshine

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What is happiness? Is it just a sense of well-being and joy? Happiness is more than just an emotion; it is also a state of mind and being. Happiness is a term that has different meaning for every person and can involve many different aspects of life. It is often used as a subject for many different types of popular culture, ranging from movies to songs. Songs are a medium that often features topics such as searching for happiness and their opinion of the true meaning of happiness. The song "The Sound of Sunshine Going Down" by Michael Franti and Spearhead is one such song. This song is a medium to express to the audience Franti and Spearhead's meaning of happiness.
This song is a piece of popular culture that represents happiness due to the use of certain words and phrases in the lyrics of the song. One line that features words that represent happiness is, "And that's the sound of sunshine coming down" with the use of the phrase "sunshine coming down". Sunshine, clouds, and the sun are images that are often associated with bright and joyful emotions such as happiness, the additional words "coming down" implies that happiness is reaching for them, that there is something that is making them happy. Another line that illustrates happiness is, "I want to go where the summer never ends" through utilizing the phrase, "summer never ends". Summer is the season that is most often associated with joy, fun, and happiness, through using that phrase, Franti and Spearhead are singing about going to a place, whether spiritually or physically, full of joy and happiness.
Franti and Spearhead's definition of happiness, according to the song, is that happiness comes from love and healthy relationships and that money has no substantial effect on a...

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...that bring increased satisfaction." There many more other studies that support this theory that while money does affect levels of happiness, there is no strong relationship between money and well-being.
This is a helpful message to society. Many people have problems finding happiness in their lives. They do not know what aspects of their lives truly bring them happiness; this song is an acceptable representation of plausible means of increasing one's happiness. Money can only get a person so far and buy them so much, versus friendship and healthy relationships that are there for the long run. Strong relationships are especially beneficial towards a person's happiness and well-being and are much better than having a multitude of 'distant' friends. Money cannot buy a person the love and support that friends and family provide them with during their difficult times.

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