I give you the top most formative songs of my life:
I'll Fly Away - Various Artists
I grew up singing this song in the car with Teh Mom and Teh Sister. Teh Mom taught us the words, then we'd sing it in a round. #humblebrag: The ladies in my family can sing. PS. It's not the same when I sing it to myself. I need my backup singers.
Miss Independent - Kelly Clarkson
The theme song of my senior year of high school. Although this song remains completely applicable to this day. I always felt that being in a relationship meant giving something of myself up, but that's not necessarily true, it just took me some time to figure it out.
"When Miss Independence walked awayNo time for love that came her wayShe looked in the mirror and thought todayWhat happened to miss no longer afraid?It took some time for her to seeHow beautiful love could truly beNo more talk of why can't that be meI'm so glad I finally see"
Matchbox 20 - Real World
Oh Middle-School-Megan, you were so cool. There was a summer I spent with Teh Four-Eyes (our neighbor) and when we weren't at my house, we were at hers. But her house had cable, so we could go over and watch TRL and if we were there early enough (because we hadn't gone to bed yet), we could get up and watch the sunrise music videos. Seeing the Real World video always made my day. I still wish the real world would stop hasslin' me and that I could store rain in little yellow boxes.
"Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here
If I were someone else, would this all fall apart
Strange, where were you, when we started this gig
I wish the real world, would just stop hassling me"
Natasha Beddingfield - Unwritten
If you knew me my freshman/sophomore year of college, you probably heard this song. This was my ringtone because this song had it all right. This song reminded me to not be scared of the new and to embrace what was happening. Most importantly, I could change the way things would be because nothing was written in stone.
"Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
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"
Let It Go - Frou Frou
Oh Garden State, you slammed me in my heart pieces with this closing song. After listening to this song on repeat, I started to get it. WHAT was I waiting for? I just needed to let go of all the things holding me back, to not fear the "breakdown" of the way things were (and feeling those pesky feelings), and move forward.
"So, let go, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown"
Trapt - Stand Up
My go-to rage song. I have 2 levels of anger. The part where I yell at lot, which is generally when I listen to this song, and the part where I stop yelling and take on a very even, quiet tone, to which there is no music. Stand Up makes me feel like I'm in control; of my rage, of my reactions, of my situation, so I don't escalate to part 2.
"Stand up
I have had enough
Walk away before I finish what you started
Face to face I will push you in your place
End this game before I finish what you started
Face to face everything will change"
Ingrid Michaelson - Keep Breathing
There are an uncountable amount of days that this song on repeat was the only thing that kept me going. The reminder to keep breathing was something critical I would forget and I'd get wrapped up in everything and wind up stressed to my limits and nothing was right and nothing was good enough and that part about "instead I sleep" was an accurate description of my reaction to everything going on. This song still calms me down to this day, especially on days when I forget that this moment isn't the end all, be all.
"I want to change the world, instead I sleep.
I want to believe in more than you and me.
But all that I know is I'm breathing.
All I can do is keep breathing.
All we can do is keep breathing"
Do you have songs that molded you? Share them!
Linking up with Alyssa.
i think my post with songs is going live tomorrow, i don't remember now lol. i love matchbox 20, that song always gets me. and i LOVED that kelly clarkson song back in the day. it was a big deal because we didn't have american idol at home, obviously (or did we? i don't remember, but i am 99% sure we didn't) but she crossed over into like, normal charts and made it all the way to Oz with that song/album. loved her.
ReplyDeleteAw, that sounds like such a fun family car trip tradition!
ReplyDeleteLove that Kelly Clarkson song, it's still super fun to belt out.
Totally remember watching TRL and singing along to that MB20 song. And Unwritten will always remind me of The Hills, because I watched that series roughly 10,000 times. I also have Unwritten on my "fun run" playlist right now.
Thanks for sharing your soundtrack! I love seeing everyone's posts and especially how different the responses to this prompt are.
I quite like the mix of songs you have here. I enjoy reading why certain songs and what lyrics speak to people. If unfamiliar with the Frou Frou song, but I really like the lyric you shared: "It's all right
ReplyDelete'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown."
I heart Kelly.
Matchbox 20 is always a good one for me. Any of their songs really. Theirs was the first concert I ever went to my freshmen year of high school. My dad had won me tickets and he took me. So cool. Unwritten is stuck in my head now, thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteSuch great songs! I feel like you and I went through the same periods of music where we like the same things. I really love that matchbox 20 song it still takes me back!
ReplyDelete