If you've seen the film Garden State, you'll know what I'm talking about. There's the scene where Natalie Portman's character, Sam, has Zach Braff's character, Andrew Largeman, listen to the Shin's song New Slang, telling him that it'll change his life. That scene spoke to me. We all have songs in our life like that, songs that changed our lives, made us better people, songs that helped shape who we are today. Maybe these songs came into our lives at the most opportune time, when we were feeling down, vulnerable, or maybe something amazing just happened and we're ridiculously happy; maybe they stir misplaced memories, remind us of people in and out of our lives, the good times, the bad times, the times. What ever the case may be, there are songs that we all have some sort of personal connection to, songs that whether we mean to or not, we rely on to get us through life.
I've been thinking about some of these songs in my life. The ones that don't just define me, but the ones that complete me. Some of these songs have been in my life for as long as I can remember, some are as recent as only a few months ago. For some reason I feel the need to share some of these songs. Maybe it'll inspire you to think back on the music of your life and make a list of your own Life Changing Songs.
The Monkees - Daydream Believer
This song holds some of my first musical memories. I can vaguely recall singing this song on the playground in kindergarten. Every time I hear the song, hear that sweet twinkle of the piano intro, my mood is instantly lifted, it makes me happy. This song is where I take my email and twitter screen-names from, this song is what I listened to a hundred times in a row when Davy Jones died. To this day The Monkees remain one of my favorite bands, and this song will always hold a special place in my heart.
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross
Sometimes people are surprised when I tell them that Southern Cross is my all-time favorite song. It's not that the song and I go way back. I don't know when exactly it became my favorite song, sometime around 2010/2011, I think. The theme of the song just hit me, searching for something, finding yourself:
"When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way, 'cause the truth you might be running from is so small, but it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day"
This song and I came full circle in May of 2011. I was on the Big Island of Hawaii, on my own, for my birthday, which in itself was a personal spiritual journey of sorts. I had taken a tour up to the top of Mauna Kea, while standing there, watching the sun set from the top of the world, the stars began to come out; I could see the Southern Cross. As we were driving back down the mountain, the song came on the radio in the van. It's so true, seeing the Southern Cross, then hearing the song, the feeling this gave me was overwhelming, it's hard to explain, but I got it. I knew what life was all about.
The Beatles. Whose life hasn't been impacted by The Beatles is some way? The Beatles were the first "classic rock" band that I ever got really into, and in doing so, probably changed the course of my life. But why Across the Universe? Out of all the amazing songs by the Beatles that someone could say changed their life: Strawberry Fields Forever, In My Life, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Baby You're a Rich Man, why this one? It's the lyrics. The song is one of John Lennon's best works of poetry ever. The words, it's always all about the words. No matter how crappy I may be feeling, I listen to this song and I think "it's all gonna be ok, I'll get through this. 'Nothing's gonna change my world'"
Counting Crows - Catapult
I have a deep connection with this song. It's the first song that I heard from the first Counting Crows record that I bought when I started to really get into them a year and a half ago. The timing couldn't have been better for me to re-discover this band, it was the one year anniversary of my Grandmother, who I was very close to, passing away. Then suddenly, this song, that I'd never heard before, came spilling out of speakers on my laptop and I just started crying. It was exactly what I needed to hear:
"All of a sudden she disappears, just yesterday she was here, somebody tell me if I am sleeping, someone should be with me here, 'cause I don't want to be alone"
This song knew exactly how I was feeling. Even though it had been a year since my Grandma passed away, the memories were still way to fresh in my mind. Even now, two and a half years later, it's still a hard thing for me to deal with. Back in April my Great Aunt passed away, and again, this song was there for me.
A week after she passed away, Counting Crows were playing a show in Sydney, Australia, which was to be broadcast live on YouTube. I had posted on Twitter to Adam Duritz that I'd be watching the show, and asked if they'd play Catapult for me, for my aunt. They played the song. Though I don't know whether or not they actually played it for me, and as much as I want to ask Adam about it next time I see him, I don't think I will. I like going on thinking it was, it makes it that much more special. With this song, I now know I can get through anything, I know that I'm not really alone; I've got my music.
Field Report - Taking Alcatraz
It took a while for this song to worm it's way into my soul. I've loved it since I first heard it about a year ago, but now it's part of me. Maybe it was seeing the song perfrormed live, something I've had the honor of experiencing three times, or maybe it's just the more I listen to it, the more it seeps into me. The line that gets me the most, the line that pops out and gets me every stinkin' time:
"And if we die here, well at least we'll make a choice, and if we're fine there, we can tell the boys, that a line in the sand don't matter, if you don't care, that a bird in the hand is worthless, if you're too scared"
I think maybe more than the song itself, it's the passion and intensity singer/songwriter Chris Porterfield brings to the song when he performs it. I saw the band in Seattle a couple weeks ago, and hearing/seeing this song brought me to tears. Not many bands and/or songs can do that. Witnessing the passion that he brings to the song, and all their other songs is one of the things that helped me realise that I want to be a part of that world, I want to be constantly wrapped up in music. Making the decision to try find a way to pursue music writing as a career was helped along by seeing this band, and many, many others, and experiencing the passion and amazing people and music that is out there in the world right now.
Well there you have it kids, a slight glimpse into my soul, into what helped make me ME, music wise anyway. Of course there's dozens more songs and bands who have contributed to the awesomeness that is me, such as Bryan Adams, Garth Brooks, and most recently, Elbow, but that's way too much to go into. These are, as of right now in my life, the most important. So as I leave you with probably the most personal thing I'll ever write, I urge you to think about your musical life, what songs have changed you, what songs have impacted your life the most, what songs Cher slapped you in the face and said "Snap out of it!" so you could be YOU.
