Songs to Change a Life: Part 1

There are countless list of “songs that will change your life”, this is no such list, I make no guarantee that this list has any cathartic properties or that any of these songs will affect the listener in any way. What I can say is that each of these songs has some significance to myself in some way. A sort of soundtrack to my life. I'd like to put these in chronological order of the point in my life where I heard them but I'm not Rob Gordon, I lack the ability to do this.

Fat Lip by Sum 41
I’d be lying if I said Fat Lip changed my outlook on life or had a profound impact on the way I lead my life. Fat Lip was simply the first song that I ever obtained myself. It was the first song that I didn’t, in a sense, share, with others in my family. Like many, my musical taste was initially defined by the music played in house, I live in a house of reggae, jazz, soul and R&B, these were the genres I was brought up on. Fat Lip fits into none of these genres and therefore none of the music defined as good by my family. It was the first stage in my own independent music development.

Favourite lyric: “I don't want to waste my time
become another casualty of society.
I'll never fall in line
Become another victim of your conformity
And back down.”

Why does it always Rain on Me? By Travis
I’m not the most cynical person but I do often have moments where I believe that everything is going wrong and that no-one is as troubled as I am. It happens to the best of us. Why does it always Rain on Me? represents this feeling, the dismal feeling that everyone else is happier that you are.

Favourite lyrics: “Even when the sun is shinning I can't avoid the lightning”

Drops of Jupiter by Train
Drops of Jupiter is one of the rare songs where I remember not when I first heard it, but when it gained significance. It tells the tale of someone who has left to find themselves or greener pastures and then returns. Upon leaving my secondary school where the majority of my friends were I almost immediately felt like I had left them and in doing so destroyed relationships with the people I was closest to. In Stand by Me (1986), the writer says “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” I often think this will be true of my friends at the age of 15 (although, technically, I think these would be more or less the same people).

Favourite lyric: “Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way”

One Song Glory by Adam Pascal
During the course of my life I’ve wanted to take on many different occupations, lawyer, artist, writer and many more, each of which, at some point, involved creating something. This “something” would of course outlive me and me by mark on the world. This has not changed, I still feel the desire to leave something behind; I think this is a mortality thing. Ever when I no longer exist, part of me has to. Although I have almost nothing in common with Roger from Rent (I am not male, HIV Positive, a singer, a guitarist, an ex-junkie and my girlfriend didn’t commit suicide), I identify with one aspect of One Song Glory; creating this “one song”.

Favourite lyrics: “Find
Glory
In a song that rings true
Truth like a blazing fire
An eternal flame”

Sometimes you can’t make it on Your Own by U2
I’m not one for asking for help. Honestly, I hate it and my reluctance to get help accounts for a very large proportion of the problems I face. Sometimes I can’t make it on my own, despite my being fully aware of this, my actions never change.

Favourite Lyrics: “You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight”

End Titles by Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption Soundtrack)
I think that part of enjoying this score is knowing the film in question and knowing how this particular score was used within the film. This score is present at many different parts of in the film, it is at the beginning, it is in the middle and it is at the end. It initially sounds sombre and depressing and eventually transforms into an uplifting piece. This reflects the life of the films main protagonist within the film; he goes from incarceration to freedom. This score makes me feel as though whatever awful things may be occurring, I have the ability to get through them.

Forever Young by Youth Group
I know Youth Group didn’t initially sing Forever Young, I simply prefer their version to the original (ooo, blasphemy). Within most us of is a desire to not grow up, Forever Young represents this perfectly.

Favourite Lyrics: “Forever young I want to be forever young,
Do you really want to live forever?”

L’Accordeoniste by Edith Piaf
When I went through what I call my Edith Piaf phase, I just listened to the music not really knowing what the songs translated to or what they meant. L’Accordeoniste sounded pleasant, the sort of song you’d do a jaunty dance to, unfortunately, it is not a pleasant song, ‘tis quite sad really. Learning what L’Accordeoniste was about caused it’s advancement onto this list. L’Accordeoniste is about a prostitute who falls in love with an accordion player who goes to war and doesn’t return. I don’t identify with the song but the way this saddening tale it told to a jaunty tune sticks with me.

Favourite lyrics: “Elle a envie de chanter
C'est physique
Tout son être est tendu
Son souffle est suspendu
C'est une vraie tordue de la musique”