By Emma Schoors
Music connects us all like a big family of loving, emotional idiots. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; that’s the whole point. It makes us get up and dance alone in our rooms, or look out the window in the car and pretend we’re in a music video. It’s perfect for setting the mood for a day, or simply as background for work or school. It’s these times that make us feel less alone. It makes us feel like there’s some ultimate force of power being held over us. So what does all this mean, and is it the same for everyone? It’s not, but we all fit into and break these molds sooner or later and ultimately find out what combination we find ourselves loving.
We’ve all been there. Good news reaches us and all we can do is dance to songs that sound like they mean nothing but what’s on the surface. Not every song is as beautiful as the next. But sometimes these songs are the ones that strangely end up in our “forever” music arsenal: Those songs that have a permanent place in our hearts, no matter the circumstance. Whether it be a new job or a personal goal or a friendship blossoming, these songs are the ones some feel magnetically pulled to no matter what. I guess these songs say that you can let yourself go without being too unaware, which is one of the most amazing things to be able to do.
Face it, some of the most tear inducing songs also make us laugh. Take songs like “Lemonworld” by The National or Father John Misty’s entire discography. These tunes feel like a novel written by a sadistic comedian. They’re soaked, front to back, in gold. The lyrics are often some of the best; if you find yourself listening to them and going “Whoo Hoo! I’ve found what I’ve been looking for!”, you may be the ironic kind of sad music listener, which is kind of awesome, in a sense.
There are times where the sad songs become the go-to songs. And I’m not just talking about in all of our inevitable emo phases. These tracks are usually used as uplifters or ways of telling ourselves that we’re not alone, as ironic as it may seem. We all have a favorite tune that’s unarguably not the most danceable. It’s these songs that break up the positive ones and sometimes keep us in check of where we are. Sometimes they may even possess some of the most hard-hitting lyrics. You know, the ones that we listen to over and over again to get them engraved in our minds. All in all with these types of tunes? You’re probably a deep thinker who cherishes emotional material.
So, how come listening to music isn’t a sport? It sure takes a lot of energy and hours of the day. As much as it really is a consuming art form, it exists to please people and challenge their ways of thinking or hearing things. Next time you’re talking to someone, ask them if they enjoy any certain type of tune. You may just learn something special about them.