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Overall, 2018 was good to me. That’s not to say I didn’t experience any difficulties, but when I was going through them, these five songs helped me in more ways than one. Some songs were discovered this year, while others were ones I was familiar with but never paid attention to for one reason or another.
Hopefully these songs will strike a chord with you as well.
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Survive, by Rise Against
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC11yI21EJE
There’s just something at the break at 2:55 that is satisfying, uplifting, and empowering. After I heard this song I knew that I wasn’t the only one going through something. It also has all the right ingredients for a perfect punk rock song: a lightning fast chord progression, powerful drumming, passionate vocals, and a positive message.
Most inspiring verse:
“All smiles and sunshine.
A perfect world on a perfect day.
Everything always works out.
I have never felt so f*cking great.”
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House Where Nobody Lives, by Tom Waits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0YxjH09TDU
Every time I hear a new Tom Waits song I ask myself, “Why didn’t I listen to this guy sooner?!” But if I were to hear this song in my teenage years I would have found it to be painstakingly slow, so I guess everything happens for a reason. This song reminds me that at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, the strength behind the loves in your life, whether it’s in your family or your partner, is what will truly make you rich.
Most inspiring verse:
“So if you find someone,
someone to have someone to hold.
Don’t trade it for silver, don’t trade it for gold.
‘Cause I have all of life’s treasures,
and they are fine and they are good.
They remind me that houses are just made of wood.
What makes a house grand, ain’t the roof or the doors,
If there’s love in a house it’s a palace for sure.
Without love it aint nothing but a house,
A house where nobody lives.”
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Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley (originally by Leonard Cohen)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIF4_Sm-rgQ
It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t heard this song, but after hearing Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History episode that dissects the history behind the song, I found a new appreciation for it. It’s hauntingly beautiful, and Jeff Buckley’s voice is the perfect fit for it.
Most inspiring verse (Leonard Cohen version):
“I did my best, it wasn’t much,
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch.
I’ve told the truth I didn’t come to fool you.
And even though
It all went wrong,
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue by Hallelujah.”
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Purple Rain, by Prince
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvnYmWpD_T8
I was always aware of Prince and his talents, but admittedly didn’t start delving into his music until his untimely death. There is a more personal story behind this song than the other ones that I have shared. In June I was experiencing the worst night terrors of my life due to exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and jet lag. The night they ended was the night I started to sing this song to myself before I went to bed, and since then I view it as a song that gives me hope.
Most inspiring verse:
“I never wanted to be your weekend lover.
I only wanted to be some kind of friend.
Baby I could never steal you from another.
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end.”
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Come On Up to the House, by Tom Waits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUE-ic_Q0g4
Tom Waits is the only artist to show up twice in this list and that probably has to do with the fact that I bought “Mule Variations” at the start of the year. I find it hard to decide which song off of this record that I find to be more inspiring so I decided to go with both. To me, this is a song that says, “Scrap your ‘woe is me’ storyline and see how you can make the world a better place.”
Most inspiring verse:
“All your crying don’t do no good,
Come on up to the house.
Come down off the cross we can use the wood,
You gotta come on up to the house.”
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Photo Credits: Malte Wingen