Music.
It's one of the few things that’s there for every aspect of your
life, the joy, sadness, confusion and delirium. Everyone has certain
songs which mean things to them for various different reasons. Each
song means something different and strikes various chords with
people. Here I have the songs which shaped my adolescence, the music
which made me fall in love with music and the songs which carried me
through life when I couldn't carry myself.
All I Want – Kodaline
If
you have followed me for any longer than a week then you'll know
about my sheer adoration for this song. The lyricism of this sing
will never cease to amaze me. It paints a picture that remains with
the listener, or at least with me, forever. Whether you've been
through a break up, lost a loved one or just been through a
heartbreak this song will bring you to tears. I had the privilege of
hearing Kodaline perform this song live which might be why it strikes
such a chord with me. But for the first time in my gig life I decided
not to record my favourite song. I couldn't take my eyes off the
stage. I couldn't help the tears from falling and I couldn't help
having this song engraved in my soul.
Sex – The 1975
This
is really and truly the song of my teenage years. It sums everything
up for me. When life was really starting for me, this song came into
my life. Everything was brighter, everything seemed achievable. No
matter when I listen to this I sing the line “If we’re gonna do
anything we might as well just fuck” with the most childish joy.
The song’s about indecision and mistakes and everything real about
adolescence. If you asked me to summarize my teenage life in one song
I'd simply play you this song and hope you understand.
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
Back
waaay before I had an iPod I used to collect the Now! CD’s. I would
tell my dad to play them in the car and play them on my broken CD
player with static speakers in my room. I thought I knew what the
singers were all singing about but in reality I just liked how they
sounded. This song was on Now 74 and I'm pretty sure it was track
number 12 on CD 2. I skipped to this song EVERY time this CD was on.
I listened to it driving to school with my dad and I would feel
infinite as the green bushes would fly past my window. I thought my
life was exploding when my favourite 1d member Harry Styles got “wont stop til we surrender” tattooed on his arm. To this day when I listen to
this song I feel a little lighter.
Lost In Stereo – All Time Low
When
school was at its hardest for me I discovered All Time Low. They are
the band which truly got me into bands. Without this song I don’t
know how I would have survived fourth year. At the time I thought
this song described me, completely and utterly lost without music. I
can't describe much more but this band and this song got me through A
LOT.
Little
Bird – Ed Sheeran
Summer
2011. I was on holidays in second year and I was 14 years old. I
stumbled somehow upon this song. The vibe perfectly fitted my
summer and I absolutely fell head over heels for this singer. At the
time Ed had yet to release his debut album ‘+’ so I listened to
his EP’s Loose change, Songs I Wrote With Amy, No. 5 Collaborations
and Ed Sheeran album on repeat for three months. My love for this man
has only grown stronger since this discovery. I can now appreciate
his lyricism and talent while 14 year old me loved the sound of this
preppy tune. This song marked the beginning of a love affair that has
yet to end.
Layla – Eric Clapton
My
dad is a big Eric Clapton fan and when it was his turn (which was
very rarely) to pick a CD to play on the car stereo he'd pick between
Blondie and Eric Claptons greatest hits. One day on the journey home
from a weekend break in Belfast my dad put this cd on. I was 11 years
old and didn't much like listening to music I hadn't picked but I
never minded when this record was on. Track 7 was always my
favourite. On this particular journey home when track 7 came on my
dad and myself both reached forward to turn the volume up at the same
time. He glanced down, laughed shortly and said “It’s a proud day
when your only daughter enjoys the same music as you” and he smiled
so genuinely that thinking back it makes my heart warm. My 11 year
old self felt proud for my making my dad proud. I can't explain why
this song means so much to me but anytime I hear it I'm brought
immediately back to a car ride home from Belfast as the sun was
beginning to set.
Shiver – Amber Run
This
song is a very very recent discovery but the first time I heard it
marked a very important part of my life. The first time I heard this
song was live in Belfast with my now back-together boyfriend. But at
the time we were broken up and I was in a serious state of confusion
about so many things. We had decided to still go to the gig as we had
the tickets so we may as well. My boyfriend had never seen me at a
gig before. Gigs are one of the few places I feel completely at home
and the noises in my head all shut up to give me a rare sense of
tranquility. I had noticed as I was watching in awe of my favourite
band that Martin was looking at me more than the stage. I didn't ask
and just put it down to the fact he wasn't a big fan of the band
himself. We stood closer to each other as the gig went on and I could
feel myself falling slowly back into how things were. Then Joe, the
lead singer of Amber Run, explained the meaning behind this song
which while it didn't apply much to us we laughed and I prayed for it
not to be awkward. The song began and suddenly I was hit with a wave
of emotions. It made me realise so much in the space of four minutes
and helped clear a bit of fog in my head. For me at least, this song
will always be ours. God knows where we’d be if I hadn't been so
taken with this song.
Brainstorm – Arctic Monkeys
I
turn this song up LOUD. And I mean LOUD. I rock out to this song at
least once a day. I heard it for the first time when I saw Arctic
Monkeys perform live last July. I really cannot explain how much I
love this song and how much it has cheered me up. There's no deep
meaning here. Just a good song that brings me back to dancing in a
slightly muddy field looking like a tent wearing a yellow plastic
rain coat that went to my knees.
I'm Not Okay – MCR
I'm
16. I'm sat staring into space on my bed. I'm still wearing my
uniform and there's a chocolate stain on my right cuff. I've just
screamed into my pillow for a good ten minutes straight and I have an
exam tomorrow. It's drizzling outside and it's starting to get dark.
I exhale so deeply I immediately need to inhale and reach for my
iPod. I check for any messages. There's none. I try to write a new
message but the thought of annoying someone causes me to delete
whatever I've typed. I go to YouTube intending to watch some Shane
Dawson to try to make myself laugh. Instead I see this song in my
recommended section. I tap it and stare blankly as the ads for
yoghurt rolls past. I see kids with dark hair and a guy with an Afro
running around a school and hear a voice which I don't know who owns
almost screaming the words “I'm Not Okay” and for the first time
in nearly a week I don't feel like I'm on the ledge of a window about
to teeter off.. Five boys singing very loudly with guitars was
exactly what I needed to stop me from screaming. I proceeded to watch
every music video to date of MCR and I forgot completely about my
exam and the Kaiser Wilhelm.
So
these were the song of my life which mean the most to me and have had
the biggest impact on my life. Thanks for reading and be sure to
check out my social media.
I’d
like to thank Sarah Hawkinson for inspiring me with this one. She's
one of my favourite youtubers so you should check her out here when
you get the chance.
