Music has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up on Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, The Chicks, and Shania Twain. Just like I grew up on Eminem, DMX, and Tupac. And like I grew up on Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and George Michael. In middle and high school, I listened to Taylor Swift, Paramore, The Fray, Avril Lavigne, Panic at the Disco, Evanescence, Daughtry, and so many others. My life has a musical thread to it. Music is the one constant. Music has never let me down. It's always been there. Whether I need to listen to some heavy rock like Metallica, Disturbed, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, or Skillet when I'm trying to calm down. On those when I'm tangled up in anger and frustration that I can't explain, I turn them up loud. Or on the days when I feel strangely apathetic when I need some softer music, music that hits me deep within my heart and soul. Music like Lord Huron or LEON or BANKS. Music that makes me feel a bit more connected and makes me feel when I'm not feeling anything. Or on those days where I'm sad, but I don't know why, so I turn on some Ed Sheeran or some of my favorite musicals like SIX, Rent!, or any Disney movie soundtrack, because it makes me feel better. It puts a pep in my step, and it's like, okay, everything will be okay because we have music. Music is there. It's real.
There are songs that I listen to that instantly bring back memories. Like "Bad Girlfriend" by Theory of a Deadman, my friend and I danced in my house, the walls shaking with how loud the music was. we once were hanging out and having a ball when Facebook started blowing up, and my mother called me asking if we were okay after the earthquake. My friend and I didn't even realize there was an earthquake. We were having so much fun. Even listening to Jesse McCartney makes me think of her. Two extremes, Theory of a Deadman and Jesse McCartney, and bam! All the memories, ever.
Like the fact that even though I don't like Bon Jovi, sometimes I'll listen to "Wanted Dead or Alive" because it reminds me of my brother Tristan, just like listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers does. He went to a concert maybe like six years ago, and he recorded my favorite song of theirs just for me.
How when I listen to songs like "I Love Rock n'Roll" by Joan Jett or "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar, I think about those rare moments when my sister Chloe and I were home alone, just us girls. Those rare beautiful moments where we'd dance and sing (scream, really), and we were sisters. How much fun we had just being silly.
When I hear "1985" by Bowling for Soup, and "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, I think of being at the club Decades with my best friends Caroline, Abby and Nick and we'd be singing it to each other like there was nothing wrong with the world. Like it was just us friends against the world, and that's all we need. The end of last month, I went to Abby's bachelorette party, and there was something about being back in Decades, about dancing and singing and being with friends. It was amazing.
Music reaches a part of you that sometimes you can't explain, and in one of the shows of the summer, it addressed this. In Stranger Things, how they save Max is through her favorite song, "Runnin' Up That Hill" by Kate Bush.
That got me thinking.
What song would save me from Vecna?
It didn't take me long to figure it out.
"Freedom" by George Michael immediately came to mind. I can't help it. I hear that song, and I am instantly happy. It's like a power ballad and just, yes. Hell, I might get "Freedom" tattooed on my arm. or you know, some of the lyrics, who knows.
This song is like, a new start for George Michael. It was him saying, okay, I'm here but I'm not the same, and my music isn't the same, and ain't nothing wrong with that. He wanted to make his own music, and how he wanted. It's such a power ballad and he's like, taking back his power. How can you not like this song? Also, you've got supermodels lip-syncing the song, and it's glorious.
And because of George Michael, we got this:
Yes, that is Zachary Quinto aka SPOCK lip-syncing to "Freedom" and it. is. glorious.
The point is, it's one of my favorite songs, and if I was trapped with Vecna, I feel like it'd be that song that would bring me back.
Then I remembered that Stranger Things is set in the 80s, and this song was released in 1996, a full ten years after the newest season's events but whatever. It still would save me.
Though if we are going based on, you know, what was available in 1986, then it would probably be a Fleetwood Mac song such as "Dreams" or "Rhiannon."
Music is such an important part of us, who we are. you hear a song, and it brings back memories. It makes you feel something, whether that's a good or a bad feeling. So of course it'sa song that saves Max's life. It makes perfect sense to me.
So my question for you is: What song would save your life? Let me know in the comments!
-K
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