I use songs to describe my moods, get me through tough times, communicate with friends, and everything in between. Music is so powerful, and the songs we listen to can have a huge impact on our lives. There are so many great songs out there, but here are 10 I listen to when I need to remember what is most important to me.
1. "Brother"- Lord Huron
I listen to this song when I want to feel reassured of solidarity, when I need to know I'm not alone in things.
Standout line: Don't turn away, don't tell me that we're not the same
We face the fire together, brothers 'til the end
Don't run away, our time will come but not today
I stand beside you, brother, with you 'til the end.
2. "Second Chances" - Gregory Alan Isakov
Because everyone deserves forgiveness, and thinking of a world where people don't give me second chances really puts that in perspective.
Standout line: I'm running from nothing, no thoughts in my mind
oh my heart was all black
but I saw something shine
thought that part was yours, but it might just be mine
I could share it with you, if you gave me the time.
I'm all bloody knuckles, longing for home
if it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone.
3. "Ain't No Reason" - Brett Dennen
This song highlights a lot of social issues that are important to me. It's filled with one-liners that really make you stop and think about things that are so easy to turn a blind-eye toward.
Standout line: The air on my skin and the world under my toes
Slavery stitched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever I go,
Love I try to follow.
4. "The Mission" - Valley Maker
I think about this song in the context of growing up and becoming my own person, finding other people who share similar values as me, and recognizing a large part of who I am today is a result of how I was raised. This song, to me, feels like a vulnerable moment of realizing all those things.
Standout line: I found a new home, I found some new friends. I met a good heart, I'm learning lessons. I made some teeth marks, I curse some blessings. I miss my parents, I miss the mission.
5. "Society" - Eddie Vedder
When I feel myself getting too caught up in materialism, I listen to this song to help me detach from that mindset. It reminds me that what society often idealizes isn't always what I want for my own life, no matter how well they market it.
Standout line: I think I need to find a bigger place
'Cause when you have more than you think
You need more space
6. "Bird Song" - The Wailin' Jennys
This song is so sweet and gentle. I play this song almost every time I go hiking, because the nature imagery in it helps me appreciate my surroundings that much more.
Standout line: I smell the flowers blooming, opening for spring
I’d like to be those flowers, open to everything.
7. "00000 Million" - Bon Iver
What can I say about this song? Everything Justin Vernon does is pure magic, but this song is one that stands out to me because of the acknowledgement of letting things in that hurt you. I think it's a good reminder that it's okay to feel pain and to be vulnerable.
Standout line: If it's harmed, it's harmed me, it'll harm, I let it in.
8. "Elysium" - Bear's Den
To me, this song represents the struggle between being young and carefree and also thinking and believing about things bigger than myself. The music video alone is so powerful, but when paired with the song, you're left thinking about what you value and what you believe in.
Standout line: I just hope that age does not erase
All that you see
Don't let bitterness become you
Your only hopes are all within you.
9. "Salvation Song" - The Avett Brothers
I always want to do things for the right reasons, and The Avett Brothers remind me of that in this song. I shouldn't do things just so I can tell people about them, but rather so I can make a positive difference in the world.
Standout line: We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way.
10. "That's What's Up" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
And, for when I need a love song that encompasses every sort of love I want in my life, I listen to this and feel forever grateful for my friends and family for loving me even when I'm a real piece.
Standout line: You've got my love to lean on darling
All the days.
