The Cornell Students' Soundtrack: Songs for Every Cornellian

Am I Wrong – Nico and Vinz

A conformist Cornellian is such an oxymoron. This entire song is a tribute to our individualistic mindset, doing the unexpected, and getting what we know we deserve. Haters will undoubtedly hate, but we can’t be afraid to make mistakes because “If one thing I know/I'll fall but I'll grow.” And, of course, at least we know that while we struggle, there are 14,000 other undergraduates experiencing the same trials. “Don't worry, you're not alone/that's just how we feel”  

Play Hard – David Guetta ft. Ne-Yo & Akon

An obvious choice. This is what Cornell students live by. We’re a university full of students who give it our all no matter what. We may spend hours in Olin on the weeknights, but the weekends are our time to let loose (unless it’s prelim season). Thus, Work Hard Play Hard is a celebratory anthem for when the weekend comes. “Hey, said a hustler's work is never through/We makin' it 'cause we make it move” “We work hard/play hard/Keep partyin' like it's your job.”

Turn Down for What – DJ Snake & Lil John

Similar to the last song, this song is clearly about raging. The difference is that this song is dedicated towards purely partying, and nothing but. While going out on the weekends does not exclusively describe Cornell life, relaxing (in whatever form) on the weekends is a large part of our culture here and deserves to be recognized. This song is about forgetting your responsibilities and letting loose, although I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. Turn down for whom?

No Such Thing – John Mayer
While this song makes many references to high school, the song as a whole is about discovering yourself and your passions. Some people like to pretend that we need to have everything figured out right now in this moment, but it’s okay to take the road less traveled. Some will tell us to “Take your life/Plot it out in black and white” and “They love to tell you/Stay inside the lines” but that doesn’t mean that we have to listen. Cornell is all about any person, any study, right? Whether you’re a hotelie, an engineer, or undecided, John Mayer says that you’re “invincible as long as you’re alive.” We can't worry about the real world right now, we just have to focus on now.

This Is How We Do – Katy Perry

Another party song, yay! Except this song isn’t just about partying. It’s about the little moments that you’ll reflect on when you tell your kids about all the times you had with your friends here. It’s about taking advantage of life while you can, and not worrying about being perfect. Whether that’s by “sucking real bad at Mariah Carey-oke” or being a “lady at breakfast in last night’s dress,” you can’t worry about the little things in life. The only way to survive in a competitive place like Cornell is to not stress about making mistakes.

Rather Be – Clean Bandit

“We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be” Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. This song describes how most Cornellians feel about their friends here, or for those bursting with school pride, the campus itself. We worked hard in high school to get here, and now that we’re away from home, we’re reaping all of the benefits. Some people are far outside of their comfort zone, having traveled from different coasts and different continents to be here. But somehow, Cornell is able to feel like home for us. Cornell is where most of us will find our soulmates (platonic or otherwise) and ourselves. And there’s no way that we’d rather be somewhere else.