With homecoming weeks happening all across the country, seniors are beginning to realize that these are the “lasts.” The last football games, the last formals, the last time to live in a mile-radius of all our friends.
These senior songs might make you cringe, smile or laugh, but they will all make you feel something.
5. Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C
“And as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.”
It may be cheesy, but graduation is cheesy and full of emotions — excitement, fear, nostalgia. Vitamin C does not mask anything in this song. It is simply about wanting to stay in touch with friends as life takes them in different directions. That’s all we can really hope for.
4. Whenever You Remember by Carrie Underwood
“Whenever you remember I’ll be there. Remember how we reached that dream together?”
Carrie just wants us to remember the good ole days and all those good times with our friends. What better song than that to sing at graduation? Her American-Idol-winning voice will always sound better than you, because you will probably be sobbing.
3. These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs
“Never before and never since, I promise will the whole world be warm as this and as you feel it.”
This mellow tune does not initially seem like a graduation song, but at second listen, I really heard the lyrics that talk about feeling inspired and knowing you are lucky for this experience. A college education is an immense privilege, and this sweet song reminds us to be thankful for it.
2. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day
“It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life.”
The quintessential graduation song for our generation was originally written about a girlfriend moving to Ecuador. But for many graduating seniors, facing real life is the “turning point, fork stuck in the road.”
College is a roller coaster. From gaining friends to losing sleep, it is one adventure after another. Then we are expected to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives, move away from all our friends and start new. It is scary, but at least we know we enjoyed our time on campus first.
1. Piano Man by Billy Joel
“Sing us a song, you’re the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody, and you’ve got us feeling alright.”
This classic evokes feelings of nostalgia. For me, it holds a lot of significance.
All the seniors in my sorority sing it at formal and sob. I am normally completely emotionless, but I heard this song for the first time as a senior, and it just all hit me.
I suddenly realized that this was my song now. It was my time to be the one to cry whenever I heard those harmonicas.
The best graduation songs really mean something to you. This one will probably make me blubber all year, and it will bring back incredible memories for the rest of my life.
It connects me to the chapter I fell in love with as an undergrad, and now I get to take it with me for the rest of my life.
Here’s to playing it forever at formals, at weddings and anytime we get together.
