"Certain Songs...

they get so scratched into our souls."

I can usually match up each person in my life, or each major event, with a certain song. Or sometimes it's a whole band. Everytime I've been ridiculously infatuated, I can guarantee there is an album that I can't listen to without thinking of him. It makes it impossible to passively listen to old music without getting nostalgic. It makes music so much better though, when there are stories behind it. I always listened to the Decemberists on my way to work at Izzy's in high school, and now the smell of the restaurant comes with the music. Christmas of freshman year, all I listened to was Band of Horses, and now I can't listen to them without thinking of that, and I can't help but feel the space heater in my room at home.
And I'm compelled to listen to the songs that have these heavy memories attatched, even if they're bad memories, or something I want to forget.


Bands represent stages of my life. Here's the progression or the major music loves of my life, beginning in seventh or eighth grade, when I really started listening to music:

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Dashboard Confessional, Brand New, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, The Decemberists, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kings of Leon, The Hold Steady.

I guess you could also throw in Iron and Wine, and there are numerous others that have played small parts in my life, and I'm not even taking into account specific songs. Sufjan Stevens too. Oh well. I'm sure you're riveted.

Ugh, I've been having to edit these freshmen ENG 111 papers in the writing center, and for my Business Editing class, and I think it's taking its toll on my writing. I find myself subconsciously thinking and writing like them, which usually isn't a good thing.