My Life in a Playlist

Lion King Soundtrack – Hakuna Matata

Oh, yes. An old Disney favorite with a message sings true. Perhaps I dive too deep for meaning sometimes, but this always stuck with me ever since I was a little tyke. Before the stresses of schoolwork and living in the complex world, I lived care free, scavenging my yard for bugs and other insects. Not for ingestion, but rather for entertainment. To watch those little critters scurry across the ground or put them in sand castles would entertain me for hours on end.

But to delve into the meaning of the song. “It means no worries for the rest of your days.” Nowadays, with the immense burden of homework and society’s expectations to be some sort of “career commando,” everyone needs a little Hakuna Matata. This is no implication to ignore homework or not to get a job, but to spend time with good friends and enjoy life. As everyone remembers, Simba had just met Timon and Pumba in the video, but they became best of friends and enjoyed some great times.

This song is a reminder to never forget the care-free days of my childhood. Whenever I have a seemingly unbearable load upon my shoulders, I am able to keep my composure. Not only is this a source of pride, this song is a source of relief and solace. The ability to laugh and play all through life is my idea of perfection, rarely allowing dark and bitter aspects to dampen my spirits. Hakuna Matata…what a wonderful phrase!

Cheap Trick – I Want You to Want Me

Nothing like an anthem of unrequited love to put a depressing dent into the story of my life. My affection for the opposite sex stems back as far as the fifth grade, traversing this long and unsuccessful road until college. The result of my affections always remained the same, even if the girl was new to my class, from a different school, or even one of my best friends. All of these infatuations ended in heartache, regret, and social awkwardness.

“I want you to want me.” The feelings started off small at first. Only a small swig of the proverbial love potion had been consumed. However, these feelings began to snowball. Before long, the girl would exhibit signs of disinterest, which I did not notice of course. I do not mean to sound like a whiner, but this is painful for me to continue. So I will sum it up with three words: Unrequited love sucks.

However, Cheap-Trick’s lyrics did teach me something. I always want to be the person that comforts people in their time of need. “Didn’t I see you crying? Feeling all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dying.” My experiences with unrequited love made me a crusader against emotional pain. I always try to comfort my friends in need, and I always make sure my friends know I will be there for them. They always know they do not have to want, need, or beg me, because I will love them always.

The Rembrandts – I’ll Be There For You

It has always seemed odd to me why there is not as much loyalty among friends as there used to be. Television shows, like House and Desperate Housewives, have portrayals of friends that backstab one another. The world needs to act more like Friends (how aptly named!), where differences are eventually forgiven, instead of held begrudgingly over a long period of time.

One can never put a specific time upon decisions that make up their personality, and this is no exception. Perhaps, as I have stated so very many times, that I was never the most popular guy growing up. My feelings about the warped realm of popularity helped develop sensitive, personable side, giving me the ability to empathize with the down trodden and broken hearted. This song states it simply in five words: I’ll be there for you.

One would think that nothing else needs to be said with these five words. However, The Rembrandts feel it necessary to emphasize their desire to be there to support friends, or even anyone in need. In a “dog eat dog” world, the feeling that someone will always be by your side is, in my opinion, the greatest motivator in the world. If not for a close network of friends, perhaps I would have turned out a darker, less sociable person…or maybe not have continued at all. This is my credo: to support and console anyone in need. My philosophy is not for my own self-benefit. As The Rembrandts state so beautifully, “I’ll be there for you, ‘cuz you’re there for me too…”

My Chemical Romance – Famous Last Words

Whenever I watch this video, I have the feeling the band is in a post-apocalyptic setting. In a way, this is a reminder of my life in the seventh grade, when my crush on the prettiest girl in my class got out. “So many bright lights that cast a shadow” reminds me of my peers and the torment I was subjected because of my affections. At times, this was overwhelming and I hated every bit of my existence, wondering if this was the life I was doomed to possess. And then the chorus, blaring in all its glory, “I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone.” I do not know where I possessed a drive to continue through the subjection of embarrassment, but I rolled through (surprisingly). Living life with fire and intensity is an important character to possess. The flames constantly spurting behind the band is almost indicative of their perseverance that no matter what happens, no matter the people or their insults, they will not submit. Why must we give up in the face of adversity? Perhaps it is the difficulty that makes our lives and the desire to live all the stronger. With such a fire, such a passion to continue living, why must the song be entitled “Famous Last Words?” These words of power and determination are most likely meant as inspiration from those who had traveled down the path of self-destruction, those that had given in to the “blinding bright lights.”

Shinedown – I Dare You

Disregarding that the video is a Heroes montage, I focus more upon the lyrics of this song. Though I skew the lyrics a little, I derive a great message that powers me to be the person I am.

“I dare you to tell me to walk through fire, wear my soul, and call me a liar.” During my sophomore year of high school, I felt like I had no identity. I was not good at sports, I was not popular, and there were always a few people smarter that me. Sometimes, I was even picked on just for being myself. I felt as though my life was going to spiral into a black hole and I would remain an “unknown” for the rest of my life…or worse. That year, I made a pact with myself. I would live my life for me, not the desire to be popular. And, all of a sudden, I seemed happier…like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I was free. I knew, that from this point in my life and onward, I would have no need to chase impossible dreams of being the most popular. The lyric “are you still chasing the memories in shadows” fits there. I no longer needed to chase those memories.

“Even in madness, I know you still believe.” Though people may not like the person I am, all I have to do is believe in the person I am. So, if I may, I dare you to call me a liar. Because I know that what I say is true…and that’s all that matters.

Lustra – Scotty Doesn’t Know

Whoever said “Ignorance is bliss” needs to be drawn and quartered. For those unfamiliar with Euro-Trip, Fiona had recently broken up with Scotty, who goes to a party to cheer up a little. The video is Scotty at that party, finding out that his Fiona had cheated on him the entire relationship with the singer of the band (who, in the movie, is played by Matt Damon).

I identify with Scotty all too well. Not that I had a cheating nympho girlfriend, but more so in the way that it seems people enjoy our pain. All those people are partying to a song about a girlfriend cheating with the lead singer. The worst part is not the obvious (and vivid) descriptions of the cheating, but that the tune is catchy (noted by Scotty’s best friend, his little brother, and even his father!). Back in high school, I was not the most popular guy. However, the girls in my school found it very amusing to try to make me become infatuated with them, leading me on for their own entertainment. Obviously, I caught on…after the third time or so. I thank God for delivering me from that hellhole to college in one piece (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

Believe it or not, I am extremely grateful for one aspect of my high school life, and that is the fact I can consider myself lucky that I was at my high school instead of Scotty’s. Lustra could have had another hit single entitled, “Sean’s a Gullible Idiot.”

Lazlo Bane – Superman

As I listen to this song, I think back to my years of high school and the numerous organizations (Future Business Leaders of America; Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America; Band…just to name a few) in which I held membership. Between the demands of these organizations (preparing a ten minute presentation on the economic growth of Kazakhstan), homework (reading a ten minute dialogue and writing a five page analysis over it), and work (bussing tables and washing dishes), I left little time for little pleasures in my life. I felt like my life was being run ragged and I might go insane from stress. I found this song by watching Scrubs, which is now one of my favorite television shows. This song really affected me by making me realize that I could not always expect to “do it all.” Because, as the song says, “You’ve crossed the finish line / Won the race but lost your mind / Was it worth it after all?” This little lyric made me think about how I was running my life. Is doing everything and winning really worth whittling away all my free time? And thus, I felt like a prisoner that had been freed. I am constantly reminded that I am human, and that the ability to do everything is not worth the effort or the consequences involved. Though in the song, Bane has been told “You got to work to feed the soul” and “You gotta break free to break the mold,” he knows that he can’t be perfect and do everything. Because of this song, I have learned to take life at a slower pace and enjoy life as it comes, making sure to avoid the rat race as much as possible. Because, hey, I’m no Superman.

Rob Thomas – Little Wonders

“Let it go. Let it roll right off you shoulder. Don’t you know? The hardest part is over.” These are easy words to say after carrying a canoe for half a mile, but also the beginning to the song. An unforgettable experience occurred the week before New Student Orientation, when my Liberal Arts Seminar class trekked in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I came away from the trip not only with a handful of new friends, but an enlightened attitude.

Sometimes, we are caught up in the rush of city living to appreciate the “little wonders” that nature provides. I know I was. “Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders.” In the hours that I spent in the wilderness, either sitting on a lake shore or in a canoe as it glided silently across the water, there seemed to be a calming presence in the air. Even now, months after the experience, I still remember. “But I can not forget the way I feel right now.”

“Let your clarity define you.” The clearness of my thoughts will always be remembered from that experience…an experience such as that is rarely forgotten. If there is anything I wish to pass on, let it be this important message: Don’t be afraid to get lost once in a while. Not physically, but mentally. If only for a moment, let the burden of stress roll off your shoulders and let your mind be clear. “Time falls away, but these small hours, these little wonders still remain.”