Now, I'm not usually one for really, really positive music that features messages that will encourage people like they're popping Paxil or anything. Whether music is truthful or harsh or thoroughly depressing, what matters to me is if I can relate in some way. What I've been needing lately, however, has been uplifting music, especially two specific songs that I've listened to a lot.
There's something inherently beautiful, completely pure and eerily ethereal about the music Icelandic rock band Sigur Ros create. I love most of their music, but one song in particular, "Hoppipolla," truly speaks to me. The visual imagery that this song conjures for me is the sight of bright sunlight shining through throngs of tall, bushy trees atop a hill.Even though I can't understand the song's lyrics, the piano let-in alone is enough for me to have a visceral reaction...in a good way, you know? It's like the encouragement I feel from the beautiful polyphony of the whole song hits me right in the stomach. It's undeniable. This song not only gives me hope in music, it gives me hope in myself. Maybe it's the blaring trumpets. Or the glockenspiel.
After listening to "Today Will Be Better, I Swear!" by Stars on repeat for a half hour last Saturday, I really wanted to believe what the Canadian band was preaching. The lyrics are so dead-on (at least for me) and much more original than that awful "Bad Day" song from a couple years ago, that I believe stemmed from American Idol. Why am I not surprised? American Idol might be the root of all evil.ANYWAY, this song is perfect, even down to the exclamation point in the title, which is grammatically uplifting in and of itself, don't you think?
And everybody only wants to fight
You're up against never being right
When the worries of the world hold your feet
And there's little left to believe in
Today is going to be a better one
There's nothing more to take in
That's going wrong
-- Stars
2 comments:
Man, i have not listened to any uplifting songs lately! But they are truly the best, especially when you feel awful.
I always tend to be uplifted by silly songs such as Kimya Dawson's Tire Swing (that song got me through some rough times).
just LOOK at amy millan and torq campbell. don't you want to hang out with them?
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