And why it’s like magic…
If you’re anything like me, you like to escape here and there to a world where there are no worries, no issues- just bliss.
To me, that is why I listen to music. That is also why I read. Because they take me somewhere I’m not… somewhere I want to be.
I imagine those who created the music wanted me to feel how they felt when they wrote it. I also imagine those musicians wanting to strike a fire in me that burns passionately when I listen to their music… and boy, are they good at that!
Listening to music can also be very healing and can unite people! That is why music therapy is a thing. But if you can’t afford music therapy, that’s okay. Thankfully most of us have the internet available to us everywhere we go and can pick any song to listen to.
So below are my top 10 songs at the moment and why I chose them…
(P.S They’re in no particular order!)
#1. Who Loves You by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons (1975)
What I love the most about this song is that it grounds me. Not only do I wanna belt it out every time I hear it, but I also love that it’s about a pure, innocent, devoted love. To many, this song may remind them of a partner or a loved one. But to me, it reminds me how I feel about myself. When things are tough, I have always found a way to be there for myself. And thankfully, I do actually love myself. I know I’m not perfect (what even is “perfection” anyway?) and that I can/could/will improve…but regardless of any flaw I may see in myself, I will always be there to help myself. And that’s why this song speaks so much to me. Not only that but who doesn’t like Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons?! If you haven’t heard his other songs, I would also recommend taking a peek and listening to them!
#2. Psychotic Reaction by The Count Five (1966)
Wow. This song blew my mind the first time I listened to it. And to be quite frank, I had a reason for that. I was in love with a bozo (I call him a bozo because he wasn’t really a good person) and the love I felt for him at the time felt like a psychotic reaction hahaha! I truly loved him but he never loved me back so it was a relationship that had no future. So, when I heard this song, I felt it connect to my soul. Not only that but who doesn’t love the harmonica?! Because of this song, I ended buying a Harmonica and learning how to play. Thankfully, I no longer talk to that bozo and now when I listen to this song, I am free to just rock out to it and feel liberated from the toxicity in that particular “relationship”.
#3. The Man Who Sold The World by Nirvana (Originally by David Bowie-1970)
To me, this song reminds me of dissociation because many times with dissociation, it feels as if you’re “not fully present”. For people who don’t experience dissociation, you might be a little confused with that so let me try to explain. Have you ever zoned out while playing a video game or driving? One minute you’re fully aware and the next you’re basically home and can’t remember how you got there? Well, that is dissociation. Your body takes control and you’re kind of in the passenger seat. For many people with PTSD or trauma, dissociating might be a coping mechanism that is used involuntarily to escape certain uncomfortable situations. So, in this song, when Kurt says, “ We passed upon the stairs. We spoke of was and when. Although I wasn’t there, he said I was his friend. Which came as a surprise… I spoke into his eyes… ‘I thought you died alone… A long long time ago’…” which reminds me of a part of Kurt who believes he is fully present which is recognizing the part of him that at times and maybe during many times, has replaced Kurt (per say) and been the one present instead. Have you ever not recognized yourself? I sure have in many ways than not and that is one of the biggest reasons I love this song. What do you think? I googled David Bowie’s meaning for this song and it was along the lines of identity crisis and dissociative identity disorder so if you don’t take my word for it, you can dig deeper and find out more online!
#4. Come Live With Me by John Williams, sang by Tonny Scotti (1967)
Ahhhh… this song always gives me so much joy. Not only does it sound fantastic (to my ears anyway) but Tonny is singing about a love that might only last a day. He’s not sure if it can last and he doesn’t care because he’s happy just to embrace the moment. I think his attitude towards love is unique and very particular because most people want and dream and yearn for a love that is ever lasting. But if you’ve ever loved, you’ll know that it can get intense and obsessive (or is that just me???) so when Tonny sings this song, it speaks to a part of me that does acknowledge the fact that life is not guaranteed every day. So, make the best of what you have when you have it. I think if you’re into old school movies that you’ll also enjoy the movie where this song is originally from: “Valley of The Dolls” (1967). OH! And btw, Sharon Tate is an actress in the movie and I am basically obsessed with her so I could really appreciate her in the movie!
#5. A Day In The Life by The Beatles (1967)
Although there are many Beatles songs… this song is one of the greats (to me and many others). I wish I could go back in time to when I first heard this song in person because I wonder what it felt like. But after the millionth time of listening to it, it still speaks to me and gives me chills. When John says “I’d love to turn you on”, yes, he could be talking about actually making you horny (lol) but I think he is referring to “turning on” the part of you that’s been “shut off”. And it makes me question how many of us have “shut off” parts of ourselves in order to “turn on” others, be it by impressing them, identifying with them, or relating to them. I know I have anyway! And so that part has always fascinated me… Then Paul starts singing and he’s describing waking up… literally and getting ready for the day, then heading into a dream. It’s so beautiful the way they orchestrated the lyrics. There’s topics like death also in the song, which I find really fascinating. Like when he’s singing about the man who died in a car crash and they’re all wondering if he was religious. Or about the war and how it has affected millions, yet no one really cares about that in the song but him. Even the way it ends is fun! The quieting of the music as it fades out and then a random burst of sounds. Some people have told me that they didn’t understand that. I think it’s a very funny part because it’s like a reminder of them having succeeded “turning you on”. Almost as if you were to turn on a radio back in the day, metaphorically speaking. This song enhances certain emotions in me and if you’ve never listened to it before, I hope it sparks and lights up something deep within you like it does for me!
#6. Bulls On Parade by Rage Against The Machine (1996)
At times like these (and many many other times), with war still existing in our societies, this song reminds me of the fact that violence is a “go to” for many individuals. We see it in homes with domestic abuse… we see it with neighbors when they become aggravated and or selfish and become abusive towards us because of how we live or don’t live… we see it in strangers when things don’t go “their way”… it is everywhere. It saddens me but another reason I like this song and included it in my list is because it sheds light to those things without necessarily being “ugly”. I actually think the song is beautiful because of how it sounds and because of the messages of the instruments. It is almost as if they are saying: “Hey, are we loud enough or what? Must I be any clearer?”. I also used to play it in Guitar Hero III! It was one of my favorites. And this is also very random but the song is sexy hahaah. I think we sexualize and become seduced by it (I do anyway) and I hope society in general becomes seduced with the idea of making the world a healthier, safer, overall-cool place to live in.
#7. Blue Monday by New Order (1983)
If you have never heard this song before, who are you?! And why have you not heard this song?! I personally love it because it sounds soooo good and it makes me want to go to a club and request it and then dance to it like I’ve never danced before lol. The song’s lyrics are sad but they’re about someone who has been taken advantage of and they’re understanding that happened and questioning why it has been happening. Unfortunately, not everyone gets the closure of knowing why they’ve been taken advantage of or how it fully played out… which is a vibe I got from this song. He’s questioning everything and at the same time, acknowledging that something is not wrong with him but it’s wrong with the abuser. Yet, he’s still in the abuser’s line of fire because he sings, “How should I feel? Tell me now how should I feel?”. We all hope they get away but when has it ever been easy to do so with an abusive person? So, I think the lyrics of this song touches parts of us that have been hurt and feel damaged. And the instruments in the song are like a reminder that we’re still making it even though we’re going through periods of change.
#8. Why Can’t We Live Together? by Sade (Originally by Timmy Thomas-1972)
I LOVE Sade. Especially in the morning when I’m just about to start drinking my coffee. Her album “Diamond Life” is AMAZING and I can’t believe I made it 22 years without listening to it (I was 22 when I first heard her music). This song is pretty self explanatory. Why can’t we have peace in this world? Why can’t we be together? Originally by Timmy Thomas, this song has been covered a lot but I like Sade’s version best because her voice is so soothing even when singing about an issue that still affects us all today. Unfortunately, racism has not gone down-despite people saying it has. As an American, I do not like where we are headed. The fact that there is still so much hate in this country and in this world pains me. But this song speaks to the fact that we are family. We may not be related but we all have hearts, a soul, a mind-there are so many things that can bring us together. Yet, it’s easy to get wrapped around the idea that we are more different than we are alike. I think that’s not true. So, that’s why I included this song in this list. It gives us hope of one day becoming a better unit and it promotes asking ourselves why we think the way we do.
#9. Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1993)
Hehehe I actually have a story with this one. It’s a long story so you can skip it if you’d like but it’s funny for me to think about now. Well, once upon a time a few years ago when I was inpatient while experiencing psychosis, we were all asked by a counselor what song we wanted to listen to. So we each picked one song. I picked “Creep” by Radiohead and a guy named Ray picked “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. When I heard my song, I danced and Ray starred at me in a loving way. Like, he was enjoying my dancing. Then his song came on. I looked at him mid song and said, “it’s time”. He must have been in psychosis too because he took me to his room (which was not allowed btw) and he gave me a huge, beautiful looking Bible. He had two of them. He grabbed one in his hands and gave me the other one. Then we both kissed. After the kiss I said “I miss you already” and we kissed again. It was a very passionate kiss and we were both really “gone” if I admit. But he then placed his phone number on a piece of paper and stuck it in the Bible. The counselors realized we were kissing and banned us from being around each other. I’ll never fully know what he was thinking at the time and I can’t really say I knew what the hell I was doing either. But that’s psychosis for ya. Any who, this song for a long time reminded me of him and that moment. But now less and less although I still remember! Hahaha I laugh it off now and enjoy the song for what it is: great story telling! I love the way Tom Petty writes and I wish he was still here with us. Rest in Peace Tom Petty (2017).
#10. I Don’t Want To Go On Without You by Nazareth (1964)
If you’ve ever been heartbroken and needing a “cry to” song… I would recommend this one as well as “Love Hurts”. Believe it or not, being as cool as I am and all, I have had bad luck with love (lol). So this song is my go to for when I feel down in the dumps about love. I had to say goodbye many times to people I have loved. It hasn’t been easy but thank goodness for music. Nazareth also happens to be one of my favorite bands as well. And can you blame me?
I hope you enjoyed my post today! I’m very curious to know if you enjoyed any of the songs I listed. And if not, how come? Do you listen to another genre of music? If so, why? And what would your top ten be? I’d love to know!
Foolishly Happy 
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