Music is my hot hot bath
I was once scoffed at by my best friend for weeping like an infant after listening to something sad at her house. (It was probably Let It Be, after I got into the habit of listening to it almost daily, thus overcoming spontaneous bouts of sentimentality.)
Anyway, the point is, she wasn't laughing at me for crying (it IS sad), she was laughing at me for attaching feelings to music, saying that the songwriters aren't always going through the situation the song's about, and that they deliberately base it on a generic issue so that more people will listen to it and go 'Hey, that applies to me! Must rush out and buy it'.
Fair point, I suppose, but it never stopped music being my first love. The older and less immature I become, the more knowledge I gain about different genres and eras and it's fascinating. It seems like all people do nowadays is brag about how long they've known a tune, before it got in the charts and everyone was listening to it.
E.g. 'Calvin Harris?! Mate, 2006 I heard him first. Whole year before his name was even Calvin. He weren't even famous, I just lived down the same road as him and used to record stuff in his garage after school'.
WHO CARES?!
Good music is good music. It doesn't matter when you discover it or who showed it to you or whether it's 20 years old, or 50 years old, or in the top 40. I have only recently learned not to care when someone scrolls through my ipod and bursts into laughter at my eclectic tastes. Abba to Akon, Black Eyed Peas to Bowie, Janis Joplin to Justin Timberlake, Kate Bush to The Kinks to The Killers and all sorts of shit in between. People shouldn't judge you for not being afraid to listen to stuff that makes you happy or just what you consider to be a good piece of work.
Anyway, back to the original point:
If something truly moves you, whether it be a song, film, book, even an advert for the RSPCA, surely you're within your rights to get emotional about it, either way. If a song makes me happy, or upbeat, I'll dance to it. Even at work, which attracts unfunny remarks more often than not. If it's poignant, thoughtful or sends nostalgia rushing through you then that's great. The artist has done a good job, and it gives you a reason to live.
Listening to Etta James at work today made me feel like I was falling in love. Since I've Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin STILL sends shivers down my spine ever time I hear it. And as I'm sure is very, very obvious by now, almost everything The Beatles ever did makes me very something-or-other. Happy, sad, confused (Love You To), even angry (Yellow Submarine; Ob-la-di Ob-la-da). But SOMETHING, and something is certainly better than nothing.
Open your minds to new, interesting music and never give a shit what anyone else reckons. Find music with soul and emotion and your life will be 10 million times better.
Anyway, the point is, she wasn't laughing at me for crying (it IS sad), she was laughing at me for attaching feelings to music, saying that the songwriters aren't always going through the situation the song's about, and that they deliberately base it on a generic issue so that more people will listen to it and go 'Hey, that applies to me! Must rush out and buy it'.
Fair point, I suppose, but it never stopped music being my first love. The older and less immature I become, the more knowledge I gain about different genres and eras and it's fascinating. It seems like all people do nowadays is brag about how long they've known a tune, before it got in the charts and everyone was listening to it.
E.g. 'Calvin Harris?! Mate, 2006 I heard him first. Whole year before his name was even Calvin. He weren't even famous, I just lived down the same road as him and used to record stuff in his garage after school'.
WHO CARES?!
Good music is good music. It doesn't matter when you discover it or who showed it to you or whether it's 20 years old, or 50 years old, or in the top 40. I have only recently learned not to care when someone scrolls through my ipod and bursts into laughter at my eclectic tastes. Abba to Akon, Black Eyed Peas to Bowie, Janis Joplin to Justin Timberlake, Kate Bush to The Kinks to The Killers and all sorts of shit in between. People shouldn't judge you for not being afraid to listen to stuff that makes you happy or just what you consider to be a good piece of work.
Anyway, back to the original point:
If something truly moves you, whether it be a song, film, book, even an advert for the RSPCA, surely you're within your rights to get emotional about it, either way. If a song makes me happy, or upbeat, I'll dance to it. Even at work, which attracts unfunny remarks more often than not. If it's poignant, thoughtful or sends nostalgia rushing through you then that's great. The artist has done a good job, and it gives you a reason to live.
Listening to Etta James at work today made me feel like I was falling in love. Since I've Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin STILL sends shivers down my spine ever time I hear it. And as I'm sure is very, very obvious by now, almost everything The Beatles ever did makes me very something-or-other. Happy, sad, confused (Love You To), even angry (Yellow Submarine; Ob-la-di Ob-la-da). But SOMETHING, and something is certainly better than nothing.
Open your minds to new, interesting music and never give a shit what anyone else reckons. Find music with soul and emotion and your life will be 10 million times better.
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