Sometimes it can be really difficult to get out of bed in the morning and think, “I feel fantastic about being me today”. I get it; I have been there too! When people say that we’re our own worst enemy, they aren’t kidding! It is much easier to feel sorry for ourselves instead of facing up to the stuff that’s getting us down.
However, lest we should forget, there are many things that can help deter us from these grumpy daybreaks! Possibly one of the most powerful of these is music. I have found that music has helped pick up and settle my bad moods many a time, and it’s something that is so easily accessible to anyone, anywhere at anytime too. The perfect medicine for a sore head.
I like to keep a “happy playlist” on my iPod (other personal music players available, of course), that I can listen to whilst getting ready for the day if I’ve woken up in one of those grey states. It is definitely a tactic I would recommend, a good positive, pick-me-up, playlist is the quickest and best way to kick start a more optimistic mood. Therefore, I have decided to share with you five tracks from mine, to maybe inspire you to make your own playlist, or even just to give you some extra tracks if you already have one set up!
#5 Love More Worry Less – Bipolar Sunshine (pictured)
Favourite Lines: “Your future’s standing right in front of you / Staring at you in your full view / But only you can make the change / It’s up to you to break the chain…”
Released in late 2013, this track is the most recent of the five I’ll be sharing with you, but that doesn’t distract from it’s poignant lyrical value. I have picked out the above lines as my favourite lyrics because I feel that they send a powerful message to the listener. Even if we feel trapped, and weighed down by our present situation, we must remember that our entire future is ahead of us and although we might not be best pleased with where we are now, we will not be there forever. There is a chance to change, and that chance is harboured within us and within our desire to break out. As well as this, the repeated line “love more and worry less…” is drilled into us as if it is a mantra that the lyricist is trying to share with us; and a very good mantra too! I definitely want to love more and worry less after listening to this song.
#4 Feeling Good – Michael Bublé
Favourite Lines: “Oh freedom is mine / And I know how I feel / It’s a new day / It’s a new life…”
I shall not deny my love for Michael Bublé! I know some of you might have felt a cringe when you read the title and artist for this track, but I genuinely think he is a wonderful performer. The orchestral sound that he brings to this version of the song always makes me feel small, but in the best kind of way. It makes me feel small compared to all of this sound and all of the instruments being played, and as if I was there in that room with all the musicians, I am reminded to put things into perspective. Yes, the things in my life are looking pretty big and pretty scary right now, but the atmosphere this song brings can remind me that I am part of something much bigger than myself. Just like one musician is to an orchestra. The lyrics are all about feeling good about the new day and ourselves too, and you can’t deny that the uplifting attitude behind these words is at least as good as, if not better than, a dose full of morning coffee.
#3 Raise Your Glass – P!nk
Favourite Lines: “So raise your glass if you are wrong / In all the right ways / All my underdogs / We will never be, never be anything but loud…”
Although listening to P!nk does make me think of a time gone-by when I would create dance routines with my younger cousin, I still enjoy the occasional dip into memory lane now and again! P!nk is quite possibly one of the best artists of my generation for knowing how to “stick it to the man”, she’s as sassy as they come and not afraid to speak her mind through her songs. ‘Raise Your Glass’ is a great example of this; we are encouraged to celebrate ourselves even if we don’t fit the exclusive mold that society has set out for us to fit- both for how we look and how we act. Speak up, don’t be afraid to be yourself.
#2 Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Favourite Lines: “Don’t hide yourself in regret / Just love yourself and you’re set…”
Come on now, you didn’t think I’d leave this one out did you!? Lady Gaga is a symbol of the weird and wonderful, and although she’s hyped it up in order to create a brand for herself, there’s something more in the bizarre outfit choices she makes. Aside from providing us with a very upbeat and motivating track via the overall sound of ‘Born This Way’, the lyrics address many communities and people who don’t necessarily have all that many songs out there supporting them. The ultimate message given here is that we were all born the way we were for a reason; and we should feel no shame in that. Individuality and imperfections make each of us who we are, and this song is a great reminder of that on those days when we might not be feeling good enough.
#1 Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) – Quindon Tarver
Favourite Lines: “Enjoy your body / Use it every way you can / Don’t be afraid of it or what other people think of it / It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own…”
For days when I’m feeling low, I swear by this track. I really wanted to just type up the entire set of lyrics for my Favourite Lines, because that is how much I adore it. My dad introduced me to this a few years ago, and it has since become my go-to song when I need some words of wisdom at short notice. If you haven’t heard this one before, please go and listen to it as soon as you can! And when you do, make sure there’s nobody around to distract you, it’s one of those songs you need to experience not just hear. Although no actual singing occurs through ‘Everybody’s Free…’, the effect of the speaker is incredibly soothing and peaceful; an effect that is much appreciated when in an emotionally wobbly mood. Without a doubt my number 1 track, given with the highest recommendation!
Thus concludes our journey through the five tracks that I would endorse for anybody’s “happy playlist”! I hope I have given you something new to listen to, or perhaps inspired you to make your own playlist. Remember to keep your chin up, and know that music is always there as a friend when the rest of the world is just a bit much!
http://youtu.be/fG5kFMicB-E
