As the school year comes to an end, the futures of us seniors are coming in view. With this comes feelings of excitement, anxieties, and, of course, dread . . .
If you're anything like me, to combat these feelings, turning to music always helps. Here are ten songs for seniors that'll ease all those nerves and keep you company during these hard times.
"Thinning" - Snail Mail
Senioritis is real, guys. Lindsey Jordan, who preforms under Snail Mail, has been singing songs for sad teenagers since she was 15, and her 2016 track "Thinning" is no exception. The lazy-sounding guitar part strummed energetically over Jordan's worried hums brings the track this sense of dread, but like all things the dread is going to pass.
"1937 State Park" - Car Seat Headrest
Car Seat Headrest writes rock and roll poetry for teenagers who don't know what is wrong with them (which is most teenagers). Their 2016 pseudo-rock opera Teens of Denial is about growing up confused and sad and in love. The song "1937 State Park" is a plea to his generation to not obsess over death. When going onto the next part of maturity, teenagers seem to confuse the death of innocence with actual death. Lead singer Will Toledo screams about how a "high school teen dream dies in the hospital, and leaves behind a journal and a pair of Air Jordans." Life is worth living, friends. Don't let people make you feel any different.
"Teenage Wildlife" - David Bowie
Here is a fun fact: David Bowie was 33 years old when he wrote this song, but that doesn't make it any less of a teenage anthem. The song itself owes much of its structure from Bowie's hit "Heroes", but its lyrics and overall vibe is enough to separate itself. It's almost like the younger, wild brother of "Heroes." Bowie wails on the track about not being too stressed about the future and focusing on where you are now, which is a perfect message for seniors.
"Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" - Broken Social Scene
A four-minute loop-based ballad built on top of acoustic guitars and warbly repeated vocals does not sound that good on paper, but when you listen to this song you will be transported somewhere. The lyrics are sung so genuinely that you feel like you are there, sleeping on the floor, and dreaming or parking that car and dropping that phone. The song builds and builds until the melodic noise spreads its wings and takes flight. It's amazing.
"Kiss Off" - Violent Femmes
When Gordon Gano was 17 he wrote some of the greatest folk-punk songs ever. The Violent Femmes self-titled debut was recorded after a year or so of busking around. With teenage angst in the fore front, backed by two much older men on bass and drums, the songs on the album encapsulate teen angst to a tee. "Kiss Off" is about petty hate. It's a song for people who have been pushed around. It's a song to free yourself of the negativity and just tell all those bad things to go away. There's more to life than hate, but you have to find it first.
"Gave On" - Nana Grizol
Theo Hilton, lead songwriter for the Asheville-based indie band Nana Grizol, writes songs for reflection. Whether it be bike rides, curbside therapy sessions, or the smell of dumpsters, Hilton is able to make any memory feel warm no matter how troubled it is. For most of us, we have lived in this county our whole lives, and we've created hundreds of memories. Whether we'd prefer to forget them or not, memories make us who we are. "Gave On" is a emotionally driven, loud, and fast, and speaks of the loneliness we can feel after living this place for good.
"The Child is Gone" - Fiona Apple
Oh Fiona, we love you. Apple is probably one of the most powerful female songwriters of our generation. This song, off of her debut album Tidal, is all about the loss of innocence. It's another sad one, unfortunately, but being a senior can be sad. Sometimes you need a piano to wrap you up and tell you of your troubles. There is not much to say about this song, as it really just speaks for itself.
"Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure
This one is for the boys. Listen guys, if you have never cried in your life you are not human. Crying is a part of human life. This is probably one of the saddest changes in your life, so of course you're going to well up when you remember everything you have gone through in these 18 years. You've grown so much, dude, let it out!