My mother insists that I was born in the wrong decade. Maybe it’s because The Graduate is my favorite movie or the fact that I’m the only girl at school still wearing bell bottom jeans. Whatever it is, I’ve always been nostalgic for a time I wasn’t even around for; something I’ve found frequent among my generation. We beg for those pastel Crosley turntables and flock to thrift stores in search of the records that our parents threw away lo those many years ago. Our rooms are plastered in Beatles artwork and the Ramones grace the shirts off our backs – and yes, some of us actually listen to the bands on our tees. This sense of longing seems to have a universal motif: music.
Music transcends time. It reminds my generation that the world did not start turning in 1998. It lets us step into someone else’s shoes or reassures us that someone knows what it’s like to be in yours. It has the power to cultivate attitudes and generate counterculture.
How can one ignore the influence a song can have? Something that can break your heart and put it back together in less than four minutes. Something that can set you free.
Every month, this column will recognize music and the attitudes that it embraces, whether it be a local band playing in Central Park, a new vinyl record I found at Half Price Books, or a song that’s dominating today’s airwaves.
I’ve gained more perspective listening to music than listening to directions. And I pray this column will help you do the same.
