Because I don't want to end the night grouchy,

A Soundtrack to Me!

Pick ten-fifteen songs, write a memory with each.


Basket Case - Green Day - Because I knew the words to this song, I met three of my favorite friends from high school, Morgan, Lauren and Cacia. Singing [quietly] backstage before the second orchestra concert of the year.

Rush - 2112 - Okay, so this is really an album, but it is entirely representative of the one night Haley and Neil and I spent at Kenton's, which remains one of the best of high school. This memory would be complete if one were to throw in a bag of doritos, magic cards, crouching tiger and my death cab for cutie tshirt being worn by not me. And Not haley. and not kenton. lol.

Anything by Muse - It turns out that when freshmen girls get locked in a dark temp far removed from the school while decorating spring flings, they tend to fall in love with Matt McGorrin for about three days. Its a common problem.

Work - Jimmy Eat World - The Lindsey Goad phase, and all that came with it. In particular, I get dressed for spring fling with lindsey, emma and anqi. Anqi and lindsey proceed to tell my insecure freshman self I look like a skank, and they give me 'more appropriate' clothing. Yet that was still an oddly fun night.

Going Away to College - Blink-182 - My first boyfriend wrote the lyrics to this song in a card and I, not having heard the song before, asked him if he wrote them. He, being nuts, said yes. I, being gullible, believed him. Goes down in sophomore lore forever.

Neighborhood #3 - Arcade Fire - This was the first indie song I ever heard. It remains one of my favorites. This song gave me a completely new lifestyle, all by itself.

Carousel - Blink 182 - My first date with Ian. His dad picked us up from school and drove us to the mills. We both sat in the backseat and neither of us talked. We walked around aimlessly for an hour or so, he asked me what my favorite color was awkwardly and he bought Burger King for dinner. All in all, an adorably awkward first date. As they all should be.

There's Always Someone Cooler Than You - Ben Folds - We probably listened to this song every day sophomore year when we would every day go to Good Times for lunch and every day eat it in front of Mr Hannagan, with whom we were always willing to share fries.

The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny - Lemon Demon - This ridiculous song was repeated word for word by Sam outside of my Geometry class with complete sincerity. For a sophomore, this apparently makes a person a real catch. (said with un-bitter sarcasm. Just normal sarcasm.)

The Mariner's Revenge Song - The Decemberists - It is an indie song, and it is about pirates. It could only be allison and I's favorite song for weeks on end. We even had plans to enact its vengeful plot on unruly ex boyfriends.

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Temptations - Howling the lyrics to this every ten minutes with my 23 best friends for two weeks - LEP 2006. In particular, when we all just let Jay sing the lead vocals and he had 20+ backup singers.

The Luckiest - Ben Folds - I bet Ben didn't realize how bitter this song can be when he wrote it. It is certainly bittersweet because as lovely as the song is, it reminds me of every bad thing to happen to my best friend in our junior year, of which there were too many. But all those things got us where we are now, so I suppose it deserves noting.

First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes - Of course, this song makes it here. It was written on a window just for me, and I feel the same way i did when I saw it that first time every time I hear it.

Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's - Standing on the precipice of what would become a very pivotal summer with nothing more than hopes for the best, and new friends. That 'best' that we were hoping for apparently didn't get the invite, but that kind of anticipation and uncertainty that May held was kind of a great feeling, in a way.

Julie-O - Mark Summers - Allison is an amazing cellist, and reminds me I will always, always have music (and her) in my life.

Intervention - Arcade Fire - Now we are pretty much grown ups, and we have to move out into the real world, inherit all its problems and hope that maybe we can make a difference out there. To really, really kickass organ chords. (One can only hope.)