Music Shuffle: 5/7

For this blog post, I'll be using a tweaked version of my Music Shuffle assignment. Apparently I did it a little wrong, but Ms. Rodems said it was fine.
My Way - Frank Sinatra

Listening to this song reminds me of Henry Wang, as his sweet serenading voice was the one that introduced it to me. I’m reminded of the humorous photos we send to each other over Instagram, and the nights spent on the swings at Hessel park. It’s hard to listen to a song as emotional as this one, and solely focus on Henry, so I’ll try to tie the two together. I think a lot of what drives him as a person is self-motivation and hard work. In fact, I’d say he’s the person I know who pushes himself the most. Be it diets, extracurriculars, athletics, he always finds time to better himself, rather than taking the easy way out. He always does it ‘his way’, rather than conforming to the norm. It might be ironic, as his slim frame does not match the deep powerful voice of Frank Sinatra, but the message of the song still holds up, serving to inspire me and push me too to be a better version of myself. I hope to one day be as driven and motivated as Henry and his fuzzy shaved head.

Again - Fetty Wap

I remember listening to this song in the 7th grade, and as I listen to it now, the first person who comes to mind is my mom. This is mainly because she fell asleep to the song while I drove her back from Chicago, but beyond that, because she is one of the few people in my life who has constantly remained in my life since I first heard it. A phrase I’ve heard thrown around is ‘it’s our parent’s first time living too’. It’s easy to forget that. As a kid, you look up to them as somebody who has everything figured out, who knows exactly what to do, but looking back now I can tell she too had to figure her life out, not just have it all fall on a plate in front of her. Just since the 7th grade, she has changed jobs, sent a kid off to college, lost a parent, all difficult things. Our relationship since then has changed too: she sees me as more of an equal, able to advocate for myself rather than have all my decisions made by her. The tune of this song, and the fact she is my mom might remain the same, but the way I interpret the lyrics, much like the way I interact and view my mother all change with time. 

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

I’m the only person I know who listens to The Strokes, and I’m not really sure how I got into it, as it’s very different from any genre my family has introduced to me. I’d say this song most reminds me of a middle-aged stranger I met at the YMCA who was wearing a Strokes t-shirt.

I was nervously eyeing her for the better part of a half hour, almost creepily. I was a nervous sophomore at the time, and wanted to tell her that I listened to the band, but was just coming off as weird. Finally I worked up the courage, and just as I was leaving, let her know. She seemed relieved and we had a nice conversation. She encouraged me to go to a concert of theirs sometime, and that she really enjoyed it. More than just her, I think this song reminds me that we’re all people. More likely than not, you have a common interest with somebody, and you shouldn’t be scared to talk to your fellow humans. Now whenever I go out in public, I try to say a few nice things to strangers whenever possible. Who knows, maybe I’ll start up a new friendship.