WP 2 (Part 1): The Childhood Chapter
A Place In This World by Taylor Swift
Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King
You Don’t Know How It Feels by Tom Petty
Girl With No Name by Jules Larson + AG
Perfect by Alanis Morissette
Come in from the Cold by Joni Mitchell
the last great american dynasty by Taylor Swift
We Made It. by david hugo
childhood bedroom by Ben Platt
We start with the earliest aspect of my memories. Most recently, psychological studies on early memory making reveal that our earliest memories can be traced back to two and a half years old. For the sake of this journey, anything before memory is not relevant. But starting when we create memory is when music starts to hold meaning to us as human beings. Naturally, my childhood can be painted through the sounds of songs I hear today that take me right back to where my sense of identity was forged. These are considered ultra familiar songs, and studies have proven that familiar music lowers feelings of depression and anxiety. These types of songs (those you associate with childhood and growing up) usually highlight specific memories that place you in a comforting nostalgia. Here is a playlist that grows through my childhood.
A Place In This World by Taylor Swift
Some of my earliest memories involve Taylor Swift. I know what you’re thinking: another girl obsessed with this music goddess?! Indeed. I stand by her absolutely mind blowing talent and kind heart. And I will now be that person. I’m a Day 1 listener and a fan of her public persona as an honest and generous person. Her “A Place In This World” gave six year old me the confidence I needed to believe in myself. This genuinely gave me the ambition to continue through school and the world (the simple simple world I lived in back then) while accepting that I wasn’t there yet. It’s a testament to the privilege of my childhood and how carefree I grew up.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King
Picture this: Two young elementary school girls standing in an empty hallway next to the cafeteria. They spot a security camera and decide to generously offer those cameras a little entertaining footage: a spontaneous rendition of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. My best friend in the entire world, Veronica and I have been inseparable since age 5. We grew up together and never grew out of each other. She is a huge part of my life and shaped some of my happiest memories and of course this is “our song”. It’s pretty common that we associate certain songs with people because of an experience we shared. With Veronica and I, we laughed so hard singing this song that it became a core memory representing the best of our friendship and something we like to emulate in our friendship today.
You Don’t Know How It Feels by Tom Petty
Sixth grade, we would get laptops in our classroom once a week. I would spend my computer time looking up music videos and listening to old music that my dad and mom love. My all time favorite was “You Don’t Know How It Feels” by Tom Petty because I loved the idea that I could be a person on my own experiencing my own life. Childhood is confined by what adults permit as acceptable and Petty’s plea of independence was just what I needed to feel like I had value beyond the classroom. Also, little me definitely thought “Let’s roll another joint” meant to twist an ankle or something. But that music video absolutely transfixed me into this world of music and harmonicas that I can see clear as day in my mind. This song is the perfect example of how music caused me to feel like my very own person, experiencing life the way no one had before.
Girl With No Name by Jules Larson + AG
I was definitely very anti-dating when I was a kid. I remember the first budding attraction between kids where they would “date” by holding hands and walking together. “Girl With No Name” was my anthem during the love struck hormonal middle school drama. I was not into the dating or like-liking that the people around me were. My eyes were set on excelling and the horizon of who I could be and not who I could be with. “I am not looking for love” was the line that made me feel so absolutely cool because I was creating my own value system about romantic priority and what stake love would hold in my life. And at that time, I really wanted nothing to do with that and having a song to reflect that rather unpopular position validated me enough to stick to my guns for the time being.
Perfect by Alanis Morissette
“Perfect” by Alanis Morissette might give you the wrong impression about my parental relationship, but trust me, my parents imposed no actual standard or pressure for school. That pressure is all thanks to me. My perfectionism kicked in hard core in middle school to an unhealthy degree. I needed to be the best and hated myself for anything less than. This is called self-oriented perfectionism. And hearing the lyrics in this song made me realize that all the pressure I felt was placed by me and my need to satisfy the society around me. It is important to feel seen in the music you listen to that can validate an emotion that you might not even be aware you’re going through.
Come in from the Cold by Joni Mitchell
At this time, I don’t really want to explain this song too much or its relevance to me. I sought validation from places I shouldn’t have and it caught up with me. But I have always had an incredible support system that gave me shelter to come in from the cold. Even if we aren’t ready to share the importance of a song, acknowledging that it holds that significance is best to leave in. Even the parts of us or our past mistakes should be a part of a full archival project.
the last great american dynasty by Taylor Swift
This song tells the story of an extravagant woman who was the subject of gossip and lived an exciting life where she didn’t care what other people thought of her. High school slowly taught me this lesson and gave me the desire to be more like that. “I had a marvelous time ruining everything” is the most delightful way to say that you don’t care about expectations. It also taught me that imperfect role models are important. Watching women acknowledge their faults and embrace their own strength without worrying about how they are perceived is important for girls and young women to see. Music is an amazing medium for celebrating honesty even with the threat of shame.
We Made It. by david hugo
I consider the end of my childhood a very specific point in time, but for the purpose of this journey I will say that it wasn’t until I left for college and no longer lived under my parents’ roof. I turned 18 right before I graduated high school and I could not believe it. I know that sounds strange but hitting that marker was a big deal for me because I never imagined I would be so lucky to get to explore adulthood. “We Made It.” celebrated this milestone and acknowledged that it was a milestone and an accomplishment after everything I’ve been through.
childhood bedroom by Ben Platt
The moment my childhood was in the past was the moment my parents dropped me off and my childhood bedroom disappeared. They remodeled it while I was away during my first semester at college, so I never saw it again. But it’s a safe place in my mind where I can dance and sing alone without anyone’s prying eyes. This song takes me back to all those beautiful moments I had in my childhood bedroom and the way it will always hold those good memories for me.
