How we make sense of wordless songs.
Why it might be easier for you to get lost in an instrumental song than to a vocal one.
This week, the songoftheweek is Snow & Lights by Explosions in the sky (post-rock band), from their album How strange, Innocence.
Let me give a swing to your expectations and say it out loud that this is my favourite post-rock band of all time. Among others like Mogwai, Sigur Rós and such.
Let’s take a common sense approach to getting to know the reason to the title first, and then we can move to why this song is so awesome.
We are our own narrators.
We are constantly telling ourselves a story in our heads. About mostly ourselves. All the time.
When it comes to listening to such music without vocals, we gain a “soundtrack to our life” that runs in the background while we reflect on life & entertain thoughts. They give us “space”.
With a needle & thread in our hands, we’re constantly seeking to weave.
A song with no vocals contains the void to fill up the song with our reality. We take charge of the words; the words of our lives.
We ponder with a subtle flow, so seamless that it sounds about as right as a river flowing as a calm stream of warm water.
We own the premise. We subconsciously built on it.
It’s also easy to flow into a trance with songs that have vocals too. Most of the times that would have to be one of the song lyrics you really identify with, or are at least able to imagine it that way.
There lies the difficulty. The artist of the vocal song has already laid out the ground for a story. You have no choice but to built on it.
Instrumentals give you the freedom.
And in freedom, one finds self.
And this, this precisely is the reason why this song is awesome. Personally speaking, this song has been instrumental ( haha, pun! ) in streamlining my thoughts. So many times. So many!
This song is a conversation.
When we’re deep into thoughts, what we’re actually doing in our heads is, having a conversation with ourselves. We ask our own questions, think over them & then answer, to ourselves.
This song feels like a conversation between the instruments involved in making this song. One guitar asks, the other guitar responds, the drums join in, and all in all, they’re all having a really nice conversation.
And guess what, you’re a part of it.
The song seeps into the crevices of your abode of thoughts, and with subtle sublimity fuses with you.
The song becomes you. You become the song.
And you don’t have to realise it.
It is this quality of the song, that makes it a perfect song for a lot of things.
1. While taking a shower
2. While coding
3. While writing poems or stories
4. While walking
5. While getting in bed
6. While cooking
7. While being on the top of a 17k ft mountain, admiring the beauty of nature
You get the point.
Before you jump to give this song an ear, I’ll just ask you to reflect upon this:
Wouldn’t you love a song, that helped you love yourself back?
Find the song here:
Share this with someone who means something to you.
Have a musical week! :) ❤
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