Shuffle Knows
After my church small group meeting on Tuesday, I put my headphones in and walked to the bus stop – the track that came on shuffle was perfect for my mood and the moment. As I got to the bus stop, I realized the nearest bus was fifteen minutes away, if on-time, and that walking would be barely a longer trip, and better for my cardiovascular health. Plus, it was a beautiful evening – clouds dotting the dark night sky and a temperature in the low 60s.
Sometimes, when I am listening to the music app on my phone, Shuffle just knows what songs to play. It could be because I have individually selected all of the 560 songs I have on my iPhone. Here are a few of the songs that came up on my walk.
Taking it back to 2003, or whatever. The second track from Satellite, the first album I ever heard from them, and the first music I remember listening to that did not sound distinctly Christian. This rockin’ track is such a powerful get-up-and-go song is such a powerful inspiration, and has pushed me into overdrive several times when I have needed encouragement or am dragging. “I feel so alive, for the very first time – I can’t deny you – I feel so alive.”
Another energy pumping track, this time from 2012. A great reminder to keep being awesome despite sucky things happening around you. The electronic sound fits perfectly into the discography of 2012 and the epistemology of current music trends. “The world can seem so cold and grey, but you and I are here today, and we won’t fade into darkness.”
A little change of pace was due, I suppose, after all that energy. I am not a huge fan of too many tracks by 2Pac, but I love this song. I am such a huge fan of change – I love new things – and this song is such a great reminder that “things will never be the same.”
Dum Dum – Tedashii (ft. Lecrae)
This song reminds me of the good parts of my early time in Oklahoma – hanging out with LifeGroup Apples 2 Apocalypse, making friends, and some of the better days of commuting. This song shows that Christian rap can rise to the level of quality in popular rap without stooping to the level of the lyrics in popular rap. “I know this blow ya mind, and I ain’t blowin’ pine, not talkin’ women lookin’ skimpy every otha’ line. Yeah, I got a dime, about to make her mine, life in Christ got me finished like a crossed the line.”
Thank the Watchmaker – And Then There Were None
Besides absolutely adoring their music videos, the lyrics to pretty much all of And Then There Were None’s songs are incredibly complex and multi-layered. They bring intensity and intelligence to a punk-electric sound that rocks. I discovered them just before my senior year began, and I think they broke up shortly after that. Still. This song is pretty incredible. “Your pictures are the paper that lines my wall, I’m waiting for the moment you come back, I’m tearing out the pages of my heart and what
you need is what you’ll get from me. ”
I absolutely love listening to this song when driving empty highways in Los Angeles late at night. Walking streets in Portland is not quite the same experience, but it evokes similar memories.
Making light of challenging situations is exactly what I need to do in my life right now. Modest Mouse’s eccentric reminder to not worry and that “we’ll all float on okay” is something I regularly need.
One of my favorite Daft Punk songs of all time. Also, probably the best part of Tron: Legacy.
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