My discussion of favorite songs has led me to further contemplate those certain songs that stick with us, and the reasons why they do.
Couples have “their song” that they choose for one another; there are wedding songs; there are holiday songs; there is truly a song for everything. It has been many a time that I have heard someone say, “This song will play at my funeral.” This past month or so, I have been thinking a lot about graduation songs. In May I watched friends of mine graduate college, and this week I will watch my younger brother graduate from high school. Somehow, the soundtrack chosen for these commencement ceremonies just feels imperative to me.
I’ve racked my brain for hours trying to remember the songs that were played at my own high school graduation, as well as compiling a brief list of what I wish would have been played. With all of this talk of graduation surrounding me, I have naturally come up with my own graduation soundtrack per say. (Some of these stray away from my general rock tendencies just a little bit, but, nonetheless, they are unforgettable.) Here is the list of songs I consider to be the current most appropriate graduation soundtrack, and brief explanations for each song I have chosen. Click the links to check out the music videos for these songs!
1. “Today” Smashing Pumpkins “Today is the greatest/Day I have ever known/Cant wait for tomorrow…” I wish they let the kids harmonize to this while they were walking out onto the football instead of Sir Edward Elgar’s traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.” I can’t think of anything that feels like a better fit.
2. “Graduation Day” Head Automatica This video premiered about a year before my own high school graduation but has stayed with me much longer. Everyone can relate someone in their own life to the people mentioned throughout the song. I remember seeing Head Automatica play this song live December inof my senior year of high school with a few friends, and there aren’t many words to describe the feeling you get when a song just feels unbearably appropriate to your situation.
3. “Good Riddance” Green Day I can still remember how pleased I was when I found out my uncle and aunt had chosen this song for the soundtrack for their wedding video. Again, the choice to include this song is self-explanatory if you hear the lyrics. Although it may not be about an actual graduation, it is fitting for those times in your life when things seem to wrap up, and you start over with a clean slate in front of you.
4. “Graduate” Third Eye Blind This is perhaps the most challenging graduation song for me. The lyrics express the need to grow up, move on, and “graduate” but I think this song is a fair representation of the difficulty that comes with graduating and its bittersweet effect.
5. “In This Diary” The Ataris This song isn’t explicitly about graduating, but it is about enjoying youth and having a summer you will never forget. I think this is the sort of summer to strive for after a graduation. A few of my favorite song lines have surely come from this track.
6. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” Vitamin C I was hesitant to include this on my list, but I feel like if it wasn’t here, it would be pretty obvious that something was missing. Lyrically, the song speaks for itself. If it had been about anything else, I’m not sure how much I would enjoy it, but you just have to appreciate the lyrics. It really hits home with graduating high school students.
7. “Here’s to the Night” Eve 6 This song has become one of those typical high school anthems, but it is still one you cannot do without. Eve 6 has a few songs that have really stayed with me throughout the years. I wish they would have stuck around longer. Rumor has it some of the original members were supposed to be putting out a new record together? I’m still waiting on it though.
8. “I Hope You Dance” Lee Ann Womack I was hesitant about including this song too, but my high school yearbook is littered with the lyrics and I felt like it was all too appropriate to disregard. The message behind this song is something I think should be stressed more often, not just at special occasions like graduations.
9. “Unwritten” Natasha Bedingfield I still have a little bit of trouble disconnecting this song from MTV’s The Hills, but, that aside, it is a powerful anthem for any individual who feels ready to write their own story.
10. “The Great Escape” Boys Like Girls This song is more about leaving the past behind you than it is about moving into the future, but it has a really positive feeling to it. A lot of rings true to the feelings experiences with graduation too, “We’ll scream loud at the top of our lungs/And they’ll think it’s just ’cause we’re young/And we’ll feel so alive…”
11. “These Are the Days” O-Town I really wonder how many people will roll their eyes at me when they read this suggestion. Honestly though, I was one of those teeny-bopper princesses a little later than the rest of my friends, and O-Town was by far my favorite. Lyricaly speaking, this song in phenomenal. I still sometimes catch myself singing it when the timing is right.
12. “My Wish” Rascall Flatts (Sorry, no video for this song!) This song, like a few others on my list, strays away from my usual musical interests but the lyrical value more than makes up for it. A friend of mine dedicated this song to her father and step-mother at their wedding, and it has stuck with me since that day two summers ago. I feel like the lyrics further express what we all mean when we say we wish someone the best in their future.
13. “Thnks fr the Mmrs” Fall Out Boy Although this song seems to have a bit of a vengeance, it’s still a thank you. And let’s be honest, there are plenty of things about high school/college that we can look back on and think, “Thanks for the memories, even though they weren’t that great.” And despite the cynical tone, the song is really powerful and energetic. It’s a win-win all around.
14. “Closing Time” Semisonic This is by far one of my favorite hits of the nineties. Although instinct says the song if referring to the “closing time” of a bar late at night/early in the morning, I think it’s relative to any sort of closing. The piano is really calming and really helps settle in that feeling of conclusion. Some of these lyrics, about leaving and going out into the world, are really powerful.
15. “The Last Song” The All-American Rejects The video for this song is a vivid memory for me. The lyrics are vague enough to relate to the conclusion of almost anything but can definitely be interpreted to fit a high school or college graduation.
Remember a special song from your graduation or think this list is lacking something significant? Let me know!
Post by Jillian Polak - Meet Me
A young aspiring writer who enjoys all kinds of music, and additionally loves meeting bands and musicians.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great Post! Great choices!
Wow! Totally cool article – awesome! Thanks for all the insight and all the selections. Really like reading your stuff! I am passing it on to my friends so they can read it.
Carol, thanks for the feedback on my posts! I’ve really appreciated it.
rockon1010, I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed this and if you could send your friends my way, that would really just be wonderful! : )