Music Therapy: My Pandemic Playlist
Music has been cheap therapy for me this year. A metaphorical blanket that I wrap myself in when I’m overwhelmed, stressed, lonely, afraid, or any other byproduct of the perpetual gut punch that is 2020. Since life was upended earlier this year, I’ve been turning to music more than ever. (I’ve also been turning to booze more than ever, but that’s for another time.)
There are some songs that have become regulars in my Spotify therapy sessions. Tracks that resonate and deliver a powerful music buzz, dulling the sharp edges of my dour disposition. As the end of 2020 gets closer, I’m making a playlist of the most effective medicinal music for me this year. There are five songs that stand out as the saviors of my sanity in a crazy, crazy time.
Track 1 — Untitled #4 — The Avett Brothers
If music really is like a metaphorical blanket, The Avett Brothers are my Snuggie. The lyrics consistently hit home. Their albums have been the soundtrack to much of my life over the last decade and a half. This particular song, Untitled #4, has been my pandemic anthem. When Scott Avett repeats the chorus, “I am happier with nothing,” it’s a reminder that I desperately need to hear.
I miss friends. I miss restaurants. I miss live music. The line, “I’m always home,” hits a little too on the nose right now. I am beyond ready to return to something closer to normal. But given the copious amounts of time COVID has allowed for introspection, I do hope I’ve learned that I truly am happier with nothing (or at least much less than I think I need). We were forced into a simpler life, but there is beauty in the simplicity. My wife, my kids, my cat, my guitar. Making dinner for everyone. All of us standing in the kitchen talking after we’ve logged off our computers at the end of the day because we have nowhere else to go. It’s not all that bad.
Track 2 — All That and More (Sailboat) — Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Now that my kids are older, the period of musical indoctrination has passed. They’re past the impressionable stage when I was able to define good when it came to music. They have their own Spotify accounts, so I have to trust that I laid a solid foundation for them to find good stuff on their own. There’s no prouder moment than when I get a text from one of my kids with a killer song recommendation. I might not have prepared them for long-term academic or financial success, but they have good taste in music.
My daughter sent this song to me. It’s fun. It’s feel-good. It’s ear-wormy. It led to a good conversation in the car about whether “baby” is a literal or metaphorical captain at sea. It’s a mood-boosting song that demands to be played loud.
Track 3 — Im Glad Youre Doing Well — Cottonwood Firing Squad
I’m a sucker for a good hooky guitar riff. I’m also drawn to melancholy. Apparently those are genetic traits because I’ve passed them on to my son. He sent me this song, and it was love at first listen. Lyrically, it’s dark. Gloomy. Appropriate for a rainy day or a year spent in quarantine.
I’m fairly certain the titular line is delivered sarcastically. The speaker in the song is singing from a place of misery, and in a year like this, sometimes it’s comforting to know we’re not alone in despair.
Track 4 — The Temptation of Adam — Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter is an amazing songwriter. There is a literary quality to his lyrics reminiscent of John Prine. I’ve been a fan for a long time, and I couldn’t resist the urge to dust off an old track of his to help me cope.
The Temptation of Adam is a love story between two people living in isolation (in a missle silo). Seemed particularly relevant. The apocalyptic nature of their situation was very on brand for 2020.
Track 5 — This Feeling — Alabama Shakes
My love affair with this song began in the final scene of the second season of Fleabag. It was pitch perfect for the moment. As 2020 wore on, though, it became more than just a song from a show. Listening to it with regularity became a necessity.
There are certain songs that have a consuming quality. After I hear one of these songs for the first time, I play it over and over. For a few days (or weeks…or months), it’s the only song that exists to me. It becomes its own world where I can take up residence and exist within its melody. This song was one of those.
When Brittany Howard sings, “It feels so nice to know I’m gonna be alright,” I take it personally. She’s speaking for all of us. As the song plays, I close my eyes and sway in the living room I’ve been stuck in for months trusting she’s right.
Here’s the complete playlist of all the songs that got/are getting me through. Thanks, Dr. Spotify.
