“Breakeven” by The Script, “Good Life” by One Republic, and “I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons are songs that have shaped my life in different ways. Each song represents different points in my life and how I was feeling at that moment in time.
At 12 years old I heard Breakeven for the first time and it came right after my grandmother passed away. My grandmother for most of my childhood was my best friend, I was at her house every summer and every school break. The part of the song that stuck out most to me at that age being very full of angst was “ They say bad things happen for a reason but no wise words goanna stop the bleeding cause she’s moved on while I’m still grieving” At that point in time it was the most emotional pain I had ever experienced and even today writing this I still cry hearing this song because of the strong response I have to it and the memories of that time coming back to the surface. It also just brings back a dark time in my life when family turmoil got worse and things became more stressful at home.
I’ve listened to One Republic for years, but this song has always been one of my favorites because it’s a reminder to focus on the positives. Good Life is all about moving on from the past, and when I listen to it, I feel happy, like every issue is melting away and there is only good. “ Hopelessly I feel like there might be something that I’ll miss, Hopelessly I feel like the window closes oh so quick, Hopelessly I’m taking a mental picture of you now, ‘Cause hopelessly, the hope is we have so much to feel good about.” It Is just pure unbridled optimism, something good is bound to happen if you have hope.
I Will Wait is a middle ground of both of the previous songs. Breakeven is a little more sad, heartbroken, and depressing. Good Life is very happy and bouncy, filled with the wonder of the next day. To me, I Will Wait was always about waiting for the right love to come around, I’ve wanted that since I was a child, growing older I thought it was not as likely to happen for me. In 2019 I met my person, the guy who helps me understand life and makes me feel safe, no longer waiting for this perfect love, because I have something damn near it. Now this song is a look into the future, the lines that stick out most to me are, “You forgave, and I won’t forget, know what we’ve seen, and him with less, now in some way, shake the excess.” Taking what you’ve experienced and what someone else has and using it to create a better future is what this verse means to me. Stop looking back on what hurt in the past and use it to move forward and prevent mistakes like it from happening again.
These songs founded how I see life today. They’ve helped me through tough times and remind me of those emotions and what occurred then so that I don’t forget the pain, but I can use it to make the future a little brighter. No matter how sad, happiness will return, but like all things it takes time. These songs and their lyrics will always hold a place in my heart and won’t be forgotten anytime soon. I hope that if I do forget one of these songs or all of them it will be because I have made my life how I wanted it to be, optimistic, and no longer holding on to sadness and pain.
