What Song Changed Your Life?
If you could single out one song that changed your life, what would it be?
We're all familiar with the notion that certain tracks have set the trajectory of entire creative lives--whether it's Damon Albarn hearing "Waterloo Sunset" for the first time and drawing from it a richly romantic (yet conflicted) method of narrating Englishness. Or a 21-year-old Brian Wilson hearing the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" on his car radio in 1963 and swerving off the road, floored by the epic intensity of the massed harmonies in the chorus.
But you don't have to be a musician to remember particular songs in such pivotal terms. I guess for me the hinge moment would be Manic Street Preachers' "Motown Junk". That's partly because I heard it an age (12) when barked slogans and vicious power chords still seemed impossibly thrilling.
But more than that, "Motown Junk'" demonstrated that music could be eloquent, trashy, glamorous, polemical, absurdly combative ("I laughed when Lennon got shot"--James Dean Bradfield doesn't sing that bit these days) and most of all significant, propelled by big ideas and worthy of passionate engagement.
It's still impossible for me to hear the intro ("Revolution, revolution, revolution..."), or even see the sleeve (a blackened watch recovered from the wreckage of Hiroshima, fixed at the moment of detonation) without experiencing an intense Proustian rush.
How about you? Which track changed your life--and why? No straight song titles please. I'm after the reasons behind your choices, too.
"Icky Thump-By the White Stripes".
It was the first time I ventured out of bands like Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin. I wanted to find out what this "Alternative" buzz was, and then I found out about indie, lo-fi, etc.
From there, I decided to open up, and eventually I wanted to see some of my favorite bands influences. That took me to the likes of AC/DC and Led Zep, The Clash, etc. and told me that even "old" music was great.
From there, I wanted to listen to all these new sounds, and that's how I now try to stay updated on the newests bands.
jeezy is not representative of an entire race. mulatto is a racist moniker, so it is not surprising that you so willing used it! OBAMA identifies himself as african american so deal with it! it is ironic that so many individuals, including yourself are offended by an individuals right to self determination. in times past white america deemed that one drop of black blood made you Black, now whites are quick to claim their place within other peoples ancestry when it suits their purpose. don't feel bad you can have vin deisal, who denied he was bi racial, claiming to be italian instead. your vitriol shows who is truly bigoted. perhaps you should expand your listening repetoire, listen to some bob marley...perhaps, "one love". music should not devide no matter how divurgent, i love it all 60's rock, 70's funk, classical, hip hop, and soul....PEACE
jeezy is not representative of an entire race. mulatto is a racist moniker, so it is not surprising that you so willing used it! OBAMA identifies himself as african american so deal with it! it is ironic that so many individuals, including yourself are offended by an individuals right to self determination. in times past white america deemed that one drop of black blood made you Black, now whites are quick to claim their place within other peoples ancestry when it suits their purpose. don't feel bad you can have vin deisal, who denied he was bi racial, claiming to be italian instead. your vitriol shows who is truly bigoted. perhaps you should expand your listening repetoire, listen to some bob marley...perhaps, "one love". music should not devide no matter how divurgent, i love it all 60's rock, 70's funk, classical, hip hop, and soul....PEACE
it was actually ok computer entirely, but when i was first hearing the album when i was 13 years old, this song stuck out the most to me. i was in a weird transitional phase - going from backstreet boy lover to genuine music enthusiast.
i got really into house, electronica, alternative, hip hop - just all sorts of stuff after that.
The song had so much energy and Gaz's vocals/guitar really woke me out of my mold of just listening to mainstream rock