Lost & Found: My life in a song...or 21

I finished an awesome book a couple of weeks ago called Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. The book explores several topics: gay rights, evangelical Christianity, infertility, but most of all the concept of love. In the book one of the characters mentions that before she can commit to someone she has to ask them one question. “What songs would be on a mix tape that describes you?” This is fitting because she is a music therapist but it really got me thinking…what songs would be on a mix tape that describes me? And, what does it mean when people don’t know ANY of the songs on your mix tape? She was looking for a connection, a point of commonality where she could find something in someone else that she recognized. What a powerful concept.

So of course…I had to create my own list. The funny thing is that since I created it I keep hearing songs that I’ve forgotten about but KNOW in my core that they belong on that list. Some of them ring true to my soul because of the melody, some because of a single line, and others because they have played an important role in my life at one point or another. I think it is finally complete. (Who am I kidding? I’ll keep adding until the day I die.)

I wish I could just sit down with anyone who cares and go through this playlist and explain each song but I doubt anyone has the time for that—not to mention they probably lack an intense desire to understand the inner-workings of my mind. Sometimes I think I have an oddly intense desire for people to know where I’m coming from and to understand not only what I think but WHY I think it. I guess this list in some way accomplishes that for me.

My hope is that if someone were to listen to all of this music that they would feel like they have just had a long conversation with the real me. I wish this because I often feel like I can never say what I really MEAN to say—but these songs can.

I’ve linked all of them so you can listen to snippets if you are so inclined.

1. Everlast: What It's Like

2. The Four Tops: Can't Help Myself

3. Lisa Loeb: How

4. Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring—Simple Gifts

5. Sevendust: Seasons
6. Nickel Creek: When You Come Back Down (or as the four Speas girls like to call it, The Sister Song)

7. House of Pain: Jump Around

8. Jay-Z: Dirt off your shoulder

9: New Radicals: You Get What You Give

10. Dixie Chicks: Wide Open Spaces

11. Counting Crows: Colorblind

12. Fiona Apple: Sleep To Dream