Bailey and I were driving home from Disney yesterday and, as usual, she had the iPod and was selecting our playlist for the drive. Her song selections were amazing. I'm not sure where to start with all my thoughts for this. She played Paul Simon's 'The Obvious Child' and Harry Belafonte and the Muppet's 'Turn The World Around' to start. Even if you don't listen to them, read the lyrics.
What were you listening to at 16? I know I was listening to Tori and NIN mostly. The music I clung to was angry, bitter, anguished shit. Mostly angry. Music of rebellion and angst. You know - teenager music.
Bailey's music is, if not all happy, thoughtful and hopeful. I was amazed to realize as we drove - not a single song she loves is mean or tragic or angsty. She likes a few popular tripe songs (and recognizes them as such), but that's fine; I like that she's not totally alienated from her peer culture.
Her favorite song right now is Billy Joel's 'River of Dreams' . I think it really resonates with her. She sings along with it with such investment. It's not a happy song; it's a song about being lost. BUT, unlike songs about being lost that talk about how fucked up it is to be so, or how they'll never find they're way out of the mess they're in and are giving up, this song talks about being lost as a journey rather than a finality. It's actually a pretty spot-on song for adolescence.
I dunno where I'm going with this post. Maybe just to articulate how I love that the songs she connects the most to aren't angry or sad; they're wise and hopeful. That makes me happy.
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