Music in the days of the pandemic

SONgS THAT briNg US jOY:

A PErSONAl iNSigHT

Harmony On their 2019 LP Father of the Hall Bride, Harmony Hall is subtle at first and then all at once warm and Vampire soothing. The guitar line is one of the

Weekend smoothest on any ‘guitar-rock’ song in recent memory. It’s introduced quietly at the start but then grows by Craig into the beating heartbeat of the

Strachan track. The song is summery without ever being too sweet and soft but still packing enough tempo to let you dance along. Moreover, as the track continues the drums come in and the whole song is spread open - like the sun breaking from behind the clouds.

It’s odd, therefore, that the main hook “I don’t want to live like this, but I don’t want to die” is so bleak on paper. In fact, the whole song is full of anxious and troubled lyricism. Yet, at first listen, you would never think it. Maybe it’s a statement on finding joy even in the hardest times or maybe it’s a well-disguised plea for help among the bones of a beautiful pop song. Either way, you can’t help but feel the vitality of the music. It has a contagious joy to it that has caught hold of me through the coldest of winters and the heaviest of hangovers. And that I think defines a joyful song to me. Age simply isn’t just a number when you’re a Swiftie, and 22 might just be my favourite thanks to Tay. I first heard the song when it came out. I was far from being 22, but I was nonetheless excited for that year to come.

The song paints a picture of your 20s - youthful ecstasy mixed with the confusion that comes with being suddenly thrust into the world of adulting. It manages to give me hope about the years to come, as daunting as it appears. As she calls it at one point in the song, it leaves us “happy, free, and confused” and that it’s “miserable and magical”.

Whenever the song comes on, it makes me want to passionately scream the lyrics at the top of my lungs in sheer happiness, even if I’m not 22. It’s a major mood booster. Taylor was able to encapsulate all the feelings one might have about this age - and decade - so perfectly into one song, which is why it has a special place in my heart.

22

Taylor Swift

by Pui Kuan Cheah

My Girl

The Temptations

by Emma Williams

Reading through the pitch for this article, I had no doubt which song I was going to write about. My Girl by The Temptations has been an everlasting source of joy to me for years. The earliest memory I have of hearing the song is dancing (or wiggling) around the house to it with my mum when I was two years old. It is safe to say the enjoyment has never ceased.

It features on my ‘generation’ playlist and every time I listen to it I want to get up and boogie – even on the train as I write this! Not only is the rhythm great for grooving, but the lyrics, especially ‘I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May’, always strike a chord with me – pun fully intended. These words both make me appreciative of being alive, even when the British weather takes a turn, and remind me of my mum singing them to me which is a memory I will always treasure. A truly uplifting hit that I highly recommend.

Words by: Craig Strachan, Emma Williams, Pui Kuan Cheah, Leona Franke Design by: Katie Leslie Whilst they are more known for thought-provoking, political lyrics, Welsh heroes Manic Street Preachers’ Hold Me Like a Heaven, brings about a special uplifting mood for me. Whilst the first verse does contain some typically dramatic lyrics about hating the world, it almost experiences a shift of tone from the first chorus onward. James Dean Bradfield, the lead singer and guitarist, asks for an unknown person to ‘hold him like he’s lost in their heaven’, and as always, his immaculately smooth vocals are blooming with emotion. Something about the flawless melody, uplifting chords and backing vocals within this chorus just feel extremely touching, in my opinion.

Hold Me Like a Heaven

Manic Street Preachers by Leona Franke

There is a poignance to the lyrics, too. At the time of writing, Nicky Wire (bassist and lyricist) was going through the process of watching his mother’s health deteriorate, resulting in her tragic passing while the band were touring. Whilst not confirmed, it is possible that the experience of his mother’s fight with illness may have influenced these lyrics. Either way, it is a song full of emotion, and - speaking as someone who has seen the Manics live - it is a highlight of the performance with the audience all smiling and being held within the heaven of a concert.