Listening to music is a great way to stay inspired, keep positive, and to mellow out. Although music can be very uplifting, there is nothing better than finding a song that completely expresses exactly what you are thinking and feeling. Have you ever listened to a song that found the words you couldn’t find? Have you ever found a song that you could relate to so entirely that you’ve left it on repeat for days? Whether you enjoy school or not, here is a miniature playlist of relatable songs to fit your back-to-school vibes!
1. Go Away to College by blink-182 We’re going to ahead and start off this playlist with a song that many first years, International students, and/or n00bs to uWindsor may relate to. It may also be nostalgic and relevant to some returning students. The song is written in the perspective of a student who goes away to college and feels so isolated, alone, and misses his girlfriend back from his hometown. I’m sure many of us have people we miss seeing and also feel alone and confused at times, too. This song is super comforting for times like these.
2. Rock n’ Roll High School by The Ramones Granted, this song is about being, and high school, and disliking high school…but I’m sure you can relate and agree that you also disliked high school and are happy to be out of it! Post-secondary over high school; any day. A positive!
3. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance Have you ever run into an ex of some kind on campus? This is the song for you then. It is completely relatable for any of those awkward times you’ve had an ex in a class, made eye contact with that guy from that party in the CAW, or encountered the match-made-in-hell via Tinder. This song is supposedly written about singer Gerard Way’s run-in’s with his ex, who cheated on him repeatedly in school.
4. School by Nirvana Very short, simple, and catchy. The repetitive lyrics are meant to express the struggle students often face in school, whether it be academically, socially, or emotionally. Although the final lyric of the song states, “You’re in high school again,” which most of us are not, it may sometimes feel like you are trapped in a planned – out system, just like high school.
5. Troublemaker by Weezer This song is not written in the mindset of anyone in the band, but it is written in the perspective of a student who may be a bit of a dreamer. The dreamer is reminded that although they have dreams and aspirations, they ultimately have to work towards their own goals. If one doesn’t work towards their dreams, they will never be a reality. I’m sure many students have felt ‘different’ in comparison to other people because of their dreams, but it is totally okay to follow your dreams. Have you ever been told that your degree will be ‘useless’ or that ‘you won’t ever find a job’? Ignore the hate and work towards what you love!
6. Education by Pearl Jam For those times you have questioned whether spending the money on post-secondary education is worth it, if the newly-obtained caffeine addiction is worth it, and if the hard work involved in obtaining a degree is worth it, check out this song. It’s about that exactly: whether education is worth it and reflecting upon your current education.
7. Mrs. Blaileen by Primus This song is about a teacher who treated their students with ultimate forms of disrespect, creating a living hell for anyone in the classroom: “She controlled the children by using humiliation.” Personally, I know I have encountered a few teachers and professors I just did not mesh well with; we had conflicting ideologies, different values, and much different standards. This song can perfectly explain some thoughts of a student who has been victimized by a teacher in the past!
8. I Don’t Like Monday’s by The Boomtown Rats This song is actually written about a devastating school shooting back in the 1970’s. Without background knowledge of the song, many may relate to the song as having general angst towards the long, tiring day that is a Monday. Disturbingly, the shooter of the school, sixteen-year old Brenda Spencer, said the reason for the shooting was because she “did not like Monday’s” (Daly, 2014). Yikes. Nobody likes Monday’s, but instead of taking part in a massacre, I think it’s best we all just connect to this song.
9. Getting Better by The Beatles This song is often taken in the perspective of two people: one who is optimistic and enjoying life, and the other who is a pessimist and going through a rut. Whether you’re the sunshine or the rain cloud, I’m hoping this song inspires you to think that when you are feeling like you’ve hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up. Don’t ever take your anger and frustrations out on others like the negative character in this song does. Take advantage of your campus resources and get support!
10. We’re Going to be Friends by White Stripes Whenever I meet a new person on campus who shares the same perspectives as I do and I have them in the same class, this song immediately plays in my head. It is cheery, simplistic, and purely innocent, which is something I find so comforting. Many of us can relate to this song line-per-line; in some way. It’s a positive perspective to a new school year and reminds me that there are always opportunities to meet someone who may change your life significantly during the next school year.
11. Paper Chase by The Academy Is… This may be a song for the graduate students to relate to, and hopefully the soon-to-be graduates as well! This song is specifically about graduating school and the excitement that the rest of the world holds for you. Yes, I do sound like your mother, but I just can’t help it after listening to this song. It truly makes me hopeful for when I get to graduate!
12. Never Miss a Beat by The Kaiser Chiefs This song is essentially saying that if you end up missing class frequently, you won’t be able to learn anything. This is expressed in the song for the amount of times “you say nothing” is used: “It’s cool to know nothing” is meant to be a sarcastic remark. Although, many people do say that this song is about musically inclined individuals skipping classes to pursue music, and that skipping class helps them to “never miss a beat”…I’ll let the music majors be the judge of that.
13. Chem 6A by Switchfoot This song is totally relatable to any student who has tried to find shortcuts in learning something, or for any student who is feeling drained and too lazy to continue studying. Thinking about the things you’d rather do instead of studying is usually counterproductive, so if you are ever feeling like you don’t want to do anything, listen to this song and get back to work! It will be well worth it.
14. Hot for Teacher by Van Halen This very popular song from the 1980’s is about a student finding their teacher physically attractive. The student is focused entirely on their teacher’s looks as opposed to paying attention in class. I personally can’t relate to this song myself, but I have had many friends who have developed harmless interests in a few of my professor’s appearances. I know it must be a thing, since the spicy-pepper option on Rate My Professor seems to be so prominent in some.
15. Cool to Hate by the Offspring On those days where you are having a really hard time, yes, it is totally okay to let out your frustrations and anger. This song may be saying exactly what you are feeling. Again, there are many resources on campus to help aid you, so you do not want to have days where you can relate to this song! It’s a great song, but I wouldn’t want anyone permanently feeling this way about post-secondary.
16. Another Brick in the Wall [Part 2] by Pink Floyd This very well known, yet somewhat disliked, is written in the perspective of students challenging the concept of overly structured school systems, essentially claiming that education cannot be achieved by controlling students. Luckily, University students get quite a bit of freedom in comparison to high school and grade school, but for those times where you feel as though there is too much routine, blast this through your earphones and enjoy!
17. College by Animal Collective A bit humorous, but this one minute clip of semi-musical groaning and final sentence of, “You don’t have to go to college” make for a good laugh. Great for those days where you question why exactly you are in post secondary; you know you don’t have to be there, but you ultimately want to better your education and get a good job. There is a reason!
18. Passing Out Pieces by Mac DeMarco This song has absolutely nothing to do with back-to school, or school in general. This is merely my interpretation of the song. I know what this song is originally about, but whenever I listen to it, I imagine a student who is heavily involved in school and their draining experiences. Make sure to never spread yourself too thin and say no…take part in self-care. “Passing out pieces of me, don’t you know nothing comes free?” is totally relatable to how I feel when I take on too many commitments. Mac DeMarco is my second favourite artist, so I am just going to go ahead and link this epic music video to the bottom of this.
19. 409 in your Coffeemaker by Green Day This song perfectly depicts the boredom and frustration students may experience during class: “I sit in the state of a daydream, with all of your words flying right over my head.” I definitely know I felt this way for a couple of my introduction classes in first year. This song is written in the perspective of Billie Joe Armstrong (the lead singer of Green Day) when he was a student. In this song, he expresses his frustration over wondering whether school will ever get him anywhere he wants to go in life, and wonders if it’s his own fault that he cannot pay attention in class or if it just the way the school system is designed; “Maybe I’m just too lazy, or maybe I was just brainwashed to think that way.” Many students can relate to feeling pushed or forced into a path they may not want to do. The cookie-cutter layout of school systems are not for everyone! You may be wondering why this song is called 409 in Your Coffeemaker if it specifically only talks about a student in class. Billie Joe once poured 409 (a chemical grime remover) into his teacher’s coffee pot because his teacher did nothing but put him down. I hope none of the people reading this would ever even dream of doing something like this, but I’m sure you all have that one professor/teacher who really grinds your gears!
20. Fuck School by The Replacements A perfect way to end this setlist, in my humble opinion. This song is especially reserved for those days when you get a grade below what you expected, when you have an overload of schoolwork, or have any further campus frustrations. There is no need to analyze the lyrics on this one, just click it and connect.
Enjoy! <3 HCXO
Resources
Daly, Michael. May 30th, 2014. The First Modern Shooter Feels Responsible for the Rest. TheDailyBeast. Retrieved from: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/30/the-first- modern-school-shooter-feels-responsible-for-the-rest.html
Vector. 2016. I Love Music Back to School Sketchy Notebook Doodles with Music Notes and Swirls on Lined Sketchbook Paper Background. Hand Drawn by Vector Illustration Design Elements. Retrieved from: http://previews.123rf.com/images/blue67/blue671210/blue67121000004/15675… with-Music-Notes-and-Swirls-Hand-Drawn-Vector-I-Stock-Vector.jpg