As you might intuit from the “try-to-sound-sophisticated, try-to-sound-like-I-know-what-I’m-talking-about” tone, this post was originally intended for L’Etranger (I like the French, SOH) but did not make the cut. Which, ironically, caused me to be kind of bummed this morning.
…two of which aren’t uplifting at all.
“Yours to Keep” by Teddybears
Until yesterday I thought this band was called “Teddybears Stockholm,” which is approximately 400 times cooler than just “Teddybears.” This song is popular with fourteen-year-old girls, and in my case, fourteen-year-old girls at heart.
“Tony the Beat” by The Sounds
In a 2006 study of well-being, Adrian White of the University of Leicester found the Swedes to be the third happiest people on the planet. I’d be happy too if my main concerns were meatballs and having abnormally blond hair. Which country was the happiest? Denmark. The saddest? Burundi, a nation known amongst other things for ethnic violence and a preponderance of anti-aircraft weapons.
“Perfect Day” by Lou Reed
It’s debatable whether or not this song should be on this list (read: this song should not be on this list). Though it initially seems happy (e.g. drinking sangria in the park and feeding animals in the zoo), “Perfect Day” has the undertones of a man who is completely unsatisfied with himself and wishes for the love of God he could stop injecting heroin into his veins. According to The Guardian, Lou has since replaced heroin with t’ai chi and Diet Coke, but is still murder to interview.
“The Good Life” (Acoustic) by Weezer (off the seldom listened-to Pinkerton album)
Rivers Cuomo wrote “The Good Life” in the mid 90’s shortly after enrolling in Harvard and surgically lengthening his right leg. It was also about this time that he fell in love with a half-Japanese girl, about whom he would write the song “El Scorcho.” As upbeat as “The Good Life” sounds, the song is actually about how shitty things were at Harvard and how cold it was and how no one recognized him despite the fact that they were all wearing Weezer t-shirts (Rolling Stone). If you’re going to listen to this song make sure you check out an acoustic version.
“In My Life” by The Beatles
In the fall of 2004 my afternoons were spent sitting on a couch smoking Chesterfields with a sixteen-year-old Spanish dancer with whom I was to fall hopelessly in love. Later that same fall I took a train to the beach town of Cadiz and as was gazing at hill of olive trees when the song “In My Life” came on. There have been a few moments in my life where I have reflected, “I am truly content right now.” This was one of them.
I hope these songs make you feel better. If not pop a few Xanax and try not to think about how ever day that passes you by is a day you will never get back.
Salud!
-Wetzler
Here is another uplifting song to try: Rock and Roll by Canadian Eric Hutchinson. If you are not already a 14-yr old girl at heart, this song will turn you into to one.