Songs that got us through: Part A

A list of songs that got us through

Music can mean different things to different people but the one thing it does is unite us, much like these two years have done. Covid-19 did not see language, race, colour or asked what side of the border we were on, and neither does music. From Pakistan to India, Kashmir to USA, music unites and while uniting us, it saves us too. On a rainy night, when we are engulfed by loneliness, music knows how to be there for you. When things are getting worse each day, your spotify playlist can get you through. From the most stressful assignments to the gravest of situations, that one song can give us the strength we need. Here’s a list of 25 songs that goes beyond language and form, each one of these songs have meant different things to the people who have shared it, most of these being hidden gems. Listen to the compiled playlist of hope here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3d8Th5fiMUZzOsod2mxKBR?si=HoZ8gqrnRiyYWC88gqH6yQ&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1

1. Honey Queen by Anjalica Solomon

It is a queer love song and also an engmatic poem. This pride month, this song helped me surround myself with queer joy in a world full of heternormativity, making me feel hopeful.

Honey Queen is a very versatile song for me. I can listen to it while I’m multitasking and also when I want to daydream and drown myself in its poetic lyrics.

Divyanshi Dash

2. Used to by Sandro Cavazza and Lou Elliotte A youtube comment under the official video of this song explains what this song may make you feel; "Nothing breaks the heart quite like being right next to someone but when you look into their eyes, they're miles away." The song reminicises a couple’s old days who have now 'fallen out of love', in spite of being in a relationship. The song may feel heartbreaking to some but that is what you need sometimes to cope.

3. Dragon by Krishna K

It’s hopeful for me because of its chorus. “I wish I were a dragon made of clouds.” - Since I know I cannot be a dragon made of clouds, this song makes me want to see a dragon made of clouds. Or, a cloud in the shape of a dragon. This gives me hope to look forward to what we have in the future. Even if it’s something as mundane as a cloud shaped as a dragon in the sky.

The song’s lyrics are some words I relate to on a spiritual level. The song is like a daily reminder of my wishes. It makes me wish for more.

Divyanshi Dash, Semester II, English Honours

4. Overused by Clara Mae featuring Gnash This underrated composition which may resemble the tune & the emotion of 'The Story of My Life' by One Direction in the chorus for first time listeners, engulfs you into the sweet melancholy filled with optimism. It's about the question whether it is time for separation, whether it's time they should end this? Relationships do fade out and the song reiterates the same;

5. If you ever forget that you love me - Isak Danielson

The thing I admire the most about this song is how it accommodates each stage of a love story. This song will remind us of the person we all wish to have as our partner. I don't know when I'll meet him but this song is an absolute bliss to listen to. This song is ostensibly a masterpiece Even someonewho's not in love can somehow feel it, the only thing which comes to my mind after listening to this song is no matter how much love is lost, you find your way back to each other.

Deepanjali Yadav, Semester II, English Honours

6. Butterfly effect by Before you exit This one is a soulful guitar composition that shall make you feel the pain you never knew existed. Sadness lingers throughout the song. Talks about how one wishes that they were never parted but what has already happened in the past can not be changed now and so rather than moving on like it never happened, it's about acknowledging the event, that moving forward there shall be growth and this change is inevitable. This song definitely comes off as one which gives you the strength to acknowledge the pain and accept that change.

7. Preme Pora Baron by Lagnajita Language: Bengali Preme Pora Baron translates to ‘Love is forbidden’, the song beautifully brings out the different shades of love especially ones where stories of love lay incomplete. When I think of times when I felt unloved, I had often believed that love is not for me. Any kind of love. This song disrupts that thought, it reassures me that stories of love do normally fade out and some of them never happen at all, that is how the world works. The song is a gate to complexities of emotion but somehow, it comforts you. Through the soothing music that accompanies the vocals, you feel less alone.

8. Alright by Clara Mae and Russell Dickerson

9. Illalah by Sounds Of Kolachi From the intro music to the end notes, Ilallah searches for the almighty and in that search, goes on a journey of self-exploration. There is something about the way it has been composed that gives you the strength & belief that one can walk through every path of darkness. It calls out to the beloved, the almighty, looks for them and asks for them, it doesn’t find them but it never stops looking. This blending of western music with eastern music, spirituality and love, becomes perfect for days of darkness.

10. Cheers to us by Haywood and Loote "All's Well that Ends Well" and this song will remind you of this age old phrase again, but in the 21st century way. It is about celebrating one last time when something is mutually decided to culminate because every end is a new start & isn't it better if something that we loved to be a part of remains the same sweet memory & brings sweet nostalgia instead of bitter pain? A short upbeat, uplifting listen that works always.

11. Muito Mano by Malthar

Language: Kokborok

Muitu Mano is a kokborok song that I'd love to listen to on a beautiful evening sitting on my roof, under the faded blue sky turning purple as the sun goes down. The music itself is calming and peaceful, probably the reason I listen to it at least once everyday. The lyrics are about a man who misses his beloved. My favourite line would be 'Tal ni athukiri hai, nini naithokma goron. Buini slai mwchangma bara ani o khuchukyoi' which basically tells how his beloved is just as beautiful as the moon's stars, her beauty is incomparable and that he misses him terribly. It hits you all in the right places, you just need to close your eyes, turn on this song and chill.

12. Umeed by ALIF When I think of songs that help me cope, Umeed comes first. The name of course says a lot here, but the whole aura of this song - from the music to the lyrics, everything stands out. And more than the rest, it is the music video that particularly gives me strength. Colourful background and colourful strangers singing together out loud, what could be more wholesome than that? Even on days when the tears won’t stop, this song makes me want to jump up and sing along.

Compiled & Written by the team of The Redstockings Literary Society