Why Songs May Be Bookmarks for Feelings You're Still Working Through
Maybe the reason why you keep listening to the same songs over and over is because they are bookmarks for feelings that you are still working through.
I read somewhere once that artist Jean Michel-Basquiat was quoted saying that “music is how we decorate time” and I often think about that when I listen to old songs. I am often surprised by how much I feel like I am right back in the room I was listening to it. When I listen to “No Name Face” by Lifehouse, I see the alarm clock on the dresser in my dorm room. I probably see it because I was listening to that album when I was tired and overwhelmed at the end of the day, lying on my side, facing the door.
It’s such a small detail, and yet, for me, it’s a window into something I am still learning how to do today: to lie down for a moment and allow whatever ambition I had to unravel and rest. It was so hard back then because when I went to college, I was so excited (and of course, undiagnosed autistic/ADHD) about finally making friends and finally having what I saw as a “normal” life. But it was still anything but easy. I overworked myself a lot. However, today, I can see how I now have language for all of that and that makes a difference. Back then, I couldn’t have described any of this the way I just described it to you now.
So if you want to reflect in this way, feel free to bookmark this post and come back to these questions. I’ve also posted all of this on my blog (link in bio).
5 Questions to ask yourself if you want to go deeper…
1-Where did you listen to music the most, way back then?
2-Describe that place.
3-Describe the device you were listening to music on.
4-How do you remember feeling when you were listening to those songs?
5-Does this connect with how you are feeling today? Why or why not?
And if you don't want to do exercises like this or don't have time to, I believe that's okay, too! We're all different, and this is definitely created from my personal experience. I'm the kind of person who remembers a lot without even trying and it crowds my head, so practices like this help me create space to exhale. So if it's helpful at all, use away! :)
Templates you can use:
