music that changed your life

In My Humble Opinion
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Today, at the record store where I work, I straightened the pop collection section and came across a compilation the company put out called “Music that changed our lives.” I can’t really say KISS ever did anything to change my life, but it got me thinking about bands that did. I’m talking about songs that really grab you, songs that I’m forever grateful I’ve heard because they did make a difference, in some way at least.
“Honey White” by Morphine-This was played all of once on Houston’s Buzz as far as I can tell, and I caught it. This was unlike anything I had ever heard before. I loved it, bought the CD, tried to convince everyone I knew to hear it. I got every CD of the band’s since. Just thinking about it makes me want to put the CD on.
“21st Century Digital Boy” by Bad Religion-This came on at midnight, one night early in my freshman year of high school. Green Day and the Offspring had both gotten big shortly before, and all the music magazines were running articles about punk. This was just so fast and smart and cool. Everyone liked Green Day, but the vast mahjority my classmates had no clue who these people were. I felt special.
“First We Take Manhattan” covered by REM-I’d loved REM since I was 12, but this was, I thought, my introduction to Leonard Cohen’s lyrics. I’m forever grateful.
“Lover, lover, lover” covered by Ian McCulloch-This was my actual introduction to Leonard Cohen, though I didn’t realize it until years later. This song just seemed so different than all the other pop on the radio. I heard it a few times, reveled in the lyrics, and then it vanished. Finding a single randomly in a store was a godsend.
“Raggle Taggle Gypsies” Wyndnwyre-I was 15 and hated living in a boring, blue-collar suburb of Houston. I heard this on a trip to a local festival with my drama club. I just loved the imagery of a lady of the manor casting everything away to run away with a band of gypsies.

I have more, but I don’t want to take up too much space. How about everyone else? What are the songs that changed your life?

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I’ll bite…I’ve got a whole list:

Counting Crows–The Murder of One–that song got me through most of high school. When it seemed like I was trapped in my house and in working and school and activities and the race for scholarship money and a future, listening to that song helped me to remember that there were people out there who supported me.

Tori Amos–Silent All These Years–Never again will I keep quiet when something is on my mind.

Collective Soul–Dandy Life–it reminds me of all of the great friends that I have

the Eels–Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues; U2–Beautiful Day–I usually listen to one of those two songs to start my day off on a happy note.

Dave Matthews–If I Had a Boat–just because sometimes you need something asinine to smile.

There are others…but those are the “current” ones

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“Kom Susser Tod” (Come Sweet Death) from the End of Evangelion soundtrack…listen to the lyrics…

also “Sunscreen”, that weird poem that was played all the time a couple years ago…