Top Five Songs of July...

1. You Don't Know- Jawbreaker

















As I started to reflect this month on my moving to Nashville from Myrtle Beach, this song popped into my head. "You don't know what you've got (till its gone)." I think most people feel this way about things they leave behind. I remember when I was in high school, I plotted and planned how I could escape Charlotte. When I finally did escape Charlotte after graduation, I realized I missed it. The last two years (well, actually the desire to leave kicked in about 6 months ago), I thought about how to leave the beach. I wanted to be elsewhere. Anywhere. I sought a place that had more culture, more movie theatres, more rock shows...in an essence, more- anything. Another version of this song was brought to my attention by my new colleague in the program at Vanderbilt, Colin...see the video in this link.


2. The Garden You Planted- Sea Wolf


















I think it is painfully obvious just how much I love Sea Wolf. This song made the list for this month (as most did) due to moving. In my last two apartments, I have cultivated a garden in the front yard. When I moved from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach, I attempted to up-root most of the garden to take with me. Needless to say, there were casualties. This time, I left the garden behind. If there is one song that elicits watery eyes about my moving, this is it. "Well the weather out here is just the same, but the garden that you planted remains."


3. That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On- Sam Cooke


















If the song above makes me sad about leaving the beach, this song reminds me of the way I felt before deciding to leave. I recently put together a mix about the move. It dawned on me how "breaking up" with a city feels very similar to breaking up with a significant other. It feels bittersweet. I remember the good times, forget the bad times...but this song reminds me of how much I wanted to leave. There was just something about the beach that always seemed to disappoint me- much like Cooke's lover in this song.




4. A Long Way From Home- The Kinks


















Obvious, isn't it? Literal translation here with the name of the song, but less so with the lyrics. Less than one week into my time at my new home and it feels that way- a long way from home.

5. Tennessee- Silver Jews

















Again, I'm not sure I need to explain this song too much. A couple of nights before packing up all of my belongings to move to Nashville, I did a typical Itunes search for any songs about Tennessee or Nashville. I already knew that David Berman of Silver Jews lives in Nashville, but imagine my surprise that he wrote a song about moving and living in Nashville. It only seemed appropriate that this should be the last song of the five for July. A new start. A new place. A new sound.