Songs about feelings (R.E.M., Audioslave, The Avett Brothers)

So, I made it through turkey day. A few pounds heavier from all the carbs (and mounds of whipped cream on top of the pumpkin pie), but happy to have the time to spend with my family. My picks for this week are about moments of vulnerability. In each of these, I am amazed with the level of honesty and exposure and how it leads to something so beautiful. 

Audioslave – Like a Stone

I really thought this song was about love. Wikipedia corrected me. It is about a man, all alone, waiting to die. It disturbs me how much I want to dance to this song. It's also unsettling that I listened to this on repeat for a day and a half. But then again, it is philosophical and makes you think. Sometimes, I need to think. And sometimes for a day and a half on repeat in my car, I just want to get lost in Chris Cornell’s sweet, sweet voice.

R.E.M. – World Leader Pretend

It would be safe to say that I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times. I have a habit of getting sucked into  an R.E.M. vortex where I found it impossible to listen to anything else. However, the other day, I really heard this song for the first time. What a stubborn, lonely song. I always heard it as a song about self-empowerment, but now I hear a story about hiding, protecting, and asking for someone to make it cool to come out of the hiding. Maybe it’s a little of both. Maybe it is just a reflection of the day I was having when I  listening to it.

The Avett Brothers – I Would Be Sad

I guess that it wasn’t really much of a stretch to put an Avett Brothers song in a post about emotional vulnerability and honesty, but I have been on a serious tear of listening to this song. It makes me want to give him a hug and tell him that it will all get better. And then I cringe, thinking of all of the times that I felt so desperate to get some guy’s attention. It always feels so dramatic and serious at the time, but it is both good and a little sad to realize how such strong feelings can fade or change. I also haven't lost the irony of how I’m totally embarrassed for myself but sympathetic to others.