If you shade your eyes and squint, you can make it out in the distance: it’s a finish line, a metaphorical one, marking the end of another school year. In a few weeks (or days, if you're lucky), you'll cross it, and time will slow down like it does during important scenes in movies, and you’ll throw your arms into the air while someone hangs a gorgeous wreath around your neck. Well, maybe those things will happen metaphorically too, because more likely you’ll just engage in whatever kind of merrymaking is available: high-fiving your classmates, shooting vicious looks at your teachers, and making a beeline for a nearby picnic, where they are serving miniature cheeseburgers.
No matter your mode of celebration, you’ll need an appropriate soundtrack to keep your victory dance chugging along for hours on end. To be included, songs should have a solid beat, a chorus you can sing along with, and lyrics that refer to freedom, escape, or the end of something. We found five tunes to start you off, so cue the slow-mo cinematography and let the farewell-to-school festivities begin:
“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
This quintessential end-of-the-year anthem proposes an intriguing idea: What if school could be over forever? The tune transforms innocent elementary-school rhymes such as “No more pencils / No more books / No more teacher's dirty looks” into an anti-establishment call to arms. Or maybe it's just a rock song. Whichever.
“Glad It’s Over” by Wilco
Wilco's mean-spirited break-up song could easily describe your relationship with the school year: “I don’t feel bad / I don’t feel lonely / I’m just glad it’s over.” The sentiments intensify and Jeff Tweedy sings, “I just want you out of my life until my life ends, oh yeah,” which is pretty much how we felt about most of our high school science and math classes.
“Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen
We’re pretty confident this song has nothing to do with school, as it references various serious topics, including machine guns and bullets. But it sure feels good to shout the chorus as your memories of pop quizzes, bad lunches, and droning teachers fade away.
“I’m Free” by the Soup Dragons
The end of the year brings on a weightless sensation that this early-‘90s hit, a speeded-up Rolling Stones cover, effortlessly captures. In theory, combining reggae vocals with Scottish rock seems like a grave error, but the final product is surprisingly inspirational. Please note that if you have a summer job, you may not actually be free.
“Jenny and the Ess-Dog” by Stephen Malkmus
This song is about a hippie couple and their dog, Trey. Sometimes Trey wishes he wasn’t their pet, and in the middle of the song, he breaks down his feelings: “Let me out of here / You got to let me out of here… I’ll hit the ground runnin’.” Despite having half as many legs as Trey, we can totally sympathize.
What tunes are on your end-of-the-year mix?
Topics: Music, Celebs & Stuff
Post a comment!