Many songs seem to be written specifically to cash in on the emotions that saturate a particular moment. The other day, we were on iTunes (what's this $1.29 baloney, Apple?) and noticed an iTunes Essentials Graduation playlist. We were truly perturbed by what Apple recommended. "I Believe I Can Fly," really? Since when has R. Kelly, an alleged pedophile who urinates on his underage partners, been a guiding light for America's youth?
Today, our beloved seniors here at Tufts University will face the culmination of their collegiate careers at Commencement. We recognize that we are merely freshmen at Tufts, but we went through graduation last year and we would like to congratulate seniors on their success and help them to commemorate their time spent here at Tufts. Along with "Dear Alma Mater," "Tuftonia's Day" and "Pomp and Circumstance," here are some songs you will be sure to hear come Commencement.
The supreme overlord of all graduation songs, Vitamin C's "Graduation (Friends Forever)" became a hit in 2000 because of the tear-jerking tone and lyrics, not to mention Vitamin C's reddish-blonde locks and tight figure. The song has been so exhausted that we have heard Vitamin C's voice more than we have heard our own voices in the past nine years. No thanks, Vitamin C, we would rather get scurvy than listen to anymore of this melodramatic garbage. Same goes double for Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This."
Under the rare circumstance that a graduation song is actually remotely good, it is immediately overplayed. For example, Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" and Semisonic's "Closing Time" were perfectly good songs with great lyrics that served as heartfelt graduation ballads. Yet, everyone and their mother decided to put these songs on repeat at every event, from commencements to funerals, and now we can't listen to these songs without our ears hemorrhaging.
We could continue mocking corny, hackneyed graduation songs like Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance," but we think you get the picture. Instead, here are some songs that we listened to during our respective high school graduations and would recommend to seniors.
For the ripened souls, why not pump up some oldies? Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want" is an uplifting choice about perseverance, while The Beatles' "In My Life" is a wistful and reflective song that is instantly relatable and totally timeless.
To satisfy the average college kid's obsession with alternative and indie rock, use these songs to reminisce about adolescent years:
California-based band We Are Scientists scored inadvertent graduation gold with their song "The Great Escape," which embraces the creativity and independence of the younger generation. If you're in the mood for something truly powerful, check out the instrumental "Your Hand In Mine" by Explosions in the Sky. Finally, Gomez's "See the World" is the perfect choice for those looking forward to the future. After all, "commencement" means "beginning" and we wish you all luck as you embark on the journey that is the rest of your lives.
If you couldn't tell, we find songs that explicitly extol the virtues of graduation to be pretty clichéd and boring. While the lyrics may seem super-sweet and oh-so-fitting at the time, they usually end up sounding banal, saccharine and stereotypical. Whatever song inspires you should be your graduation theme. Listen to songs that will serve as aural time capsules, reminding you of all the fun you've had here on campus. So long as that song isn't "Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, you should be all set.
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Zach Drucker and Chris Poldoian are rising sophomores who have not yet declared majors. They can be reached at Zachary.Drucker@tufts.edu and Christopher.Poldoian@tufts.edu.
