I can remember books and stories that made me think, "Oh, wow -- I didn't know fiction could DO that!" And I guess maybe that sort of light-bulb-going-on moment might be, maybe, what Jeff Tweedy is talking about with his music. (If I had the nerve, I'd just, well, ask him. But I don't have the nerve, hahahah.)
I can’t think of a song that “changed my life,” but I can think of some singers or albums that changed the trajectory of what I wanted to listen to. I kind of think that unless you are immersed in the musician’s lifestyle, you can only be as influenced by a song as you want to be at any one time because so many other things are shaping your life. But then, that’s just me…
I think for anything like a definitive answer I may need to tap into the mind of a musician, if I can just think of one I kno--- Oooh! Oooh! I do know one...! 😉
Geeze, song that “changed” my life. So many songs with too little time, but did that song change or merely help define that event/time/circumstance? Any/ all of “Tommy”. Sea and Sand from Quadraphenia. Let’s See Action by Pete Townshend (Now there’s certainly a thread there…). Naive Melody: This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads; If I Were the Man You Wanted: Lyle Lovett. All of these songs changed my perspective at the time I heard them - so maybe they “changed my life”.
I think as soon as I issued the "Name a song which changed your life" challenge, I realized the absurdity of it. I myself keep thinking of songs which altered the direction of my musical tastes, for instance, or songs which I remember in the background of life changes already in progress. I can readily believe a professional musician like Tweedy, though, would be more profoundly rocked by one song or the other!
Oh, that Twin Peaks theme...
Has a song changed my life? Like you, songs are key to memories and feelings, which certainly influence me, but change? I dunno.
I can remember books and stories that made me think, "Oh, wow -- I didn't know fiction could DO that!" And I guess maybe that sort of light-bulb-going-on moment might be, maybe, what Jeff Tweedy is talking about with his music. (If I had the nerve, I'd just, well, ask him. But I don't have the nerve, hahahah.)
I can’t think of a song that “changed my life,” but I can think of some singers or albums that changed the trajectory of what I wanted to listen to. I kind of think that unless you are immersed in the musician’s lifestyle, you can only be as influenced by a song as you want to be at any one time because so many other things are shaping your life. But then, that’s just me…
I think for anything like a definitive answer I may need to tap into the mind of a musician, if I can just think of one I kno--- Oooh! Oooh! I do know one...! 😉
In case you're curious, here's Jeff Tweedy's own Substack:
https://jefftweedy.substack.com/
I especially like the title of a post in his "I Hate..." section: "Schadenfreude Buffet." That post is here:
https://jefftweedy.substack.com/p/schadenfreude-buffet
Many of us had next-door "Winkers" growing up!
Geeze, song that “changed” my life. So many songs with too little time, but did that song change or merely help define that event/time/circumstance? Any/ all of “Tommy”. Sea and Sand from Quadraphenia. Let’s See Action by Pete Townshend (Now there’s certainly a thread there…). Naive Melody: This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads; If I Were the Man You Wanted: Lyle Lovett. All of these songs changed my perspective at the time I heard them - so maybe they “changed my life”.
Both of the Tweedy links are great.
I think as soon as I issued the "Name a song which changed your life" challenge, I realized the absurdity of it. I myself keep thinking of songs which altered the direction of my musical tastes, for instance, or songs which I remember in the background of life changes already in progress. I can readily believe a professional musician like Tweedy, though, would be more profoundly rocked by one song or the other!