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Re-Discovering Music: How Songs Can Reveal Your Deepest Feelings

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at York U chapter.

Have you ever felt heartbroken about someone and then attributed a song to that experience to validate your feelings and emotions? 

If you struggle or have struggled listening to a song without thinking of the painful memory of a person and its defining moments, I can definitely relate. 

Music and memory are bonded together, causing moments of freedom and in some cases, moments of – Are you kidding me? Every time I listen to this song, I think of …

I wrote a previous blog article about what music really means to me, and with more life experiences, I realized that music gives me the gifts of association, dissociation, and re-association. 

When I subconsciously associated a song with someone who did me wrong or made my blood boil, much time was spent nitpicking a song, analyzing each lyric, and trying to match it up with my life. Phone calls to my friends telling them my newest and latest epiphanies is so time-consuming, but equally comforting.

There comes a time when sometimes the memory becomes too painful to bear and disassociating is not only easier, but something to resort to so I can avoid that pain. I thought that not listening to the song would be the quick and easy fix, but I realized that as the situation in my life became more challenging, the song sounded more and more like a crutch. 

Then after the rain comes a rainbow! My hope is to continue listening and vibing without allowing myself to transport back in that time of turmoil – but gracefully pausing for a moment of acknowledgement. The indication of healing for me came through that first re-listen because that re-association brought me back to Earth as I began to feel a sense of hope for the future of growth and courage.

I love Taylor Swift songs because she explains things that you didn’t think could actually be put into words. Every lyric is gold and wow, is it so easy to internalize and tailor her words to match your experience. For me, “August,” “Illicit Affairs” and “My Tears Ricochet” just did the trick. That song trilogy spoke to three phases and served different purposes, with my journey of association, dissociation and re-association being felt in waves, all depending on my wellbeing. 

Through conversations with others, I learned that associations we make to songs can be searched for, but sometimes it finds us. For example, a song plays in the background of a core moment – inevitably that song will always be a reminder of that significant experience. 

Even if the memory is still lingering, it won’t be so debilitating, poignant, or heartbreaking. Time is your companion.

It was never about the song itself, but the meaning I attributed it to in connection with my life. After all, a song is just a song. 

Sofia is a part time writer at Her Campus for York University. Branching under the sectors of life and culture, Sofia likes to write about her experiences and inspirations, that shape the person she is, and wants to be. She loves to write because it demonstrates her creativity and allows her to connect with other people. Writing is her favourite form of communication because words on paper hold so much meaning, and she hopes to give that to readers. Beyond Her Campus, Sofia works for the City of Vaughan, where she instructs recreational programs for children and youth. She enjoys working with children and youth because learning from them is both a humbling and rewarding experience. Sofia completed her undergraduate studies, majoring in Children, Childhood & Youth Studies, and minoring in Sociology. She is currently in her final year in the Bachelor of Education Program, as a teacher candidate. Aside from writing, Sofia enjoys reading romance novels and watching movies in her free time. Always ready for adventures, she loves discovering new restaurants in Downtown Toronto and enjoys going for walks. But most importantly, spending time with family, friends, and her dog LĂ©o are what brings her the most joy.