Songs I'm Loving Lately #9: Great Tune, Great Lyrics

It's been so long since I've done one of these posts! Most of my past Songs I'm Loving Lately have had some kind of theme, but I was really struggling to find a common theme for all of these songs.  I guess you could say they're all love songs in a sense, but really, what song isn't? What I finally realized is that while all of these songs have a great tune (in my opinion) they also have great lyrics. Nowadays it's getting harder and harder to find songs that actually have lyrics that don't make you cringe. I chose these songs not only because they're catchy, but because a lot of their lyrics really speak to me.

When You Were Mine - Night Terrors of 1927

ft. Tegan & Sara

Okay, admittedly I love this song because it's catchy, as with most of my favorite Tegan & Sara songs (even if they're only "featured" in this one). The main point of this song is looking back on a relationship that has ended, but it's not necessarily a "sad" break up song. To me it's more like you're looking back on the time spent with this person. My favorite line in the song is "the hottest love has the coldest end." and boy, oh boy, can I relate to that!

Great Summer - Vance Joy

I've been on a Vance Joy kick lately. There are so many songs of his I can choose from, but this one in particular is my favorite right now. It's from the soundtrack of that movie "Paper Towns" which I still haven't seen (but really want to!) Another catchy song and fits quite perfectly for this time period since we're just about done with summer. The part of the song that speaks most to me is "the kid you used to be, well, I know that you're still there." Since I've been going through some rough times, I can really relate to this because despite everything, I know that "the kid" in me is still in there and I'm trying my best to reconnect with that part of myself.

Only Love - Ben Howard

Perhaps the mushiest song on this list, "Only Love" is a beautiful love song. It's the most personal to me, so I can't really go into detail on why, but my favorite lyrics are "darling you're with me, always around me."

Cecilia & The Satellite - Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Truthfully, this song I like mostly for it's sound and all of that. The lyrics are pretty standard and not much stands out. If I had to chose, though, I'd pick "how a face can change when a heart knows fear." Also, I knew his voice sounded familiar, so while writing this post I decided to google my suspicions and discovered that Andrew is in fact the same Andrew who was the lead singer of Something Corporate, one of my favorite "emo" bands from back in the day!

Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran

Ah, Ed Sheeran. Perhaps the master of love songs. This is one that hasn't reached the radio (yet) so enjoy it while you can and it doesn't get overplayed. I pretty much love all of the lyrics of this song, as usual with anything Ed Sheeran. But when he sings "so in love" my heart melts a little bit (or a lot a bit). 

Are you a fan of any of these songs? Or do you know any similar songs that I may enjoy? Please share! I'm always looking for more music :)

P.S. You're Not Old

I had a conversation today with my oldest friend (and by oldest, I mean the friend who has been around the longest—since our angst-filled middle school years) and it sparked something in me, something that I think goes through the minds of everyone and seems to start a little after you graduate college and enter "the real world."

When you're 21/22, you feel like you're on top of the world. Hell, you think you're on top of the world even before that, but even more naively so. I've heard it said many times that your college years are the best years of your life. There was even a show called "The Best Years" that focused on a girl in college (anyone remember that on The N?!) I always got so angry when I heard that, though, because first of all, at the time, I thought my college years sucked. As I look back on them now, I yearn to go back way too often, wondering if they really were in fact the best years of my life and I took it for granted. Spoiler alert: they weren't. My best years are still to come. And maybe even my worst years (please no haha). Who knows!

It is so easy to get trapped in this mindset because once we graduate college, we are hurdled into what everyone loves to call "the real world" and with that comes a wave of responsibilities that coincide with all the fun and adventure being sucked out of your life. I'm only 24 years old and I'm already seeing fellow peers getting married, engaged, having babies, getting promotions at work, moving cross-country, etc. It's hard to take a look around your world and think that you're still young, because so many of us are doing such "adult" things.

Part of my conversation with my friend today involved a lot of reminiscing, especially since due to certain circumstances, we're both back in our home town. As we talked about the high school kids of today (and thought about our own high school experience) I got to saying, multiple times, "GOD we're so old." And at that point I'm pretty sure Kate wanted to smack me in the face, because in her eyes we're not old, we're still just babies. And she's right.

We're still in our twenties. We still have years to make more mistakes and learn from them. We still have years to experience new things, meet new people, live in new places. We still have time to figure out what exactly it is that we want to do. We have all the time in the world. Just because we're done with college and expected to do all these things (thank you, society, for all that pressure), doesn't mean we have to. And just because you're 24 and already married and having babies and living your dream life, that doesn't mean you're old either. You still have so much ahead of you, both good and bad. We all do.

I'm done thinking my friends and I have gotten "so old" especially because I know ten years from now I'll look back at this time period and think "What was I thinking! I'm so old NOW!" (Which by the way I won't because I very much plan to implement this new mentality ASAP). If I keep thinking the way I do, then I'm not going to enjoy life. I'm not going to enjoy my twenties and all the upheaval it brings. Because no, we can't drink like we're tanks anymore and we can't go on reckless adventures (or more so don't want to because we've become "responsible" and all that). But that doesn't mean we have to stop having fun. It doesn't mean we can't go on any adventures. It doesn't mean we have to become a corporate drone, and live just to work and get by.

There's no one answer that will satisfy everyone's question of how exactly you do any of the above. For some of you, it may mean you travel—see the world, meet new people, experience new things. For some of you it means picking up a new hobby and/or doing something you never in a million years thought you would do. For others it may simply mean starting your own family, because of course that's an adventure in itself. Some of you may find that simply hanging out with old friends can do the trick. Remembering old memories and making new ones. The answer/solution is different for everybody. The important part is that you get out there and DO something. Get out there and live. Don't get stuck in the past.

When I say that 24 is not old, I also mean that 34 isn't old—neither is 44, 54, etc. It's never too late to change your life. It's never too late to do something new. Sometimes we get too stuck in the past. It's okay to get nostalgic, but don't let it run your life. I say this as someone whose been this way for a very long time. I rarely enjoy the present because I'm stuck in the past (or worried about the future... can I get an amen? Ha.) But I'm trying really hard to change that about myself, and I hope you can, too.

[Kate and I years from now, obviously still complaining about stupid people]

The 7 Best Movies to Watch in the Summer

We may only have a few weeks left of summer, but what better way to embrace it (besides going outside and enjoying the sunshine and warmth as much as you can!) than to watch movies that remind you of summer? I find myself watching some of these movies throughout the year and they always just scream "summer" to me, probably because they are set in the summertime (duh) but also because something about this season always reminds me of two things: love and friendship. These movies perfectly capture those themes. And while it may seem counterintuitive to celebrate the last bit of summer by staying indoors and watching movies, we all know some nights we just need to stay in and relax - but you still want to enjoy summertime! Hopefully watching these will also help you halt the excitement you may be feeling for fall to get here already and remind you just what summer is really about.

Dirty Dancing

Possibly THE ultimate summer movie for me. Who can resist this steamy love story?! Set in the Poconos during the summer of '63, Dirty Dancing is a classic. Patrick Swayze is some serious eye candy and I can only ever dream that I would have the dance skills of Jennifer Grey.

Now and Then

Okay, maybe I lied, because this may be the ultimate summer movie for me... or at least comes as a close second. This beautiful story of friendship takes place the summer of 1970 in a small town and truly captures the essence of growing up, especially that awkward stage where you're still technically a kid but also on your way to becoming a teenager. Red rover, red rover...

Stand by Me

I may be a little hypocritical here because I have actually never seen this movie (YET!) but you bet it's on my must-watch list before August is over. It's similar to Now and Then in the sense that it also takes place in the summer and is also a story about four 12 year old friends. Another coming of age story that has touched the hearts of so many.

My Girl

This was one of my favorite movies growing up. I still cry every single time I watch it. It's one of the sweetest movies I've ever seen.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

(1 & 2)

I'm combining both the first and second installment of this movie because I always saw it as one movie. The best part about these movies is that it captures friendship, family AND love. It also shows how sometimes your friends become your family, despite how far apart you may be. 

American Pie 2

Here's a movie that'll really throw you back into the 90s (even though it came out in 2001). Out of all the American Pie movies, this one's my favorite for several reasons. First off, it takes place in the summer, so you know, duh. Secondly, it's when Jim and Michelle finally get together. And perhaps most importantly, it's a perfect example of what happens to groups of friends after they've gone away to college and come back for the summer. It's hard staying in touch with your high school friends and this movie really touches on that (in a hilarious way, of course).

Summer Catch

Not exactly the best acting or the best plot line, but it's a fun summertime love story to watch. Plus, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel just sizzle in this movie.

Since I had such a hard time narrowing down which movies to include in my list, I had a lot left over that I still wanted to share! I even had to narrow down my "honorable mentions" list as well.

Honorable Mentions

Grease

The Parent Trap

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Meatballs

Wet Hot American Summer

The Sandlot

Without a Paddle

What are some of your favorite movies to watch in the summer?