Day 3: A song that makes you happy
Today’s prompt is a bit serendipitous since last weekend I began picking through my mp3 collection to make a playlist of upbeat songs – much like Barney’s get psyched mix.
That project taught me one thing about my happy songs: they are incredibly outnumbered by sad/angry songs. I have days upon days of music at this point and out of all that I’ll probably come up with a handful of hours of happy tunes. Though I’d wager that sort of distribution is the norm among music in general. Those negative emotions always seem to be the easiest to credibly relate to other people. Positive emotions are harder to channel without being cliché.
So, how do the happy songs do it? How are they able to elevate/change a mood?
Some do it by being deep and soulful. A warm blanket you can just wrap around your shoulders and lose yourself inside. Some do it by being cute and sweet, channeling sunshine and rainbows and puppy dogs and whatnot. Other songs bring the smile with a few anthemic, major power chords and sweet solos while others just make you want to dance forever.
Though they work in different ways these songs share the ability to make those bad times seem good and good times seem great.
For my money not many things turn shit to sugar quite like the Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road, and of the many life-brighteners on that record Ringo Starr’s “Octopus’ Garden” outshines the rest.
From the casually marching drums and bass to the neatly meandering guitar, this song is so comforting in its simplicity. It exudes a child-like innocence not unlike that Muppet Movie classic “Movin’ Right Along”. It’s a song that walks up, extends a hand, and says, “Relax, stop thinking, enjoy life.” Sometimes those are the happiest moments of all.
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