The Contemps: music

It's mid-May, which means high school graduations are fast approaching. Two years ago, I was one of the people prepping for my graduation. I bought the cap, the gown, the class ring, the invitations. But, for me at least, all that stuff was a bit boring. Instead, I was most interested the ongoing debate among my friends - what should our graduation song be?

A lot goes in to a good graduation song. It needs to represent this huge moment, when adulthood is just around the corner. Sometimes the best graduation songs are happy, and sometimes they are a bit sad and full of longing. A few of my friends wanted "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day played at our ceremony, but I was very against this since the song is actually very sarcastic and not really fitting for such a big moment.

Ultimately, I wasn't thrilled with the choice of graduation song we got. Ours was "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, which is nice, but to me it just wasn't the song that fit all of us. So, instead, I picked my own graduation song - the song that, in my heart, represented that big night in my life. For me, that song is probably "The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls, which had just come out around the time I was preparing to make that final walk across my high school gymnasium.

Graduation songs can be hit or miss, but music is such an emotional thing that it speaks to everyone. I want to know what your graduation song was/is/should be. Are there any songs you want to hear played at your graduation? Or, if you've graduated already, what was played and how did you feel about it? Tell us all about the best and worst graduation songs!

Nothing makes you more nostalgic than music. And nothing brings you back to a transitive time in your life – such as high school – like That Song. There might be one. There might be several. But whether you're 16 or 60, That Song is an instant time machine. When you hear it, suddenly – you're back.

For example, Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time" will always make me think of the cringingly awkward Sadie Hawkins dance sophomore year, where my date was my crush. ABBA's "Dancing Quee n" is turning seventeen and singing at the top of my lungs with my twin sister. "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns 'n Roses totally represents my first few months of college, savoring freedom with my new best friends. Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" played during my first ever slow dance in sixth grade. (I wish I was lying.)*

But the all-time most nostalgic song of my teenage years has got to be "1979" by The Smashing Pumpkins. Between ages 12 and 15, I was obsessed with The Smashing Pumpkins. Super crazy obsessed. These were the mid/late 90s days of America Online chat rooms, and I was a regular in The Smashing Pumpkins chat. At one point – oh God – I even had a newsletter. Called Children of the Pumpkin Patch.**

Aaaaanyway. At the time, I considered "Disarm" my favorite song, and Siamese Dream my favorite album. But the song that has always brought me back the most is "1979". I so wanted to be those teens in the music video: wreaking good clean havoc, making out in swimming pools, ditching the cute jerks who trashed the convenience store. To me, "1979" defines the excitement of being a teenager -- the same excitement that makes me write YA.

What songs define your teenage years?

*okay seriously, what was the DJ thinking??
**not to be confused with Children of the Corn.