As I briefly talked about in the last column that I did for springtime, I have a very expansive CD collection that I’ve cultivated over the past few years. For Christmas, my parents gave me a large number of their personal CDs that they thought I’d like best. My car’s glovebox is full of them. When I went to the Goodwill Bins last summer, I bought a 40-song disc that was called “Summer’s Greatest Hits.” It fully shaped my summer, as I spent a lot of my days driving the 30 minutes it takes for me to get to work, listening to that CD.
Even though I have an auxiliary cord that I could play music from my phone with, the act of investing in physical music is really special. It’s just something that I grew up being passionate about. As summer rolls around, I begin to look forward to these long car rides–whether I’m driving to the beach or my work– because I know that the songs I listen to on the way will make each drive one-of-a-kind.
“Going to California” — Led Zeppelin
When my family goes on road trips (which is quite frequently) we always create a joint playlist to listen to on the way. They’re usually pretty long and repetitive because we make a new one each time we go somewhere. It’s interesting to see how my music taste develops over time by the different songs I add.
Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California” always somehow finds its way onto the playlists. It’s definitely a reliable, go-to favorite of mine. It’s a very romantic song about a man who travels to find love in California, accompanies with a magical-sounding instrumental: “Made up my mind to make a new start / Going to California with an achin’ in my heart / Someone told me there’s a girl out there / With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.” I am a really big fan of mandolins in music. I think they have a really ethereal sound that makes any song better, and “Going to California” is no exception.
It’s just such a unique track that makes me think of the salty, West Coast air and discovering beauty in the little things.
“Take It Easy “- Eagles
“Take It Easy” by the Eagles is the first song on their debut studio album, “Eagles,” released in 1972. This track is all about letting the little things go.
I contemplated making one of the lines, “Don’t let the sounds of your own wheels drive you crazy,” my senior quote, before settling on something else. It’s a really important song to me because I need a reminder every once in a while to go with the flow and relax more, which is easier with the freedom that summer brings.
Eagles were previously on my winter song column, so it’s no secret that I love them. They’re so versatile and perfect for hot nights.
“O, Brother!” – Joan Baez
I started listening to Joan Baez more after I saw A Complete Unknown (2024) in theaters. I wasn’t that familiar with her music previously, but that would shortly change.
I attended a conference last March with the newspaper class at the Columbia SOJC Spring Convention in NYC about the political and musical impact of Bob Dylan, which briefly touched on Baez’s activism and importance in the folk scene. It truly inspired me, and I spent the last couple of months of my junior year replaying “O, Brother!” over and over again.
It is a super fun and catchy song that flows very nicely. This track reminds me of summer because of just how joyful it is. A lot of the lyrics juxtapose the instrumentals, which are light and airy: “You’ve done dirt to lifelong friends / With little or no excuses / Who endowed you with the crown / To hand out these abuses?”
“O, Brother!” also belongs on this list because it is one of the first songs that I learned to fully play through on the guitar over the last summer. It means a lot to me for this reason.
“You Still Believe In Me” — The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds—The Beach Boys’ 11th studio record— is extremely iconic. It was rated as the second best album on Rolling Stone’s article, “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” only under The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
The second track, “You Still Believe In Me,” is such a masterpiece and, in my opinion, a little underrated when you compare the other memorable hits the album has, like, “God Only Knows” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
The way they pluck their guitar strings was meant to mimic a harpsichord, which gives the song a really distinct musicality. This is another romantic track that focuses on the shortcomings of the singer, basically posing the question of: “Even with all of my faults, you still believe in me?”
I think it’s a strong addition to this list because The Beach Boys are such a summer-y band on their own, and I wanted to shed light on a song that is often overlooked. Lead vocalist Brian Wilson has always amazed me in his writing: “I try hard to be strong, but sometimes, I fail myself/And after all I’ve promised you so faithfully.” He truly is a cultural idol.
I think the end of senior year feels a lot like when you step off a treadmill after running on it for a long period of time. You have a sensation that you’re floating and moving quicker than you actually are. I tried my best to “savor the moments,” but nothing truly prepares you for how fast it’s over.
I am endlessly excited for summer, even though it’s a sad reality that my time at McDaniel is almost through. I won’t have my car when I leave for college, so I’ll have to find a place to store my CDs, but before that, I will “take it easy,” and live out the summer to its fullest.
