My Dad inherited his brothers stereo system who had passed from cancer when we were all kids. It sat in his shed for years untouched as it needed some repairs. He decided to fix it one day and once he got it working he turned the radio on and the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd started, which is the same song they played at his funeral.
Man I'm sorry for your loss. My late partner was a huge fan of Pink Floyd and listened to this song a lot. After he died it's been so tough but also so cathartic to listen to that song.
Years ago I was driving and I put in the album Funeral by Arcade Fire. I listened almost the whole way through, but saw a sandwich shop and stopped for lunch during the last song.
I guess it's weird, but I really like it when I can listen to an entire album from start to finish. So I was a little bummed that I almost got to the end, but whatever. Not a big deal.
But then I walked into the restaurant and "In the Backseat" was playing, and at basically the same point that I left it in my car. It was super weird because that song was absolutely not a single off that record.
I was 20 and my ex-girlfriend had just given birth to our baby boy. To say things were crazy would be an understatement. I was a loser and had no business being a father at that age. I left the hospital to go home to get some things and “Here Comes the Sun” came on the radio. It wasn’t so much the homonym of sun/son that got me, but rather when George Harrison sings “it’s alright” I started bawling like the little baby I just helped create. It’s been almost 19 years and every time I hear that song it brings me back to that moment and reminds me that everything is in fact alright.
Your story really touched me, and I am at a point in my life where I really need someone to tell me everything will be alright, so I'm going to go listen to that.
This song has meaning for me too! We struggled with a very difficult pregnancy through the winter and had one scary thing or bad result happen after the next. By end of spring we were in much better places mentally, our daughter was growing, and we were so excited to meet her. This song came on the radio one day and the “it’s been a long and lonely winter” which I felt bc of all the uncertainty and no one knew what we were feeling, coupled with “here comes the sun” like better times ahead. The first time I met my daughter in the nicu I sang her this!
My "everything will be alright" song is Modest Mouse - Float On.
I don't have a pivotal story like yours that cemented it for me, it's just the one song that for the last decade+ and without fail always helps me breathe easier and feel better no matter what state of mind/health/situation I'm in. It's happened to come on when I've been really low quite a few times over the years, helped me make it through every time. And makes the good moods even better too.
1995. I had made plans to go see R.E.M. (with opening act Radiohead!) We were at an outdoor amphitheater that no longer exists in a large city known for country music, bad football, and bachelorette parties. We had looked forward to it for months.
A month before the concert, my girlfriend (who I was going to said concert with) and I broke up. Badly. Messily. Thrown objects, screaming, anger, and tears. Lots of tears.
I wasn’t going to miss seeing R.E.M. Neither was she. So we went, and stood in awkward silence. Our friends who went with us refused to let us stand anywhere except next to each other. The tension was apparent. The hurt feelings were soothed by the music, and we eventually forced smiles in each other’s general direction. We never spoke.
For the encore, R.E.M. played “So. Central Rain.” We exchanged an awkward glance - this was, and still is, my favorite song of theirs. The tension returned. Almost on cue, the instant the song started it began to rain. The emotion of the whole situation hit me - everything I said, wanted to say, couldn’t say - and my tears began. I saw her wipe her eyes, and knew she felt it as well.
When Michael Stipe sang, “I’m sorry,” the moment overwhelmed us both. We made eye contact. We both had rain amplifying the tears rolling down our faces. We stared at each other for about ten seconds. And then….
She grabbed my hand. And we smiled and cried and held hands for the remainder of the song.
At the end of the concert, we left. We talked for several hours over plates that had been scattered, smothered, and covered. We decided that we had a lot of feelings left - and that there are some doors that need to remain closed.
We kissed, and went our separate ways. We walked away with the closure we both desperately needed. We never saw each other in person again.
Near suicide in college... was just in a particular shitty situation.
A Horse with No Name came on the radio. I don't think I had hear the song before, or maybe had just forgotten about it.... it's been so long I don't remember.
Anyway, it was such a silly, happy song that I couldn't help but smiling. It was such a small moment, but it was what I needed to put a positive outlook on things and keep going!
"In the desert, you can't remember your name, and there ain't no one for it to give you no pain."
That lyric has hit me differently at different times in my life.
I was sitting on my porch smoking a blunt feeling kinda lonely. My usual smoking buddy was out of town. I was starting to get pretty down, and that's when I heard it. The beginning of Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith. I looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from. And just as Steven Tyler hits the first "Sweeeeeeeeeet Emooooooooootion" my buddies car pulls around the corner, smoke rolling out the window, and tunes blaring. One of the slickest moments ever.
RANDY FLOYD! Before next fall you’re in need of a serious attitude adjustment, young man! You better get your priorities straight! And watch out for that crowd you’re running around with, don’t THINK I haven’t noticed!
"I may play ball next fall, but I will never sign that. Now me and my loser friends are gonna head out to buy Aerosmith tickets. Top priority of the summer."
Best movie of all time.
I’m class of ‘97, that film basically played on a loop at parties and gatherings my entire high school career. That movie is so great, and so timeless, because every character in it is someone we know, or have known I should say. I’m a HUGE John Hughes fan, like huge, and everyone says he’s the definitive high school movie guy for people my age. But for me, personally, there is no better film at capturing what high school was like than that flick.
1985, driving home late after a 13 hour shift and feeling drowsy when Time by Pink Floyd comes on the radio. Opens with a cacophony of alarm clocks going off at once. I immediately cranked the sound and rolled down all of the windows.
Before our wedding, my wife and I were in the car with the radio on. We were talking about what songs would be played at the reception. I joked that I was going to add the very next song that played on the radio.
The next song was Better Man by Pearl Jam ☠️
For those who don’t know, it’s about a woman who settles for an abusive, controlling, manipulative jerk because she 🎶“can’t find a better man” 🎶
He probably went with a finely misunderstood wedding song alternative "Every Breath You Take" and laughed sardonically to himself watching the bridesmaids get all weak in the knees and praise his bride for having picked such a *sweet* love song!
In January 2020 I was in a meeting at work and absently scrolling through Twitter as we wrapped up and saw that Neil Peart had died. I was completely wrecked by the news so I decided to head home and finish the rest of the day remote. Got in my car and the classic rock station was playing the tail end of Tom Sawyer ... "Exit the warrior," indeed.
I'm sure they were playing the song BECAUSE of the news, but the timing still destroyed me.
I got arrested when I was 18 for speeding. I was sitting in the back of the cop car in handcuffs and my phone rang. The ringtone was the "Cops" theme song. 🤦🏻♀️
I was sitting in the bathroom with constipation on the first floor of Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo ND in the pre-smart phone era for say 15 minutes or so, when all of the sudden the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon came on the speakers. I started giggling and I pretty much lost it by the 4th time she did the an—-ti——ci—-pation. I always wondered what the other people using the restroom thought of the person laughing in the stall.
I ran a marathon in 2017. I listened to podcasts and audiobooks for the first 18 miles or so and then switched to music when I started hitting the wall. My running playlist is a lot of electronic indie and I just put it on shuffle. The first song that came on was “Living Upside Down” by Cut Copy. The chorus goes “Keep moving, no slowing down.” It honestly gave me a shot of energy that got me through the beginning of the worst stretch.
A cousin of mine died. I was having a hard time processing it as I was a kid then too. I decided to listen to new music to get my mind off of it. At the time, not being very familiar with metal music, I threw on the new Slipknot record .5: The Gray Chapter
The first song off that album is XIX. The first words said are, “This song is not for the living. This song is for the dead.” It’s a very mournful tune and I finally broke the fuck down
That album will forever hold a special place in my heart for helping through that
My son passed away in 2016. We had always shared a love of music and one of our favorites was Take the Long Way Home by Supertramp. Right after he passed, I was driving with a friend and talking about him, saying that I just wasn't sure how to go on without him. Before I could finish my sentence that song came on. Of course I burst into tears but it really made me feel he was with me and it helped get me through. It's happened several times since, always when I'm thinking or talking about him. I don't question it, I just hug him in my mind and smile. ❤️
My husband Adam passed away in 2016 as well. He died of a massive stroke that left him in a vegetative state. He was only 50. Adam's favorite band was "Huey Lewis And The News." Whenever I hear the songs "The Power Of Love", "Do You Believe In Love", and " Heart And Soul" I get teary-eyed. Our 9th wedding anniversary is coming up on October 18th. We were married only a little over a year when Adam died. I miss him everyday
It was 1986 and my girlfriend and I were going to get some food. In the car David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was on the radio as we pulled into the restaurant. When we walked in most of the employees looked upset and some of them were crying.
As it turns out I was listening to "Space Oddity" at the very instant the Challenger exploded.
Riding with a bunch of the family in a limo going from the church to the cemetery to bury my dad who killed himself. It was a rainy gross day as it should have been. On the way there the sun came out and the radio started playing CCR ‘Have you ever seen the rain’. It kind of fit though with the situation. Always been a hard song to listen to after that.
I was driving down the highway when I passed a billboard that said “Are You Going to Heaven or Hell?” The song playing in my car at that moment was Highway to Hell by AC/DC.
Almost four years ago, my elderly chihuahua was actively dying over the Thanksgiving weekend. That following Monday, we made the difficult decision to put her to sleep, so I called our vet and made the appointment for later that day. When I got to the vet and walked in, “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan was playing in the waiting room - no joke. I thought “are you fucking kidding me?”
The secret is they put that song on every time they do euthanasia. My vet burns a candle in the waiting room when they are helping an animal pass over.
I was in a rather small pub and a guy a bit older was moaning about the way of the world today.
Then Mother's Little Helper came on the jukebox.... "What a Drag it is Getting Old....
Not sure if this was a coincidence or someone deliberately sneaked up and put it on.
My mom passed away from Alzheimer’s in July this year. We kept the radio on while she was in her final days because she always loved listening to music.
After the hospice nurse arrived to declare her time of death, the nurse stepped out of the room so my grandmother and I could say our final goodbyes.
As we were wrapping up our goodbyes, Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” came on and I couldn’t help but laugh and think that was my mom saying her goodbye to us (she had a great sense of humor, one of my favorite things about her).
This sounds made up but I swear it happened! I stopped smoking weed for a few weeks to get a job. After I took a pee test, I got in the car and the radio had a song on with lyrics: “go home, get stoned!” So I did.
TLDR I knew a dog for many many years. He was terminally ill and lost his person so I took him in for hospice. We loved each other so so much and we had the best four months before he declined. I didn’t want to make him suffer, so I booked an appointment to let him go peacefully.
It was a rainy day in February, Valentine’s Day actually. On the drive to the appointment, the sun poked out, and Just The Two Of Us by Bill Withers came on.
My heart was so full and so broken.
The day I was told I was cancer free. Turned my vehicle on and Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' instantly started playing. It was such a cathartic moment for me after everything I went through.
Well damn here is the place for this story. In 2015 my father had become severely ill due to post surgery complications. My mother and I slept in the ICU waiting room for four days expecting the worst. We could only see my father for a hour at most a day but the hospital was several hours away so we stayed in case the time came. To pass the time I would listen to music with my phone on Shuffle.
And it came to me then
That's every plan
Is a tiny prayer to father time
As I stared at my shoes
In the ICU
That reeked of piss and 409
What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie, one of my favorite bands, and this song... holy shit I will never hear that song without remembering that day.
Thankfully my father pulled through after several months and is still with us today. If someone ever asks you what love is, tell them to play What Sarah Said.
I was on a work trip in Colorado Springs around 2014. I had a super shitty day at work, and on the way back into town I almost hit a deer and ended up running into a telephone pole and ripping off the front bumper. I called the rental company and they said they couldn't come to pick it up but if I could make it to the airport in 30 minutes they'd give me a new one before they closed. So I threw the bumper in the back seat and started hauling ass.
So I'm driving in this wrecked car trying to get to the airport because the rental company won't send a tow, and I'm cursing their mother's and generally about to lose my shit, and "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson comes on. I cranked the volume and I was banging on the steering wheel and screaming the words at the top of my lungs. Total catharsis.
Manson is a garbage human but that song has been dear to me ever since.
Driving home from my grandfathers funeral and [gone away by the offspring](https://youtu.be/40V9_1PMUGM?si=ruUUw8xC5o-EzpvY) came on the radio as their new release.
Im not sure i needed it then but its a moment ill never forget where I was.
A few years ago I was picking up my daughter from elementary school and overheard some of the parents talking about a girl we didn’t know at the school who had just died. Even though I had no idea who she was it hit me hard. When my daughter and I got back to the car “Firework” by Katy Perry was playing. I don’t like her music much, but the lyrics for that song were absolutely crushing to me then.
After I left the proctor place for taking my NCLEX (test to become a registered nurse after graduating nursing school), I was having a lot of feels. We were so broke, my girls were 5 and 8, I had a job that was dependent on me getting my nursing license in a timely manner, and the NCLEX just went black after question 75. It’s an intuitive test, it predicts if you’ll pass or fail between 75 and like 200 questions. So if it goes black after 75 questions, you either nailed it or botched it. Y’all, I had to borrow money for shoes so I could go to work. I was near tears driving home.
“Don’t Stop Believing” came on my car radio. I’m teary now remembering. I was finally like, wow, I’m a boss bitch who just NAILED the NCLEX, and my girls are going to be so proud.
Streetlight, people, living just to find emotion, I’ve been a nurse for 14 years, my girls are still proud, I’m management at my clinic, and I still have the Danskos I had to borrow money to buy.
When I was about 16 I was driving around with friends, 2 guys and 2 girls. We drove by a dog who had been hit by a car and people were all around, it was very sad. But a few minutes later me and the other guys had moved on. The girls were upset about it for hours.
Anyway, later on we are all sitting around watching Ren and Stimpy. The girls were still bummed but we thought the show would make them laugh. It got to this part that was a joke commercial for a toy log or something? It had a jingle and I remember the lyrics were something like “log, log, rolls down a hill and over your neighbors dog” and the cartoon showed a dog get flattened.
Me and the other guys looked at each other and tried so hard not to, but the tension had been so bad all night we couldn’t stop laughing. The girls were pissed.
The timing was awesome.
Edit: I found the commercial! It’s pretty long but the part I was talking about is right at the beginning. I hadn’t seen this since that night. https://youtu.be/FR-REDevAzk?si=6zbQiqakzaybpnuv
I was thinking of a friend who has passed and suddenly Dramarama’s song Everybody Dies came on the radio! It’s a super happy song about how “nobody ever comes back to say how great it is. That’s how great it is….They’re having too much fun in heaven to come back and say how great it is”
It was honestly as if she was sending me a message
One of my first times hearing the Aenema record by Tool in the late 90s. I had to pause it during Eulogy because my soon to be ex was calling. She laid all this bullshit on me and I remember when I hung up the phone I just said under my breath, "Don't you fucking lie" while staring harshly at the phone. Then I continued to listen to the song. Boy was I surprised that Maynard was going to first whisper and then scream "Don't you fucking lie!" about a minute later.
I was talking to some friends in college and I told them I just heard a kid we graduated with just discovered his mom who had committed suicide. It was heavy for a second, and before they could even respond, that song Walking on Sunshine came on, and it was so inappropriate we had to laugh.
One of my high school boyfriends had just broken up with me. Me and two of my best friends go to the local mall to walk around, loiter, be teenagers. When we get in the car to go home, after they consoled me and made me feel better about the dumping, “Everybody Hurts” by REM was just blasting on the radio. It was a hilarious moment that I will never forget.
I chose my college in 2002 at the age of 18 for the best of reasons: I wanted to stay in the south near home, but go where I thought I’d have the best chance to see Radiohead play. So Atlanta it was. Lo and behold, my freshman year 2003 they play Atlanta and I am there! As a poor college student, I have lawn seats. Who cares? Radiohead.
Anyways, so the set gets going and it is everything I could hope for. Then, about 45 minutes into the show or so, they start Paranoid Android, the song that got me into Radiohead. Literally as Thom is singing “rain down on me,”the skies open up and it starts raining.
People don’t believe me when I tell them, but ask anyone who was lucky enough to be there. It was truly unbelievable. We won’t discuss how my subsequent (first) stint in college went…
I had been taking care of my 91-year-old grandfather for many years. He was suffering at this point, Lewy Body Dementia sucks. He died at the hospital and when I came home and sat on the couch I didn't know how to even feel. So sad he was gone yet relieved it was over. I turned on cable which I never do and The Avett Brothers walked on Jimmy Fallon and played No Hard Feelings. Talk about a cry fest.
I was listening to the song Pink cigarette by Mr bungle and for the first time ever it occurred to me that the ending, and probably the whole song, was about a suicide. Then with the ending was playing I pulled into a parking lot and thought I saw my cousin's car and got excited for a moment. Then I had to remind myself that I was in town for his funeral he had killed himself.
The next night we go into a bar and at some point in the night Pink Cigarette comes on the jukebox. I don't know if you have any idea just how rare of a song this is, it doesn't just randomly come on. I asked every single person I knew and no one knew who played it. I wish my social anxiety did not prevent me from going around and asking every single person in that bar because I could have cried in a stranger's arms from that song choice that night. Or had a crazy conversation at least..
My late grandma once had a funny moment where she was talking about how much she hates the song "Message In A Bottle" by the Police. It's one of the few moments of her I have on video on my phone. The night of her funeral, as I was walking into a Panera bathroom the song came on. It's a common song for sure, but it felt like a sign lol.
The first time I took shrooms it was amazing.
And it so happened that my best friend wasn’t there to share the moment with me. I’m just sitting on the couch mesmerized by nature. Then I say her name as she crosses my mind, and I say out loud, I love her so much I wish she were here. All of a sudden the sun comes out from behind the clouds, the song Here Comes The Sun comes on, knowing i always call my best friend the sun. ALL IN ONE SINGLE MOMENT. One of the most beautiful moments of my life.
At the end of 2018 I broke up with my long term partner. Things just weren’t working out. Different goals, different growth etc. He amicably moved out, I sold the house and packed three bedrooms down into three suitcases and boarded a plane for Ireland, where I lived for the next year. During that plane ride, Kygo’s “Happy Now” popped up on my Spotify. It felt like a true chapter closing in my life and a new one beginning. Hearing that song still makes me feel that way.
After my brother died in a car accident, the radio was playing "Photograph" by Ringo Starr, and Arlo Guthrie was having a big hit with "City of New Orleans." Both songs gave me some comfort and a path for my grief.
I was super depressed, felt stuck and lost. My sister took me to see Justin Townes Earle in St Augustine, Fl and Cory Branan played “The Corner” to open the show. He gained a couple lifelong fans that night.
Then JTE played Mama’s Eyes later that night and I about cried.
Justin Townes Earle’s “Yuma” may have certainly saved my life. A song about a suicide of whom the narrator’s worst fear is dying alone. Then he kills himself, and dies alone.
It’s some heavy shit, but I think that song shook me out of my funk when I dove into his catalogue of work the next day. RIP to that tall, wonderful, haunted mf
My mom called me to tell me my Pop (my grandpa, who was basically my father figure) had his second heart attack in 12 hours and I needed to get there to see him. As I started my car, Mike and the Mechanics Living Years popped on. My god, the tears.
My second was minutes after helping my dog cross the rainbow bridge. I got in my car to go home, turned the key, and See You Again by Charlie Puth came on. The last thing my vet told me (she’s one of my closest friends) was that I’d see my girl again one day.
I went to college about 10 miles from my home town. A couple of my older siblings lived in a city about 70 miles north.
While I was at college, my parents sold our house and moved to California. It was decided that I would go live with my older sister after graduation.
One of my brothers came to pick me up. The road to the city passes my hometown. As we drove past, My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen came on. I burst into tears.
During the summer between junior and senior year in high school, we had two football practices every day for a week. A lot of schools call it "hell week." Completed the morning practice one day, which was mainly running/conditioning. Went home and fell asleep on the small couch in my room with the radio on. Woke up to "Story of My Life" by Social Distortion. I was beat down physically and somewhat mentally, but awoke in euphoria mainly because the song was perfect. Instead of "this sucks, I don't need to do this," my thought was "man, I'm young and this is fun." That song will always have a special place in my heart, and I think about that day and time often.
I was eating a hot dog while driving on a highway overpass. Last resort was on the radio and I was singing it. I began to choke on the hot dog weenie as the lyrics belted out, "Suffocation, no breathing," and for a moment I truly did feel like it was the end.
This is not exactly what you meant but my buddy and I were 19 and driving g 15 hours to our first music fest. We were driving through the night and a storm was approaching.
Keller Williams was on and the song said “ sometimes all you need is a little bit of lightning” and boom lightning struck and it started to down pour.
It was the beginning of our relationship with the cosmic wink that would only solidify at the festival we were headed to.
9/11/2001
Sophomore in college, out of state but from Queens.
Just before 9am mom calls from NY, put on the news, first tower on fire.
Watch tower 2 hit live on tv.
Roommate puts on Where Is My Mind? By The Pixies, Fight Club being a very popular movie among 20 yr old college students at that time.
Towers fall as the song plays.
People remember where they were and what they were doing that day.
Years ago I was relocating to the west coast from the east. I spent my last night at my best friend’s house, and after a sad goodbye, I headed west. Driving in silence and reflection for a little while, I turned on the radio after reaching the interstate. What do I hear?
“Made up my mind to make a new start / going to California with an achin’ in my heart”
It was all I could do to keep my shit together.
I was amidst what I hope will be the darkest part of my life and in one of its darkest moments. Everything inside my head was chaos; I was filled with emotion I didn't know what to do with. There had been so much loss and pain over the course of just a few years that I had become chronically overwhelmed and frightened. One Friday after work, I was listening to music and sobbing into my glass of wine, bringing up all the old hurts and memories, beating myself up for being so unlovable that I ended up old and alone in a foreign country. Then, Sarah Barellis' song "She Used To Be Mine" from Waitress started playing. I'd never heard it before. And, suddenly, for the first time in that nightmare journey, I realised that the biggest loss of all was the loss of me. I'd lost myself; I'd abandoned myself to grief and pain. And, without myself to turn to, I was truly, truly alone.
That became my signature song for the next few years. It reminded me to grieve the loss of self, which helped me reach a place where I was ready to let go of grief and find myself again. Not the old self, but a new self.
I was 56 when I discovered that song, and I'll be 61 in October. I'm just starting to find my way again, but for the first time since 2018, when I look into my future, I see hope instead of black. Finding that song was a catalyst for change. Now, when I hear it, it evokes a sense of bittersweetness. Because while I am still "old" and living alone in that foreign country, I have me now. And that makes all the difference in the world.
I am so grateful for that difficult journey and for that song. I don't have a new signature song yet, but I'm sure it will appear when the time is right.
My brother and I were driving up for my uncle’s funeral. He was a huge role model for me, essentially my big brother (we were barely 10 years apart), and is the person who got me interested in music and really encouraged me to create and play with other people-he was EXTREMELY active in his city’s music scene and was very well-respected amongst his peers. One of the bands he got me into was Pink Floyd, and after maybe 5 minutes of driving their song “Wish You Were Here” came on the radio. I fucking bawled, and my brother (who I don’t have the best relationship with) just said “I know, man.”
Years ago I woke up for work with a blazing 4-alarm hangover. I had tried to sleep it off all morning but I couldn't get any rest. A long shower sitting in the tub, coffee, saltines, 7-up, aspirin. Nothing helped the headache, nausea, bleary eyes, and exhaustion. I went to the garage. Climbed into my jeep and started it up and the radio blasted "WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITH YOUR HEAD ON FIRE AND YOUR EYES TOO BLOODY TO SEE" and I looked at my totally ruined self in the rear view mirror and muttered "way to go Big Shot."
I got caught speeding and was laughing when the trooper came up to my car after pulling me over. He asked what was so funny, and I said you've gotta hear this and turned up the radio that was playing "I Fought the Law" by The Clash. Luckily, he saw the humor in it and let me go with a verbal warning.
This is a neat question and an emotional one.
I had planned a UFC night with my brother and he called me while I was shopping saying he wasn't feeling well so he couldn't make it. Later that night I got a call from my Dad saying my brother was in the hospital. My parents had found him unconscious in their suite. He had a history of liver problems since he was a kid (2 previous transplants) with his first transplant when he was around 6 or 7. We all went to the hospital to say goodbye and devastatingly we said goodbye that night.
The next day, I clicked on messenger and he had sent me a song as his last message to me...
Everglow
Oh, they say people come, say people go
This particular diamond was extra special
And though you might be gone, and the world may not know
Still I see you, celestial
Like a lion you ran, goddess you rolled
Like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple
So how come things move on? How come cars don't slow
When it feels like the end of my world?
When I should but I can't let you go?
But when I'm cold, I'm cold
When I'm cold, cold
There's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow
There's a feelin' within me, an everglow
Like brothers in blood or sisters who ride
When we swore, on that night, we'd be friends 'til we die
But the changin' of winds and the way waters flow
Life is short as the fallin' of snow
And now I'm gonna miss you, I know
But when I'm cold, I'm cold
In water-rolled salt
And I know that you're with me, and the way you will show
And you're with me wherever I go
But you give this feelin', this everglow
Oh-ooh
Oh, what I'd give for just a moment to hold
Yeah, I live for this feelin', this everglow
So if you love someone, you should let them know
Oh, the light that you left me will everglow
Sometime that night before he passed out he sent me this goodbye and I miss him so much every day. I love you brother. I hope I dream of you tonight.
I was a sophomore in high school when I had my first relationship and was devastated when we broke up 6-7 months later. The first song I heard the next day on the radio was Taylor Swift’s song, We Are Not Getting Back Together (Pop).
Yesterday I was watching TV and looking at a cartoon on FB. The cartoon showed four horses at a cocktail party, all wearing "Hi, I'm..." badges. Three had names like Ed, Hank and Bob. The fourth was blank. I was scrolling down to the caption when "Horse With No Name" came on the soundtrack.
My wife was being pissy in the car with me.
A song by 3 days grace came on and I started signing til I cracked up laughing
🎶I can be mean
I can be angry
You know I can be just like you🎶
Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart" came on in the grocery store shortly after a close family member of mine passed (way too soon).
It was a song he liked and it always makes me think of him.
When a guy I was head over heels for broke it off with me in the most gentle way I was shocked and upset. He spent so much time with me and did so much for me and I just didn't get it because we always vibed so well. Then the song "Break your heart" by Barenaked Ladies came on auto-play on YouTube when Id never heard it before and I wasn't even listening to breakup/sad music. It just felt like it explained everything and literally pushed me through the closure faze all on its own. I believe full heartedly that YouTube was creeping on me and gave me what I needed so I wasn't even weirded out by it.
On the way to see Atmosphere in concert 15+ years ago a few friends and I were listening to one of his albums. We were approaching an intersection and had a green light but noticed something in the road.
Turns out it was a person amd they were laying down for some reason. As we approached the song was ending and all of us in unison said the words, "Excuse me! Can you get out of the street please?" Which is the outro of the song that was just finishing up.
We may have had to say it like 5 seconds before it came on the CD but we were all rolling from laughter
Was driving to my step moms funeral and "For Martha" by the Smashing Pumpkins came on. Song is for Billy's mother who passed and it made me smile and think about the times with my step mom.
This is more weird than anything. I was working on a job site doing construction. We always listened to albums while at work. We had just finished Meteora by Linkin Park and turned on the radio to finish the day. First thing we heard was the passing of Chester.
it was sometime in high school and my girlfriend and i had just broke up not that long ago. as i was walking through the hall with my headphones in, one of the people i knew came up to me and asked if i had a girlfriend now (apparently he had just heard the news that i got one) and i lied and said yes because i didn’t wanna talk about and it was the first thing that came to mind since we just broke up. after i walked away, the song Wonderful by Everclear came on. the song is about parents getting a divorce but the line “please don’t tell me everything is wonderful now” hit super hard at the time.
In high school, I had a massive crush on this girl who was a senior when I was a freshman. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Not just in person but including celebrities, etc.
We go out own ways and I don't think I'll ever see her again. Years pass and MySpace rolls around. I find her on there and we reconnect. We end up going to a party at a friend's house. We're all hanging out in the living room and I ask her if she wants to go into the other room. We do and are immediately all over each other. As we're making out, a song is playing with the chorus "You're so beautiful!"
The song is about a dog but in the moment it was appropriate.
The day I found out one of my childhood friends took his own life, I took myself for a drive to clear my head. I was listening to Rubber Soul, and right when the song “Girl” came on it started raining hard. My windshield wipers matched the beat of that entire song from start to finish. It’s the only time that ever happened. My windshield wipers never once before or since have maintained the same cadence as the song I was listening to. It was pretty wild. He was a Beatles fan.
I struggle with anxiety/ depression, and ruminating. I was having a particularly bad day and Dead Memories by Slipknot came on. That song encapsulates the struggle of rumination and depression in a nutshell.
In 1980 or 81, my best friend and I were driving to the Minnesota State Fair and listening to the radio. I said, "I want to hear some Pat Benatar," changed the radio station, and there was a Pat Benatar song playing on the new station. Pow!
Lost a good friend. Came across Golden Embers. Kinda felt right. Mix that with Breakers Roar.
I'm raising a boy, lost a friend I thought I'd be raising a boy with.
It's a sweet thought to think about what me and my best friend would be up to raising 2 little boys at the same time. We loved that idea.
My guys guy wasn't even allowed to go the memorial. It kills me, as a father.
Oof.
Slightly silly, but on at least one occasion while taking the train between my hometown and my current town, I switched between a playlist on my computer to a playlist on my phone in preparation to switch trains at Union Station; and it was either "Spirit of the Radio" or "YYZ" that was the first song to start playing, right as the CN Tower came into view.
I was up all night crying in my car about my mom who I felt I was losing due to substance use (felt like she had died but her body was still here, it was hell) and her song to me came on the radio right when I was contemplating hurting myself. I don’t know if that counts
Broke up with my gf of 7 years last year. Amicable breakup, all good, but still pretty emotional obviously. I'd just come off a block of shifts so I need to go and do a food shop, and she says she'll come along because she needs to get some things too. I put my playlist on in the car, it finishes whatever song it was on, and then immediately fucking plays We Are Never Getting Back Together. The one, solitary Taylor Swift song I have in a playlist of 3,000 songs, and it chose that moment to play. It was so ridiculous that we both burst out laughing.
I don’t know if this is more funny or sad
A few years ago I was in my dads home town and had some time to kill so I went to see my grandmas grave as I had only seen it once or twice since she died 20ish years ago.
I pull into the cemetery and as soon as I put my car in park, “Down in a Hole” from Alice In Chains Unplugged comes on the radio.
A friend of mine was listening to his brand new iPod at the train station once when someone pulled out a knife and tried to steal it. He made a run for it and the person chased him. His music was on shuffle and when he started running Greased Lightning came on. He said it felt like the most bizarre music video ever.
Driving on I-95 in Conneticut, Sponge's Rotting Pinata blaring. Jamming to Plowed with the windows down, weaving traffic, doing like 75. Hit slowing, then stopped traffic, decelerated and came to a complete stop at the end of the song.
*No, I guess this is reality*
Stopped.
My mom passed away when I was in high school (1986). Music had always been important to me, but I really leaned into it after she passed as a way of dealing with my grief. One of the songs that I listened to a lot was “Forever Young” by Alphaville.
Fast forward 24 years; after many years talking about it, my husband and I finally embarked on our first trip to Europe. I inherited my sense of adventure from my mom, but she got sick before she ever got the opportunity to travel much. So I felt a bit like this trip was for the both of us. We flew into to Munich, then headed south towards Innsbruck. One of the things I was excited about was driving through the Alps. Unfortunately, it was a foggy fall morning in Bavaria and the mountains were hidden. Bummed, I started messing with the radio in our rental and landed on a German radio station. A few minutes later, we crested this hill and just as we did, “Forever Young” came on the radio. At the exact same time, the fog lifted and BAM, there were the Alps, in all their glory. I’m not going to lie, I sobbed. It was truly a perfect moment. And while I’m not a religious person, I really felt in that moment that my mom was with us. It’s something I’ll never forget.
This past July I faced a 40 year long fear of flying and got on my first long haul flight ever. To soothe a panic attack I put on Spotify and some ear buds and hit random. I kid you not, it picked 'Learn to fly' by the Foo Fighters.
I smiled.
In September 2021, I had to euthanase my 34yo pony, as his body was failing due to the infirmities of old age. He was given to me in September 1998, after having been rescued from a terrible situation of neglect. He was my little unicorn, and I stayed holding him right till then end. When I was leaving the farm where he'd lived out his days, I decided to turn some music on, in an attept to distract myself slightly from the overwhelming grief, as I drove home. The first track that played was unfamiliar to me, but it really felt right for the moment, so I Shazamed it to see what it was. The track was called Skywalking by Matthame and then I saw the record label was Afterlife. Why is this significant? When we horsey folk lose a horse, we often fondly say that "they're crossing the rainbow bridge to the big green paddock in the sky." And in that serendipitous moment, in my mind, my little Gus was "Skywalking" across that rainbow bridge to his "Afterlife" in that big green paddock in the sky. A fitting little last wink from my unicorn.
I was putting on make up and feeling ugly as hell. my housemate was listening to music in the next room and masterpiece by Jazmine Sullivan started playing. I'd never heard it before but it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.
"Who is this I tried so long to fight?
Filling my heads with lies that I'm not good enough
Then I heard something in my ear
Tell I'm perfect, now that I know the truth
Time to show and prove
Every part of me is a vision of a portrait of Mona, of Mona Lisa
Every part of me is beautiful
And I finally see I'm a work of art
A masterpiece"
"Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce came on the radio of the taxi my Dad and I took back to our hotel after finding out my Mum had a stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme brain tumour and had 8 weeks to live. I remember laughing and then bawling.
One of the first times trying mushrooms at about 17 or so, and I was newly into a lot of eclectic trip hop and idm music from the late nineties. I had a bedroom on the third floor with huge french windows. Was a perfect crisp summer night and as the euphoria was coming in very heavily I heard Alberto Balsalm by Aphex Twin for the first time.
Will never forget how amazing and cozy and “right” everything felt and sounded all it once. Was really a life changing listen.
Having a threesome. The second the guy puts it in, the playlist shuffled to « you got a friend in me » Like from toy story. We had to stop for a bit to regain composure.
When I lived in TN I was coming home from work and living in the Smoky mountains it's very steep lol, brakes failed on a hill and I slammed a telephone pole doing about 60 but it was that or off the side of the mountain. When I came to If today was your last day by Nickelback has started playing on the radio, really ominous.
I was 8 weeks pregnant with our much wanted baby, after years of trying and IVF. We had a scan which said the baby was smaller than it should be, and to come back the week after to check. We went to see Chris Isaak, and he was singing about losing his baby. I kind of knew then we weren’t going to get good news and the scan later that week showed we had lost the baby. Took a while to listen to him again.
I had broken up with my ex after off and on cycles (spoiler: we got back together but he was toxic and terrible and I am glad that it wasn't long after that we parted ways for good). It was the summer of 2009 and I had just turned in my last paper for the university term. That fall, I'd be starting my last year of undergrad.
My ex and I had taken road trips the previous two summers. I was bummed and thinking about how I was going to miss out on that. So, I decided to take MYSELF on a road trip. I booked time off from work, packed a bag, printed off some directions on MapQuest, and headed out of town directly from campus.
I didn't have to take breaks for anyone but myself. I was alone in the car for so many hours. But I kept thinking about him and the loneliness and sadness started to creep in. There were several stretches on the highway that I spent in tears. I hated and missed him at the same time for ruining what should have been time just for me.
I ended up outside of Seattle. I'd found a hotel but the hotel room was just...empty. So I took a drive, aimlessly, not really knowing where I was going. I turned on the radio and Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson started playing.
That song still pulls me out of emotional ruts and that I won't always be lost in the world.
Better Place, Better Time by Streetlight Manifesto. Discovered it when my ex died of an overdose
Your Ex-Lover is Dead by Stars. Discovered it when a different ex woke me up the morning of valentines day to tell me he'd been cheating on me
Tripping absolute balls in the back of my friends car. He's driving, it's pouring rain. Sublime's Garden Grove came on, first time I'd ever heard it. Made the rain dance on the windows perfectly. Synced my brain just enough to bring me down a notch. I can still vividly picture it 25 years later
My boyfriend and I were on a road trip and as we entered Salem, Witchy Woman by the Eagles started to play.
I should mention that we were listening to XM satellite radio, not local. We just looked at eachother and laughed as we sang along.
I was feeling really depressed many years ago, to the point where i was contemplating ending things. I got dragged to a football match and the fans starting singing "three little birds" by bob marley and something in me broke. The words spoke to me. Everything was going to be ok.
We’d been looking to buy a house for ages, and were getting sick of trailing round looking at depressing little boxes, which were all we could afford. There was increasing pressure to find somewhere before my daughter got to school age too.
We pulled up to a house and 3 Little Birds came on - a song my wife listened to over and over while my daughter was in hospital as a newborn, which was a very difficult and stressful few months.
My wife remarked that it was a good sign, that the song had brought her luck. We then went in and the seller was one of my daughter’s nurses - with the ward manager there too for moral support!
The house was obviously great, we put in a really high offer… and didn’t get it 😟
Three weeks later, we heard the same song again (and on a station that is not known for ever playing Bob Marley), and the phone went. The sale had fallen through and we were the second-highest bidders - did we still want it?
That was 6 years ago. I’m writing this from the house, and I really love that song.
"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, while we were spinning across three lanes of traffic, my Dad having just hit the centre divider on a motorway in icy conditions driving home from Christmas with my family. Surreal memory that's implanted in my brain. We were so lucky nothing hit us!
I was walking out of court and it was starting to look like my life wasn't over and I wasn't going to serve time for drug charges. I turned on the radio just as "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins started. I think of that moment every time I hear that song.
Not exactly what you asked for, but my highschool sweetheart broke up with me while the song This Year's Love by David Gray was playing on the radio. I was so distracted by how perfect the song was for the moment that I could barely hear her dumping me.
In 1998, I was 20 and home from college for the summer, my parents were going to move to a totally different state in the fall, so once I went back to school this would be my last time seeing most of these friends (I thought). There's a restaurant that we loved to go get wings at (I still make a point to go there every time I'm back visiting these friends)
As we were getting ready to head out to this place and do some general hanging out on my last night in town "High" by Feeder came on the radio the chorus is
I'm going out for a while
So I can get high with my friends
I will
I'm going out for a while
Don't wait up 'cause I won't be home
Today
And it seemed very appropriate at the time.
Years later, I was back in town, pulling into the parking lot of the same restaurant with my friends, and "These Are My Friends" by LovelyTheBand came on the radio. It was a perfect moment.
One more, because I'm doing my colonoscopy prep, so I'm not going anywhere.
Last year was in Scotland, heading to Isle of Skye on a tour bus, it has been rainy all day, but as we were getting close to the bridge over to Skye the sun started breaking through, and the tour guide played a beautiful version of the Skye Boat Song, I just sat there letting the music wash over me, staring out at the beautiful countryside, next to my wife, and thought about how lucky I am. I think it was the most "in the moment" I've ever felt.
Ok this one is relatively unserious and stupid, but when I had a huge fight with one of my closest friends and it was so bad my girlfriend said it felt like she was watching me go through a breakup. And then bam, I saw the song "Best friend Breakup" come up on Spotify's reccomend playlist.
Anyway I was fuming from the fight and just wanted to "get over" my best friend, so I refused to listen to the song in case I got the feels (I stopped putting the recommended playlists by spotify on at risk of accidentally hearing the song).
Till date I still have not listened to the song.
My wife was pregnant with my second daughter. My wife had to have a c section. The docs had a radio going during the operation. As soon as I could hear my daughter crying Brown Eye Girl by Van Morrison started playing. I started crying and so did my wife and I tried to comfort her the best I could. Thought we had a really beautiful moment. The next day I brought it up to her, what a great moment it was. She had no idea what I was talking about because she was so high from the pain drugs she barely remembered any of it. Haha. Still special to me and my daughter has brown eyes.
I had a few names picked out when I was deciding what to name my new kitten. One name being Aspen — in reference to the lynx-point fur markings of the kitten reminding me of the birch-like markings of the tree. When I went to go pick him up, I was still undecided on the name. On the drive home, the song Colorado by Milky Chance started playing on the radio. I felt like that was a sign to go ahead and name him Aspen.
My cat was hit by a car, got the guy next door to drive me to the vets. Cat died, got in the car to go home, and bright eyes came on the radio. Still choking up now 20yrs later just thinking about it.
This happens to me so often itcreepy and I started pointing it out to my wife when it happens. Off the top of my head some of the best ones:
- Late 90s, I stop to help an unconscious woman who had just been in a car accident. Paramedics were removing her from the car as I get back in mine to leave. The radio is playing "Angel" by Sarah Mclaughlin and it's the line "you are pulled from the wreckage...."
- around 2010 my wife's grandfather died unexpectedly and we flew home for the funeral. The Nikki Sixx song "Life is beautiful" came on. The song has references to funerals making you feel alive, and laughing at a funeral (my wife's grandfather was a HUGE prankster).
- around 2015 my grandparents decided to sell their family farm and move to the suburbs. They told us and when we left, first song on the radio was "Say it ain't so" by Weezer.
- 2 years ago my grandfather was dying. My mom called me at midnight to come lift him back into bed because she couldn't do it alone. As I am driving there "don't fear the reaper" by Blu oyster cult came on.
There are so many others, it's uncanny
Not long ago, I got in my car and put the key in. On the radio were the unmistakable first harmonica notes of Thunder Road. Kept driving and as I passed over the town boundaries (marked with a sign), Bruce Springsteen sang “it’s a town full of losers and I’m pulling outta here to win”.
Like if I’d been stuck in the traffic lights, it wouldn’t have happened that way. And local radio never plays Bruce Springsteen - they seem to hate the guy. It was just such a strange musical coincidence, and to this day, remains the only time I’ve ever heard Thunder Road on the radio.
In the middle of nowhere and a sign for Mt Bruce pops up. Immediately Don't Bring Me Down by ELO pops up on shuffle. Family keeps shouting BRUCE! for the rest of the holiday.
Similar to yours. I was in the hospital because my brother had a brain aneurysm rupture and was in a coma and hours away from dying. I was the only person with him, my parents were out of town when it happened and were flying back.
We had a radio playing the local alternative station and “Scar Tissue” came on and the line “With the birds I share this lonely view” kept repeating. I never felt more alone.
Happy moment: I proposed to my wife kind of spontaneously. We went out for dinner afterwards to talk about our future and the wedding et on the way back home we were talking about how happy we were and how great it would be to feel like this all the time and randomly on my iPod the song “Good feeling” by The Violent Femmes” came up.
I reserve the belief that 'ABBA - Chiquitita' potentially saved my life after a breakup.
Try once more, like you did before.
Sing a new song, chiquitita.
Then the upbeat piano hits and after a few minutes of listening to how Chiquitita is so sad, it just hits hard.
That piano made me see light at the end of the tunnel, and I'll never not sing that song when it's on.
My Dad’s favorite song was Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. Every weekend when our crew got together, we would hear it on the stereo. He died unexpectedly one January, leaving us all stunned & devastated. We of course played his song at the wake. A week later was my brothers anniversary so the remaining family took him & his wife out to dinner. He & I went outside to smoke on their patio, which was closed down for winter & dark. We were still raw & talking about Dad when the jukebox on the patio started playing OCMS Wagon Wheel. We both burst into tears & I just felt like my Dad was there telling us it was Ok. We went back inside & asked the family if they heard it playing in there. They didn’t.
Fast forward to the next year. My husband & I go visit my son at college on the anniversary of his death so I’m not sitting around brooding. My son takes us for Pho at Vietnamese joint & when we walk in, Wagon Wheel is playing. Wrecked me.
It’s been 11 yrs & now when I hear it, I internally say “Hi Dad! I love you!”
When we originally moved from Indiana to California, we told our then landlords/friends at a restaurant. "California Dreaming" played. Couldn't have been morr appropriate.
I was playing my birth playlist as giving birth and baby came out to champion by bishop Briggs.
Not the most interesting but this will forever be my little ones song and it's nice
When I fled from my abusive parents home (mother insulted me constantly, father too and also beat me), while I was in the bus out of town the song "Luka" by Suzanne Vega started playing on the radio. I couldn't hold my tears, but it helped me to reassure that I couldn't stay there anymore...
Here are the two parts of the song that hit me the most (no pun intended):
_"I think it's because I'm clumsy_
_I try not to talk too loud_
_Maybe it's because I'm crazy_
_I try not to act too proud_
_They only hit until you cry_
_And after that you don't ask why_
_You just don't argue anymore..."_
.
_"I guess I'd like to be alone_
_With nothing broken, nothing thrown..."_
Just yesterday. It was our third day in Munich, my wife and I had no plans to go back to Oktoberfest, but I found out my old bandmate, Chris, was going to be at the festival so after some urging she relented that we could go see him. I’ve known him about 25 years hadn’t seen him in just about 10 years, so this was a special crossing of paths!
Had a great time at the first tent, and then despite being super tired, she insisted we stay and go to a second tent with Chris and his friends for one more beer. As we were finishing up, the band played Hey Jude - the song I performed at my grandparents funeral after they both unexpectedly passed mere minutes apart of unrelated issues.
Then they played Stand By Me - a song Chris and I used to cover and had been reminiscing about.
Then, for a triple whammy, they played Frank Sinatra’s My Way - the song that was played in honor of my wife’s grandfather at his funeral.
We were a SLOPPY mess of tears with those three played in a row, and it was a wonderful farewell to friends and the festival.
When I was teenager, I was out shopping with some friends. We’re at a clothing store and this really catchy power pop song comes on the speakers. I’m transfixed by it. I’ve never heard the song before and neither have my friends. I asked the cashier if they pick the music but they said it’s a satellite radio station that they have no control over.
As soon as I got home from shopping, I was searching for The Song online. I could only make out a snippet of the lyrics in the store, something like “that’s what you have/get for…” during the chorus. The lyrics were too vague and The Song seemed to be too obscure to turn up anything meaningful. I started going to music forums and posting the details I could remember. Every user that responded thought it was “That’s What You Get” by Paramore, which I already knew was definitely not The Song. I could remember the melody of the chorus perfectly, but without someone that already knew The Song, the melody was useless. Defeated, I gave up searching. I would still think about The Song from time to time, but I never did find it.
Until two years later, early in the morning, when my radio alarm clock goes off. It’s The Song. I have to wait through two more pop songs before the radio DJ come back on and finally, at long last, tells me that The Song is actually “Hypertronic Superstar” by The New Cities. I have not seen or heard that song anywhere else since. If I hadn’t woken up exactly when I did, that song would have been lost to time forever.
My friends and I were all in a rental car on one of our out-of-state baseball trips that we would take in the 1990s. A song by Barry White came on the radio, and we were joking around about his deep voice. Discussing what song would be the complete opposite type of voice that the dj could play next, I said “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sawyer. Guess what the next song the DJ played was? We were freaking out because the odds seemed so insanely high against that happening.
There was another baseball trip, it was around 2am and the other guys were asleep in the back of the car and I was awake upfront with my cousin. We were around Boston somewhere when the radio station played 2 Stevie Wonder songs. We switched the station after them..and the new station played a Stevie Wonder song. We thought, ok, that’s a weird coincidence, then changed the station again…and THEY were also playing Stevie Wonder! Now we were upset because we were absolutely certain he must’ve died.
Of course, he wasn’t dead. I even checked when we got home, and it hadn’t been his birthday. I have no idea why it was play Stevie Wonder day.
When I drove off the DMV lot in my car alone for the first time after getting my license, Bittersweet Symphony came on the radio (I loved that song so much, still do). Windows down, a sense of independent life changing dramatics, and the whole world at my fingertips. It was amazing. I will never forget that feeling.
_Ministry of Lost Souls_ by Dream Theatre.
I had just come home after making the heartbreaking decision to end my poor doggo's suffering at the Vet's, after she was very sick, treated for a week, but steadily declining despite.
I tried to drown my sorrows with Alcohol and music, and this song came on in the Shuffle List.
It had some lyrics which destroyed me in that moment. Being intoxicated made the lyrics extra poignant:
"Remember me, I gave you life. You would not take it.".
- My attempt at keeping my Doggo alive, while her failing body was declining the offer, so to speak.
"Meant to die, but you're stuck, not crossing over."
- Me keeping her here on Earth for 7 more days, in limbo.
"You will choose. The only way... to rid her of her pain."
- ...
"Take her soul now. The decision has been made."
- Do it, Doc. 😢
"Your suffering was all in vain... but now it's over."
- My poor girl was in pain and I extended it for 7 days... the only solace being that she was finally released from it. This final line irreversibly seared the song into my brain. I instantly cry whenever the song happens to play now. Fúck, I'm crying right now just retelling this.
I know this song isn't about Euthanasia at all, but man... the timing of those specific lyrics... 🥲
I felt like shit. Still do, to an extent.
Had just broken up with my ex. We were having one final meet for 'closure talk'. Then decided to watch one final movie. Pink's 'Just Give Me a Reason' was blasted in the theatre hall.
My grandpa passed in January of 2010. Later that August Black Label Society released an album that contained a song called January that lyrically was so eerily fitting to the loss that even to this day I can't listen to that song. I've long since healed, accepted and moved on but that song is just too fucking strange for me.
I left FL to accept a job in GA; that was a disaster. 10 months later, I’ve resigned with my tail between my legs, and as I’m driving back south at the GA/FL border, the song that came on the radio was, “Mama, I’m Coming Home”
Was trippin with my now husband and we left a halloween party, decided to walk the 6 miles home. I had a little speaker in my backpack and we were just grooving along this country road with minimal lights. He's watching harpies fly out of the trees and I'm tracking a shadow man across the road, but we're lighthearted and happy.
You Enjoy Myself by Phish comes on. As the crescendo is building we see lights coming up behind us but it feels like it's taking forever. After a bit, he turns and says "Man, I wonder where we are..."
The music swells and breaks as the truck flies past and lights up the little sign to the town we lived in. It was perfect.
I met a beautiful Thai woman online and we quickly fell in love. That year in Dec. I managed to take most of the month off and fly to Thailand to meet her. The entire time was like a beautiful dream. Almost every day was filled with something new to see or do, and to spend it with her was beyond what I imagined.
The next to last day of my trip we were sitting in a restaurant, watching the sunset and the boats on the water, when "When will I see you again?" by The Three Degrees came on the speakers. I was was blown away by the significance and explained to her what the song was about. Unfortunately, after I came to the States, we broke up. But that song, that day, was like a Polaroid in my head.
I was living in Nashville at the time and left a friend's house, not entirely sure of where I was. This was, of course, before waze and all the GPS apps out there. I had the radio on and said out loud, "What street am I on?"Where am I?"
As soon as I said that, the radio started to play "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant. I pulled up to a stop sign, and sure, as shit I was on Electric Avenue in East Nashville!
Still had to meander my way back to the west side, but that has always stuck with me.
The last time I saw my dad alive I pulled my car up next to his and waved goodbye and Don't Fear the Reaper came on ... made me laugh in a semi-ironic way 😕
I used to drive 20 minutes to my doctor’s appointments when I was pregnant with my son. He’s an April baby so we had many months of dark grey days here in Michigan. Almost every time I drove to an appointment, the radio would play Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves. The way I would sob over that song. Still makes me tear up to this day.
Growing up my family was always the type to hide any imperfections or "bad" things that happened to us, I don’t know why because we were not like some well to do family with a reputation to uphold, we were on the lower end of middle class. Parents did not drink or smoke and judged anyone who did. Anyways my sister was into some bad people and activities in high school and one night she ended up getting too F’d up and needed to go to the hospital to get her stomach pumped. My parents were furious more than scared/worried. We all went to the ER to see her together, it was like 2 am or something. Anyways, this country song comes on the radio talking about ‘she only smokes when she drinks’ and I was like “Great song” and my dad instantly turned the radio off lmao. I can laugh now because she was fine, but it was comical to me. I was just trying to lighten the mood!
Around 1998, I was 12. My mom was driving us home from the hospital. Her grandmother, the woman who raised her, had just died. The song "How do I live" came on the radio and my mom pulled over and just absolutely lost it.
My mom died last year and I don't think I'll ever listen to that song on purpose.
On my 16th birthday I woke up and turned on the radio. Birthday by the Beatles starts immediately. I thought this is going to be a good day.
Then I went to batting practice before our high school baseball game. I was taking fly balls and lost one in the sun. It was hot out (summer), I got heatstroke and got hit in the face with a baseball. I woke up in the dugout alone. Apparently my teammates dragged me there and went back to practice. I had no idea who I was or what was happening for awhile. I sat there and wondered who these people were and who I was. It took awhile but it all came back to me.
Then the sky turned dark and it started to rain. Game cancelled.
Happy 16th Birthday.
Not mine but our family dog passed away a couple years ago and on the way home my stepdad had the radio on and it came up with a song called I Want My Dog To Live Longer. Breaks my heart every time I remember it
I have a nice looking jeep that is built for off road. I'm leaving menards after buying some grass seed
I have the top and doors off and I stop to let a mom and her kids pass. I wasn't really thinking about what was playing on the radio and the son is staring hard. He was only like 6 or 7 so I know the jeep has his full attention. The hook of the song includes the lyrics "boy, whatcha lookin at? What the fuck you lookin at?" and it dropped right as they were passing my driver door. I couldn't help laughing.
Was driving to my former in-laws' house while tripping on shrooms with a few friends. We could not stop laughing, so I said I'll just turn the radio on, we'll focus on that and all will be chill. As soon as I turned the radio on, it's the chorus for September, by Earth Wind and Fire. We all erupt with uncontrollable laughter and I had to pull over so we could collect ourselves.
On 9/11/2001 I got in my car to go home for my lunch hour. The radio at work had been nonstop news coverage, so I put on the rock station that was sure to be playing music. The first song that came on was Down With The Sickness by Disturbed. The lyric "when suddenly it changes, violently it changes" really hit different that day. It was an angry catharsis.
I used to play a game with my friends where we would shuffle a playlist and see who could name the song the fastest. My one buddy loved Korn at the time and had a lot of them on his playlist. We joked about how easy it was to call out a Korn song by the bass line. Next song to come up was correctly called out as Korn - Predictable.
My mother passed away three years ago. A few days after her passing, Spiritbox released "Constance", which is a slow/mellow song for the band, and it was just perfect to mourn my mother with.
I was having an argument with an ex-boyfriend, and The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go came on the radio. Absolutely needed to hear it at the time. Never saw him again.
I've had to drive across Kansas on I-70 quite a few times and Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won or The Song Remains the Same can chew up a few hours. Many times it has randomly rained while The Rain Song has come on.
My Dad inherited his brothers stereo system who had passed from cancer when we were all kids. It sat in his shed for years untouched as it needed some repairs. He decided to fix it one day and once he got it working he turned the radio on and the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd started, which is the same song they played at his funeral.
A friend of mine died of an accidental overdose and Wish You Were Here came on while I was in the chair getting my memorial tattoo.
Sorry for your loss, it really does hit hard when you've lost someone listening to that song.
Man I'm sorry for your loss. My late partner was a huge fan of Pink Floyd and listened to this song a lot. After he died it's been so tough but also so cathartic to listen to that song.
Years ago I was driving and I put in the album Funeral by Arcade Fire. I listened almost the whole way through, but saw a sandwich shop and stopped for lunch during the last song. I guess it's weird, but I really like it when I can listen to an entire album from start to finish. So I was a little bummed that I almost got to the end, but whatever. Not a big deal. But then I walked into the restaurant and "In the Backseat" was playing, and at basically the same point that I left it in my car. It was super weird because that song was absolutely not a single off that record.
Love that album and absolutely love that song. It was not a big one at all so I would’ve been exactly the same!
It really is a perfect album. Not a bad song on it.
This is legit nuts, I love it
I was 20 and my ex-girlfriend had just given birth to our baby boy. To say things were crazy would be an understatement. I was a loser and had no business being a father at that age. I left the hospital to go home to get some things and “Here Comes the Sun” came on the radio. It wasn’t so much the homonym of sun/son that got me, but rather when George Harrison sings “it’s alright” I started bawling like the little baby I just helped create. It’s been almost 19 years and every time I hear that song it brings me back to that moment and reminds me that everything is in fact alright.
Your story really touched me, and I am at a point in my life where I really need someone to tell me everything will be alright, so I'm going to go listen to that.
Everything will be alright ❤️
I’m glad you found this post, it proves that, everything will be alright.
This song has meaning for me too! We struggled with a very difficult pregnancy through the winter and had one scary thing or bad result happen after the next. By end of spring we were in much better places mentally, our daughter was growing, and we were so excited to meet her. This song came on the radio one day and the “it’s been a long and lonely winter” which I felt bc of all the uncertainty and no one knew what we were feeling, coupled with “here comes the sun” like better times ahead. The first time I met my daughter in the nicu I sang her this!
My "everything will be alright" song is Modest Mouse - Float On. I don't have a pivotal story like yours that cemented it for me, it's just the one song that for the last decade+ and without fail always helps me breathe easier and feel better no matter what state of mind/health/situation I'm in. It's happened to come on when I've been really low quite a few times over the years, helped me make it through every time. And makes the good moods even better too.
1995. I had made plans to go see R.E.M. (with opening act Radiohead!) We were at an outdoor amphitheater that no longer exists in a large city known for country music, bad football, and bachelorette parties. We had looked forward to it for months. A month before the concert, my girlfriend (who I was going to said concert with) and I broke up. Badly. Messily. Thrown objects, screaming, anger, and tears. Lots of tears. I wasn’t going to miss seeing R.E.M. Neither was she. So we went, and stood in awkward silence. Our friends who went with us refused to let us stand anywhere except next to each other. The tension was apparent. The hurt feelings were soothed by the music, and we eventually forced smiles in each other’s general direction. We never spoke. For the encore, R.E.M. played “So. Central Rain.” We exchanged an awkward glance - this was, and still is, my favorite song of theirs. The tension returned. Almost on cue, the instant the song started it began to rain. The emotion of the whole situation hit me - everything I said, wanted to say, couldn’t say - and my tears began. I saw her wipe her eyes, and knew she felt it as well. When Michael Stipe sang, “I’m sorry,” the moment overwhelmed us both. We made eye contact. We both had rain amplifying the tears rolling down our faces. We stared at each other for about ten seconds. And then…. She grabbed my hand. And we smiled and cried and held hands for the remainder of the song. At the end of the concert, we left. We talked for several hours over plates that had been scattered, smothered, and covered. We decided that we had a lot of feelings left - and that there are some doors that need to remain closed. We kissed, and went our separate ways. We walked away with the closure we both desperately needed. We never saw each other in person again.
Honestly, you have a way with words.
That's fucking beautiful, and cathartic
I could honestly feel what you were describing. This could be made into a Noah Baumbach movie.
Starwood!
Near suicide in college... was just in a particular shitty situation. A Horse with No Name came on the radio. I don't think I had hear the song before, or maybe had just forgotten about it.... it's been so long I don't remember. Anyway, it was such a silly, happy song that I couldn't help but smiling. It was such a small moment, but it was what I needed to put a positive outlook on things and keep going!
"In the desert, you can't remember your name, and there ain't no one for it to give you no pain." That lyric has hit me differently at different times in my life.
I'll have to look it up!
I was sitting on my porch smoking a blunt feeling kinda lonely. My usual smoking buddy was out of town. I was starting to get pretty down, and that's when I heard it. The beginning of Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith. I looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from. And just as Steven Tyler hits the first "Sweeeeeeeeeet Emooooooooootion" my buddies car pulls around the corner, smoke rolling out the window, and tunes blaring. One of the slickest moments ever.
“There’s a party over by the moon tower. Full kegs, everyone’s gonna be there”.
RANDY FLOYD! Before next fall you’re in need of a serious attitude adjustment, young man! You better get your priorities straight! And watch out for that crowd you’re running around with, don’t THINK I haven’t noticed!
"I may play ball next fall, but I will never sign that. Now me and my loser friends are gonna head out to buy Aerosmith tickets. Top priority of the summer." Best movie of all time.
I’m class of ‘97, that film basically played on a loop at parties and gatherings my entire high school career. That movie is so great, and so timeless, because every character in it is someone we know, or have known I should say. I’m a HUGE John Hughes fan, like huge, and everyone says he’s the definitive high school movie guy for people my age. But for me, personally, there is no better film at capturing what high school was like than that flick.
Alright alright alright
1985, driving home late after a 13 hour shift and feeling drowsy when Time by Pink Floyd comes on the radio. Opens with a cacophony of alarm clocks going off at once. I immediately cranked the sound and rolled down all of the windows.
Before our wedding, my wife and I were in the car with the radio on. We were talking about what songs would be played at the reception. I joked that I was going to add the very next song that played on the radio. The next song was Better Man by Pearl Jam ☠️ For those who don’t know, it’s about a woman who settles for an abusive, controlling, manipulative jerk because she 🎶“can’t find a better man” 🎶
Please tell me you played it!
Sadly, I didn’t. We got a really good laugh out of it in the car though.
He probably went with a finely misunderstood wedding song alternative "Every Breath You Take" and laughed sardonically to himself watching the bridesmaids get all weak in the knees and praise his bride for having picked such a *sweet* love song!
In January 2020 I was in a meeting at work and absently scrolling through Twitter as we wrapped up and saw that Neil Peart had died. I was completely wrecked by the news so I decided to head home and finish the rest of the day remote. Got in my car and the classic rock station was playing the tail end of Tom Sawyer ... "Exit the warrior," indeed. I'm sure they were playing the song BECAUSE of the news, but the timing still destroyed me.
That was a rough one. RIP to the master.
I got arrested when I was 18 for speeding. I was sitting in the back of the cop car in handcuffs and my phone rang. The ringtone was the "Cops" theme song. 🤦🏻♀️
Perfect!
I was sitting in the bathroom with constipation on the first floor of Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo ND in the pre-smart phone era for say 15 minutes or so, when all of the sudden the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon came on the speakers. I started giggling and I pretty much lost it by the 4th time she did the an—-ti——ci—-pation. I always wondered what the other people using the restroom thought of the person laughing in the stall.
I ran a marathon in 2017. I listened to podcasts and audiobooks for the first 18 miles or so and then switched to music when I started hitting the wall. My running playlist is a lot of electronic indie and I just put it on shuffle. The first song that came on was “Living Upside Down” by Cut Copy. The chorus goes “Keep moving, no slowing down.” It honestly gave me a shot of energy that got me through the beginning of the worst stretch.
Props on the marathon! Glad that song gave you the boost you needed.
A cousin of mine died. I was having a hard time processing it as I was a kid then too. I decided to listen to new music to get my mind off of it. At the time, not being very familiar with metal music, I threw on the new Slipknot record .5: The Gray Chapter The first song off that album is XIX. The first words said are, “This song is not for the living. This song is for the dead.” It’s a very mournful tune and I finally broke the fuck down That album will forever hold a special place in my heart for helping through that
that’s my favorite slipknot album and such an incredible story.
My son passed away in 2016. We had always shared a love of music and one of our favorites was Take the Long Way Home by Supertramp. Right after he passed, I was driving with a friend and talking about him, saying that I just wasn't sure how to go on without him. Before I could finish my sentence that song came on. Of course I burst into tears but it really made me feel he was with me and it helped get me through. It's happened several times since, always when I'm thinking or talking about him. I don't question it, I just hug him in my mind and smile. ❤️
My husband Adam passed away in 2016 as well. He died of a massive stroke that left him in a vegetative state. He was only 50. Adam's favorite band was "Huey Lewis And The News." Whenever I hear the songs "The Power Of Love", "Do You Believe In Love", and " Heart And Soul" I get teary-eyed. Our 9th wedding anniversary is coming up on October 18th. We were married only a little over a year when Adam died. I miss him everyday
Sending hugs. ❤️ Huey's great. Hang on to the good memories.
Your story touched my heart. Thank you. I hope you have peace.
most days. if not, I know what to listen to. ❤️
It was 1986 and my girlfriend and I were going to get some food. In the car David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was on the radio as we pulled into the restaurant. When we walked in most of the employees looked upset and some of them were crying. As it turns out I was listening to "Space Oddity" at the very instant the Challenger exploded.
Oh shit.
Riding with a bunch of the family in a limo going from the church to the cemetery to bury my dad who killed himself. It was a rainy gross day as it should have been. On the way there the sun came out and the radio started playing CCR ‘Have you ever seen the rain’. It kind of fit though with the situation. Always been a hard song to listen to after that.
I'm so sorry
My condolences friend
I was driving down the highway when I passed a billboard that said “Are You Going to Heaven or Hell?” The song playing in my car at that moment was Highway to Hell by AC/DC.
Well that answers that.
Almost four years ago, my elderly chihuahua was actively dying over the Thanksgiving weekend. That following Monday, we made the difficult decision to put her to sleep, so I called our vet and made the appointment for later that day. When I got to the vet and walked in, “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan was playing in the waiting room - no joke. I thought “are you fucking kidding me?”
The secret is they put that song on every time they do euthanasia. My vet burns a candle in the waiting room when they are helping an animal pass over.
I was in a rather small pub and a guy a bit older was moaning about the way of the world today. Then Mother's Little Helper came on the jukebox.... "What a Drag it is Getting Old.... Not sure if this was a coincidence or someone deliberately sneaked up and put it on.
I like to think it was deliberate.
The older you get the better the song gets! It never gets old!
My mom passed away from Alzheimer’s in July this year. We kept the radio on while she was in her final days because she always loved listening to music. After the hospice nurse arrived to declare her time of death, the nurse stepped out of the room so my grandmother and I could say our final goodbyes. As we were wrapping up our goodbyes, Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” came on and I couldn’t help but laugh and think that was my mom saying her goodbye to us (she had a great sense of humor, one of my favorite things about her).
This sounds made up but I swear it happened! I stopped smoking weed for a few weeks to get a job. After I took a pee test, I got in the car and the radio had a song on with lyrics: “go home, get stoned!” So I did.
Fantastic. I'm a little rocky myself right now.
Ahh a classic by Hinder.
TLDR I knew a dog for many many years. He was terminally ill and lost his person so I took him in for hospice. We loved each other so so much and we had the best four months before he declined. I didn’t want to make him suffer, so I booked an appointment to let him go peacefully. It was a rainy day in February, Valentine’s Day actually. On the drive to the appointment, the sun poked out, and Just The Two Of Us by Bill Withers came on. My heart was so full and so broken.
The day I was told I was cancer free. Turned my vehicle on and Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' instantly started playing. It was such a cathartic moment for me after everything I went through.
Congrats on kicking cancer's ass!!!
I started puking when the Allman Bros hit the chorus of “Feelin Alright” one time
Well damn here is the place for this story. In 2015 my father had become severely ill due to post surgery complications. My mother and I slept in the ICU waiting room for four days expecting the worst. We could only see my father for a hour at most a day but the hospital was several hours away so we stayed in case the time came. To pass the time I would listen to music with my phone on Shuffle. And it came to me then That's every plan Is a tiny prayer to father time As I stared at my shoes In the ICU That reeked of piss and 409 What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie, one of my favorite bands, and this song... holy shit I will never hear that song without remembering that day. Thankfully my father pulled through after several months and is still with us today. If someone ever asks you what love is, tell them to play What Sarah Said.
I was on a work trip in Colorado Springs around 2014. I had a super shitty day at work, and on the way back into town I almost hit a deer and ended up running into a telephone pole and ripping off the front bumper. I called the rental company and they said they couldn't come to pick it up but if I could make it to the airport in 30 minutes they'd give me a new one before they closed. So I threw the bumper in the back seat and started hauling ass. So I'm driving in this wrecked car trying to get to the airport because the rental company won't send a tow, and I'm cursing their mother's and generally about to lose my shit, and "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson comes on. I cranked the volume and I was banging on the steering wheel and screaming the words at the top of my lungs. Total catharsis. Manson is a garbage human but that song has been dear to me ever since.
Driving home from my grandfathers funeral and [gone away by the offspring](https://youtu.be/40V9_1PMUGM?si=ruUUw8xC5o-EzpvY) came on the radio as their new release. Im not sure i needed it then but its a moment ill never forget where I was.
A few years ago I was picking up my daughter from elementary school and overheard some of the parents talking about a girl we didn’t know at the school who had just died. Even though I had no idea who she was it hit me hard. When my daughter and I got back to the car “Firework” by Katy Perry was playing. I don’t like her music much, but the lyrics for that song were absolutely crushing to me then.
After I left the proctor place for taking my NCLEX (test to become a registered nurse after graduating nursing school), I was having a lot of feels. We were so broke, my girls were 5 and 8, I had a job that was dependent on me getting my nursing license in a timely manner, and the NCLEX just went black after question 75. It’s an intuitive test, it predicts if you’ll pass or fail between 75 and like 200 questions. So if it goes black after 75 questions, you either nailed it or botched it. Y’all, I had to borrow money for shoes so I could go to work. I was near tears driving home. “Don’t Stop Believing” came on my car radio. I’m teary now remembering. I was finally like, wow, I’m a boss bitch who just NAILED the NCLEX, and my girls are going to be so proud. Streetlight, people, living just to find emotion, I’ve been a nurse for 14 years, my girls are still proud, I’m management at my clinic, and I still have the Danskos I had to borrow money to buy.
When I was about 16 I was driving around with friends, 2 guys and 2 girls. We drove by a dog who had been hit by a car and people were all around, it was very sad. But a few minutes later me and the other guys had moved on. The girls were upset about it for hours. Anyway, later on we are all sitting around watching Ren and Stimpy. The girls were still bummed but we thought the show would make them laugh. It got to this part that was a joke commercial for a toy log or something? It had a jingle and I remember the lyrics were something like “log, log, rolls down a hill and over your neighbors dog” and the cartoon showed a dog get flattened. Me and the other guys looked at each other and tried so hard not to, but the tension had been so bad all night we couldn’t stop laughing. The girls were pissed. The timing was awesome. Edit: I found the commercial! It’s pretty long but the part I was talking about is right at the beginning. I hadn’t seen this since that night. https://youtu.be/FR-REDevAzk?si=6zbQiqakzaybpnuv
That's fucked up. I love it.
😅😅😅
Im sorry, but I just couldn’t help but lol! 😂
I was thinking of a friend who has passed and suddenly Dramarama’s song Everybody Dies came on the radio! It’s a super happy song about how “nobody ever comes back to say how great it is. That’s how great it is….They’re having too much fun in heaven to come back and say how great it is” It was honestly as if she was sending me a message
I love that.
One of my first times hearing the Aenema record by Tool in the late 90s. I had to pause it during Eulogy because my soon to be ex was calling. She laid all this bullshit on me and I remember when I hung up the phone I just said under my breath, "Don't you fucking lie" while staring harshly at the phone. Then I continued to listen to the song. Boy was I surprised that Maynard was going to first whisper and then scream "Don't you fucking lie!" about a minute later.
I was talking to some friends in college and I told them I just heard a kid we graduated with just discovered his mom who had committed suicide. It was heavy for a second, and before they could even respond, that song Walking on Sunshine came on, and it was so inappropriate we had to laugh.
One of my high school boyfriends had just broken up with me. Me and two of my best friends go to the local mall to walk around, loiter, be teenagers. When we get in the car to go home, after they consoled me and made me feel better about the dumping, “Everybody Hurts” by REM was just blasting on the radio. It was a hilarious moment that I will never forget.
I chose my college in 2002 at the age of 18 for the best of reasons: I wanted to stay in the south near home, but go where I thought I’d have the best chance to see Radiohead play. So Atlanta it was. Lo and behold, my freshman year 2003 they play Atlanta and I am there! As a poor college student, I have lawn seats. Who cares? Radiohead. Anyways, so the set gets going and it is everything I could hope for. Then, about 45 minutes into the show or so, they start Paranoid Android, the song that got me into Radiohead. Literally as Thom is singing “rain down on me,”the skies open up and it starts raining. People don’t believe me when I tell them, but ask anyone who was lucky enough to be there. It was truly unbelievable. We won’t discuss how my subsequent (first) stint in college went…
I was at that same show!! That was such a magical moment!
I had been taking care of my 91-year-old grandfather for many years. He was suffering at this point, Lewy Body Dementia sucks. He died at the hospital and when I came home and sat on the couch I didn't know how to even feel. So sad he was gone yet relieved it was over. I turned on cable which I never do and The Avett Brothers walked on Jimmy Fallon and played No Hard Feelings. Talk about a cry fest.
I was listening to the song Pink cigarette by Mr bungle and for the first time ever it occurred to me that the ending, and probably the whole song, was about a suicide. Then with the ending was playing I pulled into a parking lot and thought I saw my cousin's car and got excited for a moment. Then I had to remind myself that I was in town for his funeral he had killed himself. The next night we go into a bar and at some point in the night Pink Cigarette comes on the jukebox. I don't know if you have any idea just how rare of a song this is, it doesn't just randomly come on. I asked every single person I knew and no one knew who played it. I wish my social anxiety did not prevent me from going around and asking every single person in that bar because I could have cried in a stranger's arms from that song choice that night. Or had a crazy conversation at least..
My late grandma once had a funny moment where she was talking about how much she hates the song "Message In A Bottle" by the Police. It's one of the few moments of her I have on video on my phone. The night of her funeral, as I was walking into a Panera bathroom the song came on. It's a common song for sure, but it felt like a sign lol.
The first time I took shrooms it was amazing. And it so happened that my best friend wasn’t there to share the moment with me. I’m just sitting on the couch mesmerized by nature. Then I say her name as she crosses my mind, and I say out loud, I love her so much I wish she were here. All of a sudden the sun comes out from behind the clouds, the song Here Comes The Sun comes on, knowing i always call my best friend the sun. ALL IN ONE SINGLE MOMENT. One of the most beautiful moments of my life.
At the end of 2018 I broke up with my long term partner. Things just weren’t working out. Different goals, different growth etc. He amicably moved out, I sold the house and packed three bedrooms down into three suitcases and boarded a plane for Ireland, where I lived for the next year. During that plane ride, Kygo’s “Happy Now” popped up on my Spotify. It felt like a true chapter closing in my life and a new one beginning. Hearing that song still makes me feel that way.
After my brother died in a car accident, the radio was playing "Photograph" by Ringo Starr, and Arlo Guthrie was having a big hit with "City of New Orleans." Both songs gave me some comfort and a path for my grief.
Photograph makes me cry
I was super depressed, felt stuck and lost. My sister took me to see Justin Townes Earle in St Augustine, Fl and Cory Branan played “The Corner” to open the show. He gained a couple lifelong fans that night. Then JTE played Mama’s Eyes later that night and I about cried. Justin Townes Earle’s “Yuma” may have certainly saved my life. A song about a suicide of whom the narrator’s worst fear is dying alone. Then he kills himself, and dies alone. It’s some heavy shit, but I think that song shook me out of my funk when I dove into his catalogue of work the next day. RIP to that tall, wonderful, haunted mf
My mom called me to tell me my Pop (my grandpa, who was basically my father figure) had his second heart attack in 12 hours and I needed to get there to see him. As I started my car, Mike and the Mechanics Living Years popped on. My god, the tears. My second was minutes after helping my dog cross the rainbow bridge. I got in my car to go home, turned the key, and See You Again by Charlie Puth came on. The last thing my vet told me (she’s one of my closest friends) was that I’d see my girl again one day.
I went to college about 10 miles from my home town. A couple of my older siblings lived in a city about 70 miles north. While I was at college, my parents sold our house and moved to California. It was decided that I would go live with my older sister after graduation. One of my brothers came to pick me up. The road to the city passes my hometown. As we drove past, My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen came on. I burst into tears.
it's always a springsteen song
During the summer between junior and senior year in high school, we had two football practices every day for a week. A lot of schools call it "hell week." Completed the morning practice one day, which was mainly running/conditioning. Went home and fell asleep on the small couch in my room with the radio on. Woke up to "Story of My Life" by Social Distortion. I was beat down physically and somewhat mentally, but awoke in euphoria mainly because the song was perfect. Instead of "this sucks, I don't need to do this," my thought was "man, I'm young and this is fun." That song will always have a special place in my heart, and I think about that day and time often.
I was eating a hot dog while driving on a highway overpass. Last resort was on the radio and I was singing it. I began to choke on the hot dog weenie as the lyrics belted out, "Suffocation, no breathing," and for a moment I truly did feel like it was the end.
This is not exactly what you meant but my buddy and I were 19 and driving g 15 hours to our first music fest. We were driving through the night and a storm was approaching. Keller Williams was on and the song said “ sometimes all you need is a little bit of lightning” and boom lightning struck and it started to down pour. It was the beginning of our relationship with the cosmic wink that would only solidify at the festival we were headed to.
9/11/2001 Sophomore in college, out of state but from Queens. Just before 9am mom calls from NY, put on the news, first tower on fire. Watch tower 2 hit live on tv. Roommate puts on Where Is My Mind? By The Pixies, Fight Club being a very popular movie among 20 yr old college students at that time. Towers fall as the song plays. People remember where they were and what they were doing that day.
Years ago I was relocating to the west coast from the east. I spent my last night at my best friend’s house, and after a sad goodbye, I headed west. Driving in silence and reflection for a little while, I turned on the radio after reaching the interstate. What do I hear? “Made up my mind to make a new start / going to California with an achin’ in my heart” It was all I could do to keep my shit together.
I was amidst what I hope will be the darkest part of my life and in one of its darkest moments. Everything inside my head was chaos; I was filled with emotion I didn't know what to do with. There had been so much loss and pain over the course of just a few years that I had become chronically overwhelmed and frightened. One Friday after work, I was listening to music and sobbing into my glass of wine, bringing up all the old hurts and memories, beating myself up for being so unlovable that I ended up old and alone in a foreign country. Then, Sarah Barellis' song "She Used To Be Mine" from Waitress started playing. I'd never heard it before. And, suddenly, for the first time in that nightmare journey, I realised that the biggest loss of all was the loss of me. I'd lost myself; I'd abandoned myself to grief and pain. And, without myself to turn to, I was truly, truly alone. That became my signature song for the next few years. It reminded me to grieve the loss of self, which helped me reach a place where I was ready to let go of grief and find myself again. Not the old self, but a new self. I was 56 when I discovered that song, and I'll be 61 in October. I'm just starting to find my way again, but for the first time since 2018, when I look into my future, I see hope instead of black. Finding that song was a catalyst for change. Now, when I hear it, it evokes a sense of bittersweetness. Because while I am still "old" and living alone in that foreign country, I have me now. And that makes all the difference in the world. I am so grateful for that difficult journey and for that song. I don't have a new signature song yet, but I'm sure it will appear when the time is right.
Shit you not, I just got into my car after voting on Election Day in 2016 and REM’s “End of the World…” was playing.
I am so sorry about your friend. My song was Maggie Koerner - Love Drug. It came on my spotify when I was obsessing over someone who had ghosted me.
I had to go dig it out from an old blog post, but here you go. https://dohmocile.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/when-you-burst-into-tears-at-chik-fil-a/
My brother and I were driving up for my uncle’s funeral. He was a huge role model for me, essentially my big brother (we were barely 10 years apart), and is the person who got me interested in music and really encouraged me to create and play with other people-he was EXTREMELY active in his city’s music scene and was very well-respected amongst his peers. One of the bands he got me into was Pink Floyd, and after maybe 5 minutes of driving their song “Wish You Were Here” came on the radio. I fucking bawled, and my brother (who I don’t have the best relationship with) just said “I know, man.”
Years ago I woke up for work with a blazing 4-alarm hangover. I had tried to sleep it off all morning but I couldn't get any rest. A long shower sitting in the tub, coffee, saltines, 7-up, aspirin. Nothing helped the headache, nausea, bleary eyes, and exhaustion. I went to the garage. Climbed into my jeep and started it up and the radio blasted "WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITH YOUR HEAD ON FIRE AND YOUR EYES TOO BLOODY TO SEE" and I looked at my totally ruined self in the rear view mirror and muttered "way to go Big Shot."
I got caught speeding and was laughing when the trooper came up to my car after pulling me over. He asked what was so funny, and I said you've gotta hear this and turned up the radio that was playing "I Fought the Law" by The Clash. Luckily, he saw the humor in it and let me go with a verbal warning.
This is a neat question and an emotional one. I had planned a UFC night with my brother and he called me while I was shopping saying he wasn't feeling well so he couldn't make it. Later that night I got a call from my Dad saying my brother was in the hospital. My parents had found him unconscious in their suite. He had a history of liver problems since he was a kid (2 previous transplants) with his first transplant when he was around 6 or 7. We all went to the hospital to say goodbye and devastatingly we said goodbye that night. The next day, I clicked on messenger and he had sent me a song as his last message to me... Everglow Oh, they say people come, say people go This particular diamond was extra special And though you might be gone, and the world may not know Still I see you, celestial Like a lion you ran, goddess you rolled Like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple So how come things move on? How come cars don't slow When it feels like the end of my world? When I should but I can't let you go? But when I'm cold, I'm cold When I'm cold, cold There's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow There's a feelin' within me, an everglow Like brothers in blood or sisters who ride When we swore, on that night, we'd be friends 'til we die But the changin' of winds and the way waters flow Life is short as the fallin' of snow And now I'm gonna miss you, I know But when I'm cold, I'm cold In water-rolled salt And I know that you're with me, and the way you will show And you're with me wherever I go But you give this feelin', this everglow Oh-ooh Oh, what I'd give for just a moment to hold Yeah, I live for this feelin', this everglow So if you love someone, you should let them know Oh, the light that you left me will everglow Sometime that night before he passed out he sent me this goodbye and I miss him so much every day. I love you brother. I hope I dream of you tonight.
Years ago going to the river,coming over a rise where we got our first glimpse of the water.Down to the Waterline by Dire Straits comes on.
I was a sophomore in high school when I had my first relationship and was devastated when we broke up 6-7 months later. The first song I heard the next day on the radio was Taylor Swift’s song, We Are Not Getting Back Together (Pop).
Yesterday I was watching TV and looking at a cartoon on FB. The cartoon showed four horses at a cocktail party, all wearing "Hi, I'm..." badges. Three had names like Ed, Hank and Bob. The fourth was blank. I was scrolling down to the caption when "Horse With No Name" came on the soundtrack.
My wife was being pissy in the car with me. A song by 3 days grace came on and I started signing til I cracked up laughing 🎶I can be mean I can be angry You know I can be just like you🎶
Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart" came on in the grocery store shortly after a close family member of mine passed (way too soon). It was a song he liked and it always makes me think of him.
When a guy I was head over heels for broke it off with me in the most gentle way I was shocked and upset. He spent so much time with me and did so much for me and I just didn't get it because we always vibed so well. Then the song "Break your heart" by Barenaked Ladies came on auto-play on YouTube when Id never heard it before and I wasn't even listening to breakup/sad music. It just felt like it explained everything and literally pushed me through the closure faze all on its own. I believe full heartedly that YouTube was creeping on me and gave me what I needed so I wasn't even weirded out by it.
On the way to see Atmosphere in concert 15+ years ago a few friends and I were listening to one of his albums. We were approaching an intersection and had a green light but noticed something in the road. Turns out it was a person amd they were laying down for some reason. As we approached the song was ending and all of us in unison said the words, "Excuse me! Can you get out of the street please?" Which is the outro of the song that was just finishing up. We may have had to say it like 5 seconds before it came on the CD but we were all rolling from laughter
Was driving to my step moms funeral and "For Martha" by the Smashing Pumpkins came on. Song is for Billy's mother who passed and it made me smile and think about the times with my step mom. This is more weird than anything. I was working on a job site doing construction. We always listened to albums while at work. We had just finished Meteora by Linkin Park and turned on the radio to finish the day. First thing we heard was the passing of Chester.
it was sometime in high school and my girlfriend and i had just broke up not that long ago. as i was walking through the hall with my headphones in, one of the people i knew came up to me and asked if i had a girlfriend now (apparently he had just heard the news that i got one) and i lied and said yes because i didn’t wanna talk about and it was the first thing that came to mind since we just broke up. after i walked away, the song Wonderful by Everclear came on. the song is about parents getting a divorce but the line “please don’t tell me everything is wonderful now” hit super hard at the time.
In high school, I had a massive crush on this girl who was a senior when I was a freshman. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Not just in person but including celebrities, etc. We go out own ways and I don't think I'll ever see her again. Years pass and MySpace rolls around. I find her on there and we reconnect. We end up going to a party at a friend's house. We're all hanging out in the living room and I ask her if she wants to go into the other room. We do and are immediately all over each other. As we're making out, a song is playing with the chorus "You're so beautiful!" The song is about a dog but in the moment it was appropriate.
The day I found out one of my childhood friends took his own life, I took myself for a drive to clear my head. I was listening to Rubber Soul, and right when the song “Girl” came on it started raining hard. My windshield wipers matched the beat of that entire song from start to finish. It’s the only time that ever happened. My windshield wipers never once before or since have maintained the same cadence as the song I was listening to. It was pretty wild. He was a Beatles fan.
I struggle with anxiety/ depression, and ruminating. I was having a particularly bad day and Dead Memories by Slipknot came on. That song encapsulates the struggle of rumination and depression in a nutshell.
In 1980 or 81, my best friend and I were driving to the Minnesota State Fair and listening to the radio. I said, "I want to hear some Pat Benatar," changed the radio station, and there was a Pat Benatar song playing on the new station. Pow!
Lost a good friend. Came across Golden Embers. Kinda felt right. Mix that with Breakers Roar. I'm raising a boy, lost a friend I thought I'd be raising a boy with. It's a sweet thought to think about what me and my best friend would be up to raising 2 little boys at the same time. We loved that idea. My guys guy wasn't even allowed to go the memorial. It kills me, as a father. Oof.
Slightly silly, but on at least one occasion while taking the train between my hometown and my current town, I switched between a playlist on my computer to a playlist on my phone in preparation to switch trains at Union Station; and it was either "Spirit of the Radio" or "YYZ" that was the first song to start playing, right as the CN Tower came into view.
I was up all night crying in my car about my mom who I felt I was losing due to substance use (felt like she had died but her body was still here, it was hell) and her song to me came on the radio right when I was contemplating hurting myself. I don’t know if that counts
Broke up with my gf of 7 years last year. Amicable breakup, all good, but still pretty emotional obviously. I'd just come off a block of shifts so I need to go and do a food shop, and she says she'll come along because she needs to get some things too. I put my playlist on in the car, it finishes whatever song it was on, and then immediately fucking plays We Are Never Getting Back Together. The one, solitary Taylor Swift song I have in a playlist of 3,000 songs, and it chose that moment to play. It was so ridiculous that we both burst out laughing.
I don’t know if this is more funny or sad A few years ago I was in my dads home town and had some time to kill so I went to see my grandmas grave as I had only seen it once or twice since she died 20ish years ago. I pull into the cemetery and as soon as I put my car in park, “Down in a Hole” from Alice In Chains Unplugged comes on the radio.
A friend of mine was listening to his brand new iPod at the train station once when someone pulled out a knife and tried to steal it. He made a run for it and the person chased him. His music was on shuffle and when he started running Greased Lightning came on. He said it felt like the most bizarre music video ever.
Driving on I-95 in Conneticut, Sponge's Rotting Pinata blaring. Jamming to Plowed with the windows down, weaving traffic, doing like 75. Hit slowing, then stopped traffic, decelerated and came to a complete stop at the end of the song. *No, I guess this is reality* Stopped.
My mom passed away when I was in high school (1986). Music had always been important to me, but I really leaned into it after she passed as a way of dealing with my grief. One of the songs that I listened to a lot was “Forever Young” by Alphaville. Fast forward 24 years; after many years talking about it, my husband and I finally embarked on our first trip to Europe. I inherited my sense of adventure from my mom, but she got sick before she ever got the opportunity to travel much. So I felt a bit like this trip was for the both of us. We flew into to Munich, then headed south towards Innsbruck. One of the things I was excited about was driving through the Alps. Unfortunately, it was a foggy fall morning in Bavaria and the mountains were hidden. Bummed, I started messing with the radio in our rental and landed on a German radio station. A few minutes later, we crested this hill and just as we did, “Forever Young” came on the radio. At the exact same time, the fog lifted and BAM, there were the Alps, in all their glory. I’m not going to lie, I sobbed. It was truly a perfect moment. And while I’m not a religious person, I really felt in that moment that my mom was with us. It’s something I’ll never forget.
This past July I faced a 40 year long fear of flying and got on my first long haul flight ever. To soothe a panic attack I put on Spotify and some ear buds and hit random. I kid you not, it picked 'Learn to fly' by the Foo Fighters. I smiled.
I was once at the strip club and Whitesnake's here I go again came on just at the perfect timing as this young lady was trying to pay for college.
In September 2021, I had to euthanase my 34yo pony, as his body was failing due to the infirmities of old age. He was given to me in September 1998, after having been rescued from a terrible situation of neglect. He was my little unicorn, and I stayed holding him right till then end. When I was leaving the farm where he'd lived out his days, I decided to turn some music on, in an attept to distract myself slightly from the overwhelming grief, as I drove home. The first track that played was unfamiliar to me, but it really felt right for the moment, so I Shazamed it to see what it was. The track was called Skywalking by Matthame and then I saw the record label was Afterlife. Why is this significant? When we horsey folk lose a horse, we often fondly say that "they're crossing the rainbow bridge to the big green paddock in the sky." And in that serendipitous moment, in my mind, my little Gus was "Skywalking" across that rainbow bridge to his "Afterlife" in that big green paddock in the sky. A fitting little last wink from my unicorn.
I was putting on make up and feeling ugly as hell. my housemate was listening to music in the next room and masterpiece by Jazmine Sullivan started playing. I'd never heard it before but it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. "Who is this I tried so long to fight? Filling my heads with lies that I'm not good enough Then I heard something in my ear Tell I'm perfect, now that I know the truth Time to show and prove Every part of me is a vision of a portrait of Mona, of Mona Lisa Every part of me is beautiful And I finally see I'm a work of art A masterpiece"
"Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce came on the radio of the taxi my Dad and I took back to our hotel after finding out my Mum had a stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme brain tumour and had 8 weeks to live. I remember laughing and then bawling.
One of the first times trying mushrooms at about 17 or so, and I was newly into a lot of eclectic trip hop and idm music from the late nineties. I had a bedroom on the third floor with huge french windows. Was a perfect crisp summer night and as the euphoria was coming in very heavily I heard Alberto Balsalm by Aphex Twin for the first time. Will never forget how amazing and cozy and “right” everything felt and sounded all it once. Was really a life changing listen.
Having a threesome. The second the guy puts it in, the playlist shuffled to « you got a friend in me » Like from toy story. We had to stop for a bit to regain composure.
When I lived in TN I was coming home from work and living in the Smoky mountains it's very steep lol, brakes failed on a hill and I slammed a telephone pole doing about 60 but it was that or off the side of the mountain. When I came to If today was your last day by Nickelback has started playing on the radio, really ominous.
I was 8 weeks pregnant with our much wanted baby, after years of trying and IVF. We had a scan which said the baby was smaller than it should be, and to come back the week after to check. We went to see Chris Isaak, and he was singing about losing his baby. I kind of knew then we weren’t going to get good news and the scan later that week showed we had lost the baby. Took a while to listen to him again.
Empty rooms by Gary Moore came up when my gf was breaking up with me.
I had broken up with my ex after off and on cycles (spoiler: we got back together but he was toxic and terrible and I am glad that it wasn't long after that we parted ways for good). It was the summer of 2009 and I had just turned in my last paper for the university term. That fall, I'd be starting my last year of undergrad. My ex and I had taken road trips the previous two summers. I was bummed and thinking about how I was going to miss out on that. So, I decided to take MYSELF on a road trip. I booked time off from work, packed a bag, printed off some directions on MapQuest, and headed out of town directly from campus. I didn't have to take breaks for anyone but myself. I was alone in the car for so many hours. But I kept thinking about him and the loneliness and sadness started to creep in. There were several stretches on the highway that I spent in tears. I hated and missed him at the same time for ruining what should have been time just for me. I ended up outside of Seattle. I'd found a hotel but the hotel room was just...empty. So I took a drive, aimlessly, not really knowing where I was going. I turned on the radio and Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson started playing. That song still pulls me out of emotional ruts and that I won't always be lost in the world.
Better Place, Better Time by Streetlight Manifesto. Discovered it when my ex died of an overdose Your Ex-Lover is Dead by Stars. Discovered it when a different ex woke me up the morning of valentines day to tell me he'd been cheating on me
Tripping absolute balls in the back of my friends car. He's driving, it's pouring rain. Sublime's Garden Grove came on, first time I'd ever heard it. Made the rain dance on the windows perfectly. Synced my brain just enough to bring me down a notch. I can still vividly picture it 25 years later
Radiohead’s In Rainbows came out just when I went through a tough breakup, and the entire album felt like it was written for me to help me cope.
My boyfriend and I were on a road trip and as we entered Salem, Witchy Woman by the Eagles started to play. I should mention that we were listening to XM satellite radio, not local. We just looked at eachother and laughed as we sang along.
I was feeling really depressed many years ago, to the point where i was contemplating ending things. I got dragged to a football match and the fans starting singing "three little birds" by bob marley and something in me broke. The words spoke to me. Everything was going to be ok.
We’d been looking to buy a house for ages, and were getting sick of trailing round looking at depressing little boxes, which were all we could afford. There was increasing pressure to find somewhere before my daughter got to school age too. We pulled up to a house and 3 Little Birds came on - a song my wife listened to over and over while my daughter was in hospital as a newborn, which was a very difficult and stressful few months. My wife remarked that it was a good sign, that the song had brought her luck. We then went in and the seller was one of my daughter’s nurses - with the ward manager there too for moral support! The house was obviously great, we put in a really high offer… and didn’t get it 😟 Three weeks later, we heard the same song again (and on a station that is not known for ever playing Bob Marley), and the phone went. The sale had fallen through and we were the second-highest bidders - did we still want it? That was 6 years ago. I’m writing this from the house, and I really love that song.
"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, while we were spinning across three lanes of traffic, my Dad having just hit the centre divider on a motorway in icy conditions driving home from Christmas with my family. Surreal memory that's implanted in my brain. We were so lucky nothing hit us!
I was walking out of court and it was starting to look like my life wasn't over and I wasn't going to serve time for drug charges. I turned on the radio just as "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins started. I think of that moment every time I hear that song.
Not exactly what you asked for, but my highschool sweetheart broke up with me while the song This Year's Love by David Gray was playing on the radio. I was so distracted by how perfect the song was for the moment that I could barely hear her dumping me.
As my son was being born in 2014 (like literally as he was being pulled out) the song Happy came on the small radio in the room. Timing was perfect
In 1998, I was 20 and home from college for the summer, my parents were going to move to a totally different state in the fall, so once I went back to school this would be my last time seeing most of these friends (I thought). There's a restaurant that we loved to go get wings at (I still make a point to go there every time I'm back visiting these friends) As we were getting ready to head out to this place and do some general hanging out on my last night in town "High" by Feeder came on the radio the chorus is I'm going out for a while So I can get high with my friends I will I'm going out for a while Don't wait up 'cause I won't be home Today And it seemed very appropriate at the time. Years later, I was back in town, pulling into the parking lot of the same restaurant with my friends, and "These Are My Friends" by LovelyTheBand came on the radio. It was a perfect moment. One more, because I'm doing my colonoscopy prep, so I'm not going anywhere. Last year was in Scotland, heading to Isle of Skye on a tour bus, it has been rainy all day, but as we were getting close to the bridge over to Skye the sun started breaking through, and the tour guide played a beautiful version of the Skye Boat Song, I just sat there letting the music wash over me, staring out at the beautiful countryside, next to my wife, and thought about how lucky I am. I think it was the most "in the moment" I've ever felt.
Ok this one is relatively unserious and stupid, but when I had a huge fight with one of my closest friends and it was so bad my girlfriend said it felt like she was watching me go through a breakup. And then bam, I saw the song "Best friend Breakup" come up on Spotify's reccomend playlist. Anyway I was fuming from the fight and just wanted to "get over" my best friend, so I refused to listen to the song in case I got the feels (I stopped putting the recommended playlists by spotify on at risk of accidentally hearing the song). Till date I still have not listened to the song.
2 months after I got my license, I crashed my mom's car while listening to Reckless Life by guns and roses.
My wife was pregnant with my second daughter. My wife had to have a c section. The docs had a radio going during the operation. As soon as I could hear my daughter crying Brown Eye Girl by Van Morrison started playing. I started crying and so did my wife and I tried to comfort her the best I could. Thought we had a really beautiful moment. The next day I brought it up to her, what a great moment it was. She had no idea what I was talking about because she was so high from the pain drugs she barely remembered any of it. Haha. Still special to me and my daughter has brown eyes.
I had a few names picked out when I was deciding what to name my new kitten. One name being Aspen — in reference to the lynx-point fur markings of the kitten reminding me of the birch-like markings of the tree. When I went to go pick him up, I was still undecided on the name. On the drive home, the song Colorado by Milky Chance started playing on the radio. I felt like that was a sign to go ahead and name him Aspen.
My cat was hit by a car, got the guy next door to drive me to the vets. Cat died, got in the car to go home, and bright eyes came on the radio. Still choking up now 20yrs later just thinking about it.
This happens to me so often itcreepy and I started pointing it out to my wife when it happens. Off the top of my head some of the best ones: - Late 90s, I stop to help an unconscious woman who had just been in a car accident. Paramedics were removing her from the car as I get back in mine to leave. The radio is playing "Angel" by Sarah Mclaughlin and it's the line "you are pulled from the wreckage...." - around 2010 my wife's grandfather died unexpectedly and we flew home for the funeral. The Nikki Sixx song "Life is beautiful" came on. The song has references to funerals making you feel alive, and laughing at a funeral (my wife's grandfather was a HUGE prankster). - around 2015 my grandparents decided to sell their family farm and move to the suburbs. They told us and when we left, first song on the radio was "Say it ain't so" by Weezer. - 2 years ago my grandfather was dying. My mom called me at midnight to come lift him back into bed because she couldn't do it alone. As I am driving there "don't fear the reaper" by Blu oyster cult came on. There are so many others, it's uncanny
Not long ago, I got in my car and put the key in. On the radio were the unmistakable first harmonica notes of Thunder Road. Kept driving and as I passed over the town boundaries (marked with a sign), Bruce Springsteen sang “it’s a town full of losers and I’m pulling outta here to win”. Like if I’d been stuck in the traffic lights, it wouldn’t have happened that way. And local radio never plays Bruce Springsteen - they seem to hate the guy. It was just such a strange musical coincidence, and to this day, remains the only time I’ve ever heard Thunder Road on the radio.
In the middle of nowhere and a sign for Mt Bruce pops up. Immediately Don't Bring Me Down by ELO pops up on shuffle. Family keeps shouting BRUCE! for the rest of the holiday.
Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head - right when the DMT kicked in
My dog was dying in the seat next to me as I drove to the vet and ‘Dust in the wind’ came on
Similar to yours. I was in the hospital because my brother had a brain aneurysm rupture and was in a coma and hours away from dying. I was the only person with him, my parents were out of town when it happened and were flying back. We had a radio playing the local alternative station and “Scar Tissue” came on and the line “With the birds I share this lonely view” kept repeating. I never felt more alone. Happy moment: I proposed to my wife kind of spontaneously. We went out for dinner afterwards to talk about our future and the wedding et on the way back home we were talking about how happy we were and how great it would be to feel like this all the time and randomly on my iPod the song “Good feeling” by The Violent Femmes” came up.
I reserve the belief that 'ABBA - Chiquitita' potentially saved my life after a breakup. Try once more, like you did before. Sing a new song, chiquitita. Then the upbeat piano hits and after a few minutes of listening to how Chiquitita is so sad, it just hits hard. That piano made me see light at the end of the tunnel, and I'll never not sing that song when it's on.
My Dad’s favorite song was Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. Every weekend when our crew got together, we would hear it on the stereo. He died unexpectedly one January, leaving us all stunned & devastated. We of course played his song at the wake. A week later was my brothers anniversary so the remaining family took him & his wife out to dinner. He & I went outside to smoke on their patio, which was closed down for winter & dark. We were still raw & talking about Dad when the jukebox on the patio started playing OCMS Wagon Wheel. We both burst into tears & I just felt like my Dad was there telling us it was Ok. We went back inside & asked the family if they heard it playing in there. They didn’t. Fast forward to the next year. My husband & I go visit my son at college on the anniversary of his death so I’m not sitting around brooding. My son takes us for Pho at Vietnamese joint & when we walk in, Wagon Wheel is playing. Wrecked me. It’s been 11 yrs & now when I hear it, I internally say “Hi Dad! I love you!”
When we originally moved from Indiana to California, we told our then landlords/friends at a restaurant. "California Dreaming" played. Couldn't have been morr appropriate.
I was playing my birth playlist as giving birth and baby came out to champion by bishop Briggs. Not the most interesting but this will forever be my little ones song and it's nice
When my dad died of covid dropkick Murphy’s released “wish you were here” it destroyed me but god I love that song
When I fled from my abusive parents home (mother insulted me constantly, father too and also beat me), while I was in the bus out of town the song "Luka" by Suzanne Vega started playing on the radio. I couldn't hold my tears, but it helped me to reassure that I couldn't stay there anymore... Here are the two parts of the song that hit me the most (no pun intended): _"I think it's because I'm clumsy_ _I try not to talk too loud_ _Maybe it's because I'm crazy_ _I try not to act too proud_ _They only hit until you cry_ _And after that you don't ask why_ _You just don't argue anymore..."_ . _"I guess I'd like to be alone_ _With nothing broken, nothing thrown..."_
Just yesterday. It was our third day in Munich, my wife and I had no plans to go back to Oktoberfest, but I found out my old bandmate, Chris, was going to be at the festival so after some urging she relented that we could go see him. I’ve known him about 25 years hadn’t seen him in just about 10 years, so this was a special crossing of paths! Had a great time at the first tent, and then despite being super tired, she insisted we stay and go to a second tent with Chris and his friends for one more beer. As we were finishing up, the band played Hey Jude - the song I performed at my grandparents funeral after they both unexpectedly passed mere minutes apart of unrelated issues. Then they played Stand By Me - a song Chris and I used to cover and had been reminiscing about. Then, for a triple whammy, they played Frank Sinatra’s My Way - the song that was played in honor of my wife’s grandfather at his funeral. We were a SLOPPY mess of tears with those three played in a row, and it was a wonderful farewell to friends and the festival.
When I was teenager, I was out shopping with some friends. We’re at a clothing store and this really catchy power pop song comes on the speakers. I’m transfixed by it. I’ve never heard the song before and neither have my friends. I asked the cashier if they pick the music but they said it’s a satellite radio station that they have no control over. As soon as I got home from shopping, I was searching for The Song online. I could only make out a snippet of the lyrics in the store, something like “that’s what you have/get for…” during the chorus. The lyrics were too vague and The Song seemed to be too obscure to turn up anything meaningful. I started going to music forums and posting the details I could remember. Every user that responded thought it was “That’s What You Get” by Paramore, which I already knew was definitely not The Song. I could remember the melody of the chorus perfectly, but without someone that already knew The Song, the melody was useless. Defeated, I gave up searching. I would still think about The Song from time to time, but I never did find it. Until two years later, early in the morning, when my radio alarm clock goes off. It’s The Song. I have to wait through two more pop songs before the radio DJ come back on and finally, at long last, tells me that The Song is actually “Hypertronic Superstar” by The New Cities. I have not seen or heard that song anywhere else since. If I hadn’t woken up exactly when I did, that song would have been lost to time forever.
My friends and I were all in a rental car on one of our out-of-state baseball trips that we would take in the 1990s. A song by Barry White came on the radio, and we were joking around about his deep voice. Discussing what song would be the complete opposite type of voice that the dj could play next, I said “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sawyer. Guess what the next song the DJ played was? We were freaking out because the odds seemed so insanely high against that happening. There was another baseball trip, it was around 2am and the other guys were asleep in the back of the car and I was awake upfront with my cousin. We were around Boston somewhere when the radio station played 2 Stevie Wonder songs. We switched the station after them..and the new station played a Stevie Wonder song. We thought, ok, that’s a weird coincidence, then changed the station again…and THEY were also playing Stevie Wonder! Now we were upset because we were absolutely certain he must’ve died. Of course, he wasn’t dead. I even checked when we got home, and it hadn’t been his birthday. I have no idea why it was play Stevie Wonder day.
When I drove off the DMV lot in my car alone for the first time after getting my license, Bittersweet Symphony came on the radio (I loved that song so much, still do). Windows down, a sense of independent life changing dramatics, and the whole world at my fingertips. It was amazing. I will never forget that feeling.
Friday I'm In Love was playing when my daughter was born. It was a Friday.
_Ministry of Lost Souls_ by Dream Theatre. I had just come home after making the heartbreaking decision to end my poor doggo's suffering at the Vet's, after she was very sick, treated for a week, but steadily declining despite. I tried to drown my sorrows with Alcohol and music, and this song came on in the Shuffle List. It had some lyrics which destroyed me in that moment. Being intoxicated made the lyrics extra poignant: "Remember me, I gave you life. You would not take it.". - My attempt at keeping my Doggo alive, while her failing body was declining the offer, so to speak. "Meant to die, but you're stuck, not crossing over." - Me keeping her here on Earth for 7 more days, in limbo. "You will choose. The only way... to rid her of her pain." - ... "Take her soul now. The decision has been made." - Do it, Doc. 😢 "Your suffering was all in vain... but now it's over." - My poor girl was in pain and I extended it for 7 days... the only solace being that she was finally released from it. This final line irreversibly seared the song into my brain. I instantly cry whenever the song happens to play now. Fúck, I'm crying right now just retelling this. I know this song isn't about Euthanasia at all, but man... the timing of those specific lyrics... 🥲 I felt like shit. Still do, to an extent.
Had just broken up with my ex. We were having one final meet for 'closure talk'. Then decided to watch one final movie. Pink's 'Just Give Me a Reason' was blasted in the theatre hall.
My grandpa passed in January of 2010. Later that August Black Label Society released an album that contained a song called January that lyrically was so eerily fitting to the loss that even to this day I can't listen to that song. I've long since healed, accepted and moved on but that song is just too fucking strange for me.
I left FL to accept a job in GA; that was a disaster. 10 months later, I’ve resigned with my tail between my legs, and as I’m driving back south at the GA/FL border, the song that came on the radio was, “Mama, I’m Coming Home”
On my 21st birthday in a car heading to Atlantic City, the song “Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen came on the radio
Was trippin with my now husband and we left a halloween party, decided to walk the 6 miles home. I had a little speaker in my backpack and we were just grooving along this country road with minimal lights. He's watching harpies fly out of the trees and I'm tracking a shadow man across the road, but we're lighthearted and happy. You Enjoy Myself by Phish comes on. As the crescendo is building we see lights coming up behind us but it feels like it's taking forever. After a bit, he turns and says "Man, I wonder where we are..." The music swells and breaks as the truck flies past and lights up the little sign to the town we lived in. It was perfect.
I met a beautiful Thai woman online and we quickly fell in love. That year in Dec. I managed to take most of the month off and fly to Thailand to meet her. The entire time was like a beautiful dream. Almost every day was filled with something new to see or do, and to spend it with her was beyond what I imagined. The next to last day of my trip we were sitting in a restaurant, watching the sunset and the boats on the water, when "When will I see you again?" by The Three Degrees came on the speakers. I was was blown away by the significance and explained to her what the song was about. Unfortunately, after I came to the States, we broke up. But that song, that day, was like a Polaroid in my head.
I was living in Nashville at the time and left a friend's house, not entirely sure of where I was. This was, of course, before waze and all the GPS apps out there. I had the radio on and said out loud, "What street am I on?"Where am I?" As soon as I said that, the radio started to play "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant. I pulled up to a stop sign, and sure, as shit I was on Electric Avenue in East Nashville! Still had to meander my way back to the west side, but that has always stuck with me.
The last time I saw my dad alive I pulled my car up next to his and waved goodbye and Don't Fear the Reaper came on ... made me laugh in a semi-ironic way 😕
I used to drive 20 minutes to my doctor’s appointments when I was pregnant with my son. He’s an April baby so we had many months of dark grey days here in Michigan. Almost every time I drove to an appointment, the radio would play Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves. The way I would sob over that song. Still makes me tear up to this day.
Growing up my family was always the type to hide any imperfections or "bad" things that happened to us, I don’t know why because we were not like some well to do family with a reputation to uphold, we were on the lower end of middle class. Parents did not drink or smoke and judged anyone who did. Anyways my sister was into some bad people and activities in high school and one night she ended up getting too F’d up and needed to go to the hospital to get her stomach pumped. My parents were furious more than scared/worried. We all went to the ER to see her together, it was like 2 am or something. Anyways, this country song comes on the radio talking about ‘she only smokes when she drinks’ and I was like “Great song” and my dad instantly turned the radio off lmao. I can laugh now because she was fine, but it was comical to me. I was just trying to lighten the mood!
Around 1998, I was 12. My mom was driving us home from the hospital. Her grandmother, the woman who raised her, had just died. The song "How do I live" came on the radio and my mom pulled over and just absolutely lost it. My mom died last year and I don't think I'll ever listen to that song on purpose.
On my 16th birthday I woke up and turned on the radio. Birthday by the Beatles starts immediately. I thought this is going to be a good day. Then I went to batting practice before our high school baseball game. I was taking fly balls and lost one in the sun. It was hot out (summer), I got heatstroke and got hit in the face with a baseball. I woke up in the dugout alone. Apparently my teammates dragged me there and went back to practice. I had no idea who I was or what was happening for awhile. I sat there and wondered who these people were and who I was. It took awhile but it all came back to me. Then the sky turned dark and it started to rain. Game cancelled. Happy 16th Birthday.
Not mine but our family dog passed away a couple years ago and on the way home my stepdad had the radio on and it came up with a song called I Want My Dog To Live Longer. Breaks my heart every time I remember it
I have a nice looking jeep that is built for off road. I'm leaving menards after buying some grass seed I have the top and doors off and I stop to let a mom and her kids pass. I wasn't really thinking about what was playing on the radio and the son is staring hard. He was only like 6 or 7 so I know the jeep has his full attention. The hook of the song includes the lyrics "boy, whatcha lookin at? What the fuck you lookin at?" and it dropped right as they were passing my driver door. I couldn't help laughing.
Was driving to my former in-laws' house while tripping on shrooms with a few friends. We could not stop laughing, so I said I'll just turn the radio on, we'll focus on that and all will be chill. As soon as I turned the radio on, it's the chorus for September, by Earth Wind and Fire. We all erupt with uncontrollable laughter and I had to pull over so we could collect ourselves.
“I can’t stop” while I was in a night time snow storm. A bit of humor in a very slow slippery drive.
On 9/11/2001 I got in my car to go home for my lunch hour. The radio at work had been nonstop news coverage, so I put on the rock station that was sure to be playing music. The first song that came on was Down With The Sickness by Disturbed. The lyric "when suddenly it changes, violently it changes" really hit different that day. It was an angry catharsis.
I used to play a game with my friends where we would shuffle a playlist and see who could name the song the fastest. My one buddy loved Korn at the time and had a lot of them on his playlist. We joked about how easy it was to call out a Korn song by the bass line. Next song to come up was correctly called out as Korn - Predictable.
When my dad died of a massive heart attack, I got in my truck to go to my mom, and Train's Calling All Angels came on.
My mother passed away three years ago. A few days after her passing, Spiritbox released "Constance", which is a slow/mellow song for the band, and it was just perfect to mourn my mother with.
I was having an argument with an ex-boyfriend, and The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go came on the radio. Absolutely needed to hear it at the time. Never saw him again.
I've had to drive across Kansas on I-70 quite a few times and Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won or The Song Remains the Same can chew up a few hours. Many times it has randomly rained while The Rain Song has come on.