Soundtrack to my Summer: Some Nights

“Funny how a melody sounds like a memory,” sings Eric Church in his top single Springsteen. Music resounds with us for so many reasons and hits us on so many levels, but its ability to connect us to the precious moments of the past always has us coming back for more.

The summer before my senior year was full of memories I never want to forget. Fortunately, most of those moments were accompanied by a song. The next series of posts will dive into four songs that have played on repeat the last several months of my life.

 

Some Nights by the New York-native band Fun. takes the first spot on my list. Fun.’s music sounds exactly like its name: fun. And as soon as the first words ring of this song, my heart is transported back to those fun summer nights with my girlfriends. 

All dolled up and ready to take on the night, we would crank this song up higher than our ears could handle and sing at the top of our lungs. Dancing more crazy than cute, my friends and I would purposely sing our worst as Fun. switched from coherent words to random screeches and moans.

“OoooOOOOoooh WhoooOOOOoooAAAa oooOOOOoooh whoOOAA.”

The upbeat tempo along with a unique combination of instruments and electronic sounds makes this song a dance-worthy choice for a girls’ night out. Dynamic and powerful, the music speaks to you all on its own. In Idobi’s review of the album, Marina Oliver stated “the forceful crescendos give way to wistful breakdowns” and “the melody captivates with volume and tempo changes, and serves to make ‘Some Nights’ one of the most moving tracks on the album.”

But in stark contrast to the joyful melody, the lyrics impart a gloomy tale. Lead singer Nate Reuss bears it all, forming a window into the dark shadows of his soul. A story of war, Some Nights portrays the uncertainty and struggles a soldier faces in the midst of battle. Thousands of miles from home, he questions his choices, his family and friends, and eventually who he is.

Needless to say, it’s not exactly a dancing jam for a group of college girls.

But it’s our jam. And every time it comes on the radio, you can bet we will drop whatever we are doing to sing our hearts out to this soulful tune.

Because…

Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck.

Some nights I call it a draw.

Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle.

Some nights I wish they’d just fall off.

What about you? What is your go-to dance track? Which song makes you want to sing like you don’t care who’s listening?