I always have a lot of words in my head. Sometimes they’re my own. When I decide that I’m going to write a blog post, especially something that tackles a broader, I’ll think about constructing the words days before in my head. Usually I’ll mentally picture an opening or closing line or phrase, and then muddle through the rest of the words in intangible flash phrases. These words are still unruly and wild when they gallop around my mind, but eventually the settle and I’ll write them down.

That being said, this is not one of those posts. Don’t get your hopes up people.

Oftentimes my mental corrals are quite empty and the words spinning through my head are the words of others. When I was in college, I used to fill the time in classes by writing in my notebooks. Not my words mind you, but monotonously writing down from memory poetry, quotes and most often – song lyrics. See when I came across something written or song that spoke to me, I wanted to commit it to memory as best as possible. Writing down the words that I loved carved them into my head. I would fill pages of college ruled notebooks with lyrics and poetry, my careful script written with two lines per one row on the page.

My professors thought I was an excellent student. I guess I was, but not always to their teachings.

I don’t have an excuse to sit down and write lyrics in notebooks anymore, but I’m still just as obsessed with lyrics as ever. If I didn’t think everyone would immediately unfollow me on Facebook, I’d probably post lyrics and quotes multiple times a day. On the blog, I’ve (poorly) written about it here, explaining how I was building my life soundtrack. I’ve even touched about my quest to find the saddest song in the world, which is “God Damn The Sun” by the Swans. Don’t believe me? Look up the lyrics. I promise I’m right.

Whether you’re looking for the saddest song or something to lift your spirits, few things in life pack a bigger punch than a well crafted song lyric. On nights like tonight when my brain is a mush of all the things I should be doing (taxes, packing to move, critical reading) while stuck in the melancholy of my situation, I need words to push me along. When I don’t have words of my own, I look to songs.

These are some of my favorites. Share some of your own in the comments if you will. You can never have too many words. Alternatively, you can try and guess the songs these lyrics come from without googling. If you get all seven on your own honestly, consider me hugely impressed.

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