A few weeks ago, I picked up a cheap bouquet of flowering forsythia branches on a Trader Joe’s run. (I admit, I only became a convert of buying flowers semi-recently.) But for, I don’t know, $7.99, the branches felt like a nice way to usher in spring in my apartment.
A handful of the trumpet-like yellow flowers were already in bloom when I first put them in a vase, but as the days went on, more flowers sprang up almost by the hour. This went on for weeks; I hadn’t expected the blooming to continue for so long, but even with minimal maintenance, I would find new growth daily. For all the flack that “late bloomers” get, I chuckled at the idea that those late bloomers were actually the last to get discarded.
Watching over these branches that felt representative of spring, I was reminded again of the passage of time—namely, of the pace that dictates our lives versus the natural pace at which things bloom. This is something I want to explore more in depth, but I’ve been thinking a lot about how we have all of these self-made markers of time that color our interpretation of how fast things should take shape, followed by an inevitable impatience to it all. When some of those markers are removed, there’s something really freeing about accepting something’s natural course—however fast or slow—and the idea that there actually is a lot of time, or at least, enough of it.
01. 🎵 Once Around the Block by Badly Drawn Boy
I was reminded of this song’s existence when I watched the Netflix series One Day, and it’s such a good one. There’s something about it that’s both jarring and calming. I love the main melody, but combined with the instrumentals in the background, something weird feels like it’s happening just under the surface, like we’re almost not doing it right.
My favorite lyrics come in at the very end: “Tryin' to outrun your fear / You're running to lose / Heart on your sleeve / And your soul in your shoes / Take a left, sharp left / And another left / Meet me on the corner, we'll start again.” I love the idea that even if it’s not the winning route, there’s a long way around that brings someone back to where they need to be.
02. 🎵 Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
This is such a classic that almost everyone has heard at some point in their lives, but I recently heard it again in the film Perfect Days, and it gave new life and context to so many of these classic songs for me. The movie was this really interesting case study of a life lived with an unwavering (maybe stubborn) dedication to simplicity and reveling in small daily joys. While I’ve heard this song a million times before, when it came on in the movie, I found myself thinking, “Whoa, this song really is so beautiful and joyful.” and it left a completely different impression on me.
03. 🎵 San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) by Emile Mosseri, Joe Talbot, Daniel Herskedal feat. Mike Marshall
I’m going to keep following this unintentional thread of beautiful songs from soundtracks. This one’s from the film The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which I haven’t seen since it came out in 2019, but this rendition gets me every time. It’s such a different and vocal-driven take on the original—and if the original serves as a welcome song, this one feels like a parting one. I know this city is full of complications, and while I find living here difficult at times, there’s always something so beautiful and captivating about it that makes me not want to leave. (Also, I just really identify with “gentle people.”)
04. 🎵 Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles
To me, this is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. But it’s subtle; it feels like it could pass by unnoticed. When it begins, it’s just like any other piano ballad, maybe even easy to zone out to. But then in the last quarter, the emotion hits this huge, huge swell at 3:50 and I find myself always pausing there when she sings painfully with a break in her voice, “And still I’m / Searching.” It finally ends in a beautiful harmony of “I’ll breathe again” repeated over and over that serves as both aspiration and affirmation.
05. 🎵 Daisy Chain by Pixey and Tayo Sound
First of all, oh hello!, Steal My Sunshine sample. It works so perfectly in this song, adding to the sunny, upbeat melody that reminds me of wildflowers popping up all over the side of the road and out through the concrete. I think my tendency is to over-favor sad indie bedroom pop, but I’m still such a sucker for this kind of song, unapologetic in its bubblegum positivity. It’s a welcomed thawing-out of my winter heart.