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Emotional Landscapes: Lessons from Songwriters in Life, Love, and Happiness 

This playlist is a sample of my own time-tested American Musical Soundscape. Although it may not be heard by the majority of peoples, like Whitman I hear the America I want to hear, the one that gives me purpose and gumption to do what is right, and one that happens to line up with some of the ideals of the trascendentalist movementof the early 1800's. This soundscape is a place for meditation, examination, and relaxation. It sums up both personal small town values, and values of a larger movement that has given much to those willing to listen; the values that transcend money, buisiness, competition, and 'success' in the modern competitive American Soundscape. 

I invite you to join me on a journey through the years when the lyrics to songs were meant to be pondered, and where one could gain life perspective while listening to musical masterpieces. 

Peace of Mind makes the list due to its lyrical and musical depth. Pretty much every verse of this song screams transcendentalism, and has brought great focus to my life personally. Notable messages within include outspoken denouncing of corporate values, and urges us to refocus our motivation onto things that will give us a real feeling of peace, or peace of mind. 

Peace of Mind- Boston

Simple Man- Lynyrd Skynyrd

Simple Man weaves real southern values such as family, faith, and friends to the center of a musical masterpiece. Lynyrd Skynyrd for me has always been a reliable grounding site for the things that make one truely happy in life. This song exemplifies the 70's art rock movement with a southern touch resulting in an honest, down home place for meditation and re-examination of life, love, and happiness. 

Heart of Gold-Neil Young

The title speaks for itself. This song serves as an anthem for many who are looking for purpose in life. The Transcendental movements across the years have had one major focus; to preserve individual purity. If this song does not serve that purpose then I am not sure what does. 

Eddie Vedder- Society

This one is pretty obvious. From the soundtrack of Into the WIld Pearl Jam's old singer Eddie Vedder provides an introspective and lyrically dense look at his own personal thoughs and soundscape. He hears America singing in a way that has driven the crafting of this passive condemning of modern society and distincly aligns himself with the transcendentalist movement. 

Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven

This song has always been a place for exploration of the real lyrical meanings. Author Robert Plant has said, "the lyrics take some pretty wild turns, but the beginning of the song is about a woman who accumulates money, only to find out the hard way her life had no meaning and will not get her into heaven." Once again, the thread of deeper meaning emerges.

This tune offers a lyrically deep place for contemplation of things unknown. For there is not an obvious sound of silence, yet how does one find it? Contemplation is very important to the revelation  of inner values that we all share. 

Simon and Garfunkel- The Sound of Silence 

This song may seem to be about nothing, but if we look a little deeper we can find messages about coping with modern life. "I might have drown, but I held my breath and I kicked my feet and I moved my arms around." To me this song adresses the inner survival instinct we all have, and it's that instinct that may ultimately define our own individualities; an idividuality that transcendentalists attempt to preserve. 

Loudon Wainwright III- The Swimming Song

Greg Brown- Spring Wind

Greg Brown is a singer songwriter out of a small farming town in Iowa. His lyrics often reflect his small town values and share similar threads with artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

“Life is a gift. I went through a lot of bitterness- a lot of anger. But those things are toxic. Gratitude for what remains is more helpful than resentment for what was lost. Ultimately, I came to understand that these days are wicked short and terribly beautiful. All I’ve got—no matter what I hold in my hands, drive around in, or put in the bank,- all I’ve got is this one breath, and if I’m lucky, I get another.” - Sam Baker

Fleetwood Mac- Landslide

Jim Croce- I Got a Name 

Though he may not have known it, Jim Croce aligns with the transcendentalists because he here sings of individualism. One of the most important points of this song and deeper thought of transcendentalists is not to get lost in the whirlwind of big buisnesses and government. We all have names, and individuality. That means something.

Off of the 180 degreees south soundtrack, this song speaks to being aware in the current moment. Why must we always focus on the endpoint, or the destination? This song (and documentary, you should check it out) remind us that there is much joy in the journies of our lives, the processes, not always the destinations. 

Ugly Cassonova- Here's to Now

Kansas-Dust in the Wind 

Rejection of "pre-destination" is one of the central ideas of transcendentalism. Kansas is rumored to have studied Native American poetry while writing this song. Since transcendentalists argue that true awareness can only be achieved through an understanding and one-ness with nature, it makes sense that Native peoples share some of the same beliefs as the them because they were most recently immersed in nature (evolutionarily speaking).  

America- Sister Golden Hair

This song is on here because of the feeling it conveys. It may be different for you, but to me this song relays feelings of passive acceptance. It reminds me of an old Native American saying: "Be as the willow, not as the mighty oak. For in times of great storms, the soft willow will bend and the hard oak will break".

One main idea of the essay that laid the groundwork for the transcendentalism movement - "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emmerson, identifies an abstract, yet fundamental problem encountered by humans. According to Emmerson, humans do not fully accept nature’s beauty and all that it has to offer. This song is about experiencing and exploring the Nation in an intimate way, on a motorcycle. 

Bob Seger- Roll Me Away

Unless you are already familiar with this song or have listened to it more than a few times, you may not know that it is actually a social protest song. Here Neil Young highlights his views on the many tragedies of modern life; offering council from the perspective of a Canadian Folk artist. 

Neil Young- Keep on Rocking in the Free World

Van Morrison is a fantastic songwriter. Here, he captures the ideas of escapism and true cultural realism. It is in human nature to search out the mystic things in life, and in them that we can expand our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. 

Van Morrison- Into the Mystic

John Mayer- Who Says

This song is an outspoken anthem against the wants and needs of organizations on an individual. This song is a musical and lyrical examination of true happiness, and maps the ideals of the transcendental movement onto modern society. After all, if we are not in control of our own lives, who is?

John Denver's songwriting talents are amazing, the depth he achieves with simple lyrics and music is akin to someone like James Taylor. This song in particular brings listeners back to a very special place that we can all appreciate, immersion in the wilderness. As the great Ralph Waldo Emmerson put forth, only through a true understanding, a 'non-traditional' understanding of nature may we understand our own true needs and desires. 

John Denver- Rocky Mountain High

Bon Jovi- Hallelujah

Lyrical depth again is a uniting factor in all these songs. Although the song above was originally written by Leonard Cohen, I think that Bon Jovi does an awesome job with it. Most of these songs have lyrics that I can relate to my own transcendental thought processes and small town values, this one is no different. 

This song is on here for two reasons. First, I think that this musical arangement is beautiful and belongs on any playlist. My second reason however goes a little deeper. The works of The Lord of the Rings deal with the inner struggle between good and evil that we all face in our day to day lives. If we make the right decisions possibly we can have happy endings such that the movies/books do. This music calls one to examine the inner workings, such is essential to transcendentalism. 

The Piano Guys- Lord of the Rings cover

This song is all about hidden meaning, and is actually very interesting. https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~jdevor/links/TheMeaningOfAmericanPie.htm

Again, hidden meaning is central to my argument. 

American Pie- Don Mclean 

This song is about how we can have many different feelings going on at once, which one defines us? The lyrics are about lead man John Fogerty's brother Tom leaving the band at the hight of their success. 

CCR- Have you ever seen the rain?

This song is about the detached feeling most people go through life with. It is a commentary on how people cope with the world by withdrawing physically, mentally, or emotionally. In the commentary of The Wall, Roger Waters states that the inspiration was Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett and his ordeal with schizophrenia- songfacts.com  

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1558

Pink Floyd- Wish you were here 

This song is essential to anyone looking for some intrapersonal meditative space. The lyrics literally transcend everyday life and place the important aspects in perspective. James Taylor wrote this song in the UK during a time when he was working through depression. His struggles resulted in a beautiful take on life, and one that finds a great home on this playlist. 

James Taylor- Fire and Rain

If I had to pick one song that I craft my life after it would be Free Bird. For some reason when I was young this song just spoke to me; and now that I have studied naturalists, human evolution and behavior, and the transcendental movement, it all kind of fits together. Whatever it is that makes people want to move on is the same that makes them want to explore. By exploration of physical spaces we are able to further our own awareness, and that is truely what the transcendental movement is all about. Only through an understanding of nature and its space can we understand our own inner space, and I think that Free Bird exemplifies that perfectly. 

Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird

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