Lost Childhood
Playlist and Article by: Ben Ramakrishnan
“Oh simple thing / Where have you gone? / I’m getting old and I need something to rely on” -Keane, “Somewhere Only We Know”
Introduction
I believe that there are two very distinct types of teenagers. One category is those who absolutely cannot wait to grow up, move out, become independent, and start a life of their own. Perhaps it is attributed to a desire for freedom. Or perhaps a response to a traumatic childhood. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the teens who never want their childhood to end. Perhaps out of a love for their childhood and a desire to not lose their innocence and happiness. Or perhaps because they have grown up too fast and, in a way, had their childhood robbed from their grasp. My playlist pertains to the latter of these two categories.
My Playlist: Part 1
My playlist can be divided into two parts. The first five songs and the last five songs. The first five contain “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift, “Ribs” by Lorde, “The Best Day” by Taylor Swift, Somewhere Only We Know”, and “It’s Nice to Have a Friend”. These songs are all incredibly emotional and can strike some bittersweet chords, it’s seemingly the lighter part of the playlist. The first few songs reminisce on happy childhood memories in a sort of rush of a fever dream. Though the idea of growing up is scary and unwanted, there is a sort of consolation in knowing that the beautiful childhood memories did, at some point, happen. That in itself is therapeutic.
My Playlist: Part 2
The second portion of my playlist becomes increasingly more somber. “hope ur ok” by Olivia Rodrigo, “seven” by Taylor Swift, and “Matilda” by Harry Styles all revolve around a common theme of remembering a childhood friend who was going through difficult relationships with family and a rocky home life. Since the singers were young children as well, the songs also touch upon how they were not sure what to do at the time but now wonder from time to time how those kids ended up and pray that their lives are better than they were back then.
“Older” by Alec Benjamin is truly an anxious spiral of what most teenagers feel when the feeling finally hits them that they have to grow up, move out of their childhood home, and leave the family they have lived with for years. Of course, every person’s situation is different and many people have stories that do not line up with this narrative, but it is a common one that quite a few teenagers experience. Even those who spent their entire childhood wanting to be grown up
oftentimes have a downward spiral or existential crisis of some sort when it sinks in that their childhood is truly gone.
Lastly, “Funeral” by Phoebe Bridgers is the more literal interpretation of lost childhood. This is arguably the most melancholic track on the playlist. Bridgers describes how she will be singing at a dead child’s funeral and how that is heavily negatively affecting her mental wellbeing, especially since the child was really only a year older than her at the time. “And I woke up in my childhood bed / Wishin' I was someone else, feelin' sorry for myself / When I remembered someone's kid is dead.”
Conclusion
My playlist encompasses every interpretation and stage of what lost childhood can look like. I hope that it can evoke many emotions at once with every unique song. From the nostalgic reminiscing on childhood memories to pondering how old friends from the past are doing now to existentially spiraling out of control to remembering the loss of loved ones, I want the experience and order of the songs on this playlist to allow listeners to reach a sort of catharsis at the end. I hope that some part of the playlist can resonate with teenagers currently experiencing these sorts of events and awaken buried emotions in doing so.
Listen here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/19acfBLj6XBtVzL9SIomdY?si=SaBYJi6GRPWPIi7aGPHACQ&pi=u-gu8ZUyN6S2SH
