In compiling my own Golden record 2022 list, I did not try to match the selected songs with any physical locations or time eras. My main goal was to divide these songs according to their emotional meaning with the result of conveying meanings and images that fully describe human perception. Thus, having divided the list of songs into the two categories mentioned above, each will be analyzed, with the corresponding songs indicated.
In the first category, there are songs with particularly negative connotations. The first song is Deal with a devil by 8 tripping horses (8th), presenting such feelings as loneliness and crimes that one is ready to commit to find love. The combination of the two factors mentioned above creates a feeling of complete despair, which is characteristic of people in difficult periods of life.
The second recording is My Medicine by The Pretty Reckless. The main feeling here is loss, the impossibility of resisting a destructive way of life, representing the decline of human culture. This meaning conveys to the listener the understanding while being straightforward in terms of performance that in addition to progress and exaltation, there is also a decline, a return to past mistakes.
Home, written and performed by Daughter, is an unusual account of how one can become homesick. Longing and mild melancholy are powerfully subtle feelings, reflected in this song with high care and gradual dynamics accompanied by complement semantic construct, creating an auditory mise-en-scene. Thus, a sense of detachment and inner grief constitute another element of human perception.
The final song in this part of the playlist is Animal by Norwegia’s famous singer Aurora. Being an eco-activist and animal rights advocate, she demonstrates the cruelty of human nature concerning the surrounding nature in her solo project. The abovementioned four compositions demonstrate negative emotions and convey their semantic symbolism, allowing one to understand that human nature is multifaceted in its manifestations.
The second part of the list represents positive emotions reflecting the bright side of man. The first composition is Henrietta by The Fratellis. The unusual appearance, accompanied by a bright and colorful arrangement, tells the story of how important it is to be able to enjoy and accept the world around. As a result, this bright song can convey the primary source of positive feelings in human perception.
In the following song, there are no lyrics, but its melody fully conveys the meaning behind it. Tank! by Seatbelts is the opening theme of one of the main cultural phenomena of the last century in the animation genre, the Cowboy Bebop series. The composition is fully saturated with the excitement and desire to follow the path of adventure, which is typical for an individual. Thus, the cultural and emotional values allowed the song to be on this list.
The third and fourth songs in the second part of this compilation present a sense of nostalgia. The Last Goodbye, by actor Billy Boyd, is the end credit theme for The Hobbit film trilogy and represents the riddance with its story (WaterTowerMusic, 2014). At the same time, Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas has the same emotional message, additionally showing the desire for peace and unity of all humanity. These compositions convey a sense of nostalgia and consequently allow one to turn to positive life connotations during complicated psychological episodes.
In conclusion, the analysis of each song on the list created demonstrates some human emotion or other. By perceiving human culture as a multifactorial construct with different manifestations, it is possible to fully grasp the individual’s essence. Using a similar principle for any form of creativity makes it possible to create a full-fledged cultural heritage that allows one to consider and analyze human nature in all its manifestations.
Reference
WaterTowerMusic. (2014).
The Hobbit: The battle of the five armies – The last goodbye – Billy Boyd (official music video) [Video]. YouTube.