Thursday's Playlist

1. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" - The Smiths

The Smiths, being the angsty band that they are, perfectly kick start this playlist and sets the mood for the whole course. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” reflects the anxiety, desperation, abandonment, and lonely feeling that most people going through the coming of age process can relate to. They want to go out, to see people, to see light, to find love, and to die. Who doesn’t?

2. "Come On Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners 

Now, this is a real jam. The music, upbeat bass, voice that makes you want to dance with every part of your body, and violins that seem so out of place, yet the song wouldn’t be complete without it, just perfectly emulates Baby’s high to me. When she goes out, blazed and walking through the streets, this is probably the kind of beat she would walk to. It’s insane, lovable, and fills you up with an irrational amount of joy!

3. "White Blank Page" - Mumford and Sons

“Her white blank page

and a swelling rage, rage

You did not think when you sent me to the brink, to the brink

You desired my attention, but denied my affections, my affections”

Although these lyrics are about to separate people, I feel as though they perfectly reflect Patti Smith. The first two lines show her struggle as an artist while the last two demonstrate her relationship with Robert. She wants Robert to desire her, yet he mostly just wants her around when he meets other men and starts getting in touch with his sexuality.

4. "Home" - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros 

This whole song, lyrics and sound, seems to be the perfect embodiment of Patti’s and Robert’s relationship. It speaks of love, of crazy things they’ve done over the years, of trials, of unity, community, and of how they are eachother’s home. No matter where life takes them, Patti and Robert make a vow to always stay together and they are eachother comfort zone. They are home.

5. "Dancing In The Dark" - Bruce Springsteen 

“Message just keep getting clearer, radio's on and I'm moving round my place

I check my look in the mirror, wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face!”

Let me just say that this song is absolute musical genius.

What’s more, I think these two lines especially demonstrate Patti and Robert’s struggle to find themselves in New York City. Robert is said to have a peculiar style and Patti often cuts her hair to be unique and not compared to anyone. When you’re young, you want to create your own fashion.

6. "Mansion Song" - Kate Nash 

The intro to this song is something everyone must learn by heart and sing religiously with Kate’s accent. The whole opening of the track is golden and reminds me very much of the crowds and places around Patti Smith in her ascend to stardom. It’s raw, raunchy, rancid, and brutal.  Make it out alive if you can without being an “undignified product of society”.

7. "Forgive Me" - City and Colour

“See I've been known to fall in love

But sometimes love just is not enough”

These lyrics remind me of Patti Smith. In Just Kids, she falls in love with lots of men and things just somehow fall apart all the time, no matter how in love they were. She expects it and knows it and still goes for it, only to end up hurt.

8. "When The Music's Over" - The Doors

To me, this song represents a huge influence on Patti Smith, but also the way that Robert and herself ended their friendship. The music –or art- was basically over and they turned off the light symbolically and laid on the down low to take care of eachother. At some point or another, they both quit their art.

9. "Bus Stop" - The Hollies

This Hollies classic reminds me of the way Robert and Patti met: unexpectedly and they knew they were meant for eachother right away. In “Bus Stop,” a man meets a young lady at a bus stop and they end up getting married. The pair from Just Kids met very quickly and did end up spending their whole lives “together”.

10. "Asleep" - The Smiths

What’s better than starting a playlist with The Smiths? Ending it with the same iconic band.

I chose “Asleep” as my final song because, like I mentioned before, this band is really relatable and beautiful. This song came to my mind when I read the last chapter of Just Kids, with Sam’s and Robert’s tragic death to a terrible illness, there’s no way they didn’t think that there would be a “better world”. They accept their fate and demand to be helped into it.