I think I’ve said before that I tend to listen to music that reflects my mood, but lately I’ve been in a really weird mood that I feel is only embodied in the song “Tomorrow” by Avril Lavigne (thereby making it #PhillipsSongOfTheDay, Lavigne’s first).
I used to be the kind of person that had to know literally what a song would mean; my dad and I would often go on car rides, listen to music, and analyze what a song was precisely saying (my dad is freakishly good at doing this). Recently, though, I’ve decided that I can’t digest exactly what a song is supposed to say, but I know what the song means to me. For example, I’m kind of obsessed with Lorde’s music right now; I loved the song “Team” from the first time I heard it, but I remember telling my dad on one of our car rides “I love this song, but I have no idea what it means.” I then thought about why I loved the song – I felt it displays a strong sense of camaraderie and sense of belonging to people who are different and stand out (people like me). I don’t know if that’s what Lorde intended, but that’s what I got from it (and that’s all that matters to me at this point).
Anyway, I digress whenever I talk about Lorde. For me, “Tomorrow” tells the story of the feeling just before getting over someone/something and moving on; you’re in the process of accepting your situation:
“I don’t know how I’ll feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don’t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day”
Clearly here Lavigne is espousing that she doesn’t know how she’ll get over this person or feeling, but she knows things will change in the future (as the future is a “different day”). It’s kind of an unusual song in that it’s not about breaking up with someone and it’s not about having moved on about some; it’s like you’ve been wounded, but the scab just formed and you’re not healed just yet. It’s a transitional song.
I’ve just been getting lost in this song because of it’s beauty and the fact I honestly relate to it. What stands out to me is when she says she wants to “believe” in this person, but feels that she can’t; there’s a breach in her trust of this person:
“And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it’ll be ok,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
But I don’t”
I don’t really know why I’ve been feeling exactly like this, but I think I’m in a transitional moment in my life where I want to believe in everyone and everything, and trust that everyone is my friend, but I’ve had a lot of friendships/relationships that did not pan out. This is not a “oh, poor Phillip moment,” this is me stating how music really brings out different emotions in me and makes me reflect on my life; that’s the magic of music. For example, if you asked me before listening to “Tomorrow” if I was happy with my life, I would probably have said yes. It’s not exactly perfect at the moment, but it could honestly be a whole lot worse. But upon listening to “Tomorrow,” I’ve realized that there is a big thing missing from my life, which is why I know I’m not at the top of mountain of life…if that makes sense at all…
Furthermore, I find “Tomorrow” to be such a beautifully composed and performed song. In particular, I think the acoustic guitar is so warm and, want for a better word, fulfilling. It just adds the right tone, a sort of rawness. Also, I think the “hey yeah yeah”‘s during the bridge are just perfect.
Another reason why I’m in awe of this song is the fact that it was never a single, but it’s as though it was. I kind of feel like Avril Lavigne’s album Let Go is my generation’s album. I just remember growing up and everyone having a copy of that album and singing along to it. Whenever you mention this song or play it, people tend to know it. It’s odd, usually that only happens with singles. Like you know all Beyoncé’s or Rihanna’s hits (songs that were singles), but can you name a song of theirs that wasn’t a single but still a well known song? I can’t. It just goes to show how much success Lavigne had with Let Go, and it marks her as a great musician (at that time).
So, yeah, “Tomorrow” by Avril Lavigne is #PhillipsSongOfTheDay, and here’s to hoping tomorrow things may change!
