Spotified

Do you have that ONE song on your playlist that ALWAYS makes you happy no matter what kind of mood you are in? 

I do. 

Or I DID. 

And now DO again. 

I’ll explain in a bit. 

But first I want to tell you how I feel about Spotify. I believe it is the best thing that has ever happened to humankind. 

I mean obviously it’s devil magic that allows you to listen to any song you want to as many times as you want to for under $20 a month for a whole family. But I don’t care. I remember just a few years ago (like 15) when the Siwinskis were potentially going to federal prison because  one of the kids may or may not have  “illegally” downloaded  music to all of our iPods and I was mostly fine with that so long as I could bring my iPod to JAIL. So what’s a small soul for having the entire musical WORLD at your beck and call? 

Just this morning I woke up randomly singing this song called “Yellow Bird”. It was my mother’s record and I played it over and over again on my portable record player when I was about 10. It turns out that there are MANY versions of this song but the one I listened to was by The Brothers Four. The album was produced in 1959 (according to Spotify) eight years before I was born. Being able to pull that out of the universe this morning was CRAZY. It’s been FORTY FIVE YEARS since I sang that song. It took me right back to my childhood bedroom where anything was possible in my ten year old brain. Little did I know then that I would be able to listen to the song on command through my CAR speakers and NOT get in trouble for running the needle across the record and making all the other songs permanently skip. Anything IS possible Little Heather! 

My playlist is pretty eclectic: from TechN9ne to Carrie Underwood; from Puddle of Mudd to Ingrid Michaelson; from AC/DC to Post Malone; from Michael Jackson to Kid Rock; from Jack Harlow to Disturbed; from Cody Jinks to Nelly; from Elton John to Jay-Z; from Mozart to the Bee Gees. From the Zac Brown Band to Sara Bareilles. I could go on and on and on…because I, like a bazillion other people in the world, LOVE music so much.

As I type this I’m playing that “would you rather” game in my mind: “if you had to choose: deaf or blind?” I know if I were deaf I might die from sorrow over lack of music. But I also need to see for my livelihood. Mostly. There may or may not be successful blind carpet sales people out there. But I choose neither. Which I guess is cheating in an either or choice.Take my legs! But not my eyes or my ears. (I’m not sure who I’m arguing with here but I do this ALL the time in my head.)

Anyhow, as I said, generally I have been able to always find the perfect song for whatever mood I’m in, especially since Spotify came into my life. It’s the one absolute GOOD about technology. If I had to choose only ONE of all the technology tools on my phone it  would be Spotify. I’d give up Facebook without hesitation, but then you (whoever you are) can’t take my legs.  

But there is ONE SONG that hands down never fails to make me happy, calm and SING out loud: 

“The Southern Cross” by Crosby Stills and Nash. 

I can remember going to a Crosby Stills Nash and Young concert with my mother years and years ago and they sang that song acapella and you could literally hear a pin drop. It was EPIC. So beautiful. 

I’m not going to go into the interpretation of the song except to say that I think it is a healing song. 

But then this last March something happened. I went to play my soothing Southern Cross Song when I got THIS MESSAGE:

What in the holy hell madness is next when I can not listen to my favorite song on Spotify? 

Has there not been enough to deal with these last 2 years? You gotta take away MY SONG???? Clearly it was the final straw. The hammer of death to all that was good and just. 

Upon research (and after making sure I’d paid the Spotify Bill) I discovered that Neil Young (who DIDN’T ACTUALLY EVEN WRITE THE SONG or SING IT it was just on the album with his name on it) had a big beef with Joe Rogan and decided to pull all of his songs off Spotify because Spotify would not pull Joe Rogan’s podcasts off. 

Fucking Hippy Old Grinch who basically stole Christmas. 

Why should I have to suffer for someone else’s BEEF with someone ELSE? 

Pause here. 

Yes. I understand wars and recessions and dictator type stuff and ancient US Congress People who need us to pay for their stuff. 

But THIS is different. 

Neil Young harmed MY well being because he didn’t like what Joe Rogan said. And to add insult to injury, the beef that N.Y. had with Joe was something I personally never want to talk about again for the rest of my LIFE. 

So the song became my LEAST favorite song. I may have sold my soul to Spotify but I have principles!  Though it’s mostly because I couldn’t listen to it: one Devil Magic Streaming App is enough for this gal and free YouTube has too many ads:)

But apparently the fun money must have dried up for old Neil and his pals Stephen, David and Graham because by July the song suddenly reappeared on my list and my life is back to practically perfect now. 

Also, you’re welcome Neil, for the fun money. Every time I listen to my now favorite song again, you and your buddies get to split about $.003! Also, I’m sorry I called you a Fucking Hippy Old Grinch. She is all you have left and music is her name. I guess she’s yours to get paid for. Or not. 

That’s my .003 cents.