This morning I woke up shivering. My window had been propped open the day before in an attempt to aerate my stuffy attic room, and it was now inviting in a chilly breeze along with that ambiguous scent of it having just rained (called petrichor, if you were curious). I kept my eyes shut and pulled the blankets over my head. One more cold blast of air, and 9 am physics was erased from my morning agenda. I made a huge pot of coffee and settled into the couch with my perpetually unfinished murder mystery novel. My backpack full of perpetually unfinished homework sat at my feet, looking dejected. I ignored it and turned the page.
Look, we spend our entire Cornellian lives testing the limits of what a 20-something year old is capable of cramming into one day. As we transition into October, overcast days will become our new normal as we struggle to balance the scales of stress and relaxation. If rainy weather feels like an excuse to chill out, then so be it. This is my collection of songs for turning a dreary Monday morning into a picturesque scene from a children’s book (you know — the ones with the illustrated animals wearing pajamas and eating cookies). My advice to you if, even after listening to this playlist, you still feel like a slacker for taking one morning to yourself: rewatch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. If Matthew Broderick can’t convince you to stop and look around once in a while, then nobody can.
- Pixies: “Where Is My Mind?”
A good song that poses a pertinent question. The discrepancy between where my mind is (my novel and my coffee) and where my mind should be (Newtonian physics) is obvious. However, Newton’s First Law remains undeniable; this object at rest is staying at rest (the object in question being me).
- River Whyless: “Motel 6”
Motels are inherently dreary. But while you listen to this song, imagine: you awake in a shabby motel room somewhere … let’s say, the Adirondack mountains. Your door opens directly to the outdoors. It’s foggy, it rained all night; the birds are chirping and the air is damp. The sun is just rising … and prelims don’t exist.
- The Decemberists: “On The Bus Mall”
Autumn belongs to The Decemberists. This song is like walking through the Arts Quad shrouded in your long winter coat, insides warmed by a cup of hot coffee, tongue burning because you drank your hot coffee too fast, face on fire because you splashed it with hot coffee (stop trying to drink coffee while walking!) … but you’re smiling, because the air is crisp and the leaves are a million different shades of red.
- The Velvet Underground: “Sunday Morning”
Here’s a secret the Board of Trustees doesn’t want you to know: any rainy Monday morning can be transformed into a cozy Sunday morning if you don’t go to class. The Velvet Underground obviously knows this secret. The chiming motif in the verses of this song adds a cheekiness and is reminiscent of raindrops pinging on a glass window.
- Ann Peebles: “I Can’t Stand The Rain”
Raindrop-like instrumentals once again underlay the lyrics of this R&B classic to create the perfect juxtaposition of cheery and heartbreaking. Maybe you have a rough relationship with rain because it reminds you of a time you’d rather forget. Maybe allowing yourself to have those feelings is a valid part of the healing process. Maybe going to class isn’t.
- The Rolling Stones: “Wild Horses”
This song is the epitome of wistfulness. Underneath the twanging electric guitar, the acoustic strumming and the steady drum beat lay a foundation akin to the rolling hills underneath the hooves of a wild stallion. Oh, to be a carefree cowboy, unhindered by friction force!
- Neko Case: “Magpie To The Morning”
If you aren’t a Neko Case fan already, now is the perfect time to become one because she is coming to the State Theater on October 4th!
- Peach Pit: “Tommy’s Party”
Having the blues the morning after a party; the anticipation of the night now replaced with an aching feeling because the situation didn’t play out exactly as you had it in your head … and to top it all off, it’s rainy outside? Sometimes it’s okay to let yourself wallow.
- Mazzy Star: “Fade Into You”
It’s not a rainy day playlist without this sad girl staple. Gray skies amplify my feelings by a factor of ten, and this song is about how scary it is to allow a feeling (even a happy feeling) to completely consume you. Let yourself feel for the duration of this song, and your mind will be reset and ready to tackle practicality again.
Maya Blanchard is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].
‘Solar Flare’ is a weekly playlist column where Sun contributors spotlight a slice of musical taste with the campus community. It runs every Monday.