A Change is Gonna Come…

I know many of us are feeling some sort of hopeless in light of last night’s election results.

I’m left with a series of questions. Are people’s memories truly this short? Is racism and sexism far more widespread than we previously assumed? Ultimately, I suppose I’m wondering, “what now?” As we start to find answers to these questions, I want everyone to take care of themselves and others today and into the coming years. People of color, those who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, women, the elderly – all of them may find themselves at risk in varying capacities in the coming years. If you’re feeling angry, dejected, depressed, confused, hopeless, or anything in between, let me share some of the following songs with you.

“Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes

Robin Pecknold and company released the title track of their legendary album Helplessness Blues in 2011. And yet, every few years, it feels especially relevant once more. It’s the multitool of songs in terms of connecting to the existential dread you might feel at any given time. It’s wonderfully produced and performed, and today it brings me a bit of comfort.

“What’s my name, what’s my station?

Oh just tell me what I should do

I don’t need to be kind to the armies of night,

That would do such injustice to you”

“I Don’t Want To See Tomorrow” – Nat King Cole

This underappreciated Nat King Cole track was featured as part of Amazon’s recent Fallout series. There’s a sense of carelessness about this song. The team behind the Fallout series has always had a knack for picking great music for exploring the dusty, post-apocalyptic wasteland to. This one is no exception. Nat King Cole’s crooning is backed by gentle strings and a beautiful, harmonic chorus of voices. This one is just pretty, and minus the connection to the end of the world, it might help take your mind of things.

“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan

There’s gonna be a lot of Bob Dylan in my rotation for a little while. I wonder what it must be like to live through this as Bob Dylan, an iconic voice of protest for decades. To be born amid World War II, to live through the Vietnam era, and the Cold War era, and the never-ending conflict of the world, only to reach 83 years of age and see the mistakes of history repeated time and time again. The man has dozens of protest songs under his belt. But on “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, Dylan just feels like an observer of the various issues of the world. Too many to focus on any singular one.

“(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” – Otis Redding

Otis Redding’s biggest hit was realized only after he died in a plane crash. He never would live to see the song’s success. In truth, he didn’t even consider the song complete. The whistling section in the latter half of the song was a placeholder. Redding’s hit is a sweet song, but it feels somehow numb – as I’m sure you feel in this moment.

“TEMPTATION” – Joey Bada$$

Joey Bada$$ samples a young girl’s testimony to the city council of Charlotte, North Carolina. That girl is growing up in a world where more than 50% of the population doesn’t think her safety, her well-being, her rights matter. Though JB’s song isn’t depressing in tone, it’s hard not to feel the weight especially heavily today.

Here’s the full list of 40 songs for your emotional turmoil today. Take care of yourselves.

The Playlist: