September 15, 2025
For me, two immediately come to mind: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and “Come On Eileen.” Neither of these are easy songs. One is practically a Broadway musical with baseball commentary built in, and the other makes you shout lyrics you don’t entirely understand while bouncing around like you’re at the world’s happiest pub. But that’s the point. They’re irresistible.
I think everyone has that song. You know the one, it comes on the radio and suddenly you’re no longer a responsible adult behind the wheel of a minivan. You’re front row at Madison Square Garden, microphone in hand, belting it out to tens of thousands of screaming fans.
It’s funny how songs sneak past our filters. Normally, I’m cautious about how loud I am in public. But when the first few notes of a favorite sing-along song hit, it’s game over. I’m singing. Loudly. Sometimes badly. Always enthusiastically.
And it’s not just nostalgia, though that’s part of it. Music taps into something deeper—something that bypasses logic and restraint. Singing along is pure, uncalculated joy. It doesn’t matter if you can’t carry a tune. The act itself is the point.
When I think about it, those sing-along songs are little reminders of freedom. They’re our own personal soundtrack moments, where we stop caring about being polished or perfect and just let loose. Maybe Nietzsche’s quote about dancing to unheard music isn’t so different from this. Some people just don’t hear the song you’re singing, but that doesn’t make you crazy. It makes you alive.
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So… what’s a song you can’t help but sing-a-long with?
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