As finals come and go and the days get longer and warmer, graduation is also fast approaching. In just two short weeks, the class of 2025 will finally process down the Lawn, balloons in hand and bittersweet smiles on their faces. Students will certainly be emotional during this time, and many will be searching for songs to weep to before concluding a beautiful four years at the University. As a fourth year myself, I can confirm that I have already shed quite a few tears thinking about the impending end of my time at this place I’ve been so lucky to call home these past few years. For this reason, I’ve compiled a perfect soundtrack for us to continue to shed these final tears to.
“This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” by The Talking Heads
Starting this list off with a true classic, “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” is the final track off of the Talking Heads’ fifth studio album. The tune is loved by people from all generations, with its sentimental message and groovy melody making it easy for people to fall in love with.
On the surface, this song does not seem too sad or melancholy. In fact, David Byrne — the band’s lead singer and the songwriter for this tune — referred to it as a love song in an interview back in 2012. It has an upbeat tempo, a danceable instrumental line and wonderfully endearing lyrics. Specifically the line, “I can’t tell one from the other/Did I find you, or you find me?/There was a time before we were born/If someone asks, this is where I’ll be, where I’ll be,” is sure to tug at heartstrings as people prepare to leave this place where they have found their closest friends and deepest passions.
If the listener is reflecting on a place they love but are about to leave, the song becomes even more emotional, especially when Byrne sings about his love for his “home.” When I listen to this song, I think about leaving my house on 14th Street that I have lived in for the past two years. Some of my favorite moments at the University have taken place at this house, and I have been so lucky to live with some of my favorite people here. This really is “the place” to me.
“Sunrise” by Norah Jones
A single off of Norah Jones’ second album “Feels Like Home,” this song is specifically perfect for the morning of graduation. As everyone wakes up to put on their caps, gowns, cords and stoles, many will watch the sun rise up over Grounds, marking the start of an undoubtedly important and emotional day.
“Sunrise” is a dreamy ballad that is sure to spark nostalgic emotion in the listener. In this song, Jones’ soulful tone takes the lead as she sings about holding onto time with someone she loves. The guitar-forward instrumental almost feels like the sun peeking through the trees and warming your skin as a new day starts — a day that, in this case, will be equal parts heartbreaking and sunny.
In the second verse, Jones sings “Surprise, surprise, never something I could hide/ When I see we made it through another day.” In this line, she is referring to her shock that everything has turned out the way it has and the joy that fills her heart when she takes a moment to appreciate all that life has brought her. The song encourages graduating students to take a moment to tearfully appreciate their time spent at the University right before it comes to a close.
“Charlottesville” by Nathan Colberg
There is hardly a more fitting song to conclude this list with than one called “Charlottesville.” Written and performed by Nathan Colberg, Class of 2017 alumnus and former Hullabahoo, “Charlottesville” is a beautiful song that paints an idyllic picture of the city.
An ode to the wonderful city that houses the University, “Charlottesville” starts off simply with a beautiful piano accompaniment, floating alone on the track for a bit until Colberg starts to sing. Complemented by beautiful harmonies, Colberg paints a picture of the Lawn, belting about the “marble stairs” of the Rotunda and hearing music across 14th Street.
As the chorus comes to a close, the Charlottesville native sings the most emotional lines of the song, “Don’t go, Charlottesville/ Leave me by the pillars that hide you/ Write me the letter that I wrote you / ‘cause I’m coming back to you.” Here, Colberg is saying that Charlottesville — and the University — will always be a part of him and that he will always be connected to the city. This sentiment will likely resonate with many students who have lived and grown in the very same city for the past few years.
Though everyone’s time at the University has been different, students are able to share in the fact that they have grown and developed new connections throughout their time here. These songs will hopefully spark some happy memories for my fellow members of the Class of 2025 and may even cause a few tears to fall, even for those of us who have been hardened by four years spent in the depths of Clem 1. It’s been a wonderful few years writing for you all! I hope you all cry along with me.
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