A Favorite Song

       “What’s your favorite song?” is such an awful question. Some people will answer instantly while others stew on their answer, trying to remember any song they’ve ever listened to and formulate a favorite one. For the longest time, I was the latter, but recently, I’ve decided on my go to answer: “I Can Tell That We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes.

       The first time I heard this song was actually in the second grade, but I didn’t decide it was my “favorite” until recently. Second grade, oddly enough, was a very influential year for me, and I loved my teacher dearly. At the end of the year, she put together a slide show with pictures of the class throughout the year, and the first song that played to accompany the photos was “We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes. By the end of the slide show, I was balling my eyes out. I was very emotional then.

       When I started high school, I started going back to my second grade teacher’s classroom after school and volunteering. High school gets out about forty minutes earlier than elementary school, so I got to work with the kids for about half an hour once a week. At the end of the year, I came in on the last day to watch the slide show, and much to my surprise, “We’re Gonna Be Friends” was still the first song. I felt the same feelings I felt in second grade welling up inside me, although I held it together much better that time around.

       That’s why I say “We’re Gonna Be Friends” by the White Stripes is my favorite song, because it brings me back to such a happy time in my life. I think that’s what a favorite song should be. It’s not what you listen to most, or whatever you’ve been loving on the radio. It should be a song that has impacted you. It should make you feel something.

       I don’t listen to my favorite song very often. Most of the time, I listen to the classical radio on Pandora, and sometimes Olly Murrs’ station, too, but I save my favorite for special occasions. Sometimes I'll listen to it when school's been crumby. Sometimes I'll listen to it when school's been great. Sometimes I'll listen to it just because. Like an old friend, it's always there, and never fails to make me smile.