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First and foremost, âSmalltown Boyâ is a queer anthem. An anthem about a young man who knows that he will never be accepted for who he is by the people around him. Therefore, he has no choice but to move away and leave the place where he grew up. There is no life for him there, no future. He runs away, as it is the only hope he has of finding some form of acceptance. Some form of freedom.
While the lyrics tell this heartbreaking story, it feels like the music is used to portray that feeling of newfound freedom. Melancholy still shines through, and it has to. But happiness and hope are carefully showing their faces. For at least in this moment, we get to be ourselves, unapologetically. And we deserve to be.
Maybe that is why âSmalltown Boyâ is so universally loved. It evokes a feeling that is universally loved. It allows us to feel hopeful, to feel loved, and to feel free. It is an invitation to be who you want to be. To explore these feelings with the people we love around us while dancing and singing along to this song, is to realise that we must hold on tightly to these ideals. Acceptance is the key to freedom.
[category: euphoric songs]
Jun 27, 2024
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Despite my best interests I will likely be an Emo Kid for the rest of my life, and this song feels like an anthem in earnest pursuit of that ideal.
This track comes from lasts yearâs â152â, the proper album since their genuinely solid 2016 album Tidal Wave (although throughout the past few years theyâve done an excellent job pushing out 20 year anniversary collections and unearthing demos to really accentuate how fucking old weâve all gotten). With that in mind, this track really hones in on this concept of aging â hopefully gracefully â while holding onto whatever spark in your life that keeps you going. The production sounds tight and anthemic on a level not quite like the noise and angst of their old songs but hey, thatâs what two decades does to a mf.
As i stumble into my 30s and perpetually see the sentiment that anyone born before 1995 should start collecting Social Security, I cannot help but resonate with this song. the subtle contrast between Lazarraâs pronunciation of âSâoldâ really drives this home; we refuse to admit it but we really do discard the Old for the New. Itâs one of their simpler choruses, yet it says so much as the phrase shifts its context with each repetition of the phrase.
it feels honest about the passage of time yet optimistic about how that shouldnât keep you from what makes you happy. I canât help but sing this from the top of my lungs on every listen, even as i feel my body slowly become brittle and fatigued. But Iâll still sing.
After all,
Weâre gonna get so old, either way.
Jan 27, 2024
Just because they play it on the radio doesnât mean itâs not a good song. This song feels like a friendly hug.
Apr 21, 2024
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okay my mother has been putting me on to Matchbox 20 for like my entire life but iâve only just started to actually listen to them and its been life changing. Theyâre moving up FAST on my list of favorite artists. FAVORITE SONG of theirs so far : Queen of New York City !! Itâs so beautiful. The lyrics are really moving and paint a really pretty picture. The song feels very warm and familiar to me: when i listen to it I feel like im hugging my best friend for hours. I think i love it so much because i do associate it with my bsf because it sounds just like her and being around her đ„đ„đ„ but itâs also just suchhhh a good song omg like for anyone !! OOH BONUS itâs literally Maine by Noah Kahan but different genre (and place!!). but yeah same vibes exactly itâs so on point itâs insane
Apr 7, 2025
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Jul 26, 2024
Thereâs an indescribable beauty to this song, âAlisonâ, by Slowdive. Oh, how I wish I could put into words how this song makes me feel. When I first stumbled upon it, and the whole Souvlaki album it belongs to, I was quite lonely. I had friends, but most of my friends had someone in their lives. Someone who was more important to them than me. I was nobodyâs priority. Thatâs how it felt, at least. I was longing to be loved. To be cared for. And that is exactly what Neil Halsteadâs vocals on this song bring forth, a feeling of longing, of desperation. He longs for someone so desperately, that heâll do anything as long as he gets to be with her. He will do whatever it takes so as not to be alone anymore.Â
âAlison, Iâll drink your wine /
Iâll wear your clothes when weâre both highâ
Sheâs like an addiction, and he is addicted to her and anything sheâll ask of him. At the time, I would have given anything to overcome the loneliness that overwhelmed my everyday life. A girl could give me the smallest amount of attention, and I would spiral into a rabbit hole of highly unlikely fantasies. Even if I knew they werenât at all right for me, I made up scenarios in my mind of what it would be like to be with them. For a moment, I would actually feel less lonely.
ââAlisonâ, I said, âWeâre sinkingâ /
Thereâs nothing here but thatâs okayâ
As a soaring guitar fades in and the chorus takes off, I daydream about what could, but probably never will be, and never should. Iâm not ready. I have to wait. She has to be somewhere. Softly, carefully, I can already hear her, through Rachel Goswellâs gorgeous echoing vocals, somewhere in space. I just have to wait.
âI guess sheâs out there somewhereâŠâ
She was.
Jul 19, 2024
Just a list of my all time favourite songs that is under constant construction. Once in a while I very slowly try to put them in order.
Aug 22, 2024