If the saying is true, then you can learn a lot from the music someone listens to.
Music is a strange thing—it is universal all human cultures, and yet it is so varied. Humans have been making music for millennium, and musicians continue to compose new songs.
Similar to my “Top Books of 2023,” I’d like to share with you my top songs of 2023. Even if these songs do not fit into your typical listening habits, I hope that perhaps this list can open your horizons, if only I can share my love of this music with you.
I have to admit, there are few people who have the same music tastes that I do. Some days, I wonder if anyone does!
Yet there are other weird people out there in the world who happen to enjoy the same words and music combined into songs that fill my headphones on a daily basis.
For those of you who are interested, I have created a playlist of the songs in this article, and I have included the link at the end of the article!
“The Potter and the Clay” by J Lind
“The Potter and the Clay” was my first introduction to J Lind. I discovered it when I found this article on the Rabbit Room. On a whim, after reading the article, I listened to the song.
It took me a few listens to process the song, and to be honest, I probably still have not plumbed the full depths of it.
This song deals with the struggle to balance different expectations. J Lind honestly expresses the difficulty of trying to find his own place in the world while being a part of “the system” that enabled him to be where he is now.
He speaks of balancing “the sacred and profane, the player and the playwright, the potter and the clay.” I believe he is referencing the difficulty of artists to find the right balance in their creative work—reaching their audience while also being true to their art and values.
“Ask Me Why” by Joe Hisaishi
I think “Ask Me Why” is the only instrumental song that has made it on this list. As a fan of Studio Ghibli movies, I have listened to the soundtrack of every movie of theirs that I have watched, and so I was really excited to listen to the soundtrack from The Boy and the Heron, the first Studio Ghibli movie I have ever seen in theaters—so excited that I listened to the soundtrack before I watched the movie!
This song, particularly the single version of it, is by far my favorite on the entire soundtrack. Different in style from Hisaishi’s other compositions, this song still carries deep emotion with the beautiful piano composition.
The song artistically conveys a majestic weight and a longing for something lost.
“When the Night Comes Around” by Jonathan Ogden
This song is pure poetry. Through this poetry, Ogden shows that despite the darkness in this life, Christians can trust in God, who is Light (1 John 1:5).
Ogden honestly depicts the struggles of those going through trials, who are tempted to rely on circumstances or feelings for stability. He uses imagery of light and dark to show his struggle—word pictures like “lamp,” “stars,” and “sunrise” permeate the song.
Ultimately, he shows that the only true source of hope in these trials is to trust in God and his promises—promises that Ogden artistically weaves into the song.
“Generous” by J Lind
After I had listened to “The Potter and the Clay” on repeat for long enough, I kind of forgot about J Lind. I had not listened to any of his other music, and I was not really interested in it.
That all changed with “Generous.”
This song is what really sold me on J Lind. Sold, as in I spent $6 on a cute little astronaut sticker from his merch store and bought the same sticker a second time after my sticker collection was tragically eradicated.
I love how he says in the opening line, that they “took the train to get bagels in Brooklyn, they might be the best in New York.” (I would confidently affirm that the best bagels in New York are in Brooklyn.)
This song speaks of acts of generosity in a world full of ordinary days and tasks.
“Magnolia” by Jervis Campbell
I did not like magnolia trees before I went to college. The only real experience I had had with magnolia trees prior was the small one at the side of our house that attracted big, ugly beetles the day its flowers bloomed.
The magnolia trees on campus would be good company for Treebeard. I don’t know how old they are, but I do know they are large and majestic, and I can see them outside my dorm window. I can study sitting on picnic benches beneath their benevolent boughs.
That being said, this song reflects my more positive attitude towards magnolia trees.
“Anywhere” by The Gray Havens
I may be cheating with this one. Very few, if any of you, will have heard this song because it has not yet been released.
That being said, when I attended a VIP preshow of the Zion Caravan, David Radford of The Gray Havens shared that “Anywhere” will be released early 2024.
This song speaks of a desire to escape. The speaker in the song just wants to “go anywhere but here,” but eventually he learns to find a place where he is content.
Interestingly, the song is framed by an inclusio—as the song begins and ends with the same lines, the speaker begins and ends the song in the same physical location. Despite the speaker’s physical location remaining the same, his emotional state has changed drastically as he is now content with where he is.
Conclusion (with playlist link!)
These songs have been some of my favorites this year, and I especially look forward to the release of “Anywhere.” Each of these songs have inspired me, and I hope they inspire you too.