30 things before 30

A friend made the super-fun suggestion that I create a CD with songs representative of each year in my life.  When I went to tackle the task this evening, I didn’t really know where to start so I did a quick Web surf and in my travels came across this post by Ward Jenkins in which he describes how to build one’s “life as a soundtrack” using a simple meme.  There steps to creating such a playlist are few and easily accomplished:

1. Open your existing music library (iTunes, iPod, other media player).
2. Put it on shuffle and press play.
3. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
4. Skip to the next song and that’s the song for your next stage.
5. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.

Now, I know this method is a bit different than my original assignment but I found coming up with 30 songs and trying to recall what might be representative of myself at age 3 just too onerous.  So, here goes.

Opening credits:
“Ageless Beauty” – Stars (Not a bad way to start a life, eh?)

Waking up:
“In a Big Country” – Big Country (A great wide-eyed song appropriate for inspiring you to get out of bed.)

First day at school:
“Breathe In” – Frou Frou (I did always get butterflies when school started each year . . . )

Falling in love:
“SOS” – Rihanna (This one made me laugh out loud.)

Breaking up:
“Love Comes Again” – DJ Tiesto & BT (You can’t make this stuff up, people.)

Prom:
“Girl” – Beck

Life’s okay:
“Saturdays” – Cut Copy (Whee!)

Mental breakdown:
“One More Robot” – The Flaming Lips (Fitting, I suppose.  “Unit three thousand twenty one is warming, makes a humming sound when its circuits duplicate emotions and a sense of coldness detaches as it tries to comfort your sadness.”  HUH?!?  I feel crazy from just the first verse.)

Driving:
“Ugly” – Bubba Sparxxx (I’d need a nice bumpin’ bass for cruisin’ to this one.)

Flashback:
“Fidelity”- Regina Spector (Well, she is “hearing all of these voices” in her mind.  Sort of like a flashback, no?)

Getting back together:
“I’ve Got it All(most)” – Modest Mouse (Nice work, shuffle!)

Wedding:
“Digital Love” – Daft Punk (This little blue machine is genius!)

Final battle:
“Just Dance” – Lady GaGa (I hope the final battle is a dance-off, preferably in a parking garage a la Michael Jackson’s “Bad.”)

Death scene:
“I’ve Had the Time of My Life” (This is starting to spook me.)

Funeral song:
“I Don’t Believe You” – The Magnetic Fields

End credits:
“Storm” – The Pharcyde

All in all, I think my soundtrack came out pretty darn great for being selected randomly.  Somehow none of my Shania Twain or Phil Collins came up.  Lucky for me.

Want to listen to my soundtrack?  Click this button to hear it:

What would your life soundtrack sound like?  Try it for yourself and post your song list in the comment form below!