I'm going to write my original post anyway, but it will have a more optimistic tone about it now. I've been making life tough for myself recently and this weekend it has come to a head. I've neglected my university work over the last few days, with socialising and procrastination getting in the way of things a little. I've also made a couple of bad judgment calls recently which have seen me question where the old Martin has gone - and whether he will come back again. So with these thoughts sloshing around in my head, I knew I needed to go somewhere I could get better again; somewhere where everything I need is in one place. That place is the work of Elvis Costello.
Mr Costello's work has been with me for so many years now that I'm not sure what I would do without it. He is my favourite songwriter and his vast body of work encapsulates and reflects any emotion you could imagine. His songs of melancholy, love, anger and humour (to name but a few) have hit a chord with me time and again. He is able to tell stories that seem so far removed from my life, but at the same time seem apt and relevant.
Before my exams in second year I had a routine. I put together a playlist of ten of my favourite Elvis Costello songs (a list which is constantly changing - I have 291 Costello songs on my iPod) and every night before an exam I would put this playlist on and go out for a walk around the nearby park. The songs were not geared towards passing law exams, but the music and the lyrics, along with the walking, helped to both relax and pump me up at the same time. When I got back to my flat I felt ready to take on the world - nothing I have tried since has had that effect on me.
Who better to turn to in my time of need then? I have only a few months left of my undergraduate life and my head needs to be in the right place for them. I could read all of the self-help books in the world and I could write a book on how I am feeling, but nothing will get me through this period better than the music of Elvis Costello. Earlier I needed it to lift me up and now I need it to help me ride the wave that has been created by my exam result - it is able to do both, and it will be there when I need it for other things as well.
Thanks for reading. I would leave you with my 'favourite' Elvis Costello song, but the truth is that I couldn't possibly name one. I'll instead leave you with what I'm listening to just now.
Martin.
