Even though meditation is a very effective way of releasing stress, for newbies and people with attention span of a squirrel, it might not be the best option. This is where music comes as a saviour. It has been used for many years to psychologically heal humans and even animals in some cases. Scientifically backed, music is found to have a very positive impact in reducing stress levels and calming the nervous system.
So here are four beautiful songs for you when you need to de-stress.
Hey There Delilah by Plain White T’s
Plain White T’s released the song in May 2006 as the third single from their third studio album All That We Needed. In June 2007, over one year after the song’s release, it became the band’s first hit in the United States.
It was the Plain White T’s first, and only number one single. Since its release, “Hey There Delilah” has been covered by many artists worldwide till date.
The video’s direction is by Jay Martin. It opens with band’s lead singer, Tom Higgenson, singing the song while other band members are in a different room behind him. The other band members are not playing in the song. In a split screen it shows Delilah, played by model Melissa McNelis, who attends college in New York City, walking around presumably from a class to her job.
Genre: Folk pop; Emo pop
Lyrics: “Hey there, Delilah
You be good, and don’t you miss me
Two more years and you’ll be done with school
And I’ll be makin’ history like I do
You’ll know it’s all because of you
We can do whatever we want to
Hey there, Delilah, here’s to you
This ones for you”
Make You Feel My Love by Adele
“Make You Feel My Love” is a song originally written by Bob Dylan in 1997 for his album Time Out of Mind. It was first released commercially by Billy Joel, under the title “To Make You Feel My Love, before Dylan’s version.
Since then it has been covered by numerous performers.
In 2008, British singer-songwriter Adele recorded “Make You Feel My Love” for her debut studio album 19 and it proved to be a turning point in her career.
Genre: Pop
Lyrics: “When the rain
Is blowing in your face
And the whole world
Is on your case
I could offer you
A warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When the evening shadows
And the stars appear
And there is no one there
To dry your tears
I could hold you
For a million years
To make you feel my love”
April Come She Will by Simon & Garfunkel
“April Come She Will” is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their second studio album, Sounds of Silence. It originally appeared on the solo album The Paul Simon Song book. It was also included in the movie – The Graduate (starring Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Aniston) soundtrack album.
The song was written in 1964 by Paul Simon while he was in England. Its lyrics show the changing seasons as a metaphor for a girl’s changing moods. The inspiration behind the song was a girl whom Simon met and the nursery rhyme she used to recite.
Genre: Folk Rock
Lyrics: “April, come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain
May, she will stay
Resting in my arms again
June she’ll change her tune
In restless walks she’ll prowl the night
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight
August, die she must
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold
September, I remember
A love once new has now grown old”
Resilient by Katy Perry
Katy Perry dropped an animated music video called “Resilient,” from her latest visual album Smile, a dedication to her daughter.
The clip, directed by Aya Tanimura, follows the life cycle of a growing tree in a city, starting as a single seed. Seasons change and characters as people pass it by, including a struggling musician modelled after Perry, a local business owner, a pair of ants, a butterfly and a striped cat. The video contains numerous Easter eggs to various eras of Perry’s career and the challenges she is faced and overcame.
Genre: Pop
Lyrics: “I know there’s gotta be rain if I want the rainbows
And I know the higher I climb, the harder the wind blows
Yeah, I’ve gone to sleep night after night punching a pillow
But do you know the darker the night, the brighter the stars glow?
‘Cause I am resilient
A full flower moment
Won’t let the concrete hold me back, oh no
I am resilient
Born to be brilliant
You’ll see me grow right through the cracks, yeah
‘Cause you’re gonna watch this flower grow
Right through the cracks”
