The purpose of listening to this playlist is for appreciation and, for some, comprehension. This is because songs can be easily appreciated due to their musical quality. Also, some people listen to songs to truly comprehend the meaning. One strategy that is necessary to fully listen and understand this playlist is to make listening a goal. This is because too often, songs are played in the background and not fully comprehended. When one fully pays attention to a song/playlist, the true meaning of the piece will become apparent. Another listening strategy to use is to listen for ideas. This is because sometimes the beginnings of songs can be misleading from the true meaning of the song as a whole. While listening, pay attention to the story that each song is telling and the meaning that it conveys. By listening well, it becomes apparent that all of these songs have one thing in common, the desire for love.
If one approaches this playlist with the intent of hearing, not listening, they may mistake some of the songs as having a different message. This is because a few of the songs’ (I Want You Back, Dancing With Myself, Hey Mickey, etc.) instrumentals seem lighthearted until you fully comprehend the lyrics and realize that they are about someone being lonely and desiring love. This could also contribute to the idea that we think we are better listeners than we actually are because we believe that we comprehend the meaning, though it is untrue.
While all of these songs are about someone wanting love, each one is from a different artist and has a different origin. For instance, the song Dancing With Myself by Generation X originated from a band tour in Japan in 1979. The band noticed the crowd dancing with themselves in mirrored walls. Another unique origin example comes from the song Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield. Rick was in a stained glass class and had a crush on a girl who was dating his friend. These examples show how the ideas for songs can come from many places.