The soundtrack to my almost end and back again…

Not like me to do something without planning…

This is something that would previously be true an awful lot. Spontaneity was not in my vocabulary. Nowadays though, I don’t really care about the consequences of planning and preparation.

With that said, this is going to be an aural experience like no other! I’ve been listening to a lot of music recently and have read a lot of posts about music in reference to suicide prevention day. Music touches my heart in a way many won’t understand.

This is going to be my attempt to tell ‘Breaking the Stigma‘ through music!

I’ll try to keep the text to a minimum. Definitely not like me! I’ll provide links to the songs on Spotify as well as include title, artist and reason.

Note; this isn’t a mix tape! These are not the best songs by each artist. These are the songs that express my story. If you like any of the songs, I suggest you check out the artist; otherwise there might be another Goo Goo Dolls with Iris incident…

iGeneration – MC Lars

A song defining the millennial generation and the world in which I grew up.

Lyric of choice ‘space colon dash close-parentheses’

The Future Freaks Me Out – Motion City Soundtrack

The song of my time at the University of York.

Lyric of choice ‘we fail at every thing we ever even try to attempt’

High School Never Ends – Bowling for Soup

It’s a chapter in ‘Life is a Four-Letter Word’. Welcome to professional practice…I mean high school.

Lyric of choice ‘And the only thing that matters, is climbing up that social ladder’, still care about your hair and the car you drive? doesn’t matter if your 16 or 35!’

High Anxiety – The Suicide Machines

Titles says it all, but the bass and rhythm amplify it no end!

Lyric of choice ‘i don’t know why; sometimes in the middle of the night i wake up. i don’t know why.’

The Chariot – The Cat Empire

I love my friends. Keep being amazing!

Lyric of choice ‘maybe if the world contained more people like these, then the news would not be telling me about all that warfare endlessly’

The Rest of My Life – Less Than Jake

And the world came crashing down. I had to say goodbye to my best friend of over a decade!

Lyric of choice ‘it’s gonna kill me the rest of my life; let me apologise whilst I’m still alive’

End of the World News (Dose Me Up) – Tom McRae

Waiting at a red light on the crossroads of life.

Lyric of choice ‘you’re searching for a sign with your name to define you the king of the game. what will you do when there’s nothing left for you to earn and for you to learn?’

Adam’s Song – Blink 182

It still makes me cry listening to this song. When you reach your lowest point and you make the ultimate decision, you’re doing it to be selfless in the most selfish way possible. You want your pain to end, but know the pain it will cause to others. What I’ve lived through is no one’s fault but my own. The fact I am here and standing today is testament to everyone who is in my life and stood by me. No one is to blame but myself.

Lyric of choice ‘please tell mom this is not her fault’

Spectra – Chipzel

Chipzel’s music is a mainstay on my Twitch channel. Super Hexagon even made it into a tattoo! Video below (needs music!).

Lyric of choice N/A

Fly Daze – Zebrahead

I have now accepted what happened with my ex-wife and my almost end and am happy for us both to be living lives that we are happy with.

Lyric of choice ‘you were my leading lady and I really wanted to say that you had some fine moves baby. I hope that we can groove again someday and I can’t forget the days when we danced all our troubles away’

Born Survivor – Shirobon

Another point of acceptance. I am a survivor. This’s why I do what I do. I survived. I share what I do to hopefully help guide others through the storm of life.

Lyric of choice ‘you are a born survivor’

Hurricane – Catherine Feeny

The lyrics say it all.

Lyric of choice ‘it’s not what I wanted, oh no it’s not what I planned. it’s not where I thought I’d be, it’s just where I am.’

There’ll be a few big updates coming soon about ‘Life is a Four-Letter Word’, my series of talks and also changes to the website. I’ll make sure to talk about them when they happen.

For now though, I’m working on finishing my first draft of the manuscript.

One week left!

Andy Salkeld

just another guy