And finally, #1. This song, honestly, deserves its own spot away from every other song.
[1] Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
And so, we've finally reached #1. When it comes to the singles list, the #1s tend to have a lot of staying power. In 2004, my #1 was A Perfect Circle's "Blue", and, while it may not be on the level that it once was for me, it's still way up there on my list of favorite songs. In 2005, it was "Only" by the one and only Nine Inch Nails. Even in 2008, I still sing, out loud, "THERE IS NO ****ING YOU!", if that tells you how much I still love that song. In 2006, Muse's "Starlight" took the top spot, and, well, I don't think I need to tell you guys just how much I love that song.
That little history lesson brings us to the #1 single of the past year, a song that wasn't even my favorite song on its released album at first. All I could think about after the first dozen listens was, "Man, that 'Intervention' sure does kick ass!" And it still kicks ass. Any song that made the top twenty this year almost assuredly kicked ass. It took close to six months before another song clicked with me, and this one clicked with me in a way that "Intervention" never could. I was at, arguably, the lowest point of my entire life. Everything that could go wrong did. I will not go into details, of course, but the fact remains that, at that point in my life, let's just say that I had to think real hard to think up a good enough reason to get out of bed every morning.
I had found many songs that connected with me during that time period, and I still love quite a few to this present day. Hell, my number one non-single of the year("In This Twilight") was so very important to me during this time, and I'm not sure what life would have been like without it or several other tracks. But none of them had quite the impact on me that "No Cars Go" did. Now, I completely realize that this song is...well, not what I got out of it. I don't care. What I took from this song is, quite simply, a feeling of happiness, and those were so hard to come by during that dreadful time. Soon, I had to listen to the song all the time. It was my way of release, my way of letting go and getting up the courage to move on with my life and not stay in the figurative abyss. I honestly believe that this song helped motivate me enough to do things that I never dreamed of doing just six months prior. It motivated me to do more with myself and what I do with my life. At a time when I felt like there was no hope, this song was the song that told me that hope was out there, somewhere, and that everything was going to be okay at the end of the day. This song was pure bliss, a euphoria rush,
nirvana, and it was the ultimate case of a song being at the right place at the right time.
With all of that being said, there is only one question left to answer: Is it truly the best song of the year? Admittedly, that is a hard question to answer. I certainly think that it is a crowning achievement in the world of music, but there was stiff competition all around this year from all kinds of heavy hitters for yours truly, not the least of which being Korn and Nine Inch Nails. Still, very few of these "heavy hitters" had close to the impact that "No Cars Go" had on me this year, and NONE of them would have worked in that particular situation quite like "No Cars Go" did. Is it THE best song of the year? I cannot say for certain that it is the *best* of 2007. But it is a song that is, unquestionably, one of the most important songs of my lifetime, and it is my favorite song of the year 2007, without a shadow of a doubt, and a song that far outdistanced its (incredibly tough) competition to earn that distinction.
And that...is FINALLY that. I'd like to thank everyone who commented, posted, did something, whatever, and let us only hope it doesn't take in December 2008.
Take it easy, churren.
