“Ripping the Bandaid Off”, like the “Costanza Leave-Behind," is a piece of dating advice that we owe to Seinfeld. And, like many pieces of dating advice from Seinfeld, it sounds foolproof at first before gradually unraveling into a futile, unavoidable mess of hurt feelings and awkwardness.
The truth is that even the smoothest and most mutual breakups invite ghosts into your life. Memories—even bad ones—don’t disappear, and when you hear a familiar song or walk through a place alone that you used to walk through together, those ghosts peek through the notes and around the corner.
There’s hope! The best way to silence old memories is to create new ones, and to fill emptiness with new people and new experiences. But a key part of the philosophy of this blog is that it’s important to let yourself experience the full range of human emotions; hell, even the full range of emotions WITHIN a breakup. This list is an attempt to span that range, from the most isolated and adrift lows (“I Have a Broken Heart”), to desperate pleading (“The Last Goodbye”), to giddy, adrenaline-fueled denial (“Don’t Leave me This Way”), to stoic resolve (“If You Leave”), to heart-wrenching regret (“Like a Friend”). Go and feel.
Tracks:
- It’s all in Vain - Wet
- Don’t Leave Me This Way - Tomppabeats
- If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- Mis - Alex g
- (Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away (Live at the MGM Grand) - Bee Gees
- This is the Last Time - The National
- Broken Heart - Spiritualized
- I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face - Arthur Russell
- Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
- Here - Pavement
- Graceland - Paul Simon
- Pendulum - FKA twigs
- Only You - Mac DeMarco
- Wide Open - The Chemical Brothers
- If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow
- Like a Friend - Pulp
Apple playlist is floating around somewhere in HERE.
We're very excited to feature another piece from Amrita Marino. We're in awe of her work. Check out more on her site.