Monday Morning Playlist — #1
Busy Introverting
Music
Busy Introverting
Welcome to your new thing.
Something you didn’t even know you needed.
More than likely, not even something you wanted.
The Monday Morning Playlist!
Every Monday, join me as I unleash upon the world a marginally themed playlist.
The inaugural playlist is Busy Introverting. I am an introvert. And there is so much misunderstood about the idea. When I first read about this ten years ago (give or take), I was like “AH-HA! NOW so much more makes sense.”
To be clear, I don’t feel that one is 100% introverted in the same way no one is 100% extroverted. We exist on a continuum where some people lean more one way and some others the other way. But at certain times a mostly extroverted person can be introverted and vice versa.
I once explained to someone that I was “a bit of an introvert.” She replied: “I’m sorry.”
Introversion is NOT an illness.
Here are 8 signs you may be an introvert (not all-inclusive):
Being Around Lots of People Drains Your Energy
You Enjoy Solitude
You Have a Small Group of Close Friends
People Often Describe You as Quiet and May Find It Difficult to Get to Know You
Too Much Stimulation Leaves You Feeling Distracted and Unfocused
You Are Very Self-Aware
You Like to Learn by Watching
You Are Drawn to Jobs That Involve Independence
Some of these songs speak directly to introversion, “More Like Them,” and some others just fit, “High Flyin’ Bird.”
Some Highlights:
“I Got A Name” — Jim Croce
If you’ve forgotten about him or never heard him, do yourself a favor.
If you’re goin’ my way
I’ll go with you.
True enough!
“More Like Them” — Lydia Loveless
It’s criminal that Lydia Loveless is NOT more well known. I suspect it is because she sits firmly in that space of being “too country to be rock and too rock to be country.” If Paul Westerberg has a female spirit person, it’s Lydia Loveless.
“I’ll Be You” — The Replacements
For those that have read about or listened to a playlist of mine, there will always be a song by The Replacements. Full stop.
“Letter Never Sent” — R.E.M.
No, I have no GD idea what Michael Stipe is singing about here because the only thing I can discern are the three words, letter never sent. The rest is rather nonsensical …but still a helluva good song.
R.E.M. will forever be remembered for Out of Time and Automatic for the People, and deservedly so. But for a real treat dig back to those early records on I.R.S. Records.
“This is the Sea” — The Waterboys
While the very big sound of this song (and album) is a bit much, but the power of the song still resonates. The band was overlooked here in the states, but those of us that found them, loved them.
“Blue” — The Jayhawks
The third artist hailing from my home state of Minnesota. The Jayhawks are a great band that just happened to come out as grunge hit and before alternative country was a thing. But their records are still great.
“In My Room” — The Beach Boys
Obviously.
“Half a Person” — The Smiths
The patron saint of introversion has got to be Morrissey.
“After the Gold Rush” — Neil Young
This one is for Terry Barr. This song’s raw honesty and loneliness guts me every time I hear it.
MONDAY MORNING PLAYLIST #1 — BUSY INTROVERTING:
Check out these writers on Medium:
Terry Barr, Kevin Alexander, Nicole Brown, Alexander Briseño, Paul Byrne 🌿, Paul Combs, Christopher Robin, Rob Janicke, If Ever You’re Listening, Reuben Salsa