ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Good Vibrations for Tedious Citations: Songs To Write To

Updated on November 5, 2011

Mood Music

When I was in college, I realized that when I would write a paper, it wasn't just about hearing the clicking of the keys in sync to the rhythms of my thoughts. No, I had to have something else to pull me through. Complete silence would work for some periods of time, but it wasn't long after that I realized I need something to help me plug through.

While I did love the wonders of YouTube, it only could do so much to click on a song/video, wait for it to load and have it play. I had an iPod and iTunes so I figured it would be easier to form a playlist of artists and sounds that would help me write.

Now granted, alot of people do work better in silence but sometimes I do listen to the words of a song to help me think of ways to put things. So in this hub I'd like to present a sample playlist of good songs to write to.

Sweet Sounds for Thinking Around

Some artists to me are great to listen to when you're happy, some are great when you're sad or pensive, some are even great when you want to tell someone how you really feel. But what about when you're brainstorming or drafting that term paper? There has to be music for that right? I think so and below here are some songs I like for thinking.

Viva La Vida -Coldplay

I recently heard Chris Martin describe this as a French Revolution breakup song. While that may be true, the introductory chords for some reason hit me with great music to manically start thinking with. Now, I know it may sound funny but to me I could imagine myself getting excited to write. It worked, so I guess it isn't that funny.

Rocket Man- Elton John

If I could probe the mind of any singer-songwriter, it would definitely be Elton John. I mean, how did he come up with something so inventive as a man living and working on Mars away from his family? He's definitely one of the more innovative artists that inspire me. It gets me going about how I think about things and how to break it down in such a way that's understandable.

Melt with You- Modern English

As romantic as this song is, at it's very core it is a wonderful love story. The protagonist is willing to do anything to be with his lover. I liked to get lost in this song while trying to organize my papers and if I didn't sing along, it was usually successful.

Something - The Beatles

This song is known for being the one megahit not written primarily by Paul McCartney and/or John Lennon. However, as quiet and shy as George Harrison was, in one of the few times he expressed himself it was beautiful, descriptive and just great for getting me in the mood to write.

The Write Stuff

When I would write, I would get into a very specific zone. I was focused but also aware of what was going on around me. I didn't completely tune out, so I would listen to music that helped me focus but also not too distracting to the process.

Take Me Home- Phil Collins

I really began to love listening to Phil Collins in college. I always knew who he was, but could never fully appreciate his artistry until I was older. One of my favorite songs by him is "Take Me Home." It wasn't his biggest hit, but it tells a very real story and the mellow downbeat kept me bouncing into long hours of writing.

Virtual Insanity- Jammorquai

Many people forgot about how awesome Jammorquai was in the 90s. I mean people literally became transfixed to that video and the song was pretty neat as well. This song helped to push me through when I start to feel sluggish in the middle of a paper. It's danceable but it's also very insightful which is another plus.

Human Nature- Michael Jackson

I have loved Michael Jackson as an artist since I was a kid. When I was younger, I was all about the fast paced beats of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Don't Stop to You Get Enough" but as I got older, I appreciated his ballads more. "Human Nature" is one of my favorite songs by him period and it's mellow enough to help me keep writing.

Finishing Touches

When you near the end of a paper, there's a feeling of excitement as well as anxiety. Anxiety mainly because you have to not only write a cool conclusion, you also have to wrap up lose ends and edit. So for me it was all about something bouncy to keep me going.

Atomic Dog - George Clinton

This song is great to groove to, but the idea of chasing always makes me think of pursuing a goal which is great when your trying to write the last sentence of the final paragraph. It has a great groove for you to nod to while finishing up the parts of the paper you're not too excited about.

We've Got It Goin' On - Backstreet Boys

Regardless of what you think of BSB, they do have some great jams. "We've Got It Goin' On" is a great confidence booster for those moments you aren't too sure about what you've written. And plus if your with friends who aren't down with BSB, you can mess with them by singing along (quietly that is).

Mama Said Knock You Out- LL Cool J

When you really want to drive a point home, you put this song on. Not only does it get you riled up, it also helps you think of that term paper as the mortal enemy it can sometimes be. But just remember, you're the one with the power to knock it out!

I hope this helps when you're writing the big one, but just remember it's all about attitude and confidence.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)