Songs Of Freedom + Frustration

Shuffling Through Emotions With Music

Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

Last night, frustrated with myself, some dating-app bullshit, and one too many unkind comment on YouTube, I did what I do when my emotions start to knot up: I popped in my AirPods, opened Apple Music, and hit “Shuffle.”

I had no time (or patience) for careful curation or playful playlists. What I needed was the musical equivalent of pulling a tarot card and trusting the universe to illuminate whatever was stirring inside me—through song.

The first few tracks were a motley mix of pop, rap, and reggae. Some old favorites, some new-to-me tracks I’d never heard before. Somehow, Apple Music’s algorithm just knew what I needed to hear and feel.

Here are a few of my favorite songs and lyrics from the shuffle selection:

FREEDOM! ‘90 = GEORGE MICHAEL

“I think there’s something you should know
I think it’s time I told you so
There’s something deep inside of me
There’s someone else I’ve got to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man”

ON A HIGH = DUNCAN SHEIK

“It’s a lie, It’s a lie, don’t you believe it
If you’re fine then you’re fine, it’s all how you see it
Or there never will be no conspiracy of happiness”

STFU = Lizzo featuring Lil Jon

“Shut the fuck up, bitch, ain’t nobody ask you shit”

“Let me remind you, baby, minding your business is free
Let me remind you, baby, touching grass don’t cost a thing”

It’s funny how music knows before we do. A protest song reminded me to keep showing up. A heartfelt acoustic cover gave me permission to feel what I was feeling. And a rambunctious diss track helped me work through some lingering negativity.

By the fourth or fifth song, I wasn’t stewing anymore.
I was feeling. I was grooving. I was moving again.

For me, the shuffle button can be a kind of emotional divination—a reminder that even in randomness, there’s rhythm. That I can dance my way through frustration and find freedom somewhere between verses and vibes.

Music helps us put things into perspective. Music helps us connect when words fail. Music helps us understand emotions we can’t always name.

So if you’re frustrated today—or tonight—try shuffling your way through it.

Sing out loud. Sing out proud.

Let the shuffle surprise you.

Let the songs speak for you…until you’re ready to speak for yourself again.

Keep calm and keep, keep it together!
Clint 🌈✌️

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FYC = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

• With Or Without A Ruff (Sitting Queerly)

• A ‘Kiss’ Before Dying (BOYCULTURE)

• Heroes: Tammy De Treaux (Barbary Lane Dispatches)

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ON THIS DAY = OCTOBER 20

BIRTHDAYS

• 1854 = Arthur Rimbaud = French poet 🌈

• 1873 = Frances Kellor = American social reformer and investigator 🌈

• 1882 = Bela Lugosi = Hungarian-American actor

• 1913 = Grandpa Jones = American singer-songwriter

• 1920 = Nick Cardy = American illustrator

• 1925 = Art Buchwald = American soldier and journalist

• 1925 = Tom Dowd = American producer and engineer

• 1926 = Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu = British aristocrat and politician 🌈

• 1927 = Joyce Brothers = American psychologist, author, and actor

• 1931 = Mickey Mantle = American baseball player and sportscaster

• 1938 = Iain Macmillan = Scottish photographer and educator

• 1935 = Jerry Orbach = American actor and singer

• 1950 = Tom Petty = American singer-songwriter

• 1953 = Bill Nunn = American actor

• 1955 = Rotimi Fani-Kayode = Nigerian-born British photographer 🌈

• 1955 = Thomas Newman = American composer and conductor

• 1956 = Danny Boyle = English filmmaker

• 1958 = Valerie Faris = American director and producer

• 1958 = Viggo Mortensen = American-Danish actor

• 1971 = Dannii Minogue = Australian singer-songwriter and actor

• 1976 = Dan Fogler = American actor and filmmaker

EVENTS

• 1803 = The US Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.

• 1947 = The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.

• 1958 = Truman Capote’s novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s is published in the November issue of Esquire.

• 1973 = The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• Ace Week (October 19-25)

• LGBTQ History Month (October 1-31) 🌈🧐📚

• National Chicken And Waffles Day

• National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day

• National Day On Writing

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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

“He who has the fastest golf cart never has a bad lie.”
Mickey Mantle