This Song Changed My Life

This Song Changed My Life

Home
Essays
By Artist
By Participant
Paid
Bites
Playlists
Interviews
Diary
Participate
About

Friendship

No. 081 - The Beatles’ “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” changed my life
An old circus poster, 2000s teen memories, and the song that transported Seth Vertelney to another dimension
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 072 - Orange Juice’s “Rip It Up” changed my life
Sal Kimura dances with hope, and finds transformation, in the face of destruction
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 068 - Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” changed my life
From riding shotgun with her dad to road trips with friends, Laura Frizzell talks big love, good sadness, and treasuring life's great adventures and…
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 067 - Built To Spill’s “Time Trap” changed my life
When Tom D'Agustino got high on friendship (and weed) at the baseball field behind his house
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 058 - Tom Odell's “Sparrow” changed my life
The night Ezekiel Decker surrendered to life's uncertainty
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 054 - Paramore’s “Misery Business” changed my life
Diana Filar reexamines her past disdain for a 2007 chart-topper
 • 
Grace Lilly
2
No. 042 - Van Morrison’s “Caravan” changed my life
Fateful friendship, heart-shattering loss, and the farewell concert clip that Joe Kubler returns to time and again
 • 
Grace Lilly
1
No. 041 - Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” changed my life
When Shannon Egan's life changed, this song changed with her
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 039 - Vampire Weekend’s “Hannah Hunt” changed my life
Lyrics as literature and Jonathan Rooke's decade-long friendship ritual
 • 
Grace Lilly
No. 036 - Cécile McLorin Salvant's “Thunderclouds” changed my life
Poet Elaine Bleakney is walking, wondering, and befriending this song this spring
 • 
Grace Lilly
2
No. 033 - Sublime's “What I Got” changed my life
Meghan Mae on a deep, enduring friendship and a Y2K West Coast anthem
 • 
Grace Lilly
1
No. 024 - The Postal Service's “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” changed my life
The song that found Meagan Shorey-Wilson in a Chili's and fueled her sense of connection for over a decade
 • 
Grace Lilly
© 2025 Grace Lilly
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture