Have We Met Before?

I’m loving the class Spotify playlist.

It’s only a few days old, and I’ve listened to it probably over 7 times, not all the way through, but I’m getting there. Whether I’m sourcing the poetry consciously or subconsciously, I’m just ecstatic about the new sounds bouncing around in my room. The Spanish rap is certainly something out of the ordinary for me. So far, I’ve added like 6ish songs to the playlist. I contributed quickly, adding 6 of my favorite songs that fall strictly into the genre of Indie or Alternative, since that sums up my auditory comfort zone. One musician that I placed on there is Tom Rosenthal, the artist that I want to dedicate this blog post to. His music is simple, quirky, and odd, but so relatable and honest. His lyrics are poetry and his music videos are these low budget little art projects. Look him up on YouTube.

Tom Rosenthal is based in or around London, and because I stalk his vlogs and Instagram, he has two adorably-fat-faced babies. He collaborates with a lot of the film makers that I frequent on YouTube, usually creating songs and soundtracks for their content. Imagine having a seriously musically talented friend who could generate original pieces for your work?

The title of this blog post is “Have We Met Before?,” my favorite song by Tom Rosenthal. It’s a love song, not necessarily distinct to romantic or platonic love. Set to piano, the lyrics are a series of statements, read as questions:

Are you thinking?
Is she close?
Do you struggle with umbrellas?
Are you leaving?
Are you home?
Have you timed this badly?
Have we met before?

As the song progresses, the lyrics become more personalized, and you can gather that Tom is singing about someone. He’s singing about all of the random talents, tendencies and idiosyncrasies that comprise that someone. If the song comes on and I’m working, I smile. If the song comes on when I’m available to let it consume my mind, I melt.

Love songs with clichés exist for a reason: universality. But what do we really want to hear from love songs? We want love songs to ask:

Can you count to ten in German?
Can you whisper?
Can you lie?
Did you design your own website?

“Have We met Before?” is a love song about someone and everyone. It’s about you and me.  I think as a source, the song makes me feel value in my individuality. It makes me notice the beauty in the freckle on my lip and the oddity of boyfriend’s hatred of bananas. It reminds me to write honestly and exactly. You better watch the video below, and fall in love with his music immediately. It’s a great soundtrack to study to.

The idea behind the video, I believe, was to compile videos collected from viewers all over the world, who filmed their bedroom view for a few moments. You get to travel around the world for two minutes. I think that further shows how the song encompasses everyone, yet pays mind to all of the tiny details.