In honor of New Year’s Day, the beginning of a new year, I thought I’d share a playlist offering new beginnings. Though we celebrate New Years Day on January 1st, it wasn’t always so. The original early Roman calendar year started in March. The adoption of the Julian calendar in 45 BC added January and February to the beginning of the calendar year. Though most countries didn’t change the celebration of the new year to January until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the mid-1500s, and some countries such as those of the British Isles didn’t adopt such a change until the mid-1700s.
When standing at the cusp of a new year, there are some years we hate to see end. Others we can’t wait to usher out, with perhaps the most recent for many being 2020 with the craziness of the COVID lock-down and specter of life-threatening disease. And every Baby Boomer and Gen Xer, and perhaps even some Millennials remember the anxiety surrounding Y2K and it’s concern for global shutdown if the computers stopped.
Wikipedia relates “the first of January represents the fresh start of a new year after a period of remembrance of the passing year.” On those years we’d rather forget, with luck and effort we may use the new year as an opportunity to begin again. Modern tradition encourages New Years resolutions, whereupon reflecting on our failings and shortcomings of the previous year, we commit to making changes usually with a goal of self-improvement and greater achievement in hopes of having a better upcoming year.
I found these resolutions from a century or so ago enlightening. They focused more on leading a wholesome life, trying “to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking, cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity” among other entreaties. We should seek such lofty goals! Modern-day resolutions tend to be more concrete and goal rather than process oriented, such as to lose weight, go to the gym more, drink less, quit smoking, or other such efforts often targeting the improvement of health and well-being. Though some will strive for more interpersonal or altruistic changes such as to make a new friend, to rekindle old friendships, to better serve their community or the poor, or other charitable efforts.
While resolutions should be inspirational, they should also be achievable. As much as 88% of resolutions are not achieved. But often there is joy in the journey and benefit in reaching for our aspirations, goals, and dreams, even if not fully accomplished. There’s always next year!
Whatever our needs, goals, hopes, and dreams, it seemed that some of the lyrics of begin and beginning songs might offer us some encouragement and support in our efforts, not to mention be enjoyable songs to listen to, with offerings from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Moody Blues, Genesis, Chicago, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Colbie Caillat, Ingrid Michaelson, Taylor Swift, Ella Fitzgerald, even the King, Elvis.
To be certain, the playlist is NOT centered around new beginnings, but instead is a compliation of songs with the word begin or beginning in the title. That said, many of the songs lend themselves well to encouragement in beginning again.
You see it’s all clear
You were meant to be here
From the beginning“From the Beginning” – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Keep as cool as you can
Face piles of trials with smiles“In the Beginning” – Moody Blues
That is the sound of a new born world
And the light from a curious sky
It has begun
You’re in the hands of destiny…
…Father, son, looks down with happiness
Life is on it’s way“In the Beginning” – Genesis
When I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where we are
Or what we’re doing, I’m with you, that’s all that matters
Time passes much too quickly when we’re together laughing
I wish I could sing it to you“Beginnings” – Chicago
But I just can’t decide where to go
Yes, it’s been quite a day, and I should go to sleep
But tomorrow I will wake up, and I’ll know
That I’ve got to begin again
Though I don’t know how to start
Yes, I’ve got to begin again
And it’s hard“Got to Begin Again” – Billy Joel
Please tell me there’s a new beginning
Coming up with the sunrise
Holding out for a happy ending
And it’s gonna be alright“New Beginning” – Noah Guthrie
“Sometimes we don’t learn
From our mistakes
Sometimes we’ve no
Choice but to walk
Away, away…
…Now I’m alive
And my ghosts are gone
I’ve shed all the pain
I’ve been holding on
The cure for a heart
Is to move along”“The End Where I Begin” – The Script
The whole world’s broke and it ain’t worth fixing
It’s time to start all over, make a new beginning
There’s too much pain, too much suffering
Let’s resolve to start all over make a new beginning
Now don’t get me wrong I love life and living
But when you wake up and look around
at everything that’s going down
All wrong
You see we need to change it now,
this world with too few happy endings
We can resolve to start all over make a new beginning“New Beginning” – Tracy Chapman
And cry because I’m happy
And hold my friends like long lost lovers
Be kind to me and love each other
The world keeps spinning onIt’s alright
It’s ok
We will get another day
I don’t know how
I don’t know when
But I do know that we can
Try to begin again, to begin again
To begin to live and love and breathe again“To Begin Again” – Ingrid Michaelson
I did take a little artistic license and included a song from the movie Begin Again, gaining inclusion to the list by virtue of the movie rather than song title. The movie is great, up there with A Star Is Born, Once, A Beautiful Life, and CODA for a new artist discovering and exploring their talent – all very worth of watching.
Searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?
Who are we?
Just a speck of dust within the galaxy…
…Turn the page
Maybe we’ll find a brand new ending“Lost Stars” from Begin Again – Kiera Knightley
While not in the playlist, as begin or beginning is night in the title or even the lyrics, I thought Lucy’s hopes for a new beginning and A New Life seems to sum up the blog theme well:
A new start –
That’s the thing I need,
To give me new heart –
Half a chance in life
To find a new part,
Just a simple role
That I can play.A new hope –
Something to convince me
To renew hope!
A new day,
Bright enough
To help me find my way!A new life –
More and more, I’m sure,
As I go through life,
Just to play the game -,
And to pursue life –
Just to share its pleasures,
And belong! –
That’s what I’ve been here for,
All along!
Each day’s
A brand new life!A New Life – Jekyll & Hyde
And the maxims of philosophers, authors, and celebrities may offer some sage advice and motivation:
The beginning is the most important part of the work.
– Plato
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,
not on fighting the old, but on building the new.– Socrates
Every new beginning comes
from some other beginning’s end.– Seneca
No matter how hard the past,
you can always begin again.– Buddha
Be always at war with your vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let each year find you a better man.You do not find the happy life. You make it.
– Ben Franklin
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
– Gandhi
What you do makes a difference,
and you have to decide
what kind of difference you want to make.– Jane Goodall
To accomplish great things, we must not only act,
but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.– Anatole France
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
– Albert Einstein
If you’re brave enough to say goodbye,
life will reward you with a new hello.– Paulo Coehlo
Don’t think there are no second chances.
Life always offers you a second chance…
It’s called tomorrow.– Nicholas Sparks
Cheers to a new year
and another chance for us to get it right.– Oprah Winfrey
Whatever has happened in the past year,
the New Year brings fresh beginnings.– Peggy Tony Horton
This is a new year. A new beginning.
And things will change.– Taylor Swift
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life, for me.
And I’m feeling good.– Nina Simone
In addition to the begin/beginning playlist, I also included a playlist of songs with New Year’s in the title. Selections include offerings from U2, Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Van Morrison, Dan Fogelberg, A Great Big World, Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Mariah Carey, Abba, and Taylor Swift.
So as you contemplate your resolutions and your direction for the new year, consider new beginnings, and in areas in your life that might need attention or direction, dare to begin again:
And the bonus playlist as well:
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
Live in the moment.
Enjoy the moment.
Love the moment.
Listen to the MUSIC!