My name is what?

Recently, when I started reading that manga, Your Name – you know there was that animated film out like 1 or 2 years ago – it got me thinking about names.

If you haven’t seen or read it, you should; it’s a crazy story, I say that in the best best way possible. But it made me a bit paranoid. You know how sometimes, you see people who you just feel like you know but you can’t remember their name or meeting them? Well, it gave a suggestion on how that happens.

Then I saw Call Me By Your Name. It is so beautiful – go see it! The whole thing is so delicate and refined. It also made me want to be on holiday. I liked how they used each other’s names as some secret sacred bound.

And all this, brought me back here: I have a friend who does not go by her name. She just picked another and now that’s what we all call her. She told me it’s because no one can pronounce her real name – best reason not to change it if you ask me. I would never go by anything that is not my name. I don’t understand how people can do it. Isn’t your name tied to your identity and your memories? Some sort of link to where you come from and everyone you’ve met?

So as I was pondering over what something as small as a name represents – and how silly it is that I attach so much importance to something that was arbitrarily given to me by 2 adults who thought having a child was a good idea – I decided to put together a playlist of songs with name titles.

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1 – Becky – be your own PET (Get Awkward, 2008)

When I hear the name Becky, 2 things come to me. First this song, every time I see a Becky, I hear be your own PET shout “We don’t like Becky anymore”. The other thing is Sir Mix A Lot, the big butts song man. At the beginning, there are those 2 white girls and one of them goes “Oh my god! Becky!”. Sorry to all the Beckies out there, but I’ll just call you Rebecca.

2 – Hello, Lakisha – Kilo Kish (Reflections in Real Time, 2016)

This song made me think that Lakisha was not that lame of a name after all.  The instrumentation on it is really fun and unusual for a song on the poppier side.

3 – Laura – Bat For Lashes (The Haunted Man, 2012)

Laura, here, is an ageing party girl. Those are so sad, they have that past-glory grandioseness. It’s a really lovely song to cry to.

4 – Leonie – Frankie Cosmos (Zentropy, 2014)

Sweet and lazy, perfect for Sundays.

5 – Demetrius – Sufjan Stevens (A Sun Came, 2000)

And here comes Sufjan again – I’m having a bit of a moment with him lately. You know, he’s actually credited as playing the oboe on this album.

6 – Paul – Big Thief (Masterpiece, 2016)

Another dreamy love song. She sings “I’ll be your record player baby, if you know what I mean”. What does she mean? Now I feel like the whole song is dirty and I’m not getting it.

7 – Too Many Fiestas for Rueben – Modest Mouse (Too Many Fiestas for Rueben, 1997)

Who spells Reuben like they do?

8 – Hey, Joe – Sparklehorse (Good Morning Spider, 1999)

I’m really fond of Sparklehorse, I’m really fond of Daniel Johnston; so a cover of Daniel Johnston’s Hey, Joe by Sparklehorse, I’m there.

9 – Sarah – (Sandy) Alex G (Trick, 2015)

The end is like the music is not really ending but just flying up and away.

10 – Lila – Bright Eyes (A Collection Of Songs Written And Recorded 1995-1997, 1998)

I think Bright Eyes sounds the best in the rougher recordings, so if you agree, this album is just for you!