Hello, everybody! I’m glad to have already found inspiration to write the first post for my brand new blog – Tunes ‘n Melodies, all thanks to a rainy day and Spotify.
If you know me well (or have followed me on Instagram for a while), you know how much I adore How I Met Your Mother’s soundtrack. If you’ve seen HIMYM, you get transported right into that particular scene every time you listen to a song from the series. Imagine reliving the thrill of watching one of your favourite shows for the very first time? HIMYM’s entire soundtrack does this job very well.
Now when I say analysis, it does not mean that I’m going to mention every single song I liked, but I will certainly mention a few that fit well with what I wrote above. So, here we go!
1. Season 4 – Prophets by A.C. Newman
The Leap (S4 X E24)
Life can be confusing. You might have to give up a lifelong dream just to survive. But sometimes, it is the decision you did not want to make that leads you to what you’d been wishing for, one way or another. Ted quit being an architect and took up the job at Columbia University, which might not have seemed like the best decision to him at the time, but it turned out to be one (if you know, you know). This song fits so well because they jump ‘one by one by one by one’ too. So take Lily’s advice: listen to what the world is telling you to do and… take the leap! Metaphorically, of course.
2. Season 5 – Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
Definitions (S5 X E1)
After taking the big decision to change his profession in Season 4, this season premiere showed Ted on his first day teaching at Columbia University. This scene was hilarious. Let’s face it, it isn’t easy to spell ‘professor’ correctly on the first try. Meticulous and obsessed with making things right, we can see Ted Mosby definitely caring about an Oxford Comma and many more things, such as him deciding about what kind of a professor he would link to be, for which he took a significant amount of time.
Before I start writing further, here’s a disclaimer: I LOVE ALL THE SONGS FROM SEASON 8, which means that the next few songs will be… from Season 8.
3. Season 8 – The Funeral by Band of Horses
Farhampton (S8 X E1)
This episode taught me two German words that don’t really exist: Lebenslangerschicksalsschatz (which supposedly meant ‘lifelong treasure of destiny’) and beinaheleidenschaftsgegenstand (‘the thing that is almost the thing that you want, but it is not quite’). The words might not be real, but the concept certainly is. We meet a wide variety of people throughout our lives. Some people are temporary, while others become so important to us that it is impossible for us to live without them. HIMYM’s choice of songs is what compelled me to write about it, but this song was special because it had a hidden meaning, one that we discovered in the series finale.
4. Season 8 – Museum of Flight by Damien Jurado
The Pre-Nup (S8 X E2)
Sad scene. Sad song. I liked Barney and Quinn together; they made an excellent couple. But the reason they did not end up together was something that makes every relationship last forever: trust. This is my favourite song from the soundtrack, for it is melancholic yet real.
5. Season 8 – Simple Song by The Shins
Something New (S8 X E24)
The curators of HIMYM probably made the best choice of song with this one. The repetitive beats of the song, important scenes unfolding one by one, the build-up to the last scene, everything was remarkable. The Mother was revealed, we saw the yellow umbrella too 😉 A lot was revealed in the last three minutes; it was an emotional roller coaster. I would also like to mention that The Shins make music that makes you nostalgic, so if you’re feeling that way, their songs can be your escape.
6. Season 9 – Downtown Train by Everything But The Girl
Last Forever (S9 X E24)
All of us ugly-cried at this scene. Their conversation kept us riveted to the screen as we listened to faint but beautiful music in the background. The show’s titular question was finally answered, and Tracy’s addition to the show was refreshing. (I’ll never accept the actual ending, for me this is where the show ends okay? :P)
The show was not entirely about Ted and Robin’s on and off relationship, nor was it about Marshall and Lily’s marriage. And it was definitely not about Barney’s suits (or his Playbook :P). Some shows make you think about life, and even though it might not have been possible to afford an apartment like that in New York City, HIMYM certainly gave us a reason to live unapologetically and made us realize it takes time to become the best version of ourselves. All that matters is having fun throughout.
And with this, we come to the end of this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Listen to the songs (AND WATCH THE SHOW) if you haven’t, and let me know what you think!
Until next time,
Saanvi (@tunesnmelodieswriter)
Tunes ‘n Melodies 