I am finding certain songs very sustaining as I make the enormous effort to motivate myself to pack and clean. Some of these songs make no sense as sustainers/motivators. For example, Sledgehammer by Fifth Harmony:
It’s about the heart-pounding thrill of a CRUSH, not the heart-pounding stress of a move. But I’m hearing it as the latter, and the girl-power vibe and heel-stomping beat makes me feel as if I can manage.
Another non-instinctive choice is Wheels, by Foo Fighters:
The beat; the way the music does those little pauses with a weird sound; the melancholy/survivor vibe.
Hall of Fame by The Script featuring Will.i.am is easier to understand as motivational:
…Except that I greatly dislike the whole “you can be famous and amazing and the greatest and the best” theme, so I don’t know why I like this song so much but I just do. I like the beat, I like the music, I like the voices, I like the combination of voices. I think part of it is that when they’re listing things they think people should aspire to be as they aim for greatness, they include “students” and “teachers” and “truth-seekers” along with the less-likely “astronauts” and “champions.” And “you can move a mountain” feels particularly applicable right this minute when I am moving basically a mountain, and also it is possible to substitute “you can pack a box” for “you can break rocks.”
Immortals, by Fall Out Boy (song starts at 0:40):
Another of the “we are so awesome” type, but darker and with some humor (“We can be immortals—just not for long”). I find it a good TAKE ACTION song.
Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine:
It’s about dating, not moving house. But the beat and the cheerfulness are helpful.
No Such Thing as a Broken Heart, by Old Dominion:
It’s about taking romantic risks, but I’m broadening it to cover all life-changing risks. Cheerful sound is once again helpful.
A friend said this is “life soundtrack” music: you have it on and it makes your life feel more like a movie.
Odds Are, by Barenaked Ladies:
Again and again and again and again. Perfect “It’s going to be okay” message. (Also, when Henry was having some trouble with anxiety I told him that I use this song to help with feelings like those, and now HE uses the song too. It’s a good therapeutic song.)
No Sunlight, by Death Cab for Cutie:
Melancholy sound but upbeat: perfect combination for feeling sentimental but needing to get going.
Doomed-love song but the right kind of sound.
I am wondering if you have songs like this that you use for similar purposes.
Stronger by Kelly Clarkson! Also 4th of July by Fall Out Boy is super similar in sound to Immortals and I love it even though it’s about a breakup (ok most of FOB sounds the same, especially the album those two songs come from but I’d say those two are my favorites of the album.)
All the links are working for me!
My go-to pump-up/dance-y songs to get through monotonous tasks (incidentally, has a lot of overlap with my workout playlist) are as follows
The Cure by Lady Gaga
Timer by Ke$ha
BO$$ by Fifth Harmony
Work from Home by Fifth Harmony
Crazy in Love by Beyoncé
Nice for What by Drake (this is probably my number one)
Kill the Lights by ??? not sure actually
Gah, Crazy in Love. I still love that song! The fruity brass, the bounciness. Good choice.
This song did it for me when I moved last winter. It was on the radio quite a bit and I always took it as a little bit of cosmic encouragement. Both the sound and the lyrics are motivating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05v4nfUmBYI
I don’t exactly recommend the video, although it is so ridiculous as to veer into being amusing.
So Sad So Lonely by Matchbox Twenty. Mostly I think it’s one particular section that starts really slow, gradually speeds up, and ends with yelling “ I hope you get what you deserve!”
I love the song ‘Script’. Love it!!! I just remember that when we moved into our first house, the song ‘Meet Virginia’ – which may not even be the name of the song, but just the most repetitive words – played over and over. This was long before Bluetooth speakers and stuff. We had the radio on in the new house (really an old house that needed a lot of work). We heard that song a million times while we painted the entire house and now on the rare occasion when I hear that song – I swear I can SMELL paint!!!
When I hear the Blunderbuss album by Jack White, I think of painting!
This is deeply uncool and obvious, but Smashmouth.
I said YEP what a concept, I could USE a little fuel myself and we could ALL use a little CHANGE
hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The Middle, Jimmy Eat World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKsxPW6i3pM
Alison, Elvis Costello (because my name and it’s really cathartic to belt out ALYSON, I KNOW THIS WORLD IS KILLING YOU!)
Veronica
Call Me Al, Paul Simon
Songbird, Ryan Montbleau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBzI0EMsBEQ
I find a lot of reggae/ska beats get me moving (Bob Marley, 311)
75 and sunny, ibid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkuDfCI0YOQ
He does an amazing Fast Car, too.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I
I dig ukulele. Toss some Jason Mraz in there too.
Yes We Can Can, Allen Toussaint (I love him. He was awesome) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV7F-JwTx_U
The words/subject matter aren’t really right at ALL, but I find “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey, “Independence Day” by Martina McBride, and pretty much the whole blue album by Weezer (I mean, “In the Garage” could totally be about someone packing up a house, right?) to be pleasing in a belt-it-out, I-can-do-the-thing kind of way. I also love the cheerful sing-alongness of “Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie” by Michael Peterson.
Work B*tch by Britney Spears is the single most motivational song that I have ever encountered. I don’t know how anyone gets anything done without it, especially things like fitness. I have to be careful that I don’t accidentally hear it when I’m trying to relax and decompress after a long day.
Not a big fan of Ariana Grande’s singing in general , but one day in desperation I asked Alexa for a cleaning playlist and one of the songs was “No Tears Keft To Cry.” The “pickin’ it up, pickin’ it up” part of the lyrics made me smile when cleaning. Could easily sound like, “ packin’ It up, packin’ it up.”
And “Thank U, Next” would be great as applied to boxes!
Okay, this is funny, because in my reading through your archives, I JUST got to this post where you are contemplating cleaning your house in advance of visitors and talking about the drudgery of cleaning and decluttering:
““Can’t you just put on some music while you do it?,” says the memory of the psychologist. Er. Do we have different definitions of boredom, or is it that we are affected by music to different degrees? “What’s the big deal, Sisyphus? Just put on some music! That always makes ME feel energized and motivated!””
Songs I recommend musically:
Can You Feel It (I think by Michael Jackson)
Let’s Get It Started (Black Eyed Peas)
Call Me (Blondie)
Team (Lorde)
Youngblood (5 Seconds of Summer)
Vogue (Madonna)
And thematically:
Don’t Give Up (Peter Gabriel feat. Kate Bush)
Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)
Supermodel (Work It Girl) (RuPaul)
Ass Back Home by Gym Class Heroes has nothing to do with motivation but is a great upbeat song
Dangerous by Big Data
Unrelated to the content of this post, but I’m hoping someone can help. Are there any Swistle posts about toddlers? Ideally either: (1) Jesus God toddlers are annoying, and I am not a bad mother if I think that. Or (2) wow, my psychotic toddler has surprisingly NOT turned into a terrible person as an older child.
I could really use some Swistle wisdom on this issue. (Please imagine the emoji with the tongue sticking out and the crazy eyes.)
Lizzo, Good as Hell
Brother Ali, Fresh Air (wait for the Berenstein Bears reference…)
Grooveline by Heatwave
Funk+ Melancholy Lyrics+ Live Instruments = OH YES!
Wide Awake by Katy Perry I find very empowering.
Can’t Stop That Feeling by Justin Timberlake makes me just want to move. I find it great motivation at work to keep my energy up.
I also really like Patience by a UK band called Take That. It’s a recent find for me.
Oh also wanted to say that I love Hall of Fame, Stereo Hearts and (of course) Odds Are. (I also love Pinch Me by BNL.) So I will check out the others. We clearly have similar taste in music!
One of my favorites, especially for very unsavory tasks, is This Too Shall Pass by OK Go. There’s two versions, the original and one with a marching band, and I love them both. Also, Float On by Modest Mouse. And thanks to this post and the comments, I now have a Swistle’s Sustaining/Motivating Songs playlist on my amazon music, ready for my next unsavory/tedious task.
I’ve loved that MGMT song for awhile. I’m really bad about noticing lyrics/subjects of songs. I guess I tend to focus on the sound or feeling I get from them, so I’m not certain about the message on these, but for general peppy-ness I’ve been enjoying:
Quarter Past Midnight (The Bastilles), Silver Lining (Mt Joy), Saturday Sun (Vance Joy), Sit Next to Me (Foster the People).
Superchick, One More!
It feels like I have lost this fight
They think that I am staying down
But I’m not giving up tonight
Tonight the wall is coming down
I am stronger than my fears
This is the mountain that I climb
Got 100 steps to go
Tonight I’ll make it 99