Iris Shanks /// Staff Writer
It’s finally November, and Halloween is nothing but a hauntingly-severe hangover. Shop windows are taking down their creepy clowns (I’m looking at you, Lewis & Clark Bookstore) and in their place, pop-up turkeys and Christmas trees are being erected.
For some, the beginning of the holiday season stirs up family drama and gift-related stress, but for (hopefully) many more, this is a season of some seriously powerful nostalgia. Theater major Sullivan Mackintosh (’15) has musical preferences that are nothing if not nostalgic.
“My music preferences don’t tend to change often or stay up with trends. They tend to come from long-standing traditions.”
These traditions are rather varied––there are the ’70s step-aerobic jams, The Killers and, of course, Disney music. Sullivan grew up jamming out to Disney, as did many, but as she’s grown older this has taken on new significance. “I love ‘Be Prepared’ from The Lion King. It’s Scar’s song and he’s got really great vocabulary. I think I’ve really appreciated some of the villains’ songs lately because I’m able to pick up on some of the nuances of their languages that I never heard when I was younger.”
As a kid, I was always particularly struck by the line “Wet as a warthog’s backside,” but upon inspection, I also found it to be true. Scar has a way with words: “Meticulous planning/Tenacity spanning” and the phrase “Quid pro quo” are just a couple of examples.
“The other one that’s been a favorite of mine for ages,” Mackintosh said, “…is Queen. They’re pretty classic, but I grew up listening to them on road trips with my parents.” Her two favorites are: “Somebody to Love” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” (“The obvious one,” she said), but the one that’s been on her mind lately is “You’re My Best Friend,” which comes from the same album as “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“It’s a really good one that people don’t know as well––it’s just really sweet. Queen goes all over the place… they do everything.” In light of all of the nostalgia, “You’re My Best Friend” seems like the perfect anthem for those out there who want that fuzzy feeling without any affiliated holidays. The song is a great reminder of how lovely friendship is, all tucked into the loveable 43-part harmonies that Queen does best on top of some poppy Wurlitzer action.
If you like it enough, or feel that it applies to one or more of your friendships, “You’re My Best Friend” could make it onto a mix CD––the gift that is somehow cheap, heartfelt and functional all at once. If you’re considering the throwback, why not throw in some Disney classics to top it all off? It’s officially the holiday season, so be prepared: Let the nostalgia carry you away, make a “dope” mixtape and keep groovin’, Pios.
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