Songs To Live By…

Music is one of the greatest art forms in existence. They can tell stories, mend wounds, and oftentimes express what we cannot. In this special music roundtable, we are going to be writing about songs that still resonate with us whether it was something from our childhood, something that spoke to us, or moved us.

Josh Miller – The Live Wire

AC/DC – “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”

Growing up, my heart would belong to three bands mainly: Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Metallica. I hold Metallica closest, in part because I like the music the most, but it was the band that I discovered. The first two bands were ones I gravitated towards because my parents listened to them.

AC/DC in particular was my dads’ favorite band. He would tell me stories about his youth and getting into trouble or just joyriding, and AC/DC was one of the bands that soundtracked his life. Later in life, they were one of the ways we really connected. In particular, “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” from their High Voltage album holds a special place in my heart.

The reason for it may seem stupid. In high school, before I got a car, my dad would drive me to school. And every day, that’s the song we would listen to. It wasn’t his or my favorite song. But his Chevy S-10 only played cassette tapes, so instead of fast forwarding to other songs, we would just listen to it each morning anew. That became our morning ritual. The battle cry to start each school day.

In 2014, he passed away. I miss him more than words can truely express. But “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) is engrained in my heart and connected to him. If I hear that song, I think of him. When I think of him, that song also plays in my head. That song will mean something and resonate with me for the rest of my life, and I have my father to thank for it.