Amherst High School. 1st period. Cafeteria. That is where I was when the first plane hit the World Trade Center ten years ago today. When my friend and I got word of what has happening, we ran upstairs to the Dean's office to watch the news broadcast with a hand full of students, faculty, and staff, all of whom happened to be in the area of a TV, as the second plane hit the towers. I imagine if you ask anyone who was old enough at the time, they will be able to tell you exactly where they were as well. I remember school being so strange that day. No one quite knew how to handle the news. Some teachers chose to show the broadcast during class and have an open discussion with students. Others left the broadcast off and continued with their class curriculum as normal. That didn't feel right to me, although some students has requested the news be left off as they had friends/families members in NYC. History was happening as we sat there, and regardless of how horrible and shocking it was, it was important to see and talk about what had happened and what we do now.
As today will surely be full of remembrances for events on that day ten years ago, we decided to put together a small play list of songs that while not all may have been directly related to the events that happened on September 11th, exhibit the emotions of that day and the days to follow. Music still and always will have the ability to put us in a certain place and time.
Explosions in the Sky - "Your Hand in Mind"
The post-rock group out of Austin found themselves in a bit of unwarranted controversy around the times of the attacks, not to mention this recent overblown coincidence. Their album, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever, was released exactly one week before September 11th. The record featured artwork of a plane flying over a group of troops and the message on the inner notes stating "this plane will crash tomorrow". Their most recognizable song, "Your Hand in Mine", off their follow up album The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place though begins with a sense of loss and ends with hope. Like most Explosions in the Sky songs, not a word is spoken, but the emotional impact is unavoidable. The album title itself is reflectively optimistic, no matter how distant that optimism may have been.
Bruce Springsteen - "The Rising"
Written as a direct response to the September 11th attacks, the title track from Springsteen's 12th studio album became an anthem for a country banding together in the face of tragedy. The song depicts a New York City firefighter making his way up on of the World Trade Center buildings after one of the hijacked planes crashed. The courage and fear found in the lyrics only further stresses the acts of heroism that occurred that day.
Wilco - "Ashes of American Flags"
The story behind Wilco's breakthrough album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, has been well chronicled, but the album at it's core was a collection of loss, alienation, and cynicism in a post 9/11 world despite being recorded prior to the attacks. Between the American symbolism ("diet coca cola") or the feelings of defeat ("speaking of tomorrow, how will it ever come?") in the lyrics, "Ashes of American Flags", a wrenching portrait of can easily be a metaphor country at a loss, a wrenching portrait of confusion and the search for answers.
Wilco - "Jesus Etc."
While the title does not have the direct symbolism of "Ashes of American Flags", "Jesus Etc.", the standout track from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, again written prior to 9/11, featured the chilling lyrics "tall buildings shake, voice escape singing sad, sad, songs". While neither Wilco song on this list is what you would call uplifting, both tracks managed to capture the helpless feelings that many Americans experienced following the tragedy.
Embrace - "Ashes"
The song from the British group can be seen as personal or as broad as you like. Each person was touched differently from the 9/11 attacks, and whether you interpret the song as a victory of a singular conflict or something much bigger, the song's anthemic chorus is almost impossible not to rally around. The overall feel of the song is not of one of sorrow and loss, but rather of victory and persevering, the moment when you realize that the worst is behind and the emotional rebuilding can begin.
Ryan Adams - "New York, New York"
The first single of Adams' Gold album is his love letter to the Big Apple. The video, which was shot just days before the attacks, became even more meaningful than the song as the alt country singer/songwriter sings his "farewell to the city and the love of my life" with the iconic skyline serving as his back drop. The World Trade Center Towers, standing just over his left shoulders, never looked so proud.
This is a very poignant list, Mac.
Great Blogpost!! Just stumbled upon this, but couldn't agree more with the list, well put together. T