We’ve all done it: Sitting in one of the candy-colored chairs in the Yard or barely making it to class (even on Harvard time), we pop on a pair of headphones. We crank up that one song—the soundtrack to our Ivy League angst, the one we secretly sing to in our underwear when no one’s around, the one to which we can’t help walking at least a little in time. With classes just getting into full swing, FM yanked headphones out of unsuspecting ears in all corners of the Yard. Here’s what Harvard’s listening to:
"Knee Socks" by The Arctic Monkeys
Sophomore boy: “It’s upbeat, and I need that in the middle of my day. Sometimes I listen to EDM in the Yard, but today is too beautiful for that.”
"One Read Thread" by Blind Pilot
Sophomore boy: “This is a song that I listen to when I’m going from place to place. It has a really travel-centric theme for me.”
"Cecilia and the Satellite" by McMahaon
Freshman boy: “It’s a sad song, but the beat is not too slow.”
"El Carratero" by Buena Vista Social Club
Sophomore boy: “It reminds me of growing up. This is the kind of music that was played in my home.”
"Ex Factor" by Lauryn Hill
Junior Girl: “The song is just really powerful. It reminds me of my childhood, when I listened to ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ endlessly. It really resonates with people of color.”
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon
Junior boy: “It reminds me of my home, England. I’ve listened to this song at least 10 times in the past 24 hours. Stephen Colbert and Paul Simon also performed it on ‘The Late Show’ with Stephen Colbert recently.”
"No Diggity" covered by The Lowkeys
Sophomore boy: “I was in the process of auditioning for the Lowkeys...So, yeah.”