Life is an entertaining thing. We are all on this journey of some sorts where we don’t even usually know where our destination is. Things sometimes go well for us, but we feel that oftentimes they don’t. We meet people who are having their own journeys – these same people we think will be with us for the long haul, but apparently they won’t. Other folks are pleasant surprises and they stay with us until the very end. However different we all are, it seems that there are times when we are all similar too. Life seems to be an entertaining irony.
Here are 21 Best Songs About Life which you can certainly relate to.
Table of Contents
- 21. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara
- 20. Everything is NOT Awesome by Lego Movie 2 Cast
- 19. Dynamite by BTS
- 18. Go Easy On Me by Adele
- 17. Ironic by Alanis Morissette
- 16. Life by Des’Ree
- 15. You Learn by Alanis Morissette
- 14. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
- 13. I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff
- 12. In My Life by The Beatles
- 11. Good Life by OneRepublic
- 10. Beautiful Day by U2
- 9. 3 Littles Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers
- 8. Times Like These by Foo Fighters
- 7. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
- 6. Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay
- 5. Dancing On My Own – Robyn
- 4. Warning by Incubus
- 3. My Life by Imagine Dragons
- 2. Lightning Crashes by Live
- 1. Happy by Pharrell Williams
21. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara
This song is in the soundtrack of the first LEGO® movie. It is a comical song because it showed how repetitive and predictable life is in that Lego town. It became the town’s theme song and they just kept playing this song the entire day, everyday. However, there are perfectly awesome days in our lives too and we can just belt out this song and feel actually good about it.
20. Everything is NOT Awesome by Lego Movie 2 Cast
Now this is a more realistic version of the previous song. This song is featured in the LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part. It’s still a hilarious song because it has some lines like “Love’s not real, I just wanna eat carbs, pass the ice cream.” These are activities people do when they feel depressed. The song progresses and the characters get over their hump and find a way to be optimistic with their life and work together.
19. Dynamite by BTS
The Korean boy band BTS is popular for their feel-good songs. They seem to think of uplifting their fans while creating their songs. This KPop song was released during the pandemic with the band’s wishes to bring some happiness amid the gloom. “Life is sweet as honey” and “Life is a dynamite” are lines in the song, reminding us that life can still be really sweet and good. This is the Korean band’s first all-English song, released in 2020 in their album entitled BE.
18. Go Easy On Me by Adele
Adele wrote this song after so many hardships in her life. After so many heart-wrenching songs that she wrote and performed about her horrible ex, she finally gets married and has a son. This marriage also broke down, and this is the song that was first released after her divorce. Life has not been kind to her during those moments. This is Adele’s song to her son which seems to beseech him to understand and “go easy” on her about her life and choices. This sad pop song came out towards the end of 2021 under the album with the same name.
17. Ironic by Alanis Morissette
Life has extremely unexpected plot twists, most times even weirder than what we see in movies or read in novels. Ironic is one of Alanis Morissette’s most popular songs in the 90s that truly captures how life can sometimes go horribly, almost comically wrong. She gives a lot of examples of this like a “no smoking sign on your cigarette break.” However, she says that “it figures,” and “Life has a funny way of helping you out,” which leads us to think that even if life is too hard to understand, it eventually makes sense in the end.
16. Life by Des’Ree
From her 1998 album Supernatural, this pop song Life has an upbeat tune. Des’Ree talks about how fearful and superstitious she is but she also knows that if she wants to live a fun life, she has to chase her dreams even if it’s not easy at all. This happy song’s video has a pretty good 30M views on YouTube.
15. You Learn by Alanis Morissette
Here’s another song by Canadian artist Alanis Morissette that talks about an unconventional way of looking at life. She does not just tolerate mistakes, she recommends actually committing them in purpose to learn about the reality of life. This rock alternative song is from her album Jagged Little Pill, released in 1995.
14. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
This song tells a story of how life sometimes just goes around and around on a cycle that you need to break. It’s a pitiful story of a girl who ran away from the unjust responsibility of taking care of her drunk father. She ran away with her lover in his “fast car” but sadly as they started to build a life together, he ended up being an irresponsible drunk partner and father to their children, exactly like her father that she escaped.
13. I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff
This is probably one of the most positive songs ever written. Life sometimes is really good, whether we admit it or not. There’s always a time when everything is good and our prayers are answered. This song will uplift you even when you’re already in a good mood.
12. In My Life by The Beatles
Musical geniuses The Beatles released this song in their album Rubber Soul back in 1965. It’s a simple song that reminisces the elements of John Lennon’s life. These are his friends, lovers, family, and memories. He loves them all. It’s beautiful and straightforward. Life should be as uncomplicated as this.
11. Good Life by OneRepublic
This is a feel-good song about life. It is reminiscent of how it is possible to be happy-go-lucky when you’re young. You can travel, have friends all over the world, be hopeful, optimistic, and a little bit careless. That’s what youth is about anyway. This song can be found in OneRepublic’s 2009 album, Waking Up.
10. Beautiful Day by U2
This alternative rock song by U2 has a noble message embedded in its lyrics. It’s easy to think that this is a positive song about someone singing about a “beautiful day,” however, nothing goes right for the man in the song. The man is always in a terrible situation but he sees the good in things in life that are not tangible. Perhaps, that is the path to true happiness. Live life in the Spirit and not be so transfixed about the material world.
9. 3 Littles Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers
This is the ultimate song you can listen to if you are plagued with anguish. Bob Marley wrote this song with the pure intention for his audience to be free from worries. It talks repetitively about how everything will be alright. This reggae song was released in 1977 but is still widely popular today. This song was even included in Will Smith’s zombie movie, I Am Legend. The song was sung by the lead character despite how hopeless his situation was in the entire film.
8. Times Like These by Foo Fighters
Released in 2002 in their album One by One, Times Like These is an uplifting alternative rock song. One of Dave Grohl’s favorite songs, it teaches us that whatever we choose in life, whichever path we take in a crossroad, we will learn. Whether you choose a path leads to a mistake or if you choose the absolute correct path, both will let you learn.
7. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
This is another song created by two musical superstars which proved that collaboration can also mean success. This song’s music video has 2.1B views on YouTube. It tells us of a story of 2 lovers being content and appreciative of what they have. One lover thinks about how mundane he is compared to superheroes but the other lover assures that those qualities are totally unnecessary. Their reliable relationship as “something like this” is good enough. If we were all just content with our simple gifts, life would be much easier,
6. Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay
Coldplay’s disco pop song Adventure of a Lifetime is a song that celebrates how wonderful it is to be made feel alive again by a beloved. Its catchy beat and its whimsical music video showing apes is sure to put a smile on your face. In life, you need to feel alive. If not, then what’s the point of living?
5. Dancing On My Own – Robyn
This song has been recreated and covered several times. The covers themselves became extremely successful such as Calum Scott’s. Be it as it may, Robyn’s original electro pop version still has its unique charm. Sometimes we just find ourselves dancing on our own while everyone else has partners to dance with. In the song, she’s alone in the dark as she watches her ex being intimate with a new lover. There are many situations in life when we feel rejected and downcast, but it is what it is. That’s part of life.
4. Warning by Incubus
Warning by Incubus is part of their 2001 Morning View album. It comes with a direct, easy to understand message. Don’t let your life pass you by. The consequences of doing so are so dire, they cost you your actual life. Participate and do not be a supporting character in your own story. Live each day and love yourself “before it’s made illegal.”
3. My Life by Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons give us existential life questions in this song. Is this all there is to life? What if you don’t even like yourself? The thing about songs is that they don’t always need to have the answers. The question just hangs there and if you’re on the same boat, maybe the song can direct you to your own personal answer. Find this song in their 2021 album, Mercury -Act 1.
2. Lightning Crashes by Live
Lightning Crashes is a serious take on the seeming reality of the transference of life. Some people die, and some people live. Some even perish at the exact moment others are born. It may seem ruthless or sad, but it seems that the breath of life comes and goes for all of us. This song was released in 1994 under their album Throwing Copper.
1. Happy by Pharrell Williams
This could be one of the best gifts Pharrell ever gave us fans. This Happy song can indeed make you incredibly happy. Its music is contagious, its video with so much dancing is so fun to watch, and it’s even a soundtrack of a Minions movie, Despicable Me 2. Life entails a lot of decisions. Even being happy is a deliberate choice. Do you choose to be happy or something else? Choose to listen to this song, there’s nothing despicable about it.