Snow Patrol and What They Mean to Me

Snow Patrol & What They Mean to Me

Marnie Jade

                As part of the human condition, we try to find connections and patterns in the world around us.  This may be due in part to our need to have a semblance of balance and order in our lives in what is a chaotic, ever changing world.  As we forge through life, our brains are assimilating information and creating connections between the external and internal worlds.  Music, I believe, is the strongest example of these connections.

                How often have you found yourself listening to the radio and a song begins to play and you have a strong, visceral emotional reaction to it, whether it be a lyric, melody or thumping bass line, something in that song reach into you and shakes you, hard. 

Upon being confronted with this reaction, your mind begins to form connections and you may find that the song relates to some facet of your life, either a moment of sadness, a moment of joy, or even a good time in a dance club.  Once that connection has been forged nothing can break it, and whenever you hear that song, you will smile knowingly and remember that moment of epiphany.  Even more, that song may even become your personal mantra, a source of strength; a part of the soundtrack of your life.  The band that I have forged such a connection with is Snow Patrol.

                Snow Patrol has been together for 17 years.  I was fortunate enough to find them in 2005 when they played at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida.  When the band stepped onto the stage and the guitarist hit the first chords I felt myself come alive as the vibrations went through my body.  This was my first time hearing their music, but instantly, I felt that I had known their music forever and that we were, very old and comfortable friends. 

                The very next day I tracked down their album Final Straw.  I listened to the album continuously and I sang along trying to match harmonies and failing miserably.  I forged connections with the songs and they altered my perspective on some of the events that were then occurring in my life.

Snow Patrol’s songs have masterful lyrics.  You can listen to the songs over and over again, and while the lyrics may appear simple, if you listen to the tone of voice Lightbody uses and the open, poetic nature of the lines, you can infer a much deeper meaning from the song.  Their lyrics are so amazingly flexible, yet intimate, that each person can take an entirely different meaning from the song.  This lyrical ability is what in my opinion, makes Snow Patrol so special. 

There are so many levels to their songs, some simple, other deeply complex, yet all true to life and comforting.  They may sing about painful experiences, yet in each chord, each utterance, they offer hope and light.

                At every juncture of my life Snow Patrol’s music has been relevant.  When someone told me to “Open My Eyes” to the troubles of my three year relationship, their album Eyes Open played continuously.  When the “Lightening Strike” happened and I reached a pinnacle moment in my life, the album A Hundred Million Suns echoed my happiness and joy.  I began to “Run” after my father died, and as time passed and I began to welcome music back into my life, Fallen Empires gave me reassurance that “This Isn’t Everything You Are”.  Then my “Life-ning” began to happen and I met my true love and asked him to “Just Say Yes.”  At each “Finish Line” in my life, Snow Patrol’s music has been an affirmation of my life, love and existence.  As Snow Patrol’s music and talents have evolved, so have I.

                Seven years after our original meeting, Snow Patrol returned to St. Petersburg and blazed onto the stage at Janus Landing on March 31, 2012.  Their concert was a homecoming for me and a musical review of how I have grown and how far I have come.  At the end of their amazing concert, I was hopeful for a brighter future.

Snow Patrol is an amazing band and I look forward to having their music as a part of my life for the next 7 years.  It would be nice if they came back to St. Petersburg before that, but whenever they come back I will be there cheering them on again.  This is why Snow Patrol means so much to me.  Their music is my touchstone, my anthem, my soundtrack.