The Mixtape

By Carlos Elias

My Way

         I first ran into this song when my cousin came home with his first tattoo. Even though my family
is not in love with the idea of tattoos, they were unusually mesmerized about this one. My cousin had the
words “My Way” imprinted in black on one of his triceps. It was etched in this beautiful font that made it
really blend with his arm. Even though I had no idea why my cousin did this, I still thought the tattoo
looked nice. However, it was the meaning behind this tattoo that made me realize the emotional
connection to this tattoo.

During that time, my grandfather recently passed away in the hospital. He died in peace; he saw
his entire family a couple of days before, even the ones who lived out of town. I was around nine or ten
years old, but I still loved my grandfather so much. He always liked to pull silly antics with me and my
sister. However, I did not know much about him. It was until the day I saw the tattoo when I was told that
my grandfather’s favorite song was this Frank Sinatra song called “My Way.”

I've lived a life that's full

I traveled each and every highway
But more, much more than this
I did it my way

During his funeral, I started to learn how great of a man my grandfather was. He seemed to be a
huge part of everyone’s lives, and he seemed to live life his own way.

Cute Without the “E” (Cut from the Team)

         I remember my first time going to Six Flags Magic Mountain with my three older cousins. My
cousins are around ten years older than me, so they grew up with a totally different music scene from me.
Along the drive, I would hear these emo (more like screamo) songs from the early 2000s, one of them
being “Cute Without the “E” (Cut from the Team)” by Taking Back Sunday. I always knew they liked
this type of music, and I was interested in it. As the car ride kept going, I heard tons of songs from bands
like Hawthorne Heights, Chiodos, and Underoath. That car ride was one of the memorable experiences I
have ever had, maybe even better than the destination we were going to.

         About a little less than a year later, I went to the last year of Warped Tour, and it was an amazing
experience. I got to see the bands my cousins have adored during their own childhoods, such as The Used,
All Time Low, and Senses Fail. There were people crowd surfing left and right, and everybody was just
having a good time.  

         Now, I listen to so many emo songs since I think they are relevant to me as a teenager. Although
some of the songs may be lyrically overdramatic, they make me think of what my cousins went through
when they were my age. Their experience makes me feel like I am not alone in this part of my life.
 Cowboys and Angels

This song reminds me of my mom because she loves George Michael. His days in the
band Wham! go back to the ’80s, the decade of my parent’s teenage years. That is probably why my mom
loves him so much. It takes her back to own teenage years, jamming to songs like “Everything She
Wants.”

All you do is love and love is all you do

When I was younger, I would frequently go to Mexicali to visit my grandparents and the rest of
my family. These were the days of the iPod, and my family would always play music from the iPod along
the journey. Once we were done visiting Mexicali, we would normally go back home during nighttime.
Those nightly drives are the times when my mom would ask to play “Cowboys and Angels” by George
Michael.

The song starts off with a beautiful piano intro, then the song flourishes when the drums and bass
kick in. By this point, I have already gotten chills, and I am happy that I know about this song because it
is so angelic.

About a Girl

         As a kid, I had a Nintendo Wii, and I was in love with it. I had over 40 games on the console, and
I would make use of each and every one of them. One of these games was Guitar Hero: World Tour. I
had my plastic guitar next to my television, ready to be shredded for rock songs. I remember first playing
the game, and there was a story mode that played every song in the game. One of the first songs I played
to was “About a Girl” by Nirvana. At the time, I did not know who Nirvana was, but I loved the song.
Now every time I played the video game, the first song I went to was “About a Girl.” Of course, there
were many other songs in the game that I also loved and still listen to today, but this song’s infectious
melody and lyrics stuck well in my memory.

I'll take advantage while

You hang me out to dry
But I can't see you every night
Free

Unfortunately, I sold the Nintendo Wii once I transitioned to the Xbox 360. To this day, I believe
that was one of the biggest regrets of my life. Alongside Guitar Hero, I had so many memories with the
console. Apart from that, Nirvana is now one of my favorite bands, and it is one of the bands that really
got me into rock music. So, whenever I listen to Nirvana in general, the memories of playing Guitar Hero
come into mind. 

 
 Daydreaming

Apart from helping me go to sleep, this beautiful and calming song by Radiohead takes me to the
time I went to Berkeley.

Even though this song does not have to do with the place directly, the song just reminds me of it.
It takes me back to when I visited the college in the summer before junior year. Its unique and beautiful
campus really caught my eye. I remember seeing the various restaurants, thrift shops, and record stores
that surrounded the university. I guess the record stores I went to connects this song with Berkeley, since
I remember seeing a lot of Radiohead albums there. This experience made me realize I would want to be
part of that. Of course, there are many other colleges I would want to go to, but Berkeley felt like I could
see a future there.

Dreamers
They never learn
They never learn

         Especially during this time of isolation, I frequently think about the future, hoping that it is as
amazing as I am imagining it would be. Wherever I decide to go to for college, I wish it will contain the
same feeling I had when I went to Berkeley. In the meantime, I am just daydreaming.