Although I am a fan of music, I must admit my neglect in seeking new compositions and new songs. Part of the reason is that I do not have much leisure time, and I hate present-day, commercial music for both of its melody and lyric. Out of hundreds of songs I’ve listened recently with much effort, however, there is one song that made deep impression on me as from the first time I heard it, Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day.
The song was written by Billie Joe of the Green Day as a memorial anthem about his father, who died of cancer when Joe was a boy of only 10. In the song, he takes us back in time to his painful childhood, in rememberance of the day he lost his innocence when his father departed. Like many faced with the pain of losing parent(s), me included, Joe has never truly recovered. And just like me who associates pain with gloomy winter and February, my father’s death month, the songwriter dislikes to see September coming. He is scared of anything related to September, the death month of his father. He hates anything that may provoke sadness and promt him to write, “As my memory rests but never forgets what I’ve lost, wake me up when September ends.”
Me too, Joe. Winter is now coming, which reminds me of the sorrowful time I had with my father when he was going to leave me forever, and I hate it. I hate winter. I hate gloomy days without sunshine. I hate the leaden winter-time sky, full of dark clouds and sadness. I hate to find memories go back, no matter what kind of memories they are. So let my memory rest, God, and wake me up only when winter ends.
