Every graduation needs a theme song (?), so I’ve got one. It comes to us from one of the great 80s synth pop albums, The The’s Soul Mining, and is called “This is the Day.” You might think the sentiment is a bit obvious

This is the day your life will surely change
This is the day when things fall into place

but in the scheme of things (i.e. a preternaturally great pop song), it comes across as an unanswerable prayer shouted in the face of cruel monotony, especially given these lines from “The Sinking Feeling,” the song that follows “This is the Day” on Soul Mining.

The path of least resistance leads to the garbage heap of despair
I think I better get back in bed
I’m just a symptom of the moral decay that’s gnawing at the heart of the country

I don’t think we’re living in Matt Johnson’s England, but I like how a cynic and cultural critic like him can turn a song about sitting in your room into a mantra of imminent renewal. And it works. I believe this is the day every time I hear it.

[mp3] The The - "This is the Day"

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A good percentage of WMCN graduates tomorrow, but some of the senior constituency aren't letting go of their blogging privileges just yet.