Last year, I posted about a social project called “Stories for Europe”, an initiative to provide settings and platforms through which interested people can work and dream collaboratively on new narratives and visions about the future of Europe. The kick-off event took place last September, symbolically in Aachen, which is one of Europe’s historic capitals and is considered the oldest center of united Europe.
As a parallel project to that, I asked the LinkedIn community if there is any song that they could recall in their minds and resonates with their dream for Europe. And whether they would like to share their stories of what connects them with the song they choose. Because songs most of the time say beautiful stories. And if not, then for sure they hold inside them a relatable story, which identifies with their listeners. Actually, sometimes seems like it was written about their life. Didn’t this happen to you as well?
So, big thanks to all of you who stepped in and shared your preferred song and story here on LinkedIn, on Twitter, and via email. Today, I am sharing back with you, the fruitful outcome of the compilation of as many as possible songs I got from all of you, flavoring them with few of your words and stories that got my attention. For any new readers that they would like to contribute to this beautiful playlist, please feel free to do so. There we go:
For Jodie Goulden, her preferred song is “Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2. Jodie says that “…It represents the idea of a place where your address, religion, origin doesn't determine how people see you. For me, Europe is a place of constant discovery…”
For Joanna Sell, it is a Polish song “Kraków-Saloniki” by Maja Sikorowska. “…The refrain pictures what it is like for her to cope with her Polish and Greek origins: -l have got two hearts and two souls, and somehow l have to deal with it. ... Two flags, two languages. How to cope with the so much faith?”
For Martine Reyners is the “Ode to Joy”: “…Alle Menschen werden Brüder...Beethoven was hoping almost 200 years ago, that we could become all united…”
Wolfgang Tonninger shared two songs: The “Weisse Pferde” from the Austrian Singer Songwriter Georg Danzer “… the refrain simple and powerful: Tell me, my love, whereof are we still believing …?” and the second one is an all-time classic from Bob Marley, the “Redemption Song” "…Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, None but ourselves can free our mind…"
Maggie Marriott from the UK, reminded us the "Don't Go" by Yazoo “…and dates back to the 80's when I was at school and the Berlin Wall was becoming a big issue. Now it's the lyrics that get to me from a Brexit perspective...”
Angelos Derlopas, MSc, PCC. has chosen "A song for Europe" by Roxy Music. "....these cities may change but they always remain my obsession…”
For Rosie Burrows Ph.D. "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk is the first song that comes to her memory. “This song represents freedom to be and travel on an open road by car, fast, slow, with and without a map, with and without a particular destination in mind. Sometimes accompanied, sometimes alone…”
Ron Leeman joins the playlist with the “Winds of Change” by Scorpions. “... this classic which is quite apt for me as a Change Manager…”
Spyros Akrivos brings in the "Cafe Europa" by David Sylvian. “…Saying goodbye, hoping to railways towards an airport at night, closings and familiar places…”
Christine Erlach chooses "An Englishman in New York" from Sting. “…This song was somehow giving me much confidence in my teenager sorrows that all of us are alike, even if we seem to be quite different…”
Jacques Chlopczyk goes for “Esperanto” from Freundeskreis. “…I was about 13 when I started to listen to this group and it always made me hopeful and gave me strength… I, unfortunately, do not speak Esperanto, but its name speaks for itself.
I should not forget my song, "Europe is our playground" from Suede with its lightness, feeling of freedom and romance ambiance: “Run with me baby, let your hair down through every station, through every town, run with me baby, let's take a chance from Heathrow to Hounslow, from the Eastern Block to France. Europe is our playground…”
I left as the last song to mention the one from Sarah Elkins, an American storyteller, and musician. It is interesting for me to see how a song could relate an American to Europe. I let Sarah’s story speak for itself: “Our most recent trip to Europe was less than a week after explosions rocked Paris in November 2015. My mother asked if we would still go, she was worried, of course. We had tickets to see Caravan Palace at the Olympia, just down the road from the Bataclan, exactly one week following the tragedy at that theatre. The concert was sold out, every seat was filled, and we were suddenly so impressed and inspired by the resilience of the people of this city. When Zoe began this song, she started with a speech. Though I don't speak fluent French, I heard words like "pride", "love", "unity", "fear", and "joy". The audience erupted in a standing ovation, and this song filled our ears: Aftermath."
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