Today my brother graduated from High School and is eagerly awaiting attending Cornell in the fall. My brother thanks you for the internet round of applause. The ceremony was early but enjoyable and afterwards my family went out to brunch and I overate. What? My day’s events are not exciting. True, this is a music blog. I apologize let us get to the music. In honor of all those high school seniors who have/will be graduating high school in these past/future days, I have searched my scattered mind and bloated stomach for a song to not only encompass your accomplishments, but also to give you some great lyrics to guide you through the summer and onto freshman year. So, I have avoided being incredibly cliche with “The Graduation Song” by Vitamin C, and I have chosen to be just plain old cliche with “Good Riddance,” by Green Day.
“So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind 
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it’s worth it was worth all the while
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life.”
– “Good Riddance,” by Green Day released as a single in 1997.
These lyrics do an amazing job in extending the broad message that one must take the memories and hold them close because life is rather unpredictable but in the end stability is reached. While this song, according to its writer and singer Billie Joe Armstrong was written as a goodbye to a girlfriend who was moving to Ecuador, forcing their break-up, the message extends to everyone. So, whether one is saying goodbye to Ecuadorian chick or saying their bon voyage to one stage of their life, the song wonderfully explains that in all of these events, “I hope you had the time of your life”
