When I came to Manipal back in February, I didn’t think we’d ever be sent back. In my eyes, this was it. I was going to college, and I was going to have a ball. We all know how that ended. Disappointment aside, there’s one thing I can attribute to my adventures in Manipal – the amount of media I consumed increased exponentially. It helped that I had a lot of time on my hands (and multiple quarantines). As a result of this, I associate a few songs with specific times in Manipal. Here’s a list of them.
- Immaterial – SOPHIE
When I entered the campus, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Groups of people? Laughter? Some semblance of normalcy? These were foreign concepts to someone who was stuck at home for at least a year at that point. All the apprehension and excitement drew me back to ‘Immaterial’ repeatedly. SOPHIE, for those out of the loop, was an artist who defied every norm (musically or otherwise) and made some of the most revolutionary music of the late 2010s. Its lyrics talk about unlimited possibilities and gave me hope in the light of leaving home. Of starting afresh. As the lyrics stated, ‘I could be anything I want’. RIP SOPHIE.
- EML Ritual – The Chemical Brothers
Everything around me was an absolute haze. I wasn’t settling in well, I was homesick, and suddenly the whole concept of college seemed a lot less fun. It’s all fun when you see your seniors having fun, but no one talks about the other side of it. The part where you have to study (wait, college isn’t just for vibes? gasp!), the part with the horrid mess food (shoutout to FC1!) and most importantly, living alone. Making your own choices, handling your budget, meeting new people from all over the country. Nothing really prepares you for it. Almost coincidentally, I could draw parallels to the song I loved at that period to the world around me. Everything was confusing. I felt alone.
- Some Time Alone, Alone – Melody’s Echo Chamber
To complicate things, I contracted Covid towards the end of March and had to quarantine for two weeks in the worst block of them all – Block 10. A single room, an idle mind. Keeping the virus aside, I had a lot to think about. Everyone had left campus by that point, and I had to think about readjusting to a life in isolation. Was this it? Would I be resigned to another year of nothingness? I thought of all this as I lay down in my bed (which clearly was designed to punish you for contracting the virus). The song feels like a dream, floating by you yet memorable in its breeziness. A bit of relief in trying times.
At this point, I left Manipal. The second wave was really starting to affect things, and I thankfully left in the nick of time. It was horrible to see the number of casualties and the amount of suffering in India. I’d like to put a positive spin on it and say music helped me through it, but there’s no way around how depressing it was. Truly dark times.
Around October, as everything eased up, we were called back to campus in stages. I remember being absolutely ecstatic because no way would anything change this time, right?
- Balloon – Crumb
This was exactly what I wanted again. The freedom. The debauchery. What seemed intimidating the first time, seemed alluring the second. This was probably helped by how much I wanted to come back, but this felt cathartic – like I was here to stay. Just like the song, I felt free. This was my time, and no one was going to take this away from me. Or so I thought.
- 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
Due to certain circumstances, stuff didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to. Suddenly, everything seemed dreary. I didn’t want to go out anymore. Even if I did, I wasn’t quite there. I didn’t want to talk to my friends, and we’d spend long amounts of time just playing Forza Horizon 5 with music blaring in the background. Amidst the gloom, this song felt like a comforter. One day, as I was speeding down an imaginary highway in the game, it struck me. We move on, some things just aren’t meant to be. My outlook on things changed pretty quick after that. Thanks, Paul Simon!
- Paradise – Coldplay
My friends and I spent New Year’s Eve together. This would be the first New Year’s Eve I’d be spending with my friends, away from my family and everyone I cared about. But somehow, I felt alright. Maybe I’d gotten used to it, but I was comfortable spending time by myself after a long time. The brain fog I was talking about earlier seemed to have lifted. As the chorus of Paradise played in the background and the clock struck 12, we all leapt like kids, grinning like monkeys. Everything felt right. 2022 would be my year.
- Somethinggreater – Parcels
2022 would not be my year. I could tell that from the get-go. End semester exams loomed, The campus was effectively a containment zone, and I had nothing to do. While I did have my friends and a few sports to play, there’s only so much you can do. I’d have to hold on and hope for the best, as the song’s chorus quite effectively said. Backed with an effortless groove, it was the soundtrack to the first month of my year (and an unhealthy amount of Table Tennis).
Soon after the End Semester exams, I left Manipal. As I write this, I wonder what else Manipal holds for me. Every time I’ve left Manipal, it’s left me a different person. I’ve faced different challenges of varying magnitudes. But somehow, I still love the place. The positives outweigh the negatives, and I look forward to what comes next.
Chords & Co. 