4 Hopeful Songs From the Early 2000s That Remind Us Life Is Worth Living

The early 2000s were full of songs and full of hope. Honestly, I don’t think we appreciated the positivity enough at the time. Here are some songs from this era that you can’t help but love.

“The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World

This is one of my personal favorites. “The Middle” was written as a bit of a response to a young fan, who wrote a letter to the band, explaining that she didn’t feel like she fit in with the punk kids at her school. Ironically, as “punk” as this song is, it’s also super comforting for anyone who needs a reminder that there’s so much more life to be lived.

It just takes some time
Little girl, you’re in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be alright, all right.

“Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall

“Suddenly I See” sounds like dopamine in a bottle. KT Tunstall, a Scottish singer-songwriter, wrote this song about Patti Smith and powerful women in general. It was later used in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. This song is incredibly catchy, even though the lyrics are a little repetitive.

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me
(Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me.

“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield

I know you know this one. “Unwritten” fits perfectly on this list, not only because it has a good message, but also because that message continues to resonate with people over and over again.

“I don’t know why this song has so much staying power, but I do know it is very honest and seems to keep resonating for so many different types of people,” Bedingfield told Rolling Stone of the song. “The message of being in charge of your own life and letting go of inhibitions must be an important one for everyone.”

“Soak Up The Sun” by Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow wrote this hopelessly positive entry on our list of 2000s songs with Jeff Trott when she needed a track that would put her in a good mood. She was recovering from surgery at the time and must’ve been in need of the optimism. This one is about “lookin’ up” even when things feel a little glum.

Photo by: Bill Tompkins/Getty Images

The post 4 Hopeful Songs From the Early 2000s That Remind Us Life Is Worth Living appeared first on American Songwriter.