In honor of their 8th album, Damages, coming out June 11,  the title track and EP being released next week, and the first single "I Will Steal You Back" available online today, I'm dedicating this post to one of my very first musical loves.

*Disclaimer, this post will show my age and my friends will probably hate it.

I think Jimmy Eat World was one of the first bands I realized I liked on my own. My friend in 6th grade recommended them, so I feel like they were a big part of my musical "coming of age" in discovering what styles of music I liked. Growing up, I liked whatever music my parents listened to. Even when I got a little older, I really only liked bands like *NSYNC and Spice Girls because they were on the radio and all my friends liked them. Jimmy Eat World was really the first time I had a musical interest that was uniquely my own.

I didn't jump on the JEW train until Bleed American, but to this day, Chase This Light is one of like 3 albums I could listen to for hours and hours without skipping any of the tracks.


Calm down. Everything will be alright.
"The Middle"

Guess what? Life is a roller coaster and it's meant to be that way. Let things pan out the way they're supposed to, Haley, and stop stressing about things that are completely out of your control.

Oh, and the "little girl" part is definitely about me. Since I'm little. And also a girl.



Adventures are super great.
"Chase This Light"

And adventures with friends are even greater. I think about my trip to Disneyland with some of my newest and greatest friends several weeks ago. Or my summer in Washington, DC. Or my friend trip to Hawaii in a couple weeks. (!!!!!!!!!!)

My favorite part of being young and single is all the adventures we get to have together.

"Confetti rainfall and the quiet street.
The beauty is in what you make it, so get up on your feet."




Sometimes a person can feel like they are your other half AND be just plain bad for you at the same time.
"Polaris"

Whew. This song is a doozy. Don't hate me, but I've heard it explained that this song is beautiful and sad and sexy all at the same time. Yes. All of that is true. Go listen to it. Please.



To tell you the truth, I really have no clue what this song is even about. But there are some gorgeous lines like "I feel that when I'm old, I'll look at you and know the world was beautiful" and "You say that love goes anywhere -- in your darkest time, it's just enough to know it's there."

Maybe sometimes it's enough just knowing you loved once? Or knowing that love is out there somewhere.

Sorry - ish just got real heavy. Moving on.



Live for today. Let yourself be happy now.
"For Me This Is Heaven"

The line I love says, "If I don't let myself be happy now, then when?"

Also, as illustrated in my last post, I really like songs about butterflies, apparently. (??)




Love your friends today.
"Hear You Me"

This song is terrible and sad and depressing, but almost everyone knows it and I swear every guy I met in college could play it on the guitar. And bonus -- it's on A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray (you know the scene I'm talking about)

Also super great to harmonize to (thank you, Ben Wilson).

Seriously though, guys. Don't take people for granted. You never ever know what could happen. Ever. And it's not worth a lifetime of what-ifs or regrets.



Being 'popular' is dumb and overrated.
"Here It Goes"

My favorite verse in this song says,
"Don't accept critique or credit,
The definition always changes.
It's not the same as yours
You could be so much more."

In other words, striving to be the center of attention or "popular" is stupid. Life is so much happier when you focus on making yourself happy and not what other people think of you or what makes them happy (and I need to be better at taking my own advice on this). End of story.



Moving on is sometimes sad, but healthy and expected.
"My Sundown"

Ask anyone I left behind in Provo -- I hate goodbyes. I'm terrible at them and I avoid them whenever possible.

But guess what? There will always be goodbyes. Most of our life situations are not meant to last forever and friendships (or relationships) fall apart sometimes. But often times, things fall apart so better things can fall together.

Whether you're moving away physically or emotionally, it sucks. It's never easy and not usually fun. But I think, sometimes, to reach your full potential, you need to move on and move up.



So thank you, Jimmy Eat World, for teaching my 6th grade self about musical independence.


Addendum July 3: Also this happened. And makes me so BEYOND happy.







EINTKILF originally comes from HelloGiggles and the hilariously fun Jess Tholmer