Graduation is a time of celebration, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. As the tassels are turned and caps are thrown into the air, emotions run high. Joy, nostalgia, and a hint of bittersweetness. It’s a moment to remember the friendships that have shaped us, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the dreams that now seem a little closer to reality. Music, with its power to capture our feelings becomes the soundtrack of this moment. If you’re looking for a tune to help you reminisce, these graduation songs I picked are sure to remind you of just how far you’ve come.
In no particular order, we’re starting off with You’re Gonna Go Far by Noah Kahan. This song encapsulates all the feels of graduating and moving on in life. My favorite lyric is, “the college kids are getting so young, aint they?”. Because like it’s true. We are getting so young :(((( I think I’ve cried to this song countless amounts of times and it’s hitting harder each time as the days lead up to graduation.
My second song is Scott Street by Phoebe Bridgers. This song is about reconnecting with old friends and visiting your hometown again after moving away. I like the bridge of the song, there is a huge instrumental buildup and her vocals are amazing. The only lyrics in the bridge are, “anyway, don’t be a stranger”.
Where’d All the Time Go by Dr. Dog is a classic. Because literally where did all the time go. I like this one a lot because the lyrics sappy and sentimental but the song is upbeat so it doesn’t make you want to cry your eyes out every time you listen to it.
The fourth song is Ribs by Lorde. This song isn’t necessarily about graduating but it’s about enjoying your time with friends and cherishing the moments you have had and have left. The lyric I love is, “we’ll laugh until our ribs get tough” or “it feels so scary getting old”. And the bridge is just iconic.
Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift is an absolutely insane song and I want to bawl every time I hear it. This song describes every feeling I’ve ever felt ever about growing up.
Another one by Taylor is Long Live (Taylor’s Version). This song is our class song and my Swiftie heart couldn’t be happier. I have had so many experiences with this song, and they usually resulted in me sobbing so.
The seventh graduation song is Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. Literally just Fleetwood Mac. So good. This song is probably the best song ever made about moving on. My favorite lyric is “but time makes you bolder, even children get older”. Stevie Nicks is my queen and she has never missed.
I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers is also a classic. Her voice adds so much emotion to the song. I think this song is about a breakup but the lyrics can apply to graduation. She repeats “the end is here” over and over again at the end of the song. And its sad because the end IS here 🙁
Don’t Forget Where You Belong by One Direction is the song that I cried to when I was 9, and now that I am graduating it hits way harder. Full circle moment. This song is about never forgetting that you always have a place where you came from, even though we’re moving away.
It’s in the title, You’re On Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift. She quoted this song in her NYU commencement speech and it’s stuck with me since. I’ve been waiting two years to listen to this song on graduation day. She said “the scary news is, you’re on your own now. But the cool news is, you’re on your own now” and just listening to her say that gives me chills.
The last of my favorite graduation songs is Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart. I hear the first chord of this song and I’m done for. The song starts off saying, “A year from now, we’ll all be gone, all our friends will move away. And they’re goin’ to better places”. It’s so exciting that we are moving on and living life but it’s just a little sad!!
If you plan on listening to these tunes, please don’t forget your tissues. I know I will need them come graduation day.
321 see ya fam – Sofia
