Ever wondered what songs your teachers can’t stop listening to? I asked a few to share their all-time favorites and explain why those songs matter to them. Some choices surprised me, others totally made sense. After getting their choices, I listened to each song myself and wrote down my honest reactions, the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
Teacher: Mrs. Preiser
Song: “I Can Do it With a Broken Heart” by Taylor Swift
Reasoning: “This might just be my favorite song of all time and not because it’s the happiest or the easiest to listen to, but because it feels like my story. Postpartum was one of the hardest seasons of my life, and this song captures that strange mix of pushing forward, smiling through the pain, and slowly finding strength in the cracks. It reminds me how far I’ve come, and that’s why it will always have a special place in my heart.”
My Opinion: As a moderate Swiftie, I LOVE this song. I think it’s one of the best examples of Taylor’s ability to hide gut-wrenching lyrics in an upbeat song. I have obviously already heard this song, but I listened to it again with Mrs. Preiser’s perspective in mind and it really gave me a new appreciation for the lyrics, especially the second half of the song.
Teacher: Mr. Kurtz
Song: “Corduroy” by Pearl Jam
Reasoning: “Pearl Jam is by far my favorite band. My favorite is their first album, Ten. However, my favorite song is from their third album, Vitalogy. The lyric, ‘I changed by not changing at all’ will always resonate with me from ‘Corduroy.’”
My Opinion: I never really gravitate towards rock music but I do enjoy some rock songs. Surprisingly, I actually really liked this song. I think the lyrics are really meaningful and I especially liked the guitar riff at the end.
Teacher: Ms. Thomas
Song: “A Simple Song” by Chris Stapleton
Reasoning: “This is my all-time favorite song because I’m a huge Chris Stapleton fan. I’ve actually seen him live twice! It reminds me that even when life gets tough, it’s important to appreciate the little things, like family. It’s a good reminder to stay grateful and be resilient.”
My Opinion: As someone with a Chris Stapleton obsession, I was thrilled that Ms. Thomas picked this song! I love this song. I think that Stapleton is an amazing songwriter and his voice just has so much emotion. I know a lot of people don’t really like raspy voices but personally I think it adds a lot, especially in a country song.
Teacher: Ms. Villaverde
Song: “Stop This Train” by John Mayer
Reasoning: “I’m not sure it is my favorite song of ALL time, but it is a top ten. Mayer writes about growing older and not being able to slow down the passage of time. As you get older, you’ll experience how frighteningly true this is. It’s easy to take life for granted, and to suddenly turn around and realize how fast it has gone by. Appreciate the time you have! For the record—this is a SAD song.”
My Opinion: If I’m being honest I really didn’t like this song. I liked the lyrics and I think they have a really good and meaningful message and I also liked the instrumentals, but to me the two of them didn’t fit together. It’s almost like they took the lyrics from one song and the instrumentals from a completely different song and put them together…maybe that’s just John Mayer’s style but I personally didn’t like it, however I can see why others would like it.
Teacher: Ms. McTigue
Song: “Rainbow Connection” by The Muppets Cast
Reasoning: “I AGONIZED over this! By extension, my family and friends agonized, as well. I went through all the genres, the decades, the sad, the happy, the ones that remind me of times in my life, or places, or people, but I always felt like I was betraying one song or another. There are too many great songs, and I have too many favorites. So I decided to go with my very first favorite song that’s still one of my favorites today: ‘Rainbow Connection,’ composed by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and performed by… Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) in The Muppet Movie (1979). I was eight years old, in a movie theater for the first time, drawn to the song’s message about dreamers finding a place in the world, and finding each other. I still get choked up when I hear it, so the song holds up, for me anyway.
My Opinion: For it being from The Muppet Movie this is actually a good song, I was honestly surprised Ms. McTigue chose this, I wasn’t expecting a song from a movie soundtrack from any of the teachers but I can honestly see why it would be her favorite song. I love that she picked a song from her childhood and I think it’s really special that this can still be considered one of her favorite songs.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the range of music the teachers shared with me. Their choices spanned decades and genres, some nostalgic and unexpected, but each one revealed something personal about them beyond the classroom. My own favorite song of all time is “Dawns” by Zach Bryan featuring Maggie Rogers. I know people are divided about Zach Bryan but personally I really like him. This song specifically talks about grief and feeling like you’re wasting time which is something that I personally struggle with and can relate to a lot.