Certain songs make you lie still and contemplate the meaning of life, and there aren’t many that take you there quite like The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??”. From the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, “Do You Realize??” asks listeners to understand the frailty of life and act accordingly with appreciation. The lyrics say, “Instead of saying all of your goodbyes / Let them know / You realize that life goes fast / It's hard to make the good things last.” Every time I hear this song, I feel compelled to drop petty concerns about how I look or how slow traffic is and remember that we are on this earth for merely moment and then we’re gone. So it’s important to cherish every inch of our time here; after all, before we know it, it will all be gone.

-J. Jones