Have you heard this song?


The band is Imagine Dragons. Maybe you've heard of them?

I'd like to tell you why this song simultaneously excites me and depresses me.

I first heard Imagine Dragons in Provo. Some of the members of the band have changed, but the lead singer is the same. They played at a Battle of the Bands that I went to on a blind date with my friend Rachel. She had a friend who was coming up from Las Vegas and he had a friend with him, so I went as his friend's date. It turned out to be a killer date because the guy I went with ended up getting in a fight with someone else and dropping the f-bomb. Way to make a good impression. Aside from it being grossly immature and inappropriate, I mostly thought it was hilarious.

The band was great. I initially fell in love with them because one of the members, who is no longer in the band apparently, was extremely attractive. Looking at them now, I think he wasn't quite grungy enough to fit in with their current look, so it's probably for the best. Except for him who does not have a major recording contract and a song playing all over the radio. Poor guy.

The next semester, I took a beginning songwriting class and wouldn't you know it, both the lead singer and the other cute guy were in my class. They were better than almost everyone in the class because, well, they weren't really beginners. At the end of the semester we did a songwriters' showcase where we all performed an original song. We got a CD at the end of the performance. That's right, I'm on the same CD as these guys. I'm sure they listen to my song every day.

This is why the song is exciting: I heard them live way before they were famous and I actually got to see the lead singer in his songwriting process. I knew his name (Dan Reynolds) and saw him regularly. I am confident he never knew my name and was completely oblivious to my existence.

This is why the song is depressing: I was in the same songwriting class as this guy. He is now performing and recording for millions of people (my dream). I am now teaching English to middle schoolers (no one's dream).

I understand that sometimes dreams don't quite work out the way you want them to, but it makes it really hard to not feel jealous when someone else does get to live your dream.