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Advice for graduates: Listeners share songs, lessons from high school : All Songs Considered Listeners share songs that take them back to the final days of high school, and the lessons they impart.

Featured artists and songs:
1. Baz Luhrmann: "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"
2. Feist: "I Feel It All," from 'The Reminder'
3. Brad Paisley: "Letter to Me," from '5th Gear'
4. Green Day: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," from 'Nimrod'
5. Wiz Khalifa: "See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth)," from 'Furious 7'
6. Rickie Lee Jones: "We Belong Together," from 'Pirates'
7. Cloud Cult: "You'll Be Bright (Invocation Part 1)," from 'Light Chasers'
8. Ke$ha: "TiK ToK," from 'Animals'
9. The Head and the Heart: "Rivers and Roads," from 'The Head and the Heart'
10. Simple Minds: "Don't You (Forget About Me)," from 'The Breakfast Club'

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All Songs Considered

Advice for graduates: Listeners share songs, lessons from high school

Advice for graduates: Listeners share songs, lessons from high school

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Janelle Monáe gives a commencement speech at Loyola Marymount University's 2024 Graduate ceremony. JC Olivera/Getty Images hide caption

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With graduation season here, we asked listeners to tell us about a song that takes them back to their final days in high school, when they said goodbye to old friends, left home and struck out on their own. On this episode, we share some of the memories we received and the songs they shared.

Hear the Songs

NPR's Stephen Thompson joins host Robin Hilton for this look back as they share their own song picks and reflections on what it means to make it through one of the most formative chapters of life.

Featured artists and songs:

  • Baz Luhrmann: "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)"
  • Feist: "I Feel It All," from The Reminder
  • Brad Paisley: "Letter to Me," from 5th Gear
  • Green Day: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," from Nimrod
  • Wiz Khalifa: "See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth)," from Furious 7
  • Rickie Lee Jones: "We Belong Together," from Pirates
  • Cloud Cult: "You'll Be Bright (Invocation Part 1)," from Light Chasers
  • Ke$ha: "TiK ToK," from Animals
  • The Head and the Heart: "Rivers and Roads," from The Head and the Heart
  • Simple Minds: "Don't You (Forget About Me)," from The Breakfast Club