2003 : 12 "Young Pilgrims" by The Shins

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But I learned fast how to keep my head up 'cause I Know there is this side of me that Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just Fly the whole mess into the sea. I am standing in the San Jose airport, waiting in line to check my bags. In front of me is a mother with two children: a baby in her arms, and a toddler who is in full meltdown. She cannot hold the baby, keep her place in line, move the bags, and pay attention to the child. The child, maybe four or five years old, keeps on acting out. He does not want to be at the airport. The three of them are all on edge of a meltdown. I am standing behind them in line listening to "Young Pilgrims" on my headphones. I am thinking about line about the line about flying the whole mess into the sea. It seems like the right idea at the time. The woman looked really tired as she sat at the gate waiting for the flight. It felt like the Shins really got this song right. I love the album Chutes Too Narrow. Every song on this album ranks at 4 or 5 stars for me. I must have listened to it 100 times when I got it. This album sounded like the end of 2003. I was alone after a relationship that did not work. I was working at a company recovering from the dot.com bust. It was a year about getting myself back together. This album was perfect for that. —Rich Thomas Listen: The Shins >> "Young Pilgrims"