I watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time in theaters in 2014 when I was five. Along with the action and remarkable plot, the soundtrack attached itself to me. To the extent that I proceeded to listen to this soundtrack exclusively for the following week. I learned the words, and because of my tone deafness, it drove my family crazy. A few years later, I became a vinyl collector and, in addition to my Christmas gift of a record player, I got “Queen’s Greatest Hits” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack”. I practically tossed Queen over my shoulder, disregarding the high notes of Freddie Mercury, in favor of putting on my Guardians vinyl. In anticipation, I waited for the opening notes of “Hooked On A Feeling” to commence this experience, but nothing came out. My family and I locked eyes, confusion written upon our faces. My stepdad started working on the machine while I admired the cover of my new vinyls, but it still would not start playing. A few weeks later, a new record player came in the mail, and the first vinyl I put on was, of course, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.

You may be asking yourself, what is her attachment to songs that were made at least thirty years before she was born, and another five from when they were put together on a soundtrack? Well, to be frank, I don’t really know. I didn’t even understand most of the lyrics being sung, but I knew that they were profound and some of the best words I’ve ever heard. To start the soundtrack, Hooked On A Feeling opens with a bang and nonsensical words: “Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga.” This repeats four times until Björn Skifs comes in with “I can’t stop this feeling…” What feeling are you referring to? Where is the feeling? And most importantly, where did the ooga-chakas go? These were all things I questioned and reeled me in on a hook. He then goes on to refer to this woman, who makes him high off of her possible love for him. Romantic, isn’t it? But he can’t get enough of her, nor of wine. The soundtrack proceeds with Go All The Way by the Raspberries. This is one of the more forgettable songs of the album, yet it still adds to the entire production nonetheless. Basically, this track talks about the desire to hold your lover close and go the distance for each other. The instruments, specifically the electric guitar, aid the lyrics of the song and make the entirety more well-rounded. Continuing with great instruments, Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum follows. This track can be heard in many more soundtracks, like Ocean’s Eleven and Remember the Titans. Spirit In The Sky successfully shifts away from the other love songs on the soundtrack by mainly speaking about his relationship with Jesus, and how it guarantees a good afterlife. The first three songs on the soundtrack are a strong beginning and pave the way for all the other songs to continue on a better trend.

One of the recently favored songs on the soundtrack is Moonage Daydream by the icon, David Bowie. He abruptly states that he’s an alligator. I thought he was a singer, but can’t a guy be both? But don’t forget he’s also a space invader, and Bowie just wants his baby to make him feel good and know that he really cares. So our main picture of David Bowie is a space-invading alligator with his electric-eyed, gun-holding lover? I can get behind that, and it closely represents what is happening in the Guardians movie. The soundtrack dives into two slower songs Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop and I’m Not in Love by 10cc. Quite contradictory. For a relatively long song at six minutes, I’m Not in Love has only two verses about a man in denial about his obvious feelings of affection for another. Hate to tell you, it’s not just a silly phase you’re going through. The song ends with repeated whispers of “Big boy, stay quiet.” Honestly, it’s weird, and the whispers add a creepy aspect to it. And who are you callin’ big boy? Surely not five-year-old me. On the contrary, Fooled Around and Fell in Love explains the journey of a reformed playboy to a dedicated man who fell in love with a committed woman. Frankly, the narrator’s time as a reformed playboy was a flippant, narcissistic person who didn’t care about women’s feelings. In spite of that, this nameless woman completed the impossible; she fixed him. Halfway through the soundtrack, the tracks take us on a rollercoaster of beliefs and activity.

The second half of the soundtrack, after a vinyl flip, opens up with I Want You Back. I Want You Back by The Jackson 5, including Michael Jackson, who was eleven years old, is a song about losing a girl to another boy. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but at eleven years old, I was not looking for love, nor losing someone I love to another. But apparently, Michael Jackson had and knew he wanted her back. This group exclaims, “Baby! I want you back!” which the nickname ironically makes sense because they were just children. But enough with the jokes, this song provides a fun, feel-good time. Similarly, Come and Get Your Love by Redbone undoubtedly wins the award for the best scene pairing, with Chris Pratt sliding in the mud, singing along to the lyrics strumming through his iconic Walkman. Redbone explains that they’re standing right there, so you should come and receive adoration from the band. And when someone doesn’t come to join them, they question what is wrong with the person’s mind. This lyric illustrates our desire to blame and persecute others rather than ourselves. In an intense battle scene, The Guardians of the Galaxy blast Cherry Bomb by The Runaways, a female hard rock group, while arriving at the fight. For those of you who don’t know, a cherry bomb is just another word for a firecracker. The singer cries out that she’s a cherry bomb, aka a firecracker and a wild girl. The singer wants to be viewed as a stereotypical “bad girl.” This song is great when you want to feel powerful.

The tenth song on the soundtrack is one of the most exceptional and profound tracks. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes is my favorite song on the soundtrack and off the soundtrack. The song slowly starts out by claiming that the narrator was tired of his lady because of the long stint they had been together. While he reads the newspaper’s personal ads, a woman describes her ideal man’s attributes and hobbies. This includes liking pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and champagne; not enjoying yoga or health food; and having half a brain: making up a well-rounded man. The narrator has an epiphany, realizing he agrees with her descriptions, so they decided to meet at a bar called O’Malley’s. When he walks in, he recognizes the face and smile of his date because it’s really his wife. Who saw that coming? Definitely not my younger self. The audience gets to go on this roundabout journey with the lyrics that make your jaw drop after the first listen. After this banger, we receive another one called O-o-h Child by Five Stairsteps. O-o-h Child motivates listeners to keep going because there is light around the corner. When used in the actual, Chris Pratt performs the song in a dance battle while actively singing, with the highlight of his addition being his shout of, “Now bring it down hard!” He did, in fact, bring it down hard. The soundtrack and movie close out with the duet of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. This duet emphasizes that there is nothing anyone or any obstacle can do to stop them from getting to each other. It’s a fantastic ending to this soundtrack because of the way it encompasses the entire movie and songs and leaves the audience on a high note. All in all, this soundtrack is irrefutable in its mastermind and offers a multitude of feelings to its listeners. Even if you can’t relate, the songs are able to describe an entire scene and range of emotions. The soundtrack encapsulates a decade while bringing it to new generations, just like it did to me.