Listen to this when
If We Were Vampires
One of you will be left someday. That's not a reason to be scared. It's a reason to love them louder today. 🕰️
Who it's for
The song reframes death awareness as a motivation for present-focused love, a meaning-making move that can turn anxious rumination into gratitude.
Feelings it meets
What it is
"If We Were Vampires" is a song written by Jason Isbell and recorded with the 400 Unit for the 2017 album The Nashville Sound, produced by Dave Cobb. It is a sparse acoustic love song grounded in mortality: Isbell acknowledges that death will eventually separate the couple and suggests that the limit on their time is what gives their love its value. Amanda Shires, his wife and a 400 Unit member, sings harmony.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music (widely available); an animated official music video exists.
Before you start
Heads up: Themes of losing a partner.
Age: Ages 12+
Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years.Marcus Aurelius, The Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Book 4 (tr. George Long)
