Janelle Monáe gives a commencement speech at Loyola Marymount University’s 2024 Graduate ceremony.

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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.

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