For those of us who listened to Something Corporate or Jack’s Mannequin growing up, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness is the adult version of your favorite middle school and high school sing-a-longs. If you’re a fan of gorgeous landscapes, adorable babies, and girls who look like they’re going to Coachella (or starring in an episode of Reign), this is the finals distraction you need.
McMahon wrote the song to explain his life to daughter Cecilia:
I’ve been writing music most of my life. Songs have always been the place where I’ve sorted out the events of day. If you trace these songs back far enough they tell a story of where I’ve been and what I’ve seen along the way. That said, most people don’t have the time to sort through the hundreds of songs that have collected in the wake of my 20 plus years behind a piano, and that’s why I love “Cecilia and the Satellite”. As a song it encapsulate so much living against the back drop of a new life. Cecilia was written with the knowledge that my wife and I would soon meet our first child. With the hope of avoiding territory this type of song often treads, I tried to create a road map of the life I had lived leading up to that moment. One my daughter might look back on some day. A strange life of constant motion, spent traveling in the pursuit of music. A life I’ve nearly lost on more than one occasion and one which I am thankful for, now more than ever. Deep down this song is about more than me and where I’ve been, it’s about more than my daughter and what I want for her. It’s about being proud of where you come from and wanting the most for the people you share your world with.
In the video, he reads her a fairytale that comes to life, starring a girl who’s wearing Chucks (it’s nice to see he hasn’t departed from his “punk rock band” roots entirely). You can see exactly how much he adores her (if you didn’t already know from his precious Insta posts). For Andrew McMahon, who’s had many projects over the years, this feels the most comfortable. It’s new, but fresh and joyful. Cecilia And The Satellite is a gorgeous way to escape reality and dream of happy endings.
