How come, as a teenager, music is your life?

I don't think it's limited to teenagers. I still feel the same connection to music that I used to. I still feel myself identifying with it and losing myself in it. I never exactly lived my life based on a musical ideal, but I certainly integrated music heavily into my life. And I still do. I still find that musicians are able to put into words everything I wish that I could. But I do tend to identify with older music - The Doors, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Police....

I think that putting words to our thoughts is a big part of it, but to me it was all about the "cool" factor. You are surrounded by friends who are no cooler than you, and a family that embarasses you, but music gives you a glimpse of another world. You feel that if you had a chance you could fit in there, even while you are secretly afraid you wouldn't. They are really saying something, something real man..you know? They are,like.. not all uptight and hung up on the materialism thing. They are living for their music, their art....and they don't care what other people think of them.

Not were, is. Present tense. The only things in my life that rank higher than music are my family. Beyond that, music ranks just above breathing on my list of priorities. Yes, above, lol. For me, it's more a part of who I am. My father was a professional musician, my mother had an intense love of music as well. I was raised in an atmosphere that basically worshipped music of all forms, and so I feel the same, and raise my kids in much the same atmosphere. And I do think it has a lot to do with the fact that songs often describe in words what we either lack the ability to do, or are too clouded in emotion to be able to do. It's validating to know that our feelings aren't unique or original, and especially in painful situations, to know that others feel the same as we do, when we hear a song that suits our mood or feelings so perfectly.