Forrest Gump Playlist

Forrest Gump is one of the most recognizable characters in any movie of my 19 years on this planet. The character was created in 1994, and quotes from Forrest (Tom Hanks) are still very popular today. Forrest Gump is an extremely simple and goodhearted man that always seems to be a part of history American History over the last 50 years. His exterior seems emotionless and straight forward, but Forrest has all of the same emotions of a normal human, he just chooses to keep them inverted. His deep love for a girl name Jenny, life lessons and faith instilled from his "mama" and his deep friendships with Bubba and Lieutenant Dan all bring out complex feelings that I am going to try to describe with this play list. Although some people criticize Forrest for his lack of IQ, maybe we should all take a page out of Forrest's book and live life simple and passionate. The actual soundtrack for Forrest Gump was one of the most memorable of my childhood. My father frequently plays the soundtrack and it can singularly be used to describe the psyche of Forrest Gump. The soundtrack bridges each part of the movie together perfectly, and it will be very hard to try and duplicate the external and internal meaning of each song. The following songs are going to take you on a roller coaster ride of Forrest Gump's emotions, and by the end of the last song, hopefully you feel that the playlist helped you to build a strong bond with Forrest.

If I had to choose a single song instead of eight to do a character sketch of Forrest Gump it would be "Simple Man." It starts off with his mother talking to him (exactly how the bus stop is) and the moral of the song is to to live life simple and lovingly. If there was a music video for this Lynyd Skynyrd song, they could easily follow the life of Forrest Gump. If you haven't watched Forrest Gump before you would realize that he is not very emotional, and seems dumb to most people. However, if you really get to the core of Forrest you realize that he is an extremely genuine man that keeps what is most important in his life first, and is a very simply man. Here is a quote from "Simple Man" that has direct correlations to Forrest:

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Wont you do this for me son,
If you can?

Skynyrd is talking about advice from his mother, and I feel like Forrest has taken the same advice from his mother and transferred it into his real life.

"Taking Care of Business" is perfect to describe Forrest Gump's work ethic. It does not matter what the guy is doing--whether it's playing football, fighting for our country, or working a shrimp boat--Forrest always takes care of business. He has a relentless work ethic and just finds ways to succeed. I tried to find songs that were all about work ethic, but I couldn't find a great fit. So, I went to conventional logic and thought that taking care of business would be solid. One thing you would know if you have ever seen Forrest Gump is that he does not let anything get between himself and his goals.

Although this song may sound cliche for Forrest Gump, it was a necessity because of Forrest's strong ties to his home state. A scene which depicts his love for Alabama is when he tells Jenny she needs to return home to "Greenbough, ALAAABAMMAAAA!" He is a homebody, and its amazing that when people think Alabama today, one of the first few things that pops into their head is the fictional character Forrest Gump. Also, I feel like this song could almost be sang by Forrest when you think of where his character has been. He has fought in wars and been all over the country, but he always finds a way to get back to his sweet home of Alabama.

"Is this Love" Bob Marley

This classic Bob Marley Song could easily be played during the scene's when Jenny and Forrest reunite after he completes his endless months of running. The scenes where they are acting like kids again are making Forrest believe that he is truly in love, but he is not sure because he has never talked to Jenny about love. The question Bob Marley asks, "Is this Love?" has to be going through Forrest's head the entire movie, but he is always too scared to speak up to Jenny.

"These Days" Rascal Flatts

"These Days" by Rascal Flatts definitely fits to the feelings of Forrest Gump. Forrest is defintely feeling all of these lyrics internally but is just too introverted to let the world see them. He thinks about Jenny everyday and wishes they could live happy together, but at the time, Jenny is nowhere to be found. The lyrics, "the next thing you know I'm reminiscing, Dreaming old dreams, that you would be back again" are thoughts that have to be going through Forrest's head every day he is not with Jenny. Another quote, "Go to bed, dream of you, that's what I'm doing these days" can definitely explain the life of Forrest without Jenny and his Mom in his life.

This song has Forrest Gump written all over it. Forrest is a character that is completed molded from his mother's parenting. She has been an amazing presence in his life and he has an very simple and loving relationship with her. This song gets right to the root of his feelings and is something I could see Forrest singing to her when she is sick and in her bed. A quote from the song that I feel is a perfect fit is:

You taught me everything
And everything youve given me
I always keep it inside
Youre the driving force in my life, yeah.

Forrest grew up with the absence of a father figure, so his mom literally taught him everything he knows. She has taught him how to live life to the fullest and to be a genuine person.

"One Sweet Day" Maria Carey ft. Boys II Men

This emotional song brings out the deepest feelings in Forrest. Not only does this song describe his feelings towards Jenny, but it also depicts how he feels about his mother. Forrest's mom instilled faith in him when he was a young boy, and he is sure that he will see both Jenny and his "mama" again in heaven.
A part of the song that I feel like has the strongest tie to Forrest Gump would be:

And I know you're shining down on me from Heaven.
Like so many friends we've lost along the way.
And I know eventually we'll be together.
One sweet day.

I feel like he would be saying this to Jenny at her grave, and talking about Bubba and his mom when he is talking about lost friends. Forrest also has great faith, so he is confident he will see her again some day.

When Forrest finds out he has a kid, he is completely shocked. It takes him a while to realize the impact it is going to have on his life. The last twenty minutes of the movie paint a very clear picture of the love that Forrest has for his son. Now that Jenny has died, Forrest has realized that their son is truly like having a piece of Jenny still living on this planet. With all that his "mama" has taught him, I am sure Forrest was an amazing parent and would do anything for his "Beautiful Boy."