Dear Younger Self, You’ll Get By

The College Beat: ARTICLE XXI

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During my first year of college, I was changing course from a path I had planned for years, and suddenly, I felt lost and without a sense of purpose. I turned to music to help me get through that state, and the song I kept coming back to was titled “Something in the Orange.” Something about the song resonated with me, as I felt like I had lost part of myself but couldn’t figure out what. I couldn’t articulate what exactly I was feeling or searching for, but the song gave me the sense that I would, at some point, find it. For months, I listened to the song without knowing the artist, but eventually, I took the time to look at the name: Zach Bryan.

Music is a gift to the heart and soul. Songs take us back to our past, reminding us of major life events or the people we love. Similarly, songs help us get through tough life moments when we are struggling to understand our feelings, reminding us that others have experienced similar moments. Music reminds us of who we are and where we have come from. Zach Bryan’s latest EP, Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs, is a time machine for the soul, both for fans and Bryan.

The EP is coupled with a forthcoming book of the same name and a recent sit-down with Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, giving fans a fresh look at Bryan’s life. Throughout the two‑hour interview posted on Bryan’s YouTube channel, he and McConaughey explore Bryan’s life, particularly the past ten years. He shares that, perhaps most importantly, writing the book helped him figure out who he was. The process awakened long-forgotten memories and allowed him to reflect on his journey up to this point. Similarly, when listening to his songs, I find myself transported to different memories I’d forgotten, all of which remind me of how much I’ve grown.

During those first few semesters of college, I battled with the realization that I could not fully control my own life. Some things were within my control; others were not. But regardless, taking one step at a time taught me new things about myself and life that I wouldn’t have learned had I followed a scripted life plan.

During the interview, Bryan himself acknowledges that part of life’s beauty is that we don’t have the answers to the questions we face, and that’s what makes life what it is. Having all the answers to life would deprive us of the unexpected experiences that shape us and make each step forward more intriguing. I came to realize that when I was changing paths in life, I could still reflect on my past experiences that brought me to that moment and carry with me the elements that still resonated with me. Bryan shares this perspective in the opening song on the EP, “Lodi When”:

If you knew еvery answer to every question why
Would you have rode the fear, boy, and looked her in the eye?
If you could write a book on the man that you once were
Would you write of the pain, boy, or would you write the cure?

A defining moment in the interview is a brief segment where Bryan discusses his perspective on his legacy. Interestingly, I think Bryan’s legacy is not something he directly sees but rather what lives in the hearts of his fans. His songs emerge from his own story yet simultaneously become part of his listeners’ stories.

After the EP’s release, I was not surprised by what I came across. Posters and commenters on platforms like Instagram and TikTok are sharing how Bryan’s music has connected with their own lives, while others consider Bryan one of the greatest songwriters of our time, given how strongly his lyrics resonate with them.

I have been fortunate to attend concerts on two of his tours, including his 2024 tour and his most recent in 2026. I have heard and seen fans jumping for joy and tearing up while belting out his lyrics as if the story were their own. It is as though the crowds are not merely singing along but rather expressing their own memories. The roar of the crowd, especially when Bryan lets the audience take over the chorus, makes the experience of hearing those lyrics deeply personal. Tens of thousands of people sing the same words but each for different reasons.

When listening to his songs, I find myself transported to different memories I’d forgotten, all of which remind me of how much I’ve grown.

For some, Bryan’s story mirrors their own experiences with family relationships, struggles with addiction, and memories of the past. Others find that his songs give voice to experiences they have spent years trying to understand and come to terms with. Bryan’s songs don’t just speak to them; they speak for them. His lyrics put feelings and experiences into words that listeners may have struggled to articulate. In doing so, his music helps them better understand who they are, remember where they came from, and recognize how they have grown. Bryan alludes to how music can do this for a person in one of the new tracks, “Is the Blue Tangled in You?”

And the right song plays the right rhyme
At the right time just for you

Ultimately, Bryan’s lyrics offer listeners reassurance that they will get through life’s toughest moments. In the end, as Bryan says, “You’ll Get By.” For me, “You’ll Get By” is not only my favorite song on the EP, but listening to it reminds me of that first semester of college when I thought everything I had planned went out the window. What I did not know at the time was that I would find a wonderful community that helped me discover my skills and pursue opportunities I would never have imagined.

Listening to Bryan over the years, I realized that, even though I had changed directions early on in college, I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. I think this desire gradually drew me back toward God and, eventually, to a renewed embrace of my faith. It also led me to pursue a master’s degree in theology, which, for the first time since that first semester of college, makes me feel like I’m on a path that offers fulfillment and purpose in my life. Despite the uncertainty at the time, if I could talk to my younger college self, I too would tell him,