Time flies and eventually the reality hits that your tried and true playlist is much older than you thought.

I discovered through a social media post that Fall Out Boy’s 2005 album “From Under the Cork Tree” turned 20 years old in 2025.

Memories of learning every lyric to every track flooded my mind, and I wondered where time went.

Fall Out Boy’s album remained in my headphones through elementary, middle, and high school. Songs like “Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued” helped me see the good in every day, even when life got in the way.

“From Under the Cork Tree” carried me into my college years and long after. A sight, a sound, or a smell often triggers a memory, and I’m right back where I began, listening to one of my favorite Fall Out Boy songs to start the day.

The track “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year” has been in my recent rotation. Lyrics like “Are we growing up or just going down? / It’s just a matter of time until we’re all found out,” remind me that even now I’m not alone in continuing to grow and age.

You do not always have to be on trend; it’s okay to like what you like and carry that with you through the years. Of course, everyone grows and changes. And, it is beautiful when the same songs can grow and change in meaning with you.

“Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends” had no deeper meaning to me when I was younger and enjoyed the song for its catchy hooks.

This track later turned into an anthem for staying strong in a tough world. The lyrics “Strike us like matches, ’cause everyone deserves the flames / We only do it for the scars and stories, not the fame” serve as a reminder to go forth and do what scares you.

Personal evolution comes from taking risks and failing upward. Fall Out Boy did the same to reach the level of fame they had at the time.

Artists often speak to our struggles, and for that, their music becomes a comfort to those who might feel alone in growing pains, hardship, and more.

Tunes like “Dance, Dance,” despite its tale of hesitation in romantic gestures, share in the joy of life with the listener. It is difficult to have a bad time when the chorus hits.

“From Under the Cork Tree” shared every emotion and little moment in my life as I grew from a child to a young adult.

Celebrate this 2005 album’s birthday or find your favorite album and give it another listen; it may be the soundtrack to your life.

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Brooke Crouse is the City Editor at the Lewistown Sentinel.