Some of us are only able to make sense of the world through music. We parallel every conversation and happening to a Jarvis Cocker lyric and think everyone else is picking up what we’re putting down.

In reality, our family, friends, lovers and co-workers are probably quite frustrated with our musical obsessions, but graciously accept them out of love, respect or occasional intrigue.

Personally, I’ve always operated under the impression that you can’t consider yourself a grown man or woman if you don’t understand the songs of Bob Dylan.

See where this is going?

So this summer, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and try out a career in the music industry. Through some St. Louis connections, I weaseled my way into an internship at one of the finest labels in the country, Undertow Records. Not only does Undertow boast a roster full of great stuff (Jay Bennett and Edward Burch, Centro-matic, Nadine, Waterloo), it is conveniently located in thriving Chicago. Essentially, it’s been a once in a lifetime experience.

The following thoughts reveal what I’ve come away with by packing it in to a city with a real pulse, and surrounding myself with music every day.

Daily operations at the label are mostly enjoyable. The best thing about working with music you love is the fact that it doesn’t really seem like work.

For instance, booking and planning a tour for ex-Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett isn’t necessarily boring, nor is fielding phone calls from the likes of Steve Earle.

How about compiling a disc full of unreleased Centro-matic demos and live tracks that will make up their next record? Needless to say, you just fly through some things.

Namedropping aside, the best part about Undertow has been working with the two people that made it happen from the beginning.

Bob Andrews, who handles record label and management duties, and Meggean Ward, who coordinated the booking, have been the warmest, most genuine people I could’ve asked for. In addition to becoming friends, they took my time at Undertow into careful consideration.

Under their guidance, I’ve learned to deal with artists, booking agents, distributors and managers, and have come away with a comprehensive understanding of how a label really works.

I’ve learned why great bands always seemed to get screwed and why Promise Ring is the worst band on the planet. And even though you have to deal with horrible people, perform a lot of tedious grunt work and sometimes scrape to get by, it all seems worth it in the end.

Maybe seeing Jay Bennett play a show to an enthusiastic crowd or watching Dolly Varden evolve into an amazing soul band has made it so worthwhile.

Or maybe it was hanging out for a week with a band I worship, Centro-matic, and finding out that they are even better people than they are musicians. Or maybe it was learning that my friend’s inspired project, called Magnolia Summer, is about to see the light of day on Undertow.

For a batch of artists who have been so gracious and so appreciative, the least we can do is as much as we can. After all, it’s their songs that soundtrack our lives.

It hasn’t been all work and no play. Taking advantage of the fact that ace gigs happen every night, I’ve seen some legendary stuff.

Like the Hives, who tore through a cracking 42 minutes of punk, leaving most in the audience screaming that it was the best show they’d ever seen.

Not to be outdone, Queens of the Stone Age sauntered onto the Metro stage the very next day, with Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan in tow, and blew the Swedes right out of the water.

How about seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bo Diddley, and Luna in the same day? Or watching the Trail of Dead and the Vines leave the stage, instruments in a pile, unable to perform their encores.

Luckily, I also had Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams and Kevin Tihista drop in to sooth the heavy heart I’ve had all summer. Inspiring stuff on a nightly basis, really.

When you’re surrounded by music everyday, you come to realize that it isn’t everything. As glamorous as a record label sounds, it’s ultimately a business.

And as great as it is to go to gigs every night, there are a lot more important things you could be doing. Still though, I look back on the summer and can’t help but smile.

It’s hard to say whether or not I’ll do this kind of thing for the rest of my life, but I’m sure enjoying it right now. Having said that, those of us that obsess about music really do understand that, well, it’s just music.

But during those times that we need something to hold onto, music is always there for us.

And that, mister, is why we love rock `n’ roll.