Songs of Our Lives
Above: My own little songbird, Precious.
Isn't it funny how songs can remind us of points in our lives? And even whole eras, situations, or feelings? Songs are just like scents in that way. The smell of homemade spaghetti sauce will always take me back to my grandparents' kitchen in California, just like "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" will always bring me to early mornings in my room at the house I grew up.
I was thinking about all this yesterday when a song came on the radio that triggered an emotion for me. It made me think back to a very different time. So I've decided to compile a list of my most trigger-worthy songs (in no particular order). Enjoy gaining a little bit of insight into my life.
- "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding: Back in middle school, I loved oldies, and I listened to them every day while getting ready for school. This song always seemed to start my morning, and it still takes me right back to those stressful moments standing in my closet looking for something to wear.
- "Best I Ever Had" by Vertical Horizon: This song reminds me of my high school boyfriend, not because he's the "best I ever had," but because at the time... and for a little while after we broke up... I thought he was.
- "Red Red Wine" by UB40: This one is my sister. She has always loved this song, and I've always hated it. I'd hear it blaring from her room so many times when we were teenagers. But now I realize I don't hate it... because every time it plays, I think of her, which is pretty nice since I don't see her much lately.
- "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers: This is last November, moving out of my parents' house. I had the Hot Fuss CD in my car all fall/winter, and it accompanied my exhaustive apartment search with a very good friend. When I hear it now, I think of us speeding in the rain after work to make it to a leasing office by 5:30, talking about our future place and how great it would be.
- "Stuck in a Moment I Can't Get Out Of" by U2: K and I have many many songs, but this one pretty much defines him to me. He bought the CD right when we were getting to know each other, and this song was often pumping out bass when I visited his dorm room.
- "The Wind of Change" (aka "the Whistler Song") by the Scorpions: This is K and I's relationship. Even the lyrics seem to make sense with the amazing journey we've had. But really, this song takes me right back to lazy weekends in his loft, basking in the glow of the white Christmas lights lining his room, listening to our special playlist on repeat. Those were some of the best moments of my life.
- "Reckless Abandon" by Blink 182: This is my best friend S, sophomore year of college. We worked together at Hallmark, and when we got back to the dorm we'd sit in the car just to hear this song finish playing. We had so many laughs and great conversations on those short car trips down the road...and that summer, we saw Blink in concert.
- "Sleepless in Seattle" Soundtrack: This is my parents' house, being jolted awake in the morning on weekends by the most annoying CD in the world blaring from the family room speakers. My mom loved to get up and start her day with a bang, and she expected just as much from me. I used to hate it, but now I feel right at home when I hear one of these songs.
- "Steal My Sunshine" by Len: This is the summer before my senior year of high school. I had just started to get interested in a certain boy (not the aforementioned HS boyfriend) who really liked this song. Then the song played just before I was leaving for Italy for four weeks...and at the time I would rather have spent my summer at home getting to know the guy (forgive me, I was a silly, immature little girl).
- "Hold Your Head Up High and Blow Your Brains Out" by Bloodhound Gang: This is freshman year of college, at the very beginning, back when anything was possible. Me, S and our other roommate, D--we called ourselves the LSD girls--used to blast this on our little computer speakers, because we thought it described how we felt about exams. I can still hear the bass pumping through that all-girls' dorm.
- "Bye Bye Birdie" from the musical of the same name: This is my childhood, and another best friend, T. She was my neighbor for a very long time growing up, and we would sit for hours and watch this musical, then play the CD for the rest of the day. Along with my sister, we knew all the words and nuances. Belting out those lyrics while playing Monopoly was one of our favorite activities, and sometimes I still have the urge to do just that.
- "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman: This song is my dad. Despite the fact that he usually only listens to AM talk radio, he heard this song one day, and went out and bought the CD. We listened to it many times in the car. It was great to have the break from the talk radio, but even nicer to see him so excited about what I considered "my music."
That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure there's others. This list makes me realize even more how our lives can be arranged around music. Every time I hear one of these songs, I experience a moment. It's not ever a moment of anger, not really even pain. It's something simple and serene. It's the most difficult feeling and yet the most therapeutic.
Nostalgia.
posted by Sleepy Girl @ 1:09 PM
1 Comments:
Oh, you're right, Hotel Cali would have been a good one. But obviously I can't put every song M and I were obsessed with on this list...because that would be a looooong list! Can't wait to play Monopoly over break with you!!!
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