OK, so this is not a huge, thought-provoking post because the hubby and I are leaving for Las Vegas in less than 2 hours to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary and his birthday! This is our first time away from our kids since they were born (yes, they are 4 years old), and if I stop to think about leaving them, I will start to cry and worry. So I just want you to sit back, relax, and get lost in some memories…
I heard the song in the post title the other day and it got me thinking of how a song can define a specific moment in our lives. Or how the lyrics can touch our hearts and take us back to a special time. Maybe it is a song I despise and it always gets stuck in my head. If I were a teenage drama, like Beverly Hills 90210 (the original) or One Tree Hill, this would probably be the start of the musical montage of my life. And Glee is the show to watch, so maybe I am hip and cool!
Music has always been a part of my life. My Dad is a huge Beach Boys and Righteous Brothers fan. And any time I hear Surfin’ Safari or Little Old Lady from Pasadena, I am 5 years old, twisting and shouting in my dad’s office with the horrible orange, brown and yellow shag carpet in the basement of our house. Car trips were filled with Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. If a malt shop oldies song comes on, you can bet I am tapping my toe and humming along.
In school, I was a huge NKOTB fan (you know right now you are singing Hangin’ Tough right now – just admit it). Plus, I loved Bon Jovi, Warrant, Whitney Houston, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. And if pressed, I could probably name the songs our high school volleyball team warmed up to (Takin’ Care of Business and The Joker, for sure). But every time I hear REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling, I am at senior prom, dancing with my high school crush. And Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road evokes a bittersweet smile, a car ride and unrequited love.
In college, a frat party favorite by the Quad City DJs makes me want to ride that train (choo choo!). The B52’s Love Shack brings to mind 1023 University in Peoria, a great group of friends, and a regret that things had ended better. And I met my hubby watching Armageddon, so you know that “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith is one of my all time favorite songs. (Plus, who doesn’t love Ben Affleck and animal crackers?).
For law school and the good times that followed, Once Bitten, Twice Shy makes me want to grab the microphone and do some karaoke! And I don’t think I have ever heard a better rendition of Eye of the Tiger then the impromptu outburst while walking into the Iowa Bar Exam. And yes, we did rise to the challenge!
The month A n’ B were born, My Wish by Rascal Flatts and My Little Girl by Tim McGraw marked their entrance into the world and couldn’t have fit better into the musical montage.
And now that you have endured that trip through time with me (just admit that you at least have 1 of those songs in your head right now), my taste in music may have changed now with A n’ B. A popular ringtone for us is The Wonder Pets “The Phone is Ringing” and I have the Phineas and Ferb soundtrack blasting out of the speakers in my minivan. But we always have some tune playing in the background (even if it is A making up a song about princesses and rock stars).
Each song has a special place in my heart and brings a smile to my face. As I wrote this blog, I wondered why these songs stuck with me. Is it because they remind me of a simpler, more innocent time? Or was it a special moment I shared with a special person? Do I just want to take a break in my hectic day and laugh at the fun time that marked the song in my mind?
What song(s) makes you remember when? What lyrics stir your heart? Would I be surprised to find them on your IPod? And what will A n’ B’s songs sound like?
At Grandma and Grandpa’s house last Sunday night, Grandpa broke out the old turntable and Beach Boys records. And 2 little girls broke out in smiles and surfing dance moves as Surfin’ USA came out of the speakers. Well, 2 little girls and one Mommy…(And one huge smile from Grandpa).
Jean Anne
I think all these songs are now in my head!
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