“You remind me of a girl that I once knew…” -Usher
One of the things that always amazes me about music, as
well as one of the things I love about it, is that it is intrinsically tied
to our memories. If you think about it,
large life moments are tied to song in one way or
another. At birthdays we sing the
birthday song, when something good happens we burst into, “For he’s a jolly
good fellow” (if you were born before the year 1970) and at
weddings when they begin the music for the Chicken Dance, you know you are
in the presence of true and everlasting love.
More recently, when the DJ cues up “Single
Ladies,” by Beyoncé, you know it is time for the bouquet toss and therefore time for me
to head for the nearest bathroom and wait it out in stealth silence. There is nothing like an elbow to the cheek
bone to ruin a perfectly good open bar and I, for one, refuse to stand for
something so heinous!
Musical memories can trigger all sorts of things. For instance, the amazing time you had at the BSB concert with your High School friends, or belting
out any and every Queen song in the mirror, or running down the street,
pleasantly surprised to hear “You’ve Got it (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block blasting from your iPod. A word of caution; although it is natural to get lost
in the beat, do not fail to notice the busted tree root covering the sidewalk. There is nothing like a little trip and a stubbed toe
to enhance your musical journey!
As you get older, you find that embarrassing small children
through song is quite an amusing pastime. When “this is the part of me that you’re never
gonna ever take away from me, no,” comes on the radio you can’t help but start
a little arm dance action. Soon, a
little voice from behind you goes, “Can you stop? This is embarrassing.” Naturally, you bask in the joy when you you turn up the volume, add some flair to your dance moves
and shame emanates from the back seat.
“Throw your sticks and stones, throw your bombs and blows, but you’re
not gonna break my soul!!” I am going to be such a good mom someday!
Then there are the nostalgic romance songs like that of your
first slow dance. It was so memorable
that I’ve racked my brain for the past five minutes trying to recall
something about that song and/or event but there is nada. In the land of make believe, “I Swear” by All 4 One, was a fantastic first dance
song.
Today, I experienced how a new singer (recording artist) can
bring back fond memories of times gone by.
Let’s be real for a second shall we?
The new Biebs song, “Boyfriend,” is a rip off of Justin
Timberlake and the video is so blatantly Timberlake it borders on plagiarism (that’s
not to say I don’t like the Biebs song but he ripped it off, it’s a fact). It was the whiff of Timberlake, however that brought me back
to those good ole college days when my friends and I pondered the age old
question, “Did sexy leave?” Although we
never came to a clear conclusion on this incredibly philosophical question, we
decided that we'd help Justin bring sexy back anyway!
Also, I would like to mention, for the record, that the new One Direction “What Makes You Beautiful”
video looks eerily like the NKOTB “Summertime”
video minus the 40 year old men hitting on 18 year old girls…I’m looking at you
Donnie Wahlberg!
Unfortunately, music is also tied
to sad occasions. If music only brought
back fond memories then we wouldn’t have country music, soul music or the songs
of teenage love gone wrong music brought to you ever so irritatingly and amazingly by
Miss Taylor Swift. Whether you are a fan
or not there isn’t one person who heard the verse,
“He’s the reason for the tear
drops on my guitar, the only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star. He’s the song in the car I keep singing don’t
know why I do,”
who didn’t immediately go
swooshing back to their slightly awkward, angst filled, pining/puppy love High School
hallways.
Music is there to remind us that
our life is and was worth living, the good times, the bad times and the
incredibly awkward or unsettling. Music
is what gets you through, and I for one will celebrate that every chance I get.
Till next time
~E
“Last Dance. Last Chance for Love. Last Chance, for romance… tonight. I need you by me, beside me, to guide. To hold me, to scold me and when I’m bad, I’m
so, so bad. So let’s dance the last dance, let’s dance the last dance. Let’s dance the last dance…tonight!!” ~Donna
Summer
