Music has this magical ability to take you back to a specific moment in time. Perhaps this is why I enjoy the radio so much (as opposed to my ipod/ cd's): you never know which song is going to play next, and it may just be one that you know, taking you back in time.
I will list a few songs that have distinct memories attached to them for me:
First up, Harry Belafonte's "Jump in the line". This song reminds me of my dad. My dad is quite a strange human being and very hard to sum up. One never really knows what he's thinking, nor is it easy to pin down what exactly he likes - birthdays are always a nightmare, trying to figure out what to get him. But one thing I know for certain about my dad, and that is that he loves Harry Belafonte, and whenever this song in particular came on you would see him doing his little "dad groove", jiggling his shoulders and such. If you've never heard Harry Belafonte, look.him.up. and listen.
Cyndi Lauper's "Girls just wanna have fun" is probably on every girl's memory list. I have copied an exert from one of my English 1a essays, explaining the memory behind this song:
"It was my first year of high school. I had chosen to go to Bloemhof, a school for girls only. I didn’t have any reason in particular for choosing Bloemhof, other than the fact that 3 of my closest friends had decided to go there. Bloemhof is a very prestigious school with a very long honorable history. The school was, at the time of my attendance, a hundred and seventy five years old. With all these years of being established, the school had become
very elite and held some distinct traditions. I remember my first week there; I was petrified, but so intrigued at
the same time. The seniors definitely dominated the school and they carried an air of superiority over us younger ones.
Every Monday morning the entire school would gather for “assembly”: an hour long ceremony which consisted of singing the national anthem, the school anthem and a few outdated hymns and then the headmistress would give a message about integrity or some other characteristic that we “as ladies” should aspire to obtain.
The most memorable of all the assemblies I ever attended was during my 4th week at Bloemhof. We were going through the usual routine of boring singing when the back doors to the hall suddenly flung open violently. And then I heard what was to become my favorite girls’ anthem of all time start to play over the speakers for the first time: Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls just wanna have fun”. The senior girls burst into the room, dancing down the aisles as the music blared. Their uniforms were modified, with their ties tied around their heads and their skirts shortened. It was like something from a Britney Spears music video. The teachers frantically tried to get everyone under control. It was to no avail, as the younger girls had already joined in the riot and were standing on their chairs chiming in with the seniors. I stood by, mesmerized by the display of youthful abandonment. I loved it. Since then, “Girls just wanna have fun” has become my own personal anthem. Whenever I hear it, it brings a smile to my face as I remember the look of horror on the headmistress’ face that Monday morning long ago."
Katie Tunstall's "Suddenly I see" will always remind me of K-fm and West Workout. West Workout is a sketchy little privately owned gym in Somerset West (the town I grew up in). I joined this gym about a year before Jono and I got married so that I might get in shape for the wedding. This gym is so old and so gross... but it was cheap! The owner, who doubled as every member's personal trainer as well as a local body builder champion (gross), would always BLAST the local radio station K-fm. And K-fm is notorious for playing the same songs over and over again - like a broken record. Unfortunately Katie Tunstall was the hottest thing that year.
As a teenager, a great amount of my time was spent at Cattle Baron Steak Ranch. I worked there as a waitress from age 16-19. There are so many songs that remind me of Cattle Baron, but one album that really stands out is Crowded House's best of album. Man alive, they really played that one to death. Any random 60's/70's hit will also immediately make me think of carrying out a "chateau briand" (a piece of meat with brandy poured over it that we would set alight) with a side of soggy butternut and spinach. I am most relieved that that season of my life is over!
Anything from No Doubt always reminds me of my dear friend Inge.. as well as the band "Live". Those two artists make me think of driving in the little white golf, enjoying our new found freedom.
Gosh.. I could just go on and on. What are some songs with memories attached to them that you may have?
