11.08.08
Songs In My Life
Songs In my Life
Music has a very large impact in my life, just as it did for Kino. I have songs of childhood, happiness, summertime, sadness, and even hilarity! Anytime a song comes on the radio that I am familiar with, I will belt out the words and do my own little dance. (Much to the amusement and occasional dismay of the people around me!) Apparently, (I didn’t realize it!) I even started singing and dancing in my seat during a math test last year! Music is always in my head, whether consciously or not. Songs bring back more memories than anything else. Anytime an old song comes on the radio, I can remember whom I was with and where I was when I listened to that song. Music makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and I love it with all of my heart!
Won\’t Get Fooled Again-The Who
For my Song of Childhood, I remember driving in the car with my dad and two sisters, listening to the Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again. There is a big space of emptiness, followed by a really loud (and amazing) drum solo. We would always get our drumsticks up, and wait for the solo. A lot of times we would be impatient, and come to early, or we would loose interest and come too late. Either way, as soon as those drums came back on, we would slam on those air drums like nobody’s business. You should have seen us! Arms pounding, hair flying, screaming at the top of our lungs,
“I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution. Take a bow for the new revolution. Smile and grin at the change all around me. Pick up my guitar and play, just like yesterday. Then I’ll get on my knees and pray…We don’t get fooled again! Don’t get fooled again! No, no!”
Even today if we are all in the same car, we have the same competition, and I always win!
This summer, I was driving down to Vienna, GA with Isabelle for the weekend. School had just gotten out, I had just hugged everyone goodbye, and talked with both of my sisters in one day (a rare event!). We had been driving for hours, and once we reached the dirt road signifying the last stretch, she, her sister, and I, climbed into the bed of her dad’s truck and belted out All I Want To Do, by Sugarland.
“I don’t want to get up baby, let’s turn off the phone. I don’t want to go to work today, or even put my makeup on. I’ve got better things to do than my to-do list anyway! Hide under the covers and waste away the day, let’s just lay here and be lazy, baby, drive me crazy!”
All I remember is the wind in our hair, the sound of our voices blending into each other’s, and our giggles and squeals as we jerked over the bumps in the road. We were just so happy. We didn’t have a single care in the world. Every time I hear that song I think back to that day, the last time I can remember where I didn’t have to worry about anything. Everything was taken care of for me, and all I had to do was have fun. I felt safe, protected, content, and loved. It was the best weekend of my life. It is truly my Song of Happiness.
I also have a Song of Summer. Coincidentally, it is called Summertime by Kenny Chesney. My step-mom (Laurie), dad, step-brother (Drew), step-sister (Caroline), and I were driving down to the beach. It was just Drew and I in the car, and this song was on. He had is Oakley’s around his neck, the windows rolled down, and the smell of salt water enveloped us. We were singing this song, driving at 80 mph down the highway, and we would be gone for a whole week. There is one part of the song where Kenny Chesney says summer is,“Cheep shades, a tattoo, and a ‘yoo hoo!’” and I remember Drew always did this head motion at the ‘you hoo’ and it made me laugh, every single time. Whether it was actually funny, or I was just slaphappy from the nine-hour drive and lack of sleep, I don’t think I will ever know!
Video has two minor cuss words-so don’t watch if you object!
She Wouldn\’t Be Gone-Blake Shelton
Recently my Song of Sadness, She Wouldn’t Be Gone, by Blake Shelton, has really affected me. My itunes account reports that I have listened to it 35 times in the past week alone. It tells the story of Shelton, whose daughter has run away. He says,
“Now, I’m cursing like a fool, praying it ain’t too late. All I wanna do is fix my mistakes. Find her; beg her for one more try. Until then da** it I’ll… be driving like he**, flying like crazy down the highway; calling everyone we know. Stopping any place she might be, going any place she might go. Beating on the dash, screaming out her name at the windshield, tears soaking up my face. If I had loved her this much all along, maybe, maybe, she wouldn’t be gone.”
My dad and I don’t have a good relationship. All I ever asked for, he has taken away. I feel so betrayed, and I know that our relationship is broken beyond repair. What this song illustrates is exactly what I want. All I want is for my dad to feel guilty and to realize how pathetic it is that he missed out on all three of his amazing daughters. I want him to realize that it is too late, and there is nothing he can do about it anymore. He had his chance, and he missed it. He will never have a chance with me again, he has no one to blame but himself. I want him to know what it feels like to be rejected and abandoned, by your own family, and his own daughter. I want to ensure he will never, ever forget, how badly he has messed up. This song gives me hope that my dad will realize how big of a mistake he has made, and maybe, for once, he will do what is best for me.
Bulbous Bouffant-The Vestibules
I think my favorite has to be my Song of Hilarity. This song is truly the most random collection of words and phrases I have ever heard in my entire life! Every time I am feeling stressed, I click on the Bulbous Bouffant tab on my computer, and sing away my stress. The little animated people talk in such strange voices, and I can only dream of how I would react to this man at the bus stop. The little people, the tune, everything about this song is just so random and awesome in its own right. My sister, Sarah, told me about this song, and I just remember thinking she was crazy when she told me some of the lyrics, but it really does exist! Bulbous Bouffant is the best song I have ever heard, ever. (If you can even call it a song! I think it deserves its own category!)
As you can see, songs have a huge impact on my life, whether they have happy or sad associations. I can remember the songs I sang as a child, and the songs my friends and I have belted out over the years. I know the songs my sisters sang to me, and the ones we sang in the car on the way to school. I can remember the music my mom listened to when she was getting divorced, what songs are on the CD my sister’s boyfriend made for her. I think of my life in music terms. Every event, every feeling has a playlist, both on my itunes, and in my head. I am sorry I could only pick a few for you today, but I hope you can see what all of these songs mean to me.
