This Song Brings Me Back!

It amazes me how a song or an album can take me back to such a distinct and vivid moment of my life. For me, unlike smells, or tastes, or images, sound, specifically music, makes me see and smell and feel a memory with so much detail. It can happen by accident, like hearing a song on the radio, or by design, purposefully throwing a CD in because you *want* to feel like you did 15 years ago. Either way, here’s some of the list of songs or albums that leave me momentarily caught in dreams of the past, in no particular order. What are some of yours?

Live (Anything off Mental Jewelry or Throwing Copper): I am brought back to my brother’s room in our old house on Comfort St., the house I was raised in. I am sitting on his bed, feeling cool because my older brother was letting me listen to music with him. I am brought back to the details of his room, the fighter jets he drew, taped to the wall below his window; the sombrero hanging over his bed post; the Lamborghini (Countach) and MJ posters. Everything about growing up in that house with my brother is brought back by any song from those two albums. In addition, the song ‘Shit Towne’ brings me back to sitting in my room with my childhood best friend, Justin, playing with some Nickelodeon-inspired orange foam that was so pungent, the smell lingers every time I hear that song (which we only listened to because of the ‘cuss words’).

No Doubt – Spiderwebs: I am brought back to the summer of 1996, sitting on my couch at my new house with nothing to do. I had just moved in May, so I was slightly detached (across town) from my closest friends. So when I wasn’t riding my bike back to where things were familiar, I was sitting on my couch, eating cereal, watching music videos on MTV.

Nothingface – Violence (Album): I am brought back to senior year of high school, when I was still angsty and whatnot. I asked someone to homecoming, someone whom I had completely fallen for, and had been for several years, only to be politely turned down as she already had a date (a freshman in college). I asked her on a Friday, and didn’t have much motivation to leave my room that weekend. In fact, in between the rare moments of eating and using the bathroom, I spent every waking hour, which was many, sitting in my plus-sized window sill, listening to the angriest album I had… on repeat.

Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise: I am brought back to sitting in my room for hours on end, listening to the radio, hoping to have that song come on. See, my family was going on a vacation soon, and I needed that song on tape for the long car ride. I had my tape all cued up and ready to go, only to never hear the song before we left, and thus kicking off our trip to Yellowstone on a sour note.

Edwin Starr – I’ll Be: Senior Prom song.

KoRn (Anything off Korn or Life is Peachy): I am brought back to playing Mario Kart in my living room with my brother. The big entertainment center from my old house was set up here, and we would plop down in front of it to play for hours on end, listening to those two CDs as frequently as possible. We stopped ‘racing’ because I had far surpassed him in that, but we were equals when it came to Battles. Preferred level: Skyscraper.

Aerosmith – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing: After this past 4^th of July weekend, it’s taken on a new monster, but until then, I am brought back to 8^th grade, specifically the first dance of the year. We had just gone from losers of the school to rulers of the school in our 2-year Jr. High, and so the whole world seemed easier. Armageddon was the hit movie of the summer, and this was the slow dance monster at the dance. There was one girl in particular that I wanted to dance with, that I had a crush on for about 23 of the 24 months of Jr. High., and that I got to dance with during this song. This, for a 13 year old, is very significant. This, for a 25 year old, is also significant. And so, this song, while terrible, still strikes a strong chord.

There are so many more, and I will add on an addendum when I think of them. Feel free to leave comments with yours!