The Music of Your Life

You know that old saying: “Music hath…. something that soothes the uh…uh.. savage boob or is it the left one…” I don’t remember exactly how it goes, but suffice it to say that music is a such a vital part of life.

Music along with certain smells, can whisk us back in time faster than watching “TV Land”.

And that’s what I wanted you to do when I asked you to tell me the songs that mean most to you…and why. The answers were great. It was obvious in some of the responses of even the most hard-assed funny, bloggers who read and comment on this site daily, that more than a few songs tugged at their heart strings.

Here’s what we compiled at Laurie Industries:

Lisa Cass can get emotionally swept up in “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, circa 1971. Why? Lisa tells us because she was in high school and that was when she was with the man who ultimately became the love of her life. She’s married now with grown kids, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t think about that tall, blond guy in the Torino from time to time. Sometimes, its good just to feel.

To remember.

Christine loves Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” because it reminds her of a guy named Alex.

Somehow, I understand that one.

“Funky Town” has Christine jonesin’ for a hit of Locker Room (sniff, sniff—-WAAH…WAAH…..WAAH… booming and vibrating and pulsating against your eardrums while out on the dance floor) because it takes her back to her days as a….and I quote…”Disco Diva”.

Dave K from Alaska says he’s all about “Althea” by The Grateful Dead. “Stan” by Eminem helps him remember how he and his battalion survived Iraq.

We’re glad you did too, Dave!

We’re glad you did, too.

Brian Hewitt (one of my favorite bloggers on the planet) thinks about Malaysia and Thailand whenever he hears “Porcelain” by Moby. Bangkok, anyone?

This infidel also likes “Mohamed” by the Dandy Warhols. This little ditty reminds him of his days as free spirited Bohemian….living out wanderlust while trying to survive the mean streets of Suburbia.

Machine likes “Takes It To The Limit”. it reminds him of the all-or-nothing attitude that existed in the Army. He also likes “Entre Nous” by Rush. Here, Machine gets a little heavy. He likes this song because it reminds him that interaction with others is key. We do it in ways that might not always make sense to others, but that’s OK.

I can dig that, man!

My Sister/Girl Amber likes the song “Memphis”. She especially likes how Marc Cohn’s pianist (that sounded nasty, didn’t it?) played that solo underneath Marc’s solo. She’s never been to Memphis, but this tune would the perfect background music when actually goes there… and someday, she will. She also likes “Judith” by Perfect Circle. For Amber, this songs places religion in a perspective with which she can deal with.

Welcome to the defining realm that IS clarity, Sweetie.

Scottdammit of the Las Vegas Dammits wanted me to allow for more songs, but I slapped his patties and said “NO!”…and he begrudgingly typed down these songs: “Hope” by Alejandro Escovedo, “H-A-T-R-E-D” by Tonio K. He calls it the best break-up song ever and “Discovering Japan” by the incomparable Graham Parker, is also high on his list.

Literary C comes to us from England. She was kind of enough to see through my nebulous nonsense and leave several lovely comments including her favorite songs which include “Memories” by Barbra Streisand and “Love and Will” by a Swedish band called, Shooting John.

Interesting. This is the same country that brought us ABBA and Mouth and MacNeal and their legendary chart climber from the Summer of ‘72…”How Do You Do?” I understand that hit record went zinc.

My pal Phyl the wenchwit, loves “Sign, Sealed, Delivered: by Michael McDonald because he–like Ned Beatty–squeals at the beginning of that song. She’s also hot for his bod. He is cute….all that premature gray hair…..everywhere. Wenchwit also likes “Ill Be There for You” by Bon Jovi…mainly because she likes John B’s ass.

I get the feeling that John B. shares her opinion.

Kerstin adores “Saturday” by Marc Broussard. SHe says Marc has a sexy voice. She likes! She likes!! The lyrics,she says… are fun, too. Komrade Kerstin also loves “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies and says if you don’t like this song, you’re a Communist.

My Commie/Pinko hating father thought I was a communist for liking it! He thought Jughead was total KGB and that Veronica’s tambourine playing was nothing short of subversive.

Joe Drinker thinks “Hey Jealousy” by the Gin Blossoms ranks supreme because it takes him back to his halcyon days of college. Dave Matthews’, “Grace is Gone” helped him survive the rigors of trouble in marital paradise.

We’re happy that times are happier, man!

And then there’’s my Little Brother, the lovely and talented, Mr. CM Venom. He and Forrest Gump like the “Star Wars” theme. He then redeems himself in “the cool” department once again, by admitting he also likes “Shitlist”by L7. But his favorite is “Baker Street”, by Gerry Rafferty.

In fact, that will be the song playing when he finally attains one of his life long goals: the unveiling of a specially commissioned oil painting of Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, holding a multi-looped belt in his hands and underneath, inscribed on a small brass plate will be these words, “You better learn them steps, boy!”

Classic.

But emotions also come into play with the music of our lives. Bittersweet memories of lyrics and orchestrations that parallel our lives.

Greg is a fellow Houstonian who gets choked up when ever he hears “Magalena” by The Spanish Gypsies.

Dave K can shrug off that which really didn’t matter and listening to “Jenny Says” by Smash Mouth helped him do that.

For Amber, a pivotal song is “Something in the Way She Moves” by James Taylor. It was playing the night that she and her husband figured out who they were in their relationship.

For Lisa Cass, a certain song reminds her of what was…. and what can never be.

For her, it’s Pachelbel’s Canon in D. That was the processional that played when her eldest niece got married several years ago. Lisa’s daughter was the Maid of Honor and came down the stairs first, the bride not far behind.  Lisa was struck by her daughter’s beauty that day. She saw her child in a different light. Her little girl was in fact, becoming a woman. Lisa looked forward to the day when her daughter would be the blushing bride.

But that day would never come.

Lisa lost her daughter in a car accident in 1999.

While they’re hardly enough, she’s grateful to have her memories..especially the ones from that day. And when she wants to go back to a time that was innocent and still so very much alive in every way, she listens to the Canon and hums along with it….

Until choking back tears renders her incapable.