This week’s Ten on Tuesday prompt is an excellent one, and a bit of a challenge for me, for several reasons:
- It’s hard to think of the songs on their own. Recollection by song, for me, is usually prompted by hearing the song (or at least reading the title somewhere).
- For me, exposing things related to my musical tastes always feels risky. Combining my iTunes library with Tall Paul’s after we moved in together was a big deal for me. I tend to feel far more judged on my likes and dislikes in music than in most other areas – and that’s probably because, to be honest, I tend to judge other people on theirs.
- Sometimes, the songs that prompt memories are pretty cheesy. (Pre-emptive judging on my part right there…)
And with that preface out of the way – I’ve always been a bit caught up in the idea of life soundtrack, and tend to be pretty aware of the music around me when something significant is happening. Having said that, I’ve noticed that, for me, the memory evoked by a song is frequently more associated with a combination of time, place, and emotion than with specific events. I also think that the some of the most powerful associations of memories and music tend to form with the music of our youth and young adulthood – not always, but pretty often.
On to the actual assignment!
“When I Said I Do,” Clint Black – This is not associated with my youth, but with a recent and very happy memory. It’s the first-dance song from my wedding to Tall Paul, which was just over a year ago.
“The End of the Innocence,” Don Henley – When I hear this song, it’s the summer of 1989, and my first husband, son (then almost 5), and I are driving back from picking strawberries at a farm near Ithaca, NY. It was almost the start of a new decade, and the song seemed perfectly timed for it.
“Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn – First Husband accepted a job in Memphis in 1991, the year he finished grad school and this song came out. Knowing we would be moving there soon made this song special to me, and the ten years I lived there keep it that way.
“Our Lips Are Sealed,” The Go-Go’s – The summer of 1982, just out of high school, and here was a new sound and new style to go with a new start.
“Tainted Love,” Soft Cell – Around the same time period, but for some reason this song always feels like the last song of the pre-MTV era for me. (In the early ’80’s, MTV – Music Television – actually meant something.) I remember it on the car radio and at the roller-skating rink that summer.
“Wuthering Heights,” Pat Benatar – I remember riding around in my friend Teri’s Toyota Corona during high school, and a couple of the cassettes that we listened to a lot in there were REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity and Pat Benatar’s Crimes of Passion. This song wasn’t a particular favorite then, but I never forgot it and it has actually grown on me a lot over time, after having read the book a couple of times (even though it really annoys me), and coming to recognize the song as having the style of Kate Bush, who wrote it. (Apparently the creators of these “tribute videos” dedicated to the book aren’t aware that the song exists.)
“The Best of My Love,” The Eagles – I remember this from AM radio, both at home and in my dad’s car, in 1975. In my head, I often hear a little jingle announcing “Music Radio WABC” over the fade-out.
“Manic Monday,” The Bangles – This song is still one of my favorite ways to start a week, but I most associate it with driving home from my Monday-night class senior year of college. I don’t remember which class that was, but I remember this coming up on the car radio pretty often during 1986.
“Walk On,” U2 – This song ties into my departure from Memphis, and from my ex-husband, over five years ago. “All the baggage you can bring is all that you can’t leave behind..” I was pretty sure I was making the right decision, and this song was one of the things that helped me feel a little braver about it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Beatles – This one’s a bit of a cheat as far as “memory” is concerned, since the Beatles arrived in the USA seven weeks before I was born. But this is one of a few of their songs – another is “Here Comes The Sun” – that I think it’s impossible to hear without smiling. This one just feels like cheerfulness, youth, promise, and good expectations all over, and any time I can experience that, it’s a great time.
Congrats on your recent wedding anniversary!
Crimson Wife – Thanks! It was a great first year, and I look forward to many more with Tall Paul.
I’ve added your blog to my reader – looking forward to reading more from you!
Oh, wow, some of your songs do it for me. “The End of the Innocence,” “Walking in Memphis,” and “The Best of My Love,” to name a few.
Patois – I hope what they “do” for you is good! 🙂 I thought the same about some of the songs on your list.
Great list! I love many of the ones you mention, End of the Innocence, Tainted Love, Manic Monday but songs that brought back memories for me are from an earlier time (mostly)
Irishcoda – I checked out your list – good songs, and they weren’t that old! 🙂
Like you, I tend to remember more when I actually hear the song. That’s a great list, by the way! There are definitely certain songs that bring out the memories in me more so than others. I can even remember the first time I remember hearing certain songs.
Add me to the “End of the Innocence” list. That song brings back all sorts of memories and gives me misty eyes every time I hear it. I think I’m going to have to do this one at some point!
Literary Feline – In some cases, I can remember my “first time” with a song, too. I don’t think I included any of those in my list, though :-). And after I posted it, of course I thought of some others; I even went back and changed one!
Pam – I hope you do make your own list. It’s been really enjoyable reading other people’s lists for this prompt, and I’d look forward to seeing yours.