Wednesday, June 20, 2007

#19 Thursday Thirteen, Songs of My Life


Yesterday I was driving home listening to a Classic Rock station when Stairway to Heaven came on, the radio got turned up and I started singing along while playing a little air guitar. I was a teenager again until the line of cars on the exit ramp started moving and I was back to reality. But that few moments of "a bustle in my hedgerow" gave me the 13 Songs that are more than just notes and words in my life and trigger specific memories.

1. Stairway to Heaven: The longest slow dance song known to all teenagers. Even now, that song is played at our 7th and 8th grade dances as the last song. How awkward it gets though, when the beat changes, do you cling? Or do you break apart and dance?

2. American Pie by Don Mclean: A great song to sing, but I remember this from sixth grade when the priest asked the church full of kids for a first Friday of the month Mass what songs had God in them and American Pie was mentioned.
Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

3. Sugar, Sugar : The only song by a non-musical group and my first 45, how can your forget your first record?

4. House of the Rising Sun: One of the only songs I could play on the Guitar

5. Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel: My cousins and I could belt this out in in 1972, I doubt that I knew what it was about....
Makin' love in the afternoon with Cecilia
Up in my bedroom (makin' love)
I got up to wash my face
And when I come back to bed someone's taken my place

6. Faure Requiem: We sang this in high school chorus and when I hear it, I get goosebumps remembering how awesome it felt to be able to sing it as a group and remember my time as a chorus geek. I lived near Boston and we had a very talented teacher at the time.

7. I wonder what the King is Doing Tonight: I grew up listening to Camelot and Man of La Mancha thanks to my parents. My father has always said that he wants this particular song played at his funeral, would make it interesting!

8. Fire on High by ELO- This is a song that I would turn up really loud on Thursday evenings when I was in college. Because, you know, the weekends really start on Thursday nights when you are in college.

9. Duchess by Genesis- I didn't even know who Genesis was until college and this song reminds me of my room mate. To this day, one of us will hear the song and use it as an excuse to call each other.

10. Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult- Stephen King had the lyrics to this song in The Stand and when I hear this song, I think of the book. The Stand is one of the few books that I have read more than once as an adult. Spooky how the song fits the book.

Dont´t Fear (the Reaper) Lyrics

11. Building a Mystery by Sarah McLachlan- The summer that my brother was sick, I had a portable cd player and I played this song along with the entire album constantly. It was a calming album to listen to and helped me through a difficult time.

12. Eminence Front by The Who- The song playing when I got engaged, not the most romantic, but every time I hear the song, I remember!

13. Love Shack by the B-52s- This song showed up on another 13 list where the blogger ( I think, Dog's Eye view) hated the song, which I can understand, but it just makes me want to stop what I am doing and dance! It reminds me of summer jobs while in college and dances at the campground we used to go to, all fun stuff!
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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



25 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:17 PM

    Happy TT. I love smells and songs that trigger a happy memory. Great TT Idea !

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  2. How many generations have had Stairway to Heaven as their slow-dance song? I mean, I think it was somewhat of an oldie when I was in high school and I'm 45.

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  3. I'm such a geek; I'm sitting here, singing along to each and every one of those. I may not have specific memories to each song, but I sure know and like them!

    It's all about the music, isn't it?

    Happy TT! Always nice to see you stop by! Come back more often (and yes, if Mitchell had come to with a nose ring, Trevor would have at least two to match.)

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  4. Yep, Love Shack was on my TT of songs I hate. LOL! I think I've just heard it waaaaayyy too many times, because I like most of the rest of your list. :-)

    I had forgotten you did my current TT topic last week, but I just might use your suggestion for next week's list. ;-)
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. lol I loved the B-52s. And still do.

    Sorry, LSquared.

    *Tiiiiiin roof. Rusted.*

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  6. Anonymous12:20 AM

    I'm now going to look at Don't Fear the Reaper with an eye toward the apocalypse - never really thought about it before.

    I love the B52s too - always put me in a good mood.

    Mine's up: all about contradictory proverbs.

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  7. I have some of them on my ipod. Happy TT.

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  8. Anonymous1:29 AM

    AI YI YI!!! I loved your list. All those songs have memories for me, too! Adore "Stairway to Heaven." And dang if I don't love "Love Shack", too -- so many people think it's goofy, but like you, I just want to stop what I'm doing and DANCE when I hear it!

    Happy TT, and thanks for visiting mine! :)

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  9. Building a Mystery by Sarah McLachlan - never heard this one.

    But Faure's requiem? LOVE IT. Esp the Libera Me although it must be pronounced correctly. I have a recording where he sings "Quando Seely" driving me completely nuts.

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  10. Great songs! They brought back some memories of my own...
    Thanks for visiting my Litha TT!

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  11. "Stairway to Heaven" is one of my all-time favorites...

    I have a funny little story about "Cecelia" myself that I'll have to blog about sometime, but suffice it to say here, your reference made me smile!

    (Altho, I gotta admit that I too *hate* "Love Shack"!) LoL

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  12. Man I love Stariway To Heaven. And Love Shack makes me dance and sing no matter how bad I'm feeling. Great list! Now I need to dig out my MP3 player.

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  13. Great songs.. American Pie was the song we all sang along to on the bus on the way to the Christmas party each year at my former work, everyone knew all the words!

    Sugar, Sugar is a major fave of mine.

    Here in Australia, there was a TV program that every week had a different artist sing Stairway to Heaven, they released an album, was interesting to listen to different interpretations.

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  14. Those are great songs! Happy TT and thanks for dropping by mine.

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  15. Great great great list of songs. Though Stairway to Heaven was not played much at our school dances, mostly because cover bands try to steer clear of it.

    House of the Rising Sun is one of the best uses of organs in Rock n Roll

    Sarah, mmmmm, love love love Sarah.

    Now I have to research this what the King was doing song

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  16. Anonymous10:00 AM

    Songs always trigger a certain memory. And isn't it funny how so many of us have memories associated with the same song. Stairway to Heaven definitely takes me back to 7th and 8th grade dance.

    And the B52s, oh do I want to dance. Now I've got them singing in my head.

    Great TT list and thanks for sharing!

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  17. Anonymous10:27 AM

    I just turned up Stairway to Heaven this morning. My daughter promptly put her headphones on and looked out the window. LOL!

    Awesome list!

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  18. What a wonderful list! I'll be singing "Ceecilia" for the rest of the day!

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  19. I like that comment about 'Cecilia'. Now the cd's have to say if they have explicit lyrics and I think it just makes moms like me paranoid.

    I know I probably was clueless about the lyrics in the music I was listening to, and I had a spell of listening to omg - Ozzy Osbourne - I almost hate to admit it. I was a wild child I guess.

    Stairway to Heaven is the absolute best classic love song that is timeless! I'm sure every generation feels they own it.

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  20. Those are all great songs!

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  21. Isn't it funny how one or two notes of a song can take a person back to a moment. I LOVE any thing by Sarah McLachlan! Building a Mystery is awesome!

    I can totally related on Love Shack! I want to sing at the top of my lungs and dance every time I hear that song! It's a fun one!

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  22. Ah, Cecilia! How adult I felt when I sang along with the radio about "making love!" Almost as exciting as hearing Paul sing "breast" in "Lady Madonna." How cool is it to know our girlhood memories are shared?

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  23. I like 3, 5 and 13!
    nice list! happy TT!

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  24. Awesome list! Stairway to Heaven is a classic!

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  25. Anonymous10:53 PM

    Fun List! "Love Shack" cracks me up. I need to go download that one!!

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Any thoughts or musings of your own to add?