Whenever I hear a long-forgotten song or a melody, I am reminded of long ago days, almost-fading memories and the promise of tomorrow. Join me, if you like, as I share with you the life of songs that bring you to a place in your past, perhaps your first dance, your first kiss, a great friend or a lost love.
To the here and now for the girls on campus, by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: “She grew up tall and she grew up right, with them Indiana boys on them Indiana nights. Well, she moved down here at the age of eighteen, she blew the boys away, was more than they’d seen. I was introduced and we both started groovin’. She said, ‘I dig you baby, but I got to keep movin’ on, keep movin’ on.’”
Where does Pitbull’s song take you? When I hear the lyrics, “It’s going down, I’m yelling timber,” I think of the party Holly Golightly hosts in the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” where a woman legitimately was falling down and Holly yells timber.
“What a field day for the heat, a thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly saying, ‘Hooray for our side.’” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” was one of many expression-filled songs associated with the Vietnam War. It brought people together and put a beat to the heart of the protests.
For some, this Simple Minds song calls to mind the The Breakfast Club ending scene: “Tell me your troubles and doubts, giving me everything inside and out and love’s strange so real in the dark, think of the tender things that we were working on.” For me, this song puts building friendships into perspective. The darkness of the night allows us to hide our insecurities and come out to be somebody that the daylight may not get to see. It allows thoughts to harvest differently than during the day. Have you ever had a night where you stayed up chatting, lost track of time and most importantly didn’t regret it in the morning?
“Well, it’s a marvelous night for a Moondance with the stars up above in your eyes.
A fantabulous night to make romance ‘neath the cover of October skies. And all the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that blow, and I’m trying to please to the calling of your heart-strings that play soft and low.” “Moondance” by Van Morrison is certainly on the list of the most romantic songs the last decade has seen. It takes a person back to the one girl or guy who cannot be forgotten.
When you find a connection in music, it’s almost as if the song was written for you. The common noise brings people together in uncommon ways. So enjoy your tunes, savor the memories, and, better yet, have fun making the new ones.
