Funny How a Melody Sounds like a Memory

Everybody needs food, water, and shelter.  Obviously, I’m no exception to that list; in fact, I would like to add one more need to that list—music.  Music is my own personal life support—I would simply cease to exist without it.  Therefore, you will not find me anywhere without my very own adult version of a security blanket, my ipod.  Whether I am sad, happy, anxious, mad, or tired, my music is always close at hand.  Country, classic rock, indie, alternative, pop—I simply cannot discriminate, neither would I want to considering each caters to me in their own individual way. 

The other day as I was listening to Eric Church’s song Springsteen the line “funny how a melody sounds like a memory” struck me.  It got me thinking about just how many songs can transport me back to a specific time and place.  I started pouring through my various playlists and taking a look at individual songs that symbolized particularly strong memories.  I thought it would be fun to compile and share a few of them here.

Voodoo, Godsmack:  Every Sunday my dad would drive my cousin, sister, and me to Sunday School while he would listen to this ridiculously titled rock radio program called House of Hair.  I can remember loud 80’s and 90’s rock and metal music blaring from the speakers as my Dad shook his head along to the deafening beat.  From the back seats, we would chastise him and ask him if it was appropriate to play the “Devil’s Music” while driving us to church and then fall into fits of giggles.  He would simply bob his head and turn it up at the request of Dee Snider, the radio host, while explaining, “Dee Snider…He played for the Twisted Sister.”  My young, innocent past self was always left pondering how he could possibly be a sister if he was a man.  Anyway, one memorable morning Godsmack’s Voodoo came on and the chilling lyrics of “when I feel the snakebite enter my veins” came pouring into the car and the laughter was instantaneous.  We couldn’t help but laugh at the complete inappropriateness of it all as we drove along to church of all places.  My dad found it quite entertaining and to this day the House of Hair and Godsmack’s snakebite lyrics are still ammo in which to tease my dad.

I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston:  This song is famous throughout the world and known by almost all, but there is only one thing I think about whenever I hear this song and that’s my sister.  It’s safe to say that my sister had a religious relationship with Whitney Houston, and this was her very own personal anthem during the year of 1992.  I vividly remember how she played it on repeat nonstop in her room while creating her very own dance routine to it.  She perfected the routine over and over again while dressed in various bedazzling old dance recital costumes.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, her upstairs room had an interior window that opened up to the kitchen below therefore sharing this love anthem over and over with us as well.  I would mutinously stare her down and curse her obsessive revere of one Whitney Houston with as much malice as I could muster.  If it weren’t for my parents I’m quite certain I would have murdered my sister and relished never hearing those lyrics again.  On her gravestone it would have read Here lies Whitney Houston’s #1 Fan, and In celebration I would have danced upon it to any song other than I Will Always Love You.

Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen:  Queen is one of my all-time favorite bands.  Nobody can belt out a song like Freddie Mercury.  During a ten day outback trip in Australia I discovered a group of strangers that shared in my love for this legendary band.  We were traveling along the west coast of Australia stopping at beautiful beaches, tall sand dunes, breathtaking National Parks, and endless country land hundreds of miles awy from any modern city.  One night while camping we all gathered around the fire as was the nightly tradition after dinner and began talking about music.  We got around to discussing just how awesome Queen was and no sooner had the band been mentioned did one girl burst into the opening lines of Bohemian Rhapsody.  It only took a matter of seconds for the rest of us to join in, and under the most exquisite stars and creamiest Milky Way, fourteen strangers from all over the world did their best to make Queen proud.  Our guide said it was the most hilarious and entertaining six minutes he had ever witnessed from any of his tour groups.

Bye Bye Bye, ‘N Sync:  I was a middle schooler when the battle of the boy bands broke onto the stage.  ‘N Sync, The Backstreet Boys, and O-Town were all the rage.  I vividly remember girls swooning and professing their love for these young heartthrobs while believing with absolute conviction that god really must have spent a little more time on them.  The abundant hair gel, slick choreographed dance moves, and boyish good looks even had girls arguing back and forth over who was the ultimate boy band hottie.  In my school the verdict landed squarely on Justin Timberlake with an overbearing outcry from the majority of the female student body population.  Even the school talent show was littered with numerous acts dedicated to these love pop songs with each girl utterly devoted to nailing their carefully designed dance routines alongside their friends on stage.  Teachers and annoyed boys, who simply couldn’t compete with these boy band wonders, watched on while conspicuously hiding their smiles.  It is safe to say I cannot reminisce upon my middle school years without recalling these boy bands and the screaming mobs that followed, but I suppose every generation has their own boy band heroes whether it be the Beatles, ‘N Sync, or One Direction.