In the movie "With Honors," Joe Pesci plays a homeless guy who lives on the Harvard campus, and to be honest I don't rememember most of the story, but I remember that whenever he had an experience, good or bad, that he wanted to remember, or that he felt made up an important part of who he was, he bent down and picked up a rock. He kept these "memory rocks" with him to remind him of the experience. After seeing that movie, I decided I would do the same thing, but of course I forgot about it and have no rocks to remember things by. But I do have songs. Music has always been a big part of my life, and I know Misa is the same way. Some examples of songs that help me remember a specific part of my life or certain expriences are:
1812 Overture (Tchaichovsky): My dad used to play this full-blast on some saturday mornings and I'd wake up to my room shaking to the booming cannons.
You're unbelievable(EMF), Losing my religion(REM), right here right now(Jesus Jones), Enter Sandman(Metallica), Teen Spirit(Nirvana)...: these were all included on my first mix-tape that I listened to during one of our family trips to yellowtone in 6th or 7th grade, so these songs all remind me of family outings to yellowstone and Jackson Hole (of which there were many). (Damage Inc. by Metallica reminds me of the Yellowstone trip where all the cousins went, and Daniel slipped the headphones on my ears after I fell asleep in the car and I woke up to what sounded like my head exploding). That trick must run in the family.
I think I'm alone now (Tiffany) and Opposites Attract (Paula Abdul): remind me of my sisters jamie and sara when we were all little. they'd (at least jamie) would listen to these ALL THE TIME.
Any Billy Joel, in a gadda da vida (Iron butterfly): remind me of my dad because he listened to billy joel all the time and took us to the River of Dreams concert, and in a gadda da vida was just a cool (and really long) song that was on one of his CDs.
The Joshua Tree album (U2): cross-country running in 10th grade (I used to go running at night and listen to this entire album as I ran around Murray). this was the beginning of my U2 days, which still continue with misa (haven't missed a concert since)
August and Everything After album (Counting Crows): my first job as a bus-boy at a Japanese Restaurant (I worked there for a few years from the time I was 14).
The Distance(Cake), Rattle and Hum and ZooTV videos (U2): my Freshman year of college.
Time to Say Goodbye (Sarah Brightman), and any Peter Breinholt: Meeting Misa. We used to go to free Peter Breinholt concerts before we got married, including one in a little park outside Pres. Hinckley's apartment when he came out and waved at everyone listening to the concert. Time to Say Goodbye was our favorite water show song at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. I bought that CD for Misa and she had bought the same one for me around the same day. Now we have two copies.
I could go on forever, but I won't. The last one I'll mention is the first song of what's playing in the background. Pretty cheesy, but it'll probably always remind me of having to live without my family for two months. I really miss you guys! The rest are for my misa.
What are your songs?
5 comments:
Incense and Peppermint--riding in someone's car to Boy Scout swimming lessons at the YWCA. Joe (Westerman) McCloy and I listened through one mono earphone from a battery-powered reel-to-reel tape player. He was theoretically banned from this listening to this psychedelic music.
Cecilia--Dating in high school (not because of the theme of the song but because the song was recorded for an album at a Salt Palace concert I attended).
The Lion Sleeps Tonight--Mission (it was on the demo tape with the Sony cassette tape player each missionary bought on arrival at the mission home in Japan, and every missionary had a crush on the singer, Minami Saori).
Midnight at the Oasis--Driving home from work at 7:30 each morning in the Seattle January drizzle and passing cars lined for up for blocks at gas stations during the 1974 gas crisis, right after my mission.
Any Carpenters song--Chieko and my second date (or third?).
Many of Billy Joel's, Air Supply's, and Chicago's songs and some Beethoven and Tchaikovsky --standing on a platform in Tokyo waiting for the train home with the first portable Sony CD player in my manly leather shoulder bag.
Misa - are you still in Utah. I was out of town for almost a week and just got back a few days ago. If you are still here I would love to drive up and see you. I don't have your email address - mine is valandmatt@gmail.com or you can call me at 801-798-4674. I would LOVE to see you. Let me know.
OK I admit I had listened to Tiffany for a short period in the 6th grade but Sara was the one who listened to Paula Abdul...
I have too many songs to list but some that take me back to my childhood are: Metallica, U2, Simon and Garfunkel, I could go on and on.
But NOT Paula Abdul :)
1812 overture reminds me of playing Mario Brothers on the old nintendo system. I don't know why.
Any toad the wet sprocket reminds me of you and yellowstone. Not sure why again.
U2 Achtung Baby (the whole cd)- reminds me of sitting on the beach in the rain in Oregon. That cd is what converted me to them.
Cecilia (simon and garfunkel), Coming home (kenny G) and Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)-Driving home from all of our vacations from the North West. Probably because the only time Dad really let us listen to music on the car stereo was on the way home from a vacation. Other than that we had to sit in the quiet and "appreciate nature." (thank goodness for walkmans!) although I do really love Simon and Garfunkel and Billy Joel.
Black Cat (Janet Jackson)-Reminds me of when you taught me that damn is a swear word and I argued that it was NOT a swear word because it was spelled D-A-M-N and not D-A-M. You also taught me that dumb was spelled with a "B".
Red Red Wine (UB40)-reminds me of Jamie and how Dad always got mad at her for listening to that song and I secretly listened to it all the time too.
People Everyday (Arrested Development)- A really bad song that reminds me of when I first met Jared and his friend Jake 'cause they sang it together all the time and it was really funny!
Bubble Toes (Jack Johnson)-Always reminds me of the first time Jared came to my apartment. He sang to this song really loud.
Poor some sugar on me (Def Leppard)-Reminds me of Amy Grass in college when she came in super excited because she just heard about a great new band called "Def Leppard" (this was in 2000 that she discovered them).
Driftwood (travis), Guster (Lost and gone forever album), and Jack Johnson all remind me of when Jared and I first started dating.
Guster (Keep it together album)-moving to Virginia and running all the time on a treadmill training for half marathons.
We Close Our Eyes (Oingo Boingo)-reminds me of you. I was happy when you'd introduce me to some good songs like this one. I was especially happy when you left on your mission and I got to raid your music for 2 years!
And of course Paula Abdul reminds me of the majority of my childhood. Dad came home with her CD when I was sick one day and I was so excited because it was the first CD I ever owned.
Apparently you opened up a huge can of worms. I am done now. Glad you get to see Misa soon!!! We've all missed you.
These are just a few songs lodged in my fuzzy memory:
"Rhinestone cowboy": 1st grade bus rides.
Any Oak Ridge Boys song: my dad.
Any U2 song: Jamie, John, and Sara.
Any Yo-Yo Ma: late night study sessions during grad school.
"Porcupine Pie": Sophomore in high school.
"Olay, olay, olay, olay . . ." Japan because it was like the official soccer song one summer I was there and was played in the shoten all the time.
Post a Comment