Musical Memories

One of the things I enjoy most about music is the way it can evoke vivid memories. I hate to quote Dick Clark but he was right when he said, "music is the soundtrack of our lives." I remember Hammer Time and Kris Cross. I remember being in junior high and listening to Green Day "Dookie" for the first time and being blown away. I remember the late nights driving around in high school listening to the Get Up Kids and Elliott Smith. There is plenty of other music nostalgia rolling around my head. It is funny how even songs and bands that you despise can get rooted into your memories.

One of my roommates in college absolutely adored top 40 pop music which still to this day I cannot comprehend. The year was 2004 so I must have heard the Maroon 5 song "This Love" a million times. I absolutely abhor everything about Maroon 5. It mostly just annoyed me that they dressed like a quintessential indie band. This was also about the time a began dating my wife. It must have been our second or third date and I could not stop humming that song. Any free moment or lull in the conversation and I would be mumbling "this love has taken control of me." The song is so catchy, it is impossible not to get it stuck in your head (I bet you are humming it right now). For better or worse, whenever I hear that song I cannot help but think about my fantastic wife. I love my wife, I just wish we had a cooler song.

Music like many other things in life can humble you. Something life changing happens and rather than the jukebox in your head cueing up Oasis you are stuck with "Complicated" by Avril Lavenge. At this point all you can do is smile, that songs is going to be there for a while.