willow_25 | I am Slacker (Reply)

As I have nothing interesting to share, I'm gonna do a (sorta)meme. Because I don't want any of you to think I don't love you, even if I haven't been writing/commenting as much as I usually do. This one comes from

kristinewithak, otherwise known as roomie1, who wrote today about 10 songs that evoke memories, good feelings, or just plain rock.

In no particular order:

10: Blackbird, by The Beatles. For some reason I've never thought too much about, this song reminds me intensely of my maternal grandmother, who died when I was 7. She was an awesome lady, had been sick as long as I can remember, and being reminded of her always makes me happy and sad at the same time.

9: Hazy Shade of Winter, by Simon & Garfunkel. The first time I heard this song was right after the remake came out (by The Bangles, in the 1980's). I was so excited to play my new favorite song for my Dad, because even then music was a huge part of our relationship. He sat me down immediately with headphones and forced me to listen to the original. Because he's awesome.

8: It's All Been Done, by Barenaked Ladies. It's sweet, it's funny, it's damn catchy; in short, it's everything I love about a certain type of pop-rock song. Plus, time travel! Or something like it, anyway.

7: Anything She Does, By Phil Collins/Genesis. For no good reason I can think of, really. Once I start listening to it, I play it 50 times in a row. It makes me giddy.

6: Hurdy Gurdy Man, by Donovan. Reminds me of what an outspoken idealistic communist hippie freak I used to be. And how my parents used to shake their heads at me and how naive I was. And how, even though I've grown up, part of me will always believe there is no problem that can't be solved by peaceful negotiation and quiet reflection. Plus, huge opportunity for air guitar.

5: Mountain Music, by Alabama. My mom is a huge country music fan. And until I was about 20, I couldn't stand any of it. Now, it just brings back good memories; especially this song, which is great for summer parties and spring cleaning.

4: Smells Like Teen Spirit, by Nirvana. Reminds me of high school, and of sitting in the rain with my then-boyfriend and hearing that Kurt Cobain had just died. Frantic energy, with an acerbic wit.

3: Possession, by Sarah McLachlan. My first concert without family chaperoning was a date on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy tour. There were 4 of us; girls from out of town, who had little clue how to responsibly ride public transportation, and only a vague idea where we were going. It still qualifies as one of the best concert-going experiences I've ever had.

2: Tapestry, by Carol King. When I split from my ex-fiance, I listened to this album over and over. The title track is still one of my favorite songs. Something about the instrumentals, her voice, and those lyrics gets me right here *clutches chest*.

So...Can there be a 30-way tie for number 1? Drat, this is hard...*sits on log next to Pooh for a good think*

1: Volare, by Dean Martin. Back in the day when my paternal grandparents spent the winter in Florida, and the rest of the year helping my divorced parents shuttle me back and forth, there was no better place to be than lying on the back seat of their car, listening to my grandfather sing along with this, while my grandmother yelled at him to be quiet so she could hear, and turned up the volume.