My songs...
I promised a post kinda about this stuff... I saw somewhere someone talking about songs that defined them... This may not be quite the same, but I made a list of 20 songs (though, I realized later I could go on forever) that had major significance to me ....for various reasons...in no true order....and not all will have videos...
1. Bad Moon Rising -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
When I was a little kid, my dad was in various bands. Most of them were just groups of friends jamming with the occasional gig here and there. This was always something I remember my dad playing. And we listened to CCR a lot on the radio.
2. Feels Like Home -- Linda Ronstadt
I think I first fell in love with this song after the movie Michael came out. It was only later I realized that I had likely grown up with it being played in my house. There is a Twilight fanfic I read that used this song in a chapter...and it just struck a chord with me (no pun intended).
3. Thank You -- Ray Boltz
Many people in my life now don't remember when I used to listen to a LOT of Christian music. My personal beliefs of faith are something I don't usually discuss with people unless I'm extremely comfortable with them. But back when I was a teen, I heard this song and asked my aunt to teach me how to perform it in sign language (another thing I bet people don't know about me...). I performed this song a few times for events with churches/schools. This song still speaks to me because it was really the first time I got up on a stage ALONE and performed. I never fully learned sign language, more like I learned the motions to make sense to those who understand ASL, but I don't "read" it myself. But this song reminds me that what I do for others DOES have an effect and that getting up and performing isn't the worst thing in the world to do.
4. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You -- Heart
I think I was 11 or 12 when this song came out. And it was TRULY the first time I understood that songs could/did tell stories. Of course I knew words to songs before that and I probably visualized song lyrics before that...but this was the first time I REALIZED it.
5. Black Velvet -- Alannah Myles
When I was 11 years old, I spent a week and a half out of school due to mosquito-borne encephalitis. One of the worst symptoms was loss of vision. My family was into country music at the time, so I "watched" a lot of what is now called CMT (County Music Television). One of the videos that week was a woman named Robin Lee who sang this song Black Velvet...and around the same time, this same song came out on the rock and roll stations by Alannah Myles. For a long time, I thought the women were sisters or something because of the similarities. Today, most versions you hear are Alannah Myles. Her version was grittier. It's a song that requires me to pull emotion from my gut to sing along.
6. Daydream Believer -- the Monkees
My first "boy band" crushes. I've always been a night owl...and many times my dad and I would stay up late and watch TV. The Monkees came on at 10 pm on Nick at Nite. I was probably 7 or 8...and Davy Jones was SO CUTE!!! Yes, I know this was the mid to late-1980's, but I loved watching that show with my dad. If the episodes weren't so terribly expensive to acquire, I'd have the series on DVD....
7. The Thunder Rolls -- Garth Brooks
Again from my country music listening days... This song was the first time I realized not all songs were happy stories. That songs were about issues much darker than love, hearts, flowers, and sex. No, songs could be about abuse, addiction, dying, pain... This one stuck with me because I saw an interview once where Garth Brooks talked about how there was another verse to this song...that made the song very dark indeed...but since they didn't want to advocate the actions in it, they cut it. But when they did the music video, they alluded to it.
8. Piano Man -- Billy Joel
As the daughter of a musician, I am forever amazed at people who play instruments. Billy Joel is a gifted storyteller/songwriter. This song evokes so many feelings. And the use of the calliope like tune to it reminds me that life is a circus.
9. Raise Your Glass -- P!nk
An anthem to being yourself. I've always been a fan of P!nk. She stands up for the outsiders, outcasts, and the misfits. This song is the ringtone for my sister who OWNS being her own person and makes no apologies for it.
10. Perfect -- P!nk
Another anthem of hers. Reminding us that how others see us is not as important as how WE see ourselves. That we are PERFECT just as we are. Living up to others is a tiring way to live.
11. My Dad is Rich -- Draco and the Malfoys
My introduction to Wizard Rock. I had heard a bit of Harry and the Potters, but couldn't get into them. But then I heard of Evil Wizard Rock. The guys behind the group made me love parody and it really opened me to MORE of the fandom. And Brian and Brad were always very awesome and friendly.
12. She Hates Me -- Puddle of Mudd
When I was 16, I started dating my ex. When I was 23, I had just finally gotten a restraining order, but he was still making my life hell. I had a friend from high school who had gone through something similar. And just when I thought I was going to go insane from everything he was doing, she picked me up, took me out honky-tonking, got me rip-roaring drunk and played this song. It's got a lot of foul language in it, but I will always remember driving down some back roads, top down on her car, screaming along with these lyrics and FINALLY feeling like my control was coming back.
13. California Dreaming -- The Mamas And The Papas
My mom was in choirs in high school. She's told me about 1000 times about how the first day she joined the elite chorus group, she walked into the room and some kids broke out into an acapella version of California Dreaming. The acoustics in the room apparently made it amazing. This song taught me about harmony.
14. Bed of Roses -- Bon Jovi
I've been a casual fan of Bon Jovi since Sippery When Wet. But something about this song once in my head is usually stuck there for a few days. I think it's his voice. Gritty, growly, emotion.
15. Love the Way You Lie -- Eminem w/ Rihanna
Yes, I also listen to rap. It's amazing how many words they can get in at a time. I've listened to Eminem since his Slim Shady days. He's one of my mom's top artists. She considers him a master storyteller. This particular song, it's the video that captures me. It's all about abuse, addiction, leaving, staying, destruction...but it's SO vivid. It's about knowing you should leave, but also wanting to stay...
16. Bitch -- Meredith Brooks
This is MY SONG. This is everything you need to know about me. I've begged my mom to make this my ringtone for her phone. But she's too professional to have her phone screaming out Bitch all day. It's about acknowledging all the parts of you...and EMBRACING them. Yes, I'm a bitch, but I'm also a lover, child, mother, sinner and saint...
17. Anything I Do (I Do For You) -- Bryan Adams
In 1991, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves came out. I was OBSESSED with this movie. It was actually my introduction to Alan Rickman...and Christian Slater. My dad and I were equally obsessed with the song that played at the end (so put there because the director or producer hated the song, but was contractually obligated to use it). I am NOT musical, but I have been taught enough over the years that I can count music, read it, write scales, etc... This was the first song where my dad showed me how to follow the bass line. 25 years on, that's the part I hear the most.
18. Billie Jean -- Michael Jackson
My first ever crush. I was entirely convinced at 6 that I was gonna marry Michael Jackson someday. This song never fails to get my attention when it comes on, whether radio or video. I think I was in my teens before I ever realized what it was about. It was probably the dancing...
19. Thiller -- Michael Jackson
I remember the night this premiered. I was pretty young. I was sitting on my mom's back as she laid on the pull out couch that was my parents' bed at the time. And I remember being SO scared by the zombies at the end breaking into the house...and when Michael turns around at the end with the werewolf eyes? Shit, that STILL scares me to this day... I've never been a fan of horror, but it really scares me. I remember hiding my face in my mom's hair and crying...because this was my future husband being so scary.
20. Girl -- Mark Lowery
This song you won't find or hear anywhere. This is a song my dad wrote and performed 1000's of times in my lifetime. I could go over tomorrow and ask him to play it and he would. This song is considered my intro to the world of music. I can't remember a time in my life where I DIDN'T know this song. My dad told me once that his uncle gave him the first two lines of the song one day...and he turned it into a song. It's about a guy getting over a breakup. I do have an audio file of it. My dad has a tape that he and some guys recorded the song on. It's not my dad singing in the version, but the sound is a bit warped from the overused tape, and the fact that I recorded it to my computer and turned it into something I could play with iTunes. I really need to get him to sing it for me again and record it.
So there's 20 songs that are me. Do you feel you know me better now? Or am I more of an enigma that ever?
1. Bad Moon Rising -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
When I was a little kid, my dad was in various bands. Most of them were just groups of friends jamming with the occasional gig here and there. This was always something I remember my dad playing. And we listened to CCR a lot on the radio.
Click to view2. Feels Like Home -- Linda Ronstadt
I think I first fell in love with this song after the movie Michael came out. It was only later I realized that I had likely grown up with it being played in my house. There is a Twilight fanfic I read that used this song in a chapter...and it just struck a chord with me (no pun intended).
3. Thank You -- Ray Boltz
Many people in my life now don't remember when I used to listen to a LOT of Christian music. My personal beliefs of faith are something I don't usually discuss with people unless I'm extremely comfortable with them. But back when I was a teen, I heard this song and asked my aunt to teach me how to perform it in sign language (another thing I bet people don't know about me...). I performed this song a few times for events with churches/schools. This song still speaks to me because it was really the first time I got up on a stage ALONE and performed. I never fully learned sign language, more like I learned the motions to make sense to those who understand ASL, but I don't "read" it myself. But this song reminds me that what I do for others DOES have an effect and that getting up and performing isn't the worst thing in the world to do.
4. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You -- Heart
I think I was 11 or 12 when this song came out. And it was TRULY the first time I understood that songs could/did tell stories. Of course I knew words to songs before that and I probably visualized song lyrics before that...but this was the first time I REALIZED it.
5. Black Velvet -- Alannah Myles
When I was 11 years old, I spent a week and a half out of school due to mosquito-borne encephalitis. One of the worst symptoms was loss of vision. My family was into country music at the time, so I "watched" a lot of what is now called CMT (County Music Television). One of the videos that week was a woman named Robin Lee who sang this song Black Velvet...and around the same time, this same song came out on the rock and roll stations by Alannah Myles. For a long time, I thought the women were sisters or something because of the similarities. Today, most versions you hear are Alannah Myles. Her version was grittier. It's a song that requires me to pull emotion from my gut to sing along.
6. Daydream Believer -- the Monkees
My first "boy band" crushes. I've always been a night owl...and many times my dad and I would stay up late and watch TV. The Monkees came on at 10 pm on Nick at Nite. I was probably 7 or 8...and Davy Jones was SO CUTE!!! Yes, I know this was the mid to late-1980's, but I loved watching that show with my dad. If the episodes weren't so terribly expensive to acquire, I'd have the series on DVD....
7. The Thunder Rolls -- Garth Brooks
Again from my country music listening days... This song was the first time I realized not all songs were happy stories. That songs were about issues much darker than love, hearts, flowers, and sex. No, songs could be about abuse, addiction, dying, pain... This one stuck with me because I saw an interview once where Garth Brooks talked about how there was another verse to this song...that made the song very dark indeed...but since they didn't want to advocate the actions in it, they cut it. But when they did the music video, they alluded to it.
8. Piano Man -- Billy Joel
As the daughter of a musician, I am forever amazed at people who play instruments. Billy Joel is a gifted storyteller/songwriter. This song evokes so many feelings. And the use of the calliope like tune to it reminds me that life is a circus.
9. Raise Your Glass -- P!nk
An anthem to being yourself. I've always been a fan of P!nk. She stands up for the outsiders, outcasts, and the misfits. This song is the ringtone for my sister who OWNS being her own person and makes no apologies for it.
10. Perfect -- P!nk
Another anthem of hers. Reminding us that how others see us is not as important as how WE see ourselves. That we are PERFECT just as we are. Living up to others is a tiring way to live.
11. My Dad is Rich -- Draco and the Malfoys
My introduction to Wizard Rock. I had heard a bit of Harry and the Potters, but couldn't get into them. But then I heard of Evil Wizard Rock. The guys behind the group made me love parody and it really opened me to MORE of the fandom. And Brian and Brad were always very awesome and friendly.
12. She Hates Me -- Puddle of Mudd
When I was 16, I started dating my ex. When I was 23, I had just finally gotten a restraining order, but he was still making my life hell. I had a friend from high school who had gone through something similar. And just when I thought I was going to go insane from everything he was doing, she picked me up, took me out honky-tonking, got me rip-roaring drunk and played this song. It's got a lot of foul language in it, but I will always remember driving down some back roads, top down on her car, screaming along with these lyrics and FINALLY feeling like my control was coming back.
13. California Dreaming -- The Mamas And The Papas
My mom was in choirs in high school. She's told me about 1000 times about how the first day she joined the elite chorus group, she walked into the room and some kids broke out into an acapella version of California Dreaming. The acoustics in the room apparently made it amazing. This song taught me about harmony.
14. Bed of Roses -- Bon Jovi
I've been a casual fan of Bon Jovi since Sippery When Wet. But something about this song once in my head is usually stuck there for a few days. I think it's his voice. Gritty, growly, emotion.
15. Love the Way You Lie -- Eminem w/ Rihanna
Yes, I also listen to rap. It's amazing how many words they can get in at a time. I've listened to Eminem since his Slim Shady days. He's one of my mom's top artists. She considers him a master storyteller. This particular song, it's the video that captures me. It's all about abuse, addiction, leaving, staying, destruction...but it's SO vivid. It's about knowing you should leave, but also wanting to stay...
16. Bitch -- Meredith Brooks
This is MY SONG. This is everything you need to know about me. I've begged my mom to make this my ringtone for her phone. But she's too professional to have her phone screaming out Bitch all day. It's about acknowledging all the parts of you...and EMBRACING them. Yes, I'm a bitch, but I'm also a lover, child, mother, sinner and saint...
17. Anything I Do (I Do For You) -- Bryan Adams
In 1991, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves came out. I was OBSESSED with this movie. It was actually my introduction to Alan Rickman...and Christian Slater. My dad and I were equally obsessed with the song that played at the end (so put there because the director or producer hated the song, but was contractually obligated to use it). I am NOT musical, but I have been taught enough over the years that I can count music, read it, write scales, etc... This was the first song where my dad showed me how to follow the bass line. 25 years on, that's the part I hear the most.
18. Billie Jean -- Michael Jackson
My first ever crush. I was entirely convinced at 6 that I was gonna marry Michael Jackson someday. This song never fails to get my attention when it comes on, whether radio or video. I think I was in my teens before I ever realized what it was about. It was probably the dancing...
19. Thiller -- Michael Jackson
I remember the night this premiered. I was pretty young. I was sitting on my mom's back as she laid on the pull out couch that was my parents' bed at the time. And I remember being SO scared by the zombies at the end breaking into the house...and when Michael turns around at the end with the werewolf eyes? Shit, that STILL scares me to this day... I've never been a fan of horror, but it really scares me. I remember hiding my face in my mom's hair and crying...because this was my future husband being so scary.
20. Girl -- Mark Lowery
This song you won't find or hear anywhere. This is a song my dad wrote and performed 1000's of times in my lifetime. I could go over tomorrow and ask him to play it and he would. This song is considered my intro to the world of music. I can't remember a time in my life where I DIDN'T know this song. My dad told me once that his uncle gave him the first two lines of the song one day...and he turned it into a song. It's about a guy getting over a breakup. I do have an audio file of it. My dad has a tape that he and some guys recorded the song on. It's not my dad singing in the version, but the sound is a bit warped from the overused tape, and the fact that I recorded it to my computer and turned it into something I could play with iTunes. I really need to get him to sing it for me again and record it.
So there's 20 songs that are me. Do you feel you know me better now? Or am I more of an enigma that ever?