Ten songs that remind you of people you know, and why you picked them.
Anrai
Set Fire to the Third Bar-Snow Patrol
I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms, and state lines
The distance from 'A' to where you'd be
It's only finger-lengths that I see
I touch the place where I'd find your face
My finger in creases of distant dark places
Distance is hard, y’all. And I ain’t done that with a paper map but I damned sure have stared at MapQuest a time or three while missin’ him so much it’s painful. It’s not that I don’t get to see him, I do. He’s real good about that but the truth is, it’s just enough to feel like bein’ teased. It’s a long way from Flint Creek to New Mexico. I just don’t know what we’re gonna do about it.
Beast of Burden-The Rolling Stones
I'll never be your beast of burden
My back is broad but it's a hurting
All I want is for you to make love to me
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles my feet are hurting
All I want is for you to make love to me
It’s not the content of the song that reminds me of him, it’s the fact that it was playin’ that night in the barn. And I was dancin’ around bein’ silly and he was…well, let’s just say I finally realized just what sort of man he was. I ain’t ever gonna forget that night, the rain, the hay, the fact that I couldn’t get my damned boots off, and every damned little thing we sat up in the loft and talked about.
Margene
Almost Paradise-Ann Wilson and Mike Reno
Whoa-oa
ALMOST PARADISE
We're knocking on heaven's door
ALMOST PARADISE
How could we ask for more?
I swear that I can see forever in your eyes
Paradise
College. Cheesy bad movies with Kevin Bacon and I still say Willard was hotter than Ren. I remember when they threatened to kick us out of Hooptie’s cause we wouldn’t stop singin’ this one on karaoke night. And we had to splice the cassette tape back together after we wore a hole in it from listening to this track so much. Then it got stuck in Jack’s tape deck in that old Wrangler he had and he wanted to kill us. Jesus, I miss those days.
Brass In Pocket-The Pretenders
cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me
I’m special so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me
My Margie, she knows she looks like a sight to make men drool. And she uses it to her advantage. I’ve watched her do it. It’s amazin’ how totally shameless the woman can be.
Wes
Tears in Heaven-Eric Clapton
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I could quote the entire song here but I think we all know this one. There’s no question I miss my big brother. I only hope the answer to these questions is yes, and that there will be no more tears in Heaven. I miss his beautiful face. His loud, gruff voice and his goofy smile. His hugs, his kisses, his smell. I just miss him.
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)-Simon and Garfunkel
Got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.
For all the cowboy that Wes was, this was his favorite song. He used to whistle it constantly while he worked. I can’t hear this one without seein’ him in the barn cleanin’ tack or in the pens tryin’ to rope a doggy. Even better, sittin’ up in his office, boots on his desk and whiskey in his hand, hat down over his face and he’d be mumblin’ it under his breath while thinkin’ up something’ or another.
Jackson
God Only Knows-The Beach Boys
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you
That sums up our relationship in a nutshell. Known the man since I was five years old and he and my brother gave each other matchin’ black eyes. I grew up with Jack Anderson and he’s been a part of every major event in my life. Hell, I married the sonovabitch when I was eighteen and stayed that way for twenty years. He’s still one of my best friends and no, I don’t know what I’d have done without him. Still don’t.
Rock On-David Essex
Still looking for that blue jean, baby queen
Prettiest girl I ever seen
See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean
(James Dean)
He was my James Dean and I was his blue jean baby. We actually danced to this at a home comin’ dance while I was in high school and I think I called him Jimmy Dean for the rest of the school year. He never did stop callin’ me his blue jean baby. And of course I remember what we did for the first time after that dance too…Wes about kicked his ass when he found out a good month later. Thanks to Margene’s big damned mouth.
Me
Cold Water-Damien Rice
Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I've got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now,
Or am I lost?
Faith. Church. Our Father…yeah, I pray. A lot. And there were times when I think that’s the only way I got through parts of my life (Wes comin’ out, learnin’ that Jackson and I would never have the babies we wanted, Margie getting’ sick, Wes dyin’, my divorce…). And then there are times when all I did was rail at God for the unfairness of what He dumped on me. Still…I always go back to church, I still pray and when the goin’ gets tough, He’s the first place I look (Wes comin’ out, learnin’ that Jackson and I would never have the babies we wanted, Margie getting’ sick, Wes dyin’, my divorce…).
Sugar, Sugar-The Archies
Pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it Baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
pour a little sugar on it yeah
pour a little sugar on it honey
pour a little sugar on it baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
pour a little sugar on it honey.
It’s a fun, happy, up tempo little song and silly as can be. Sweet. I can’t not dance to it when it’s on…and then there’s the fact that I know I like to sprinkle everythin’ I say with honeys and sugars and darlin’s .
Set Fire to the Third Bar-Snow Patrol
I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms, and state lines
The distance from 'A' to where you'd be
It's only finger-lengths that I see
I touch the place where I'd find your face
My finger in creases of distant dark places
Distance is hard, y’all. And I ain’t done that with a paper map but I damned sure have stared at MapQuest a time or three while missin’ him so much it’s painful. It’s not that I don’t get to see him, I do. He’s real good about that but the truth is, it’s just enough to feel like bein’ teased. It’s a long way from Flint Creek to New Mexico. I just don’t know what we’re gonna do about it.
Beast of Burden-The Rolling Stones
I'll never be your beast of burden
My back is broad but it's a hurting
All I want is for you to make love to me
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles my feet are hurting
All I want is for you to make love to me
It’s not the content of the song that reminds me of him, it’s the fact that it was playin’ that night in the barn. And I was dancin’ around bein’ silly and he was…well, let’s just say I finally realized just what sort of man he was. I ain’t ever gonna forget that night, the rain, the hay, the fact that I couldn’t get my damned boots off, and every damned little thing we sat up in the loft and talked about.
Margene
Almost Paradise-Ann Wilson and Mike Reno
Whoa-oa
ALMOST PARADISE
We're knocking on heaven's door
ALMOST PARADISE
How could we ask for more?
I swear that I can see forever in your eyes
Paradise
College. Cheesy bad movies with Kevin Bacon and I still say Willard was hotter than Ren. I remember when they threatened to kick us out of Hooptie’s cause we wouldn’t stop singin’ this one on karaoke night. And we had to splice the cassette tape back together after we wore a hole in it from listening to this track so much. Then it got stuck in Jack’s tape deck in that old Wrangler he had and he wanted to kill us. Jesus, I miss those days.
Brass In Pocket-The Pretenders
cause I gonna make you see
There’s nobody else here
No one like me
I’m special so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me
My Margie, she knows she looks like a sight to make men drool. And she uses it to her advantage. I’ve watched her do it. It’s amazin’ how totally shameless the woman can be.
Wes
Tears in Heaven-Eric Clapton
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I could quote the entire song here but I think we all know this one. There’s no question I miss my big brother. I only hope the answer to these questions is yes, and that there will be no more tears in Heaven. I miss his beautiful face. His loud, gruff voice and his goofy smile. His hugs, his kisses, his smell. I just miss him.
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)-Simon and Garfunkel
Got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.
For all the cowboy that Wes was, this was his favorite song. He used to whistle it constantly while he worked. I can’t hear this one without seein’ him in the barn cleanin’ tack or in the pens tryin’ to rope a doggy. Even better, sittin’ up in his office, boots on his desk and whiskey in his hand, hat down over his face and he’d be mumblin’ it under his breath while thinkin’ up something’ or another.
Jackson
God Only Knows-The Beach Boys
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you
That sums up our relationship in a nutshell. Known the man since I was five years old and he and my brother gave each other matchin’ black eyes. I grew up with Jack Anderson and he’s been a part of every major event in my life. Hell, I married the sonovabitch when I was eighteen and stayed that way for twenty years. He’s still one of my best friends and no, I don’t know what I’d have done without him. Still don’t.
Rock On-David Essex
Still looking for that blue jean, baby queen
Prettiest girl I ever seen
See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean
(James Dean)
He was my James Dean and I was his blue jean baby. We actually danced to this at a home comin’ dance while I was in high school and I think I called him Jimmy Dean for the rest of the school year. He never did stop callin’ me his blue jean baby. And of course I remember what we did for the first time after that dance too…Wes about kicked his ass when he found out a good month later. Thanks to Margene’s big damned mouth.
Me
Cold Water-Damien Rice
Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I've got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now,
Or am I lost?
Faith. Church. Our Father…yeah, I pray. A lot. And there were times when I think that’s the only way I got through parts of my life (Wes comin’ out, learnin’ that Jackson and I would never have the babies we wanted, Margie getting’ sick, Wes dyin’, my divorce…). And then there are times when all I did was rail at God for the unfairness of what He dumped on me. Still…I always go back to church, I still pray and when the goin’ gets tough, He’s the first place I look (Wes comin’ out, learnin’ that Jackson and I would never have the babies we wanted, Margie getting’ sick, Wes dyin’, my divorce…).
Sugar, Sugar-The Archies
Pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it Baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
pour a little sugar on it yeah
pour a little sugar on it honey
pour a little sugar on it baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
pour a little sugar on it honey.
It’s a fun, happy, up tempo little song and silly as can be. Sweet. I can’t not dance to it when it’s on…and then there’s the fact that I know I like to sprinkle everythin’ I say with honeys and sugars and darlin’s .