Music and all its magic

Music and all its magic…

Topic:  How has music influenced your life?  What is your favorite song or artist?  Is there a certain song that inspires or motivates you, or just makes you feel happy, sad, etc.?

Music-that’s a pretty broad topic, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Music has always been a very important part of my life. I grew up listening to all kinds of music (ranging from country, to hits of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s and of course, the music of the time-or whatever was on the radio (main stream). I remember taking a bath with my sister in my first house (so I must have been five or six years old) and singing Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys with her-we loved the part that went ‘giddy up a oom, boppa, mowe, mowe’. I love to sing, I just don’t like to sing in front of people. I’m awful in the car-I must admit that I’m guilty of doing the car dance (you know-where your top half moves, but your butt and lower half just sits in the seat?)  People give me crazy looks on the interstate in the morning on the way to work-uh hum, back on topic…

How has music influenced my life? That’s another tough one-it’s basically shaped who I am, although if you run through my ipod, you’re going to be confused. I have music from all genres on there-classical (Mozart, Bach, etc.), bluegrass/bluegrass gospel, Old school country (peers or before Hank Williams I), country (80’s to the present), pop music, hip hop, some hard core rap, and lately Indy Rock-I even have some Spanish songs that I sing along to, although I know I’m butchering the words because I sing them by sound as I have no idea what is being said (my husband, Gabe and mi Suegro (father-in-law) introduced me to those). Pollito con Pappas-check this one out-my daughter loves this one and dances to it…then there’s Para no verte más which sounds happy but is apparently about a guy breaking up with his lady and burning her letters, etc.  Again, sorry for the tangent. Bottom line: I love all kinds of music. I listen to music every chance I get-I would much rather listen to music than watch TV. I don’t like silence, except on rare occasions (another topic in itself), which means I usually have music going (even at work). I always have a song in my head too-just the other day I was doing an experiment at work and handed our summer intern a vial to shake…I looked at him and said, ‘shake that’-then LMFAO ‘party anthem’ was in my head! Ok, continuing on…influences in my life-My husband loves music-and honestly as much as I love music; he loves it more. I don’t know how many bands he’s been in-he’s a drummer-he knows every artist and song title. I remember riding in the car with him for the first time to meet his parents and singing ‘tainted love by soft cell’. We also play this music game where we go through the alphabet and have to have an artist that starts with each letter of the alphabet (back and forth)-we can do that one for hours in the car. As for me and my own musical pursuits- I played clarinet in middle school and high school. I was first or second chair (guess I was good at it), but I would have much rather listened to someone else play than play myself. Whew-I like to ramble.

Ok, next question-all time favorite band? Duh-the Beatles! I honestly believe they are the best band that ever was or ever will be…my personal favorite song ‘hello, goodbye’.  Current bands I love are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson, Foster the People and Black Keys-check out the video to ‘Lonely boy’-hilarious!

Next question, please-significant songs. I’ve made a list and I apologize for the length of it, but they are important to me (and I’ve left many out of this post-there are too many to mention).

It is you (I have loved)-Dana Glover (this is the song Gabe and I danced to at our wedding-it’s actually off the Shrek soundtrack, but it sums up my feelings about Gabe and how I finally found my match in life).

-Heavy Metal Drummer-Wilco (this is the song we entered the reception to after our wedding-I did fall in the love with the drummer!)

-No help wanted-The Carlisles (This is one of my favorite classic country songs, I believe it was from the 50’s-my dad and I used to dance to this one in the living room down home-makes me dance to this day)

-Thank God I’m a country boy-John Denver (This sums up my Dad-he was a country boy in all aspects of the term)

-Pretty good at drinking beer-Billy Currington (again, this one is my Dad, although he was good at ‘making engines crank’-we played it at his memorial service and even toasted him with some beer)

-I loved her first-Heartland (My Dad and I danced to this song at my wedding-I cried then and I cry every time I hear it-I remember the feel of his arms around me as we danced together for what turned out to be the last time)

-I’ll fly away-Alison Krauss (This was my Dad’s exit song-he requested it be played at his memorial service)

-Family tradition-Hank Jr. (I and most of my extended family sang this song karaoke at my Nana’s 80^th birthday party-we were all smashed, but it was sooo fun!)

-Chug-a-lug- Roger Miller (one of my Dad’s all time favorites, every time I heard it on the radio, I would call him and let him listen to it over the phone…it was also his debut song on the karaoke scene).

-Feel Good inc-Gorrillaz and Rock the Casbah-The Clash (these songs can always make me happy and get me moving, no matter what the circumstances)

-Will you remember me-Sarah Mcglochlan (I remember hearing this one right around the time I lost my Aunt TT-and yes, I will remember you!)

-The Dance-Garth Brooks (This one also reminds me of my Aunt TT-they played it at her memorial service-she was such a beautiful and amazing person and her life was a wonderful dance)

-Go rest high on that mountain-Vince Gill (this one is for Pop (my grandpa)-they played this during the slide show of pictures of his life at his memorial service and we also used it at Dad’s memorial service too-a beautiful song).

-He stopped loving her today-George Jones (this one is Nana’s song. I remember every one dancing with her and giving her a rose on her 80^th birthday party).

-Remember when-Alan Jackson (this is my parent’s song…I have one very vivid memory of them dancing to it together outside at the farm at their 55th birthday party. This song was also played during Dad's memorial service. It’s actually over 10 years old, so you wouldn’t think you would hear it too often on the radio, but I hear it at least once a week in the morning on my way to work-that’s my Dad saying hello)

-Here comes the hot stepper- Ini Kamoze and Ice, Ice Baby-Vanilla Ice (these just remind me of being with my friends growing up-especially ‘hot stepper’ and Ziggy with her indoor swimming pool J)

-This is how we do it-Montell Jordan-(I was in driver’s ed and this song came on every time I got behind the wheel-weird, I still think of it now every time I buckle up to drive)

-I hope you dance-Lee Ann Womack (This one is my Mama’s song…it’s beautiful, just like she is).

-Amazing Grace (one day, this song will be played at my Mom’s memorial service-it truly is amazing).

-How Great Thou Art (for some reason, every time I hear this song, I think of my Grandma and how her life has been shaped and continues to be shaped by Faith. She is Great as is He.)

Ok, there it is…and since I’ve been working on this for over an hour now…in the words of the great Johnny Cash-Good night, Irene!