Music permeates our existence. It lets us create, celebrate, dance, mourn, worship, and reminisce. Here are a few things that music reminds me of. [Sorry, so many music companies have issues with letting people embed links.]
Everyone Is Free to Wear Sunscreen – Baz Luhrmann
You are my first real girlfriend, and I’m calling you because this is one of my favorite songs at the moment and I want you to hear it. Later you’ll choose “our” song. But in my heart, this is the song that will remind me of sitting in your kitchen at the start of our relationship. I am happy when I think about being there. And, think that it was good.
Mothers of the Disappeared – U2
You’re listening to this song while I ask you if I can go to the upcoming U2 concert. You hear the line “Midnight, our sons and daughters, cut down and taken from us” and glibly say “what a pleasant though.” I realize that I won’t be going to the concert.
The World I Know (Acoustic) – Collective Soul
It’s dark, and this song is playing as we drive along. We park and start walking along the waterfront, and before long we’re talking like we always do. The first night I met you I thought you were stunning. And, in hindsight, I’ll come to think that you wanted me to kiss you by your car. I wanted to–but am terribly awkward so I don’t.
Tonight, we’ll take some pictures with my new camera. They’ll be bad. But we’ll also get a passerby to take one or two, and when we pose you’ll put your arms around my neck and pull me closer than I’m ready for. I will like it.
You’ll write me an email before I post this, and it will be our first contact since this night.
Charmless Man – Blur
I’m standing in a field. I’m dripping sweat, and have a hockey shin pad tied to my right leg. My right arm aches. The machete I’m swinging is dull, and I’m doing a terrible job pruning these trees. I hate my job. Sweat and sunscreen keep leaching into my eyes, causing them to sting. This song comes on my headset radio, and I will later buy the album because of it.
Romeo & Juliet – Dire Straights
I’m in university, and I like a woman I’m sort of getting to know. I don’t know it, but she likes someone who will become my future housemate. Later, we’ll become good friends, and find ourselves in a foreign country together. This song, which I’ll listen to repetitively while I have a crush on her, doesn’t “apply” to us. The song will, however, “apply” to another girl who we’ll spend a great deal of time discussing. I’ll try to date this other girl, and it will fail.
We will wonder if we should date, but won’t because you’ll find someone else.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
I’ve just asked you out, but you’ve said no. Within a few months you will start dating someone else. And, will post a line from this song in a public space. I will assume that it’s about your new boyfriend, and this will be the first time I am hurt by you.
It won’t be the last.
Lightning Crashes – Live
The three of us we’re driving: windows down, music up, and the wind blowing through the car. It’s dusk and your sitting in the back seat asking me if I like this song. You are the first woman I will have real romantic feelings for. Years in the future, we’ll be hanging out and you’ll stick butterfly stickers all over the inside of my car. You’ll say “This is the last time we’ll hang out that I’m single.” It will be.
The Freshmen – The Verve Pipe
I’m in high school. We’re writing in each others yearbooks. I write “For the life of me I cannot remember what made us think that we where wise and we’d never compromise.” I imagine you reading it much later in life. I imagine you being struck by how profound and true it was. But, you don’t like that I’ve quoted a song. Later, I’ll be offered drugs because of you.
You’re a good friend.
The Scientist – Coldplay
The windows are open and the three of us are hanging out, playing Worms. This album just came out, and this song is playing in the background. I will be glad we lived together, and won’t every really express it very well.
Settle Down – Breaks Co-op
I’m angry–angry at you. I hate that I sunk more and more of myself to make this work–when it felt like you didn’t want it to.
It will be months before I start to deal with my anger, which will continue to snowball out of control until that time. Eventually, it will eat my insides out.
My recovery will start when I realize that staying angry is a way of pretending I don’t still care about you.
Mother-in-law – The Coasters
At first I find it strange that you’re married. I’ll find I don’t know how to act around your husband. This song will remind me of Saturday night oldies, and your house. I’ll grow to like your husband, and to be very happy for the two of you. But we’ll be in contact less and less, and then the two of you will move away.
I haven’t seen you, or your husband, for a few years.
Straight to Hell – Danny Michel
It’s dark. And, I’m waiting outside the club for you guys. I’m uncomfortable, because I don’t go to clubs very often. Inside it’s packed and dark. We find seats right at the front. More and more people pour in, and he gets on stage. I love his mellow sound, and the way he pulls a bunch of different things into his songs. You will drive an hour and a half to go home. And, I’ll realize much later that I should have offered to let you crash at my place. I won’t see you again, until just before I leave the country for a year. Too much time will have passed, and we’ll make awkward small talk.
Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
It’s fall, and the leaves are turning. But right now it’s warm. And, I’ve just gotten off the school-bus. I go down to our market to see how much pumpkin money we’ve earned.
I lie in sun listening to an old portable radio. I’m 13, and will grow to love the smell of pumpkins, and the prickliness of the stems. The smell and feel will remind me of my youth. And, the memory will be better than the original experience.
drt.
