SONGS AND MEMORIES
You know that incredible feeling, when you hear a song and are immediately transported to a different time? You can see exactly where you were, and who you were with, when that song was forever linked to that moment in time. Those songs always seem to be a little more precious, and take up a little more room in your heart. ‘Cause those songs aren’t just songs. They are little snapshots of your life, that bring a sweet smile to your face as the first notes play. I have four billion songs that carry tender memories with them (once again, that is an exact number. Not a guesstimation), and each of them is special to me. However, it probably wouldn’t be very fun for anyone but me (and my mom) to read about four million songs and the memoires I associate with them. So, I have narrowed it down to my top five, which by the way, was really super hard. However, being the caring person that I am, I thinned it out for you. You’re welcome 😉.
“I’m On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons
When I was a senior in High School, the Stinker and I attended the same school (we hadn’t done that since elementary school), and that meant I had to drive him to school. Imagine, having two years of bliss, as you listened to whatever you wanted to in the car, and then suddenly, you had a stinker constantly turning off the country station. (Many, many arguments were had in the front seat of my car). One of the Stinker’s favorite band’s at the time was Imagine Dragons, and I swear we listened to Night Visions on repeat for at least a month. (I actually began to really enjoy Imagine Dragons, but there was no way on earth I was going to tell him that.) Then, one beautiful day in February or March, I opened the best email I had ever received. That’s right, the BYU email. I had made it into the school of my dreams! As the Stinker and I rode to school that day, we blasted “I’m On Top of the World”, because that was exactly how I felt. I can still remember him looking at me and laughing as I danced pretty amazingly, if I do say so myself. That was one of the happiest days of my life, and I am quite grateful that the Stinker provided the perfect soundtrack for it.
“Tenderness” by General Public
We grew up in a totally eighties household, and most of the time I didn’t really mind that (many people, in fact, see that as a sign that my parents raised me right). However, one Winter break in middle school, we hit the trifecta of eighties music, and the Stinker and I began to have quite the hatred for that decade. We had been enjoying our break, just watching movies, playing games, and eating junk food, until the worst marathon imaginable came on. A marathon of eighties music videos, that went on for several days straight. Guess who could not be more excited to watch all of it? That’s right, Mamma Mia. A few hours in (although, it felt more like centuries), one of my mom’s favorite songs came on, “Tenderness”, and things got even more real. We stared at her in horror, as she attempted to teach us the dance moves to go along with the song (that woman has positivity radiating out the wazoo). We begged her to change the channel, but she was determined to educate us. Although it seemed like torture at the time, it is one of my favorite memories, and “Tenderness” has also become one of my favorite songs.
“Respect” and “Chains of Love” by Erasure
Alright, I know technically this is two songs, but this is my blog, so I get to decide how things run 😉. In 2007, my Grandpa A sadly passed away from lung cancer. Living in New Mexico, we made the fourteen-hour trip up to Utah to spend this difficult time with family. Now, we literally always listen to eighties music on road trips, however, I vividly remember listening to an Erasure CD on the way up, and specifically as we pulled into Spanish Fork, Utah. Whenever I hear “Respect” or “Chains of Love”, I immediately think of my sweet Grandpa A. I am not even sure he liked Erasure! Although it was a sad time in our lives, I am grateful to have another reminder of him. Love you, Grandpa A.
“Dare (La La La)” by Shakira
At this point, everyone should know that I am down right obsessed with German Soccer, and if not, I would recommend going back and reading so you are all caught up (here, I’ll even help ya out 😉). In 2014, possibly the greatest year of my life, Germany became World Champions, and I could not have been more excited. I was buying t-shirts, cups, anything I could get my hands on that reminded me of that blessed month of fußball. You best believe that included listening to the songs about the tournament over, and over, and over again. Fast forward to Spring of 2015, I am sitting in my door room at BYU, freezing my butt off during a “mild” winter, and dreaming of the New Mexico heat. Suddenly, I couldn’t take the cold anymore, and just needed something to remind me of summer. “Dare (La La La)” by Shakira put me right into the summer spirit. Not only did this song help me to endure the crazy, cold Utah weather, but it also brought back so many feelings of my favorite summer.
This song is actually a two-fer! Later that year, as I was attempting to decide whether to go on a mission or not, I got to babysit my three favorite girls. The youngest one, who was just learning to talk, loved this song, because she could actually say some of the words. I can still picture the two older girls and I, perched on the couch, as the youngest stood in front of us, singing her heart out and shaking those hips. It still makes me laugh, to this day!
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
My sweet roommate from college was always trying to educate me musically, but one might say I was not the best student. However, we were able to find a mutual liking in 1989. I can remember listening to the whole album as we got ready for the day, chilled in the dorm room, and she was kind enough to paint a basketball on my fingernails (#gocougs!). However, my favorite memory associated with this song, was when my roommate decided to recruit her very unartistic friend to help her with an art project. As we stood in a tiny room in the art building at BYU, I tried my best to help her hang paper from the ceiling. (the project was amazing, by the way. She is incredible) I tried to pull out every artistic quality I ever had, and attempted to offer at least a little bit of help (and did a pretty mediocre job, if I do say so myself), as we blasted 1989 . This is one of my fondest memories of BYU. Anytime “Blank Space” comes on in the car, I immediately have to text my sweet roommate, and annoy her with my sappy memories.
Bonus: “We Are Young” by Fun
I promise to keep it short! One of my favorite memories from high school, is when my entire class started singing this song. Twenty-fiveish students, all crowded into a computer lab, joining in song. Can you feel the magic that this memory has? Ok, I promise I’m done!
So, there are fiveish of my favorite memories, and the respective songs that go along with them. There are seriously four billion more I could have chosen, but remember, I am kind and caring, so I cut it down for you. I hope that seeing some of my songs helped to remind you of some of your own sweet memories.
P.S. I am just as shocked as you are that there are no Def Leppard songs in here! However, not everything is about the world's greatest band 😉.