Anyone who knows me knows I have an issue with matching songs to artists and vice versa. Heck, I may not even know all of the words to a song but it’s got a loop so I will sing said loop and often learn that is not what is being said at all. Also said loop will get stuck in my head and drive me crazy!
That all said I am not the one you want for musical trivial pursuit!
However I do love music and of course songs will play somewhere, the grocery store maybe, and I recall that time of my life.
Like memories, we have songs that can do place you somewhere else in time.
Both good and bad memories, some even bittersweet.
Like the song “Yellow” by Cold Play.
Go on those who really know me be impressed!
I love that song.
I also associate it with heartbreak and the ending of a time in my life that I thought would never end. I also see it differently as it was played at a close friend’s funeral. So fitting really. He was a DJ and it was one of his favorite songs. He was also engaged to my then sister-in-law.
So yes, it has a deep meaning for me.
The boy and I love Queen, pretty much everything as I am educating him as I can and his dad has a greater collection and introduces him to other musical genres as well.
We love “We will Rock You”, “We are the Champions” and “Another One Bites the Dust”. Yes I am all about the classics.
We rock out to those some mornings going to school.
It’s one of the few times he gets to hold my phone! But whenever it comes on the radio or in the store, he squeals out “Mommy our song!” so we sing and dance if possible!
Recently it was “Ice Ice Baby.” Oh yeah word to ya mother!
We had video and a dance party.
A part of me was dancing like I was in a club, yet dancing in the kitchen with my kid! I was laughing at the hilarity of our dance and the memories and knowing I am making new memories with him now from songs I enjoyed.
I have learned I have to pull up the lyrics as some songs aren’t quite appropriate for a 4 year old!
Some radio station was playing NIN “Closer” and bleeped out the inappropriate parts.
He caught that. So he asked me what they were saying. Oh joy!
I actually had to pull up the lyrics because, again, I could not recall them word for word and they play it on the local rock station often.
Talk about getting creative!
The “I want to f*%$ you like an animal” became “I want to play with all the animals”.
“I want to feel you from the inside” became “I want to see you inside” like the house because that’s rational for him, he was 3 when he first heard it. Fortunately through the whole song I make up and sing loudly new words to cover the blank spaces if he asks!
I never thought a lot of the “profane” language in songs until I had my child.
It never really bothered me and it still doesn’t. I just have to really censor what he listens to!
I had to change a fabulous Tool song recently because there was no way I could fill in all the blanks they left out on the fly and he was upset because it had a “really good beat of the rock and roll” as he puts it! Yes it does my son, but I really don’t want to explain why you heard certain words and I definitely am not ready to explain certain adult content to you yet! He may be almost 5 but really I am just not ready to subject some things on him. He will already hear and learn more about the world than I did at 5 because there is so many outlets to get information!
Another favorite of mine is “Me and Bobby McGee” by the late, great Janis Joplin. I am a huge fan and even do karaoke with that one and a few others.
It reminds me of my youth and life in general.
How I once could just GO if I wanted to and how people can slip away in the blink of an eye.
It also comforts me to sing and it’s one of my go-to songs.
Like “Amazing Grace”. I always sing it acapella but can play it on the piano.
It was one of the first songs I learned on the piano and my daddy’s favorite song.
I long ago stopped singing in public, other than the occasional karaoke or family/friends gatherings, but I sang that song in front of a few hundred people at my daddy’s funeral last year.
He had asked me if I would sing it at his funeral and I promised I would.
I sang acapella and I sang it to him, to my family and friends.
I blocked out everyone else and just sang my heart out through my tears.
I still sing it now, I have sang it to the boy too since he was a wee one, but it can be bittersweet.
I’ve gotten better singing it to him, I don’t cry as much, but sometimes the tears still happens.
He will always take my hand, kiss me on the cheek and tell me, “You know Pops and I love that song and we love you singing it, right Mommy?!” To which I cry a little more but they are happy tears. And somewhat a little bittersweet too.
I guess you could say music is the patchwork in my life that fills the void with sounds of my memories.
Have a fabulous day!
fabulousgracelessness 