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Soundtracks to our lives " "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap was one of the first songs I remember hearing late at night on "Radio Luxemburg," around 1972. As a child I did not know why I was drawn to this record. It was not until I was older that I began to realise why. It's because whatever we hear can influence and stimulates our Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. Music is the M1 to the soul. Music is emotive. That no one can deny. I was born and raised in a house with nine older brothers and sisters. Reflecting our age, hormones, and musical maturity, every room was alive with a different genre of music. All six bedrooms, and occasionally the living room, boomed out music reflecting our different mood-states. From Elvis to Bowie, Queen, Dean Martin, T-Rex, 10CC, Jim Reeves, The Sweet, Frankie Vaughan, Bay City Rollers, The Who, The Beatles, and to one of my brother's eternal embarrassment, Alvin Stardust and Showaddywaddy. So beware, your past comes back to haunt you. Isn't that right Victor!?
Other influential and memorable songs associated with growing up would be "Up the Junction" by Squeeze, which now, as then, reminds me of my first post-school girlfriend. UB40 and their "I Think Its Going To Rain." is forever a reminder of leaving school! We all have a song, or a group of songs, that reminds us of memorable life events. Those moments when a transition to something else occurs, like leaving school, first job, boy/girlfriend, marriage, divorce etc. These are the "soundtracks to our lives." But why one particular song, as opposed to another? I think we connect the happenings of our own lives to what we see, feel, and hear in our music. Dido's 2003 Best Seller 'Life For Rent' deals with all manner of social issues, and connects with the realities of life for millions of people. Alternatively we might just like the way a song sounds, oblivious to the true soul of the songwriter. That too must be considered. "Lisa Radley" by The Jam has the same tone to it, as does "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles. But what are they about? What songs can you identify with? You can be listening to the radio, travelling in a car, or at a party. You will hear a song, and your unconscious mind will engage a memory from deep within. We all relate to "our own music" in different ways. I have a friend who tells me that "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks reminds him of The 1974 World Cup in West Germany, whereas "Space Oddity" by David Bowie reminds me of Christmas 1975 when I was eleven. Both of these songs were released a couple of months before each event. A connection is made between the event, or series of events, and the song. It will be held deep in the "memory banks" until the song triggers the recalled memory. Then of course there are the artistes themselves. We each have favourites. Leonard Cohen for instance, I know that some object to his mood, but Cohen always cheers me up! Nothing to do with the lyrical content of his songs, it is more an association I make with a very happy time in my life. Radiohead also continually appeal to me because of their social and political views on life. The way both artistes deliver their message can be off-putting to some, while others like me enjoy them. Speaking of which, a couple of years ago. David Gray's "White Ladder." sold by the truckload. It came along at the right moment in time for many people. Everyone who bought that album connected with its common themes. That is why I firmly believe that music is one of the most popular and powerful of mediums. It allows individuals to express themselves, or to find relevance to their own life through music that has touched them in some way. I can never say what my favourite song of all time is. It keeps changing all the time. |
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