Stuttering

This image is SO Apple-esque.

Music always had a way of reminding me of the past. I can pinpoint various songs that I’ve heard of in my life that triggers memories from times gone by. It’s a magical thing really. For example, the one hit wonder R&B group from the 90’s “Next” and their only hit “Too Close” will always remind me of my Grade 10 field trip to Ashland, Oregon way back in 1998. Reason being? That was the number one track at the time and we kept playing it at our impromptu dance session at the motel we stayed at. The song “Sukiyaki” by 4PM (another one hit wonder R&B group) reminded me of the last grade 7 dance at my elementary school. This song of course was also the song that was playing when I first danced with a girl. Is it sad that it happened in grade 7 and not earlier. Better late than never. Also, this blog entry really dates me doesn’t it?

For better of for worse, everyone has a soundtrack that triggers a smorgasbord of memories from their past. The memories triggered by certain songs are for the most part, not triggered by our own choosing but rather comes naturally. I didn’t choose the song “Too Close” to be the defining moment of my field trip with my classmates to Oregon, but yet somehow it stuck. Similarly the song “No Reason to Cry Out Your Eyes” by Hawksley Workman has always reminded me of this road trip I took with some friends to California back in 2004. There were plenty of songs that we listened to on the road, yet that is the song that stuck for some reason. I remember driving at night listening to the song and thought it was quite poetic on how the lyrics reflected what I saw driving through the quiet night on the highway.

“The brake lights
Are really quite lovely
Thousands of souls
All stopping together

On the highway tonight
There’s no reason to cry out your eyes
On the highway tonight
There’s no reason to cry out your eyes”

Every time I listen to that song, I remember that distinct moment on the highway so vividly.

This past September, I traveled to Calgary for work purposes and then to Hong Kong and Taiwan for my vacation. There were moments where I traveled alone so I had my good old iPhone to keep me company. There was this one track that I kept listening to over and over again that will most likely be one of those songs I associate with for my September 2009 travels. The song in question is “Stuttering” by Ben’s Brother always put me in a reflective state as I roamed around on my own, observing life as a traveler. Many of my up and coming blog entries came as a result of listening to this track as I traveled on my own. I can’t seem to get bored of this song no matter how many times I play it. It’s really not the lyrics but rather the song as a whole, so don’t read too much into it.

There are also certain songs that also reminds me of certain people, or at the very least, I associate them with the song. I believe that I just said the same thing twice in the previous sentence. The song “Fat Boy” by Max-a-Million reminds me of my cousin, not because he’s fat, although he was as a child, but rather he kept playing this song over and over again until this song BECAME his song.

There are plenty of other songs that I could write about, but that can go on forever. I have to shut up sometime. So what songs made it to your life’s soundtrack? I’m curious to find out. Is there a song that reminds you of me? I hope it’s an awesome song like the “Brass Bonanza” and not something like this…

I take that back. I actually like “A Party in the USA” because I like nodding my head and moving my hips like “Yeaaaah!”