Favorites Past and Present
I responded to a writing prompt I got as an email notice the other day. The prompt was "Your Favorite Song." It asked for feelings, emotions, etc., that hearing your favorite song might trigger. You were supposed to use them inside a poem and send it in for consideration, so I did. Within a day or two I heard back that it was accepted and was just the kind of thing they were looking for.
It made me think though, what makes a favorite song? Lyrics? Music? Emotional reaction? Danceability? All of these?
When I thought about what I considered my "favorite song," I had to think about it a bit. I am a music lover, and I have what I consider many favorite songs. They vary by genre, artist and even era. Somehow though whenever I'm asked what my favorite would be it always comes back to the same song. The song is Under the Milky Way by The Church. It dates back to 1988 when I had just moved to Wisconsin, from Minnesota. I was a Church groupie, so bought it the minute it came out.
Over the course of the next couple of years, I started a long distance writing relationship with Donna who was going to school in New York state. I turned her on to this group and somehow Starfish, the album the song was on, became "our album" and UTMW became "our song."
Because of that connection, I've always considered it my favorite song, even if it's not anymore. No doubt, I still love the song, but because of my initial association with all it stood for, I kind of played it out of myself. Like any top 40 station will do, I ruined it for myself by overplaying, it. As I said, I still like it a lot and it will always have special meaning for me, but it may not be my "deserted island song" anymore.
Music has such a timelessness to it. I can still recall many of my favorites from childhood growing up in the 60's and 70's. Some of my earliest include:
It made me think though, what makes a favorite song? Lyrics? Music? Emotional reaction? Danceability? All of these?
When I thought about what I considered my "favorite song," I had to think about it a bit. I am a music lover, and I have what I consider many favorite songs. They vary by genre, artist and even era. Somehow though whenever I'm asked what my favorite would be it always comes back to the same song. The song is Under the Milky Way by The Church. It dates back to 1988 when I had just moved to Wisconsin, from Minnesota. I was a Church groupie, so bought it the minute it came out.
Over the course of the next couple of years, I started a long distance writing relationship with Donna who was going to school in New York state. I turned her on to this group and somehow Starfish, the album the song was on, became "our album" and UTMW became "our song."
Because of that connection, I've always considered it my favorite song, even if it's not anymore. No doubt, I still love the song, but because of my initial association with all it stood for, I kind of played it out of myself. Like any top 40 station will do, I ruined it for myself by overplaying, it. As I said, I still like it a lot and it will always have special meaning for me, but it may not be my "deserted island song" anymore.
Music has such a timelessness to it. I can still recall many of my favorites from childhood growing up in the 60's and 70's. Some of my earliest include:
- My baby does the hanky panky - The words, the sneer
- Light my fire - Mesmerizing instrumental solo
- I'm a believer - Simple words with a kicking beat
- I am the god of hell fire - More great organ solo, and besides who can resist the intro?
- Inagodadavida - Stereo headphones, enough said.
- Help!/I wanna hold your hand/Any other Beatles song - How could you not like them?
For me music is therapy. Almost every song brings back some sort of memory, a time, a place, an emotional state, a person, even a dwelling. To have one favorite is not really fair or possible.
If pressed into saying I must have one though, it would have to be Under the Milky Way (tonight).
Blogging off...
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