I was over on Classmates.com a few minutes ago and I saw this thing where you click and drag your top 10 favorite songs from the year you graduated. Can I just say it is RIDICULOUS the power music can have over a person?! I'm going through this list and yes, all the songs were secular, but even though I know that at 17 I never wanted to relieve my senior year again....I suddenly felt very sad and nostalgic- almost desperately craving just a few minutes of reliving that year.
1999 is when I met my husband just 3 months shy of my graduation. It took one smile from me and one fist bump from him to make us best friends, and through my family disapproving of him, his family thinking mine was nuts, 2 graduations, a few deaths, a wedding, 1 move,4 kids and countless hugs,tear,.prayers and kisses later we are still inseperable.
Here is the top 10 list I created of songs that made me smile from that year (with much difficulty,lol):
1.Kiss Me
Sixpence None The Richer- this was the end theme song to the 1st movie we ever saw together. It was the first real "non-group" date we went on and the theatre was deserted. The movie was stupid but it didn't matter because we were scared to death of each other.When this started to play (if u EVER heard this song you'd understand!) at the end of the film, it was pretty intense. 2 teens, completely alone in the theatre with these 2 words repeating over and over and over and just staring into each others eyes.....and it never did happen,lol.I told you, we were scared TO DEATH!
Sixpence None The Richer- this was the end theme song to the 1st movie we ever saw together. It was the first real "non-group" date we went on and the theatre was deserted. The movie was stupid but it didn't matter because we were scared to death of each other.When this started to play (if u EVER heard this song you'd understand!) at the end of the film, it was pretty intense. 2 teens, completely alone in the theatre with these 2 words repeating over and over and over and just staring into each others eyes.....and it never did happen,lol.I told you, we were scared TO DEATH!
2.Lullaby
Shawn Mullins - This song is pretty much spoken the whole time. It seemed to always be playing on me and John's countless date trips to the mall. It's one of the songs he'd actually "sing" to me because of a line that says "All of her friends tell her she's so pretty/But she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while/cuz even her smile looks like a frown/She's seen her share of devils in this angel town". He always thought it was so true- that i didn't smile enough because of my clashing with ppl in my class and my stepdad and he thought my shy smile looked more like a frown.
Shawn Mullins - This song is pretty much spoken the whole time. It seemed to always be playing on me and John's countless date trips to the mall. It's one of the songs he'd actually "sing" to me because of a line that says "All of her friends tell her she's so pretty/But she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while/cuz even her smile looks like a frown/She's seen her share of devils in this angel town". He always thought it was so true- that i didn't smile enough because of my clashing with ppl in my class and my stepdad and he thought my shy smile looked more like a frown.
3.Summer Girls
LFO - ok, this song was just so dumb that it was catcy,lol.It was the year of the boy bands and every guy between the ages of 17 and 30 seemed to be in one singing about absolute nonsense, yet I LOVED this song!God bless my poor brother, he was only 6 or 7 when I had the cassette single of this band and I kid you not when I tell you i played this song so much the tape broke! It is about what the title says- a guy hitting on shoobie girls---which if you aren't from Jersey simply ,means out of towners. This song was like my summer anthem of being a Beach bred Jersey girl.....this was nonsensical teenage senior year at its best...A cute guy trying to impress a girl he'd never see again after August.
LFO - ok, this song was just so dumb that it was catcy,lol.It was the year of the boy bands and every guy between the ages of 17 and 30 seemed to be in one singing about absolute nonsense, yet I LOVED this song!God bless my poor brother, he was only 6 or 7 when I had the cassette single of this band and I kid you not when I tell you i played this song so much the tape broke! It is about what the title says- a guy hitting on shoobie girls---which if you aren't from Jersey simply ,means out of towners. This song was like my summer anthem of being a Beach bred Jersey girl.....this was nonsensical teenage senior year at its best...A cute guy trying to impress a girl he'd never see again after August.
4.Believe
Cher - Oh how I miss my BFF Chloe!Whether she threw the party or just attended it, it wasn't a party unless it was a Clo party, and chances are if she was there then so was her girl Cher,lol. This tune was 2 fold a strong memory.1- because although I was never a popular party girl, occasionally finding myself invited to a party was so freeing cuz when you danced with Chloe you felt like you were flying-no stress, no drama...just the beat and rhythm lifting you up as you got down! 2-because unfortunately my first serious crush was not my husband but another boy that owned my heart for 7 empty years.my feelings for him some days seemed mutual, other times not but at any rate by'99 my heart was officially and miserably broken. 3 months later there was my John so yes Cher, I do believe in life after love!
Cher - Oh how I miss my BFF Chloe!Whether she threw the party or just attended it, it wasn't a party unless it was a Clo party, and chances are if she was there then so was her girl Cher,lol. This tune was 2 fold a strong memory.1- because although I was never a popular party girl, occasionally finding myself invited to a party was so freeing cuz when you danced with Chloe you felt like you were flying-no stress, no drama...just the beat and rhythm lifting you up as you got down! 2-because unfortunately my first serious crush was not my husband but another boy that owned my heart for 7 empty years.my feelings for him some days seemed mutual, other times not but at any rate by'99 my heart was officially and miserably broken. 3 months later there was my John so yes Cher, I do believe in life after love!
5.She's So High
Tal Bachman - This was another song John like to sing to me. I's about a guy who falls for this girl that he sees as so much better than he deserves, yet soehow she seems into him as well. Let me just say here, I do not think I am better than anyone...but that being said he did think that...and apparently still does. It's flattering and sweet, but completely untrue; I am ntt better than he deserves.(well, not according to my mother lol)
Tal Bachman - This was another song John like to sing to me. I's about a guy who falls for this girl that he sees as so much better than he deserves, yet soehow she seems into him as well. Let me just say here, I do not think I am better than anyone...but that being said he did think that...and apparently still does. It's flattering and sweet, but completely untrue; I am ntt better than he deserves.(well, not according to my mother lol)
6.Smooth
Santana Featuring Rob Thomas - C'mon now...have you even heard Carlos Santana play? He is to guitar playing what Pavarotti was to opera! Pair him up with sweet faced silky voiced Rob and it's all over! Plus I loved the end line of the chorus:"Give me your heart make it real or else forget about it!" (See #4 for explanation)
Santana Featuring Rob Thomas - C'mon now...have you even heard Carlos Santana play? He is to guitar playing what Pavarotti was to opera! Pair him up with sweet faced silky voiced Rob and it's all over! Plus I loved the end line of the chorus:"Give me your heart make it real or else forget about it!" (See #4 for explanation)
7.Unpretty
TLC - Here is a video I think every girl should see at some point in her teen life. Not glamourous or have a slew of hot guys in it. I's about you and what you think of yourself vs. what the world thinks of you. I lived my highschool years trying to act like I didn't care that certain ppl made my life miserable for no reason. Thank God I was never physically bullied, but verbal torment hurts just as much and does so much more damage. I myself was repeatedly teased for my fluffy hair, called every variation of fat and a few times my slightly ethnic nose was teased as well. I never dated enough, studied too much and never had the "it" friends,clothes or last name that was tied to my family's bank account. Sadly looking back I now see why I was singled out- i was actually average built and leggy with a pretty face, an outstanding GPA and a face that glowed with only the joy God could bring. I scared my bullies, so they tried to make me feel Unpretty. They should meet me now!
TLC - Here is a video I think every girl should see at some point in her teen life. Not glamourous or have a slew of hot guys in it. I's about you and what you think of yourself vs. what the world thinks of you. I lived my highschool years trying to act like I didn't care that certain ppl made my life miserable for no reason. Thank God I was never physically bullied, but verbal torment hurts just as much and does so much more damage. I myself was repeatedly teased for my fluffy hair, called every variation of fat and a few times my slightly ethnic nose was teased as well. I never dated enough, studied too much and never had the "it" friends,clothes or last name that was tied to my family's bank account. Sadly looking back I now see why I was singled out- i was actually average built and leggy with a pretty face, an outstanding GPA and a face that glowed with only the joy God could bring. I scared my bullies, so they tried to make me feel Unpretty. They should meet me now!
8.Someday
Sugar Ray - the funny and sad thing about this song is i loved it becuase I knew one day that the times i was enjoying, the experiences I got to have and the intense feelings and emotions that went with them would one day just fade away into a sad not so distant memory.....and here we are.
Someway
When the sun begins to shine
I hear a song from another time
And they fade away
And they fade away
Sugar Ray - the funny and sad thing about this song is i loved it becuase I knew one day that the times i was enjoying, the experiences I got to have and the intense feelings and emotions that went with them would one day just fade away into a sad not so distant memory.....and here we are.
Someway
When the sun begins to shine
I hear a song from another time
And they fade away
And they fade away
9.Heartbreaker
Mariah Carey Featuring Jay-Z - How can you NOT love Mariah Carey? She gorgeous, biracial and can pierce the angels with her high notes!And forget the side fact that for months I though her name was Maria,lol, I thought she was my more successful dopplganger! Joking aside this whole song seemed to sum up my feelings for boy #1 by the time he crushed my heart in '99. Not a happy memory, but one that shaped who i am now and launched a whole slew of decisions about my life that led me to where I am today...hm, on second thought....thanks for the sharp poke in the eye "Ike"....(inside clo joke)
Mariah Carey Featuring Jay-Z - How can you NOT love Mariah Carey? She gorgeous, biracial and can pierce the angels with her high notes!And forget the side fact that for months I though her name was Maria,lol, I thought she was my more successful dopplganger! Joking aside this whole song seemed to sum up my feelings for boy #1 by the time he crushed my heart in '99. Not a happy memory, but one that shaped who i am now and launched a whole slew of decisions about my life that led me to where I am today...hm, on second thought....thanks for the sharp poke in the eye "Ike"....(inside clo joke)
10.No Scrubs
TLC - another not exactly edifying but pertinent one. This song honestly just fed my blossoming confidence it what was really there threatening the bullies. Though most ppl in school liked me, there were a few who were just downright evil and did their best to remind me daily i wasn't pretty or smart or popular enough...then 3pm or summer vacation would come and I'd see just how wrong they were!Honks, cat calls, whistles... and quite a few"hey baby!Marry me!'s" later and I had formulated in my teen mind that disrespect ='s ego boost yes, but marriage material, no. No scrubs is the song I would dedicate every summer to all the shoobie guys that dared to boost my ego. Appreciated yes, quantity yes...quality NOOOOOOO!
Now, although I am now waxing extremely nostalgic again, I am also 12 years older then I was back then and I know just a smidge more...like the importance of choosing the right music to harness your heart. Music truly is powerful- hence King Saul using David's harp playing to soothe him. It was one of the few times that man displayed common sense and wise judgement in spite of himself....til he tried to kill him out of jealousy. It is for reasons like this I do my very best to avoid popular secular music. I don't need to be swept away into tears for no reason at all, or storming around raging or fighting the urge to strut myself around like a peacock just because the spirits behind a song got into my spirit.
I choose to listen to KLOVE and fill myself with praise,thanksgiving and joy from artists who have my best interests at heart. And another thing I love about my contemporary Christian music is, I don't have one bad memory of any song. Not one song made me feel sadness or pain or sexuality. I can remember plenty of songs though, with my arms raised in worship, belting out unashamed the verses of God put to music and the tears of pure joy and gratefulness streaming down my face.
True joy.True freedom.No regrets.
Yes, music does have strong power over our emotions....We must stay away from secular music. I agree as you know i believe its the devils plan to take our eyes off the Lord and on the moments of the past when we werent saved or backslidden. The world will always be there with its calls of the past trying to tell us, me life was better then. WRONG. Thank you for this post. By the way, you were always beautiful, and chosen, black and beautiful, white and proud....my baby.
ReplyDeleteThank u mom :)
ReplyDelete