Thursday, February 08, 2007

Music that Moves You (Part 1)

I remember sitting on the bus and MF passing me his headphones. I slipped them on and for the first time ever I heard Eddie Vedder sing an entire song without opening his mouth (it was “Leash” from Vs. so it wasn’t quite his usual mumbling). I bought a CD player the next week and Vitalogy along with it.

I don’t know much about music, I don’t know how to read sheet music, I don’t know melody or pitch, I don’t have much rhythm and I’m not such a great singer. But, I do know what I like and I do know how powerful music is. We’ll get to that in part 2, but for part 1 how about some fun music memories…

Singing Audio Adrenaline at the top of my lungs while on the riding lawn mower, Nirvana Unplugged every morning on the way to high school, speeding to Ghoti Hook’s “Spice Drops” then hearing them live in a church basement, Weezer’s Blue Album – all of it – over and over and over, roller-skating to “The Final Countdown” by Europe (I had to look it up) at Roll Away, the steroid football player singing Danzig’s “Mother”, Smashing Pumpkins “Disarm” and Meatloaf “I’d Do Anything For Love” at the school talent show, a bus of students cleaning up trash and a spontaneous sing-along to “Betterman”, mom reading the lyrics to “Satan’s Bed” and not responding so well, the morning my car broke down and I listened to “Wicked Garden” by STP on the way to basketball camp in Dad’s truck, hearing Plankeye for the first time at Creation, Skalleluia, Tekken and 311, Simon & Garfunkel and They Might be Giants in the Swinging Bridge office, dancing to "Come on Eileen", singing “Dust on the Bottle” with my secretary, seeing Pearl Jam at the chocolate factory with the guys, “Meant to Live” and the Antioch youth group, the whole congregation of SVCC circling the sanctuary and singing “Family of God”…

Okay, there are comments for a reason. Everybody has the songs that give them chills when they hear them on the radio, that take them to another place, that bring smiles and tears. For the handful of you out there, please participate. I want your favorite Album, Artist and Song (or a short list for each) and if you are feeling particularly into sharing, some small musical memory. I know it’s not easy, but if it was easy it wouldn’t be fun. To start things off I’ll give you mine:

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Blue Album, Weezer
Song: Lost the Plot, Newsboys

2nd Place:
Artist: U2
Album: Ten, Pearl Jam
Song: Far, Far Away, FIF
( I also have to mention: All I Want is You, U2; RVM, Pearl Jam; Bro Hymn, Pennywise; Seasons, Ghoti Hook)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Artist: PJ, John Mayer, U2
Album: Ten (PJ), Come Away With Me (Norah Jones)
Song: Elderly Woman Behind the Counter... (PJ), Can't Help Fallin' in Love (by Elvis, sung by PJ)

Music Experiences: Green Day concert with the girl (before she was mine) that would become my wife, PJ concerts in Hershey and Reading, Listening to Iron & Wine sing The Trapeze Swinger at the end of the movie In Good Company w/ D, Nirvana Unplugged EVERY night sophomore year, Ghoti Hook & They Might Be Giants at the Swinging Bridge, Listening to "church music" in the car w/ my girls...

Anonymous said...

oooooooh lost the plot! that reminds me of being at your church when jp played that. also, should i be proud that i know who mf is?

remember, back when i was mean, er um, when i was keeping you humble? and i relentlessly made fun of your singing lessons? ohhh man!

ok. well since i wasn't allowed to listen to the radio until like age 14 this is skewed data: REM, U2, Foo Fighters, Ben Folds Five (Not Ben Folds), Album-Joshua Tree because my favorite song ever is "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

I remember singing DC talk with you in my mom's ford escort station wagon, I think of high school with Pearl Jam in general, or Live. (old)

I will ALWAYS smile if "Lime in the Coconut" or "Bird House in Your Soul" are played. and sing loudly.

Third Day = driving to college with my mom
Come on Eileen = Seaton A (who by the way appeared briefly again in college and is probably somewhere in Iraq – meant to talk to you about that)

ew and that horrible remake of "i'll be watching you" or whatever from after Biggie died reminds me of my sister she played that the ENTIRE trip to maine and back one year.

spice girls reminds me of a mission trip to NYC for homeless and the pastor's daughter bought a single tape for the van. :o(

and to finish randomly not really answering your questions...I used to be able to SIGN newsboys "breakfast club". That’s right, I can spell C-A-P-T-A-I-N C-R-U-N-C-H very quickly in sign language.

Anonymous said...

im not going to give you the mushy songs, just the fun ones.

Dave Matthews = MM denying that she had feelings for or hooked up with AS.

MJ's Black and White = Mrs. Weyman

oh and i love hip hop lyrics currently JayZ's 30

for um undisclosed reasons 99problems particularly the line "aint passed the baaaar but i know a li'l bit, enough that you wont illegally search my sh**"

George said...

YAY! Comments!
Who knew that KL liked Norah Jones or P liked jigga?
"I've got 99 problems and a b***# is one. I'm havin' girl problems, do you feel bad for me (son)?"

I love how U2 writes songs that seem like your typical man-woman love songs until you really listen to them . How many people think that Bono's really looking for a woman?

ElderlyWBTCIAST just missed my list. RVM hits way too close to home right now.

P, that's part of the reason why its my all-time favorite. Every time I hear it, I see jay singing - the too true lyrics don't hurt either.