Songs that Trigger Memories

I was just thinking about this because as I was driving the other day, I heard a song and was immediately taken back to a moment years ago.  The words to the song have absolutely nothing to do with the event, it just happened that the event moved me tremendously and the song was playing on the radio in the background at the time so I guess the two have become forever bound in my mind.

Sometimes a song, just as a smell can, takes you right back through time.

Ok, so these are a few songs that always bring back some memories when I hear them.

I will Survive by Gloria Gaynor – For the usual reason! Shedding unwanted baggage! Oh yes, ladies you know what I mean. How many times have you had a hairbrush in hand cursing a guy in your mind and heart?? Oh yea I’ve been there a million times.

This song is to be listened to after every failed relationship just so you remember why it failed in the first place and stop beating yourself up about it …. Well after you’ve sung out this song. You need to snap back into the survivor mode and move on.

Do you really want to hurt me by Culture Club – Usually after some heartbreak, this song signals the start of a new me.

On Bended Knee by Boyz II Men - In secondary school, I used to overdose on this on my walkman. What a painful song.

Too Late to Apologize by Timberland feat One Republic – I was driving when this song came on the radio and I heard it for the first time then. Reminds me of a very bad break-up and when I sing along, I can literally feel and hear the pain and anger all over again. Fucking hell!

I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston – Heartbreak time!! What more can I say? I used to sing along and cry. How stupid is that??

Fix You by Coldplay – Honest truth is I don’t really like Coldplay but when I first moved to the UK, they were the in thing and you know peer pressure kinda made me pretend I liked them …. So stupid. I find them quite boring, truth be told; but I remember swaying along when it got played at bars when I was hanging out with my oyibo friends.

It Must Have Been Love by Roxette – I remember trying to learn the words to this song by playing, stopping, writing and rewinding the tape recorder … and the words I came up with each time …. Oh God! I couldn’t make out the slang/accent koraaaaa!

You To Me Are Everything by The Real Thing - I love this song! I will drop everything and pelt out this tune on the top of my voice! How poetic are the lyrics?! If a guy sang me this song, without even first talking to me, I'd be his love slave till the end of time!

My Name is Joe (Album) by Joe - This is the album that my boyfriend (at the time) played in the car on our first official date. There's nothing quite like Joe's "I Wanna Know" to put you in a mushy mood ..."

You’re the One that I Want by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta (the movie Grease) - I was so young when I first saw the movie and heard this song. Initially, I didn’t want Sandy to change from the good girl into the leather clad hottie. I was so innocent I wasn’t ready to face up to the sexuality of it.

But the second time I watched it (about a year later) and every other time I’ve seen Grease, I couldn’t wait for Sandy to lose the good girl and become that powerful goddess able to make men buckle at the knees! This song is in the back of my head every time I get something I want by flirting!! In my head I kinda mimic Sandy lighting up the cigarette, pulling on it, blowing out the smoke, tossing the ciggie and crushing it under her hooker heels! So damn cool!!!

Home by Michael Bublé - Reminds me of wishing I was going home (in Ghana) while I was in the UK. When I was standing at the bus stop in rain, snow and sleet; wrapped up in my not very warm jacket and thinking of my mother’s hot abenkwan and fufu. I’m not even a huge fan of abenkwan but in those moments I sooo was!

Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi - Reminds me of my last day in grad school, I had some friends over; we sat in my flat going through wine bottles quite rapidly and singing along to this song and feeling like rock stars. The volume was way too high and our pitches way too off. I couldn’t look my neighbour in the eye for many weeks after that. I heard this song on the TV just a few days ago and it took me back in time to that day.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen - I mean we all know there is a lot of hype about certain singers/groups who are not as good as the hype surrounding them but Queen …. Meeehhnnn, they were the bomb! Freddie Mercury was just amazing!

The first time I heard this song I think I was in my early 20s; I thought it was 7 minutes of audio heaven. I loved hearing the level of difficulty of the music and the words. It was like hearing Carmen after listening to Mary Had a Little Lamb - big difference (I’m not into opera but the few times I watch a performance I do get impressed); I could just dream to the sounds of opera, harmony, melody, counter-melody, new words and new sounds. It was fantastic and so much fun, so different than anything else out at the time I heard it.

Freddie Mercury was someone with actual talent and an understanding for music. I mean yea I could spend many minutes transfixed by his overbite and coupled with the fact that he was gay; I sometimes wondered if his overbite was his Unique Selling Point when he was you-know-what … bad bad bad girl Dede!

Imagine by John Lennon - because I’m a dreamer too ……… And it reminds me of images of him and Crazy Yoko lounging around semi-naked in their apartment; there was a documentary on them and their campaign for peace etc and whatever else they were on about at the time.

Put Your Record on by Corinne Bailey Rae – the video of this song is just soo simple and uplifting. Reminds me of summer days with all my windows thrown open, spring cleaning and feeling care-free and content. I will turn up the volume high and sing-along pretending I could actually sing even though Corinne’s divinely melodic tones gratefully drowned mine out. Never fails to cheer me up.

Shame that some of the entries are about heartbreak and recovering from heartbreak. Rreminded me of the many heartbreaks I had with one particular man; the back and forth, the break-ups and make-ups. Aaaaaba Dede! Ad3n?? Most of these songs wont even make it on my Favourite Songs list but they certainly bring up poignant memories.

So which are yours?