The soundtrack of my life...Mixtape edition

Music has always been a big part of my life.  Ask the Mr and he will tell you I can name more songs in 1-3 seconds than anyone he knows when we have the 80's channel on.  He's constantly trying to stump me.  I was blessed with young parents.,,I'm talking teens.  So when it came to being raised on 'their' music, it was good stuff like the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, The Steve Miller Band, The Eagles, Boston and the like.  I remember listening to Best of the Doobies (affiliate link) on 8 track with my dad in his carpeted van.  When I hear the song South City Midnight Lady, I still expect that midway through the track it will fade out, click to the next program and fade back in.  Eighties new wave remains my favorite and if you like the same time period, you must get the book Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s.  (affiliate link) It gives the stories behind some great new wave bands and you will be shocked at the meaning behind some of your favorite songs.

When I hear the year my parents got divorced, I don't immediately think that was the year they got divorced...I think "damn, that was a great year for music!"  I lost myself in it.  It was my therapist, my escape from my reality.  Like most people, my life has always had a sound track.  Some songs bring back happy memories, some bring back gut wrenching memories that still affect me.  These are some of the ones that still bring out some kind of feeling in me.

Downtown by Petula Clark- Reminds me of hooky days with my mom to go into the city and look at Christmas window displays.

Physical by Olivia Newton John-  I was obsessed with her!  I made the mistake of cutting my hair like her when I was going through my awkward phase where I was growing out instead of up,  leaving me with a school picture that even my mom cringes at.  I looked like a fat 10 year old boy.

Never Gonna Let You Go by Sergio Mendez- I remember overhearing my mom crying to this song when she was going through her divorce.  It has always stuck with me.

I Miss You by Klymaxx- My first brush with heartbreak when my crush informed me he was leaving town.  This was his favorite song in a collection of old songs on a department store jukebox.  He used to sing it...horribly.  This should have been my first clue, see below.

Crazy for You by Madonna- It had to do with the same guy who came back to town my freshman year of high school and I was one of those girls you see crying at the school dance.  (Isn't there like a prerequisite that there must be either two crying girls or one crier and one fight broken up at a school dance?)  We slow danced to that song and it was the moment I realized I deserved better.  It didn't matter, like most of my high school crushes, he was gay, so there's that.

Angelia by Richard Marx- Major heartbreak #2.  This guy was 8 years older but worked at the music store up the street and I thought he was cute.  I talked to him on a dare from a friend and we became amazing friends.  Of course my early teen brain wanted more but he was always a gentleman much to the relief of my mother who was concerned.  But I always talked to him on the phone in front of her and she said "how could I deny you someone who makes you laugh so hard you cry!?"  His ex-girlfriend was more than happy to crush my teenage heart by alerting me to the fact he was gay.  I pretended I knew.  I didn't.  This song was the first song he played for me in the record store after I found out and he approached me from behind so he couldn't see me sobbing.  All I could choke out was "turn it off!"  We remain friends to this day after a period of losing track of each other.  He makes fun of me for liking Sting and I let him know when Blondie is going to be on TV and bake him Christmas cookies that he likes to slam his face into to smell the aroma.

(Let's Give Them) Something to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt- This song played in heavy rotation at the retail store the Mr and I worked for when we met.  Small town boy was afraid of a relationship not working out with big city girl and what would people say if it didn't work out?  This song was practically written about us in our flirtation stage.  Luckily for us, even at 17 I didn't give a crap what people talked about so how about love?

More Than Words by Extreme- Yes, it's now considered the ultimate cheesy song but it's the Mr and I's song and reminds me of early dating.

I Can't Dance by Genesis- It was the first song played at prom, which I attended with the Mr, and we got up with one of my best friends at the time and got the party started.  I honestly don't know how we danced to this because it is quite possibly one of the most undanceable songs ever recorded!

Lean on Me by Bill Withers- They used this in our senior slide show and as much as I was ready to get the heck out of high school, it still gets me a little emotional.  Not so much because I miss anyone from high school but it's like remembering the time you had to leave your childhood behind.

Seven Days by Sting- From one of our favorite albums ever...Ten Summoner's Tales .  (affiliate link) This song was a staple on the playlist at the restaurant we went to the night we got engaged.  It seemed like every time we went in there it would play at some point.

Ironic by Alanis Morissette- This is one I wish didn't stick but it was in heavy rotation when we got married and since we had raiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin on our wedding day, well, I suppose it was going to stick regardless.  The ironic thing about this song is she didn't understand the meaning of the word ironic.

Still the One by Shania Twain- I must say, with as much opposition as we faced from people trying to keep us apart the first five years, this song felt like everything I wanted to sing to the Mr in front of all of them.  But I don't have Shania's voice so I let her handle that one.  For a split second, I thought about making it our first dance song and giving the ones that were there the bird while I laughed maniacally in their faces but I refrained.

Halo by The Cure- If you had told me I would've danced to a Cure song as my first dance with my husband and not Suddenly by Olivia Newton John, I would've laughed in your face.  But the perpetual downer band hit a high note with their album Wish and this song was the B side to Friday I'm in Love.  (Remember cassingles?)  The Mr and I fell in love with the song and as we are often noted for going the nontraditional route, we went with it.  This was the point in the reception where I bawled like an idiot because 2 1/2 years of wedding planning, dealing with crap and finally being able to breathe came out in tears of happiness to finally be married!

Someday by Sugar Ray- We hear the opening notes and suddenly we're driving the Hana Highway on Maui for the first time.  We saved for 3 years after our honeymoon to be able to go back and hit all three major islands we liked...Maui, Big Island and Kauai for over 2 weeks.  Great trip!

Lose Your Love by The Outfield-  When the Mr got on a kick to record different songs on his guitar, he drove this one into the ground.  If you know the song you know the dude sings really high...like cat's heads exploding high.  The Mr likes to emulate this.  It hurts my ears.  But every time it comes on, I think about him now.  Thanks?

Such a Night by Elvis Presley- This reminds me of our Traverse City trip in 2013 because we had free Sirius which meant all Elvis, all the time.  I never heard that song before and it's now my new favorite song.

Get Lucky by Daft Punk- I always think of our Kauai 2013 trip because it was at the height of its popularity and we had conquered so much that trip like kayaking and stand up paddle boarding and our first 5K together.  Sadly, I bust out laughing when I hear it now because this is all I can visualize at the 36 second mark, every time.

Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars-  This song makes me cry every time I hear it.  It's the song every woman wishes her man would sing to her.  Thing is, the Mr has never sang it to me, yet I know if he wrote a song for me, this would be it.  I may not be a beauty queen but I am to him even with my inherited dark circles, Hello Kitty pajama pants and flab.  In the end, isn't that what we all deserve is to hear a song this beautiful and know for a fact that the person we're sharing our life with feels that way without it ever needing to be said?  (But it is nice when it is.  HA!)

Name 5-10 songs that would be on your "life mix tape."  Up to you if you want to share the story of why or leave us in suspense.

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