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Musical Nostalgias

Reading this essay on the relation between music and memories (specially those having to do with love and heartbreak) got me thinking about my own musical nostalgias

I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston) - About fifteen then, maybe younger. It was A's birthday party. I was one of the last arrivals and he played this number to time with my coming into the living room. He was too shy to ask me for a dance and it did not help that our friends teased him mercilessly. The song brings back memories of an innocent, happy and carefree time.

Tender Hands (Chris De Burgh) - The college years. P hummed the song sometimes almost absently long before he actually told me how he felt about me. He lent me the album and "forgot" to take it back with great deliberation many times. When he finally took it back, he gave me a mixed tape -the first of many. We had in a sense graduated in our relationship.


Wild Women (Michael Learns To Rock) - The second job after school in a small boutique software product development company. The coolest thing was the huge music system in the middle of our work area where we played whatever we liked. The public reactions to individual choice ranged from amusement, to agreement to WTF. The CEO was big on jazz and he converted quite a few of us to his tribe. Every once in a while S would play this MLTR number. He was engaged to be married and yet we were strongly (and noticeably) attracted to each other. The gang called this song "The S Confessional" and always let him play it. Such bitter-sweet memories...

Love Is All Around(Wet Wet Wet) - M called me at 5:30 in the morning. "Missed you and thought of a song at the same time so had to call" he said as soon as I answered. He sung it for me. "Why this song ?" I asked. "Because you're so cold. So if you really love me Come on and let it show". We broke up a few months after this. It was a relationship that left behind memories disproportionate to the short amount of time we spent together.

And there is so much more...

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Anonymous said…
Somebody bring me some kleenex and the Prozac...
11:13 PM
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