Play That Funky Music, White Boy
Posted by The ArachNerd on September 27, 2011
You know what? I blog a lot about music! I blog occasionally about my family, my geekdom, baseball, other forms of entertainment, and religion. I almost never blog about politics. But music seems to dominate this space.
Why?
Certainly not because I am a musician. I never could play an instrument. I took piano lessons, attempted to play the bass guitar after receiving one for Christmas, bought and briefly goofed around with a guitar, tried to learn the harmonica with the help of a Klutz book… I guess I just don’t have it. So that’s not it.
It is not because I have a deep knowledge about all things musical. I don’t know music theory or history. I am no smarter than anyone else when it comes to music. No one in the world seeks my musical wisdom. So that’s probably not it either.
I guess it is just because I love music. Maybe it’s even more than just a love – it is a connection. My life has an ever-evolving soundtrack. Every moment of my life has certain artists or songs or musical genres attached to it. It is in my DNA – intrinsically part of who I am.
Growing up, my father exposed me and my brother to all kinds of music; everything from the Delta Blues, to Motown, to Rock & Roll, to Outlaw Country, and a plethora of other stuff in between. We didn’t think that was strange – we thought it was normal. What I find strange is when I run across people who don’t really listen to music. I can’t even comprehend that! And I am discovering that it is actually more common than I originally dreamed possible. Personally I can’t imagine life without music!
I guess that’s why my tastes are all over the place. My iPod looks like an old record store had a clearance sale and I just bought whatever I could get my hands on. But I like it all – and it always seems like there are a hundred or so more that I really want and don’t have yet.
Many of my musical loves can be traced back to specific times in my life – I might even be able to explain why for some of them. I can’t listen to Tori Amos without reminiscing about a specific friend I made in college that we called “Colgate”. I can’t hear Dr. Hook without remembering the garage that my dad turned into a family room and the component stereo that took up a good portion of the wall. The U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday conjures up images of the time I spent at Church Camp in my youth. Uncle Tupelo makes me remember the time I lived alone, between marriages, lonely and afraid. Everything and everyone seems to be linked in my brain to a song, a musician, an album… something musical.
In fact, later this week, I am dedicating my Five on Friday post to when a very pivotal moment in my life intersected with a very pivotal time in music history. Intrigued? You should be!
Check back on Friday & see what I’m up to!
philhawkins82 said
I know exactly what you are talking about. Granted I would probably still be considered somewhat of an “infant” in my musical tastes, but I find myself quite often relating situations, people, relationships, etc. to songs, albums or artists. One in particular is when 9/11 happened. I remember waking up that morning and NOT turning on the tv or radio because it was the release date for P.O.D,.’s new albums “Satellite.” I wanted that album to be the first thing I really listened to. All of that changed when I arrived at Walmart (I worked there at the time) and my department manager told me what had happened and I watched it unfold on the tvs in the electronics department. That album became anthemic to me at that time as it seemed every song song spoke to what I was feeling that day. Still to this day when I listen to anything from that album the whole day replays in my mind.
Willie Deuel said
Ahh, yes. “The Room!” Sylvia’s mother says, “Sylvia’s busy. Too busy to come to the phone….”