Music is everywhere. On the telly, in the car, in the shopping centre and at the gym. Not that I ever go shopping or to the gym (thank you high metabolism and Amazon), but I'm told that they have music there. Not only is it everywhere, it is very powerful. Music can be emotional, uplifting, inspiring, depressing, or, in rare cases like Charriots of Fire, it can prompt slow motion running. Music has the power to evoke very specific memories and take someone back to a particular time in their past, be it happy or sad. For whatever reason, it has stuck around in the jar of memories and a piece of music has the power to bring it to the surface. I think this is incredible, and have assembled a few personal examples of music which will always remind me of a certain time in my past...
Daniel Powter - Bad Day
Let me start by ensuring people that I do not like this song. But that's not the point. If I ever hear this song, or indeed the first few solemn chords on the piano it will take me back to a changing room in Jersey. I was on a Sussex U14 cricket tour and it was lashing it down with rain outside. One of the lads (whey!) had burned a CD with current chart topping anthems, which was duly inserted into the ghetto blaster in the changing room as we waited for the rain to let up. Not a very excited memory I grant you, but I can remember in great detail the layout of the room, who was there and how I felt at the time.
Ultrabeat - Feelin' Fine
Ahh yes. A very happy/embarrassing memory of my latter school days. It was Summer, so nearing the end of the school year, exams were over and one of my mates has just passed his driving test. There were four of us in the car with the windows down and this song playing at full volume. We didn't actually drive anywhere, just up and down the road outside the school, leaning out the window and raving it up in the hope that people would see how "cool" we were.
Slim Dusty - A Pub With No Beer
I saw in the Millenium with my family in Sydney, Australia. We were there for 3 weeks and bought a CD of Australian tunes to always remember our trip to upside down land. I have no idea where that CD is, but hearing this song will instantly place me by the harbour looking out towards the harbour bridge with the Opera House behind it. Views don't get much better than that folks.
Run Kid Run - One In A Million
Takes me back to the good old University days. I had never heard of Run Kid Run (and don't expect you to either!), but one of my housemates would always play this and I got to know it pretty well, and grew to like it over (a long) time. It is annoyingly catchy, and soon found myself humming it during lectures. Can't say it conjures up any one particular situation, I have many happy memories of living away from home for the first time with my mates, so it's more like a collage in my head!
So there you go. A few songs that bring out certain emotions in me because they are linked to a specific memory, I definitely have many more - I just need to hear the song to remember them! Everyone will be able to relate to this topic I'm sure, and will have songs of their own that are meaningful to them in some way.
I can think of other generic examples such as Elton John's Candle in the Wind, and Baddiel, Skinner and The Lighting Seeds - Three Lions (where football definitely did NOT come home). But music means different things for everyone, that's the beauty of it. Care to share your own music-inspired memories?