"I was listening to the radio; I heard a song reminded me of long ago."
Eddie Money: I Wanna Go Back
I don’t know about most people, but many times when I hear a song from the
past, it often triggers memories I’ve associated with the song.
Out in the country, when I was still young enough not to be
in school, I remember quite well an old yellow rectangular radio box. It was in
the kitchen. My mom would have it tuned in to the nearest local radio station.
I remember that situation because I heard a song that
really caught my attention. Mind you, I was only four years old. But I still
remember that feeling to this day: hearing Bob Dylan’s Blowin” in the Wind come across that old radio in the kitchen.
Probably set me on my road to question authority and to dislike rules.
From the decade of 1980-1990, here are a few selected songs and associated memories.
John Lennon – Woman.
College freshman, dancing at a dorm party on St. Patrick’s Day 1981 and all of us breaking the college alcohol policy.
Green (spiked) punch.
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| US Highway 136, Nebraska |
April Wine – Just
Between You and Me. Back home during my first college summer break. Off some patch of grass near US Highway 136 and Republican City, Nebraska, I happened to find a party: I can still recall the beauty of the star lit sky.
Talking Heads - Burning
Down the House The dance halls
in LeMars, Iowa. What crazy good times.
Elvis Costello – What’s
so funny about Peace Love and Understandin’. An anthem while a college newspaper editor to push me further in writing passionate editorials.
Duran Duran – Hungry
like the Wolf. Had the pleasure of having the Marriott feed me every day
while living in Washington, D.C. They
would blast songs at a high decibel across their café area – nothing like eating while hearing
the pornographic ending of this song (the extended version).
Twisted Sister – We’re
not going to Take It. Kemper Arena, Kansas City, at a Twisted Sister
concert. Can still remember the bass guitar waves hitting my chest like a
hammer.
Genesis – Invisible
Touch. A private, members-only club, Gammons, in Lawrence, Kansas where I played backgammon
for hours, ate free food during happy hour, and met a lot of KU coeds. The day
I left Lawrence heading for some type of life in northern Kentucky, this was
the last song I heard from a Kansas City radio station as it faded off into the
distance.
The Who – Eminence
Front. Right next door to Gammons was a smartly located pizza shop, Pizza
Shuttle. One early morning after leaving Gammons while I was waiting for my pizza to be made, I can still remember the conversation between the employees. Eminence Front begins playing. Employee
one asks employee two – who plays this song? Employee two replies, exactly.
Employee one looks quizzical.
Corey Hart – Never
Surrender and Bruce Cockburn – If I had a Rocket Launcher. KU student in Lawrence, KS. Two songs that helped me back onto the
road of spiritual discovery.
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| Dive Bar, Covington, Kentucky |
U2 – Angel of Harlem. At a dive bar in Covington, Kentucky picking up fast games of pool.
John Mellencamp – Paper
in Fire. Clubbing in Cincinnati dance halls along the riverfront. What
crazy times.
Midnight Oil – Beds
are Burnin’. Small venue in Cincinnati packed to the gills rocking out to
political rock music.
The band Velcro Pygmies. Yesterday’s. The happening Chattanooga night club. I
loved Yesterday’s – ran a bar tab, great music, met a lot of people, and the
Pygmies just blew me away with their energetic performances.
Please enjoy a playlist of the 14 songs mentioned in this post.
Please enjoy a playlist of the 14 songs mentioned in this post.
