Reliving Memories Through Songs

Isn't it funny how hearing a certain song played on the radio reminds you of a certain person, time frame, or event in your life. Since I have gotten XM Radio put back into my car, I have constantly been on 3 stations, the 80's on 8, the 90's on 9, and Lithium. Being a child of the 80's, I especially adore the music from 1984, because that was the summer my mother let me have MTV. I spend hours in front of the television watching music video and music video. I grew to adore Duran Duran, the Cars, Aha, Def Lepard, the Thompson Twins, the Go-Go's and on and on and on. I already had such a love for music, as I had already been taking dance and piano lessons for years, but I fell passionately in love that summer. Music made my world go round. I would spend hours  listening to records, dancing and singing, pretending that I was on stage. I can hear "Wild Boys" or "Vacation" and immediately feel like I am 9 years old again. Also, 1988 stands out because as a Christmas gift my father got me cable, and again I spent hours watching MTV (when it still played music video) and loving Bon Jovi, Warrant, 2 Live Crew, and NWA.

The other two channels remind me of college. I was in college during the wane of the hair bands (which I may add I loved, especially Poison) and the rise of alternative (which I also loved, especially Soundgarden), throw into the mix dance music ( I loved Snap), and it was a great decade of music! I heard on those 2 channels on Saturday 4 songs that reminded me of my senior year of college and my best friend, who lived with me at the time. It was my first year living on my own, and we were living at Folly Beach in the house my father had just purchased. He didn't rent it out just so that I could live there and experience life away from my mom. Seriously, 1996-97 was the best year of my life. The 4 songs that came on took me back to Friday nights spent on the front porch drinking Miller Lite waiting on my serious boyfriend to get leave from the Citadel, so we could go listen to live music at the Sand Dollar. It took me back to riding downtown with all the windows open belting out "One Headlight" and finding it ironic that indeed one of the head lights was burnt out. The hours between midnight and 7 am dancing at the Music Farm's Disco Hell, or going to see Dave Matthews play at the Citadel for $5 a ticket.

I can honestly say that music still moves my soul. I have some of the best dance parties in my car. I can define my life by a song list. I don't know what I would be if I didn't have music. Some days it's Chopin, other days it's Jay Z, but regardless, music is my drug, and without it I am nothing.