Life's Soundtrack
I tend to associate particular songs or soundtracks to special moments in my life. Most of the associations are purely volumetric – I mean, if you listen to something at least twice a day, then it’s bound to stick. So when I think of the Chicago soundtrack, I think of the long bus trips between university and home. When I think of “Mushaboom” by Feist, I’m brought back to my first time in New Zealand – the lyrics “How many acres, how much light/Tucked in the woods and out of sight/Talk to the neighbours and tip my cap on a/Little dot barely on the map” are particularly apt. And I remember I was on a train from Milan to Geneva and listening to Sunday in the Park with George, and only then realizing exactly how genius Stephen Sondheim is.
But Sunday I had a movie soundtrack moment. A snapshot of life with the perfect picture, and the perfect song playing in the background. I was driving home with friends at dusk, and Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” was playing. Just as the song gets quiet and starts to build, the road opened up, and we could see far away Mt Taranaki silhouetted against the blood orange sky, with nearby Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe sheltering us and tussock grasses stabbing the sky.
Paradise indeed. A perfect musical moment. Can you share any in your life?
(BTW, I only wish that photo was mine. But it’s not.)
– Jean AAR
At the end of my freshman, sophomore and junior years of college, I’d always create a playlist of songs that I listened to during those years. Now that I’m two years out of college, I found some old cds that I made of those songs and can easily pinpoint exactly what was going on in my life during that time period when I became obsessed with the songs. It’s really fun.
I have songs that I associate with periods in my life as well. Regina Spektor’s “Eet” always reminds me of last summer, because it was always the first song I listened to every day walking to work. There are also a couple of club songs (Sexy Bitch by David Guetta and Hotel Room Service by Pitbull) that always make me think of my nights out in Prague. Not exactly sentimental songs, but I prefer to remember the fun I had with my friends rather than think about the horribly sexist and sexual lyrics.