I am powered by music.

I live for ‘New Music Fridays.’ I’m constantly looking for new artists and revisiting the ones I love. Music has always been a part of my life to the point that very specific songs mark certain chapters in my life. The second I hear them, I go back.

I know that’s not unique. Plenty of people tie memories to music. It’s a powerful thing, that music. But throughout my life, I’ve bookmarked moments in my life with songs and albums. There are even songs I can’t listen to anymore because they take my back to moments I don’t care to relive. Some of those are really great songs too.

Andrew McMahon returned to Omaha last night, this time with his band ‘Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.’ He played one Something Corporate song – ‘I Woke Up in a Car’ – and it took my back. I remember being a freshman in high school listening to that song on my discman (and eventually my very first iPod).

Anyway, as I was listening, I remembered that I have this playlist on Spotify where I store all of these songs that have some meaning to me. It’s simply titled, ‘Songs I Love.’ It’s private, but I revisit it from time-to-time when I need a good ol’ trip down memory lane. I don’t plan on making that playlist public any time soon, but I thought I’d share a few of the songs here and the memories that correlate with them.

Shall we?

• The Adventure – Angels & Airwaves: I listened to this song a lot my freshman and sophomore years of college. If you saw me walking to my class, I guarantee I had headphones in and I can promise you this song was playing.
• Me and the Moon – Something Corporate: I used this song as my AIM away message (yeah… YEAH) as a freshman in college every time I went to bed. “It’s me and the moon she said.” Every. Single. Night.
• Mexico – Jump Little Children: I became familiar with this band after a friend of mine tipped me off to them. She was a year older, on the dance team at KU and basically my idol. This song ultimately became the song of every college visit I made, because it’s all I played on my way.
• Brat Pack – The Rocket Summer: This. Freaking. Song. I remember specifically listening to it in my friend’s Jeep on I-80 on the way to something for show choir. We belted it out at the top of our lungs. She now lives in California and I may not have seen her in quite some time but when I hear this song, I think of her and how fun that moment in time was.
• The Remedy (I Won’t Worry) – Jason Mraz: I can’t hear this song and not think of the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school. I was in driver’s ed at Westside and this song was always on the radio when we were in the car.
• Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve: Another driver’s ed song. I got hooked on this one somehow (maybe Cruel Intentions?) and then listened to it non-stop for months (and now years).
• Everywhere – Michelle Branch: The cool thing to do in 8th grade was go to the high school football games and hang out. Despite the fact that the high schoolers did not want us there, we showed up in our army pants and flip flops. When I got ready? This song had heavy rotation on the boombox on the floor of my bathroom.
• Forever – Chris Brown: I am not a fan of Chris Brown now, but he was a big deal when ‘Forever’ came out. This song will forever remind me of my junior year of college and driving to the Fremont Walmart for macaroni and cheese. Don’t ask.
• Brighter Than Sunshine – Aqualung: My MySpace song. Let that sink in.

There’s more in that playlist, but that’s probably enough memories for today. Well, one more actually:

That’s me and Andrew McMahon just over 10 years ago, February 2007. Hard to believe I’ve now been a fan of his for over 15 years, but much of his music has defined very important moments in my life.

The power of music.

Erin

(And a la Allison Pane, I titled this blog after a song: Kids – OneRepublic. Something tells me this is going to be one of those songs that ends up in my playlist. I just have a hunch.)