I’ve been spending a lot of time in front of a computer lately, so I’ve been using more of my iPod and Pandora. I’ve even broken out my emergency stash of old CDs. I’m coming across a lot of songs that I’ve mostly forgotten about (some with good reason). This got me thinking about how certain songs remind you of certain times in your life and certain people.
I’ve listened to an entire CD by The Starting Line (back when that kid had blonde hair.) I haven’t thought of that band in years! Hearing that automatically made me crave Brand New. I’m not sure why, they’re not really related, but I know I was into both bands around the same time. Both bands also remind me of my bestest friend Dan-o. It’s funny because just as I was realizing that, he texted me after a month or so of no contact (we have a strange relationship.)
One of my favorite bands is Guster. I’ve had a hard time truly appreciating their music ever since I broke up with The Ex. They’re a local Boston band, The Ex was from Boston. Naturally that means I can’t enjoy the band. I’ve also been overusing the skip button whenever a song by The Slackers came on. He introduced me to them. I listened to a song by them just now and after listening to the lyrics, I realized they really summed up that relationship. Ha!
Anything by Nickelback makes me want to punch Chad Kroeger in the throat.
Faith by George Michael reminds me of my childhood. I used to ask my mom to play the “faitha, faitha, faitha” song.
Anything by Neil Diamond reminds me of cleaning my room at my dad’s house. Often we’d blast his greatest hits when taking on a serious dusting job.
My roommate and I had a boy band extravaganza the other weekend and it reminded me of being in high school and crushing hard on someone who overused hand gestures.
So I’m wondering, what song(s) make you think back?Are there bands or songs that you just can’t listen to without sobbing?
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
this does that to me too. I hate it though because a bad thought can ruin a good song for me. LOL
Reply
Do you have the pandora app on your iphone?
It sucks compared to the real pandora.
Matts last blog post..Word of the day is job – J.O.B.
Reply
oh so many! guster i love too by the way.
dave matthews, phish, and pearl jam make me thing of end of HS and college. and i think just enough time has passed that i can start listening to them.
the jurassic 5 song “thin line” will always make me think about a past love and tear up.
alexas last blog post..money costs too much
Reply
Would it help if I had everyone I know give you special “Bostonian Permission” to like Guster? You can think of all of us instead of the Ex:-). We are cuter than him anyway!!!
Reply
I’ll list a few;
Alanis- Jagged Little Pill
Weezer- Blue Album
Live- Throwing Copper
Those are my early teen albums that I wore out
Anything Dave Matthews band
Those are my dating Dan albums
John Mayer- Heavier Things
Driving home from bartending
The Killers- Hot Fuss
Baby Diana
Rachel M.s last blog post..Comic Journal 1.19.09
Reply
My list would go something like …
“crappy 80’s pop music my Mother played on the car radio”
“hip-hop in the early 90’s through House of Pain’s, ‘Jump around’”
“Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam”
“Weezer and Greenday”
[F]oxymorons last blog post..An Inaugural Parade Challenge, 2009
Reply
Weird, I’ve always connected The Starting Line with Brand New, too.
Anything by the All American Rejects brings back a million memories for me.
Melissas last blog post..Lack there of?
Reply
I just heard some Backstreet boys on our local radio station’s retro lunch. The song reminded me of middle school and how incredibly cool I thought I was for listening to them.
Reply
oy! the list is too long.
but here are a few:
these make me think of my ex
john mayer: this wheel
sarah mclachlan: train wreck
rascal flatts: what hurts the most
these make me think of HS friends and summertime
nelly: must be the money
train: drops of jupiter
anything from nsync
these make me think of college
jurassic 5: quality control
chevelle: the red
beyonce: naughty girl
i love pandora. i need it in my car
bodelous last blog post..dreams
Reply
Oh man, it took me AGES to be able to listen to “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds without sobbing my eyes out.
Joy @ Big Time Fancys last blog post..Things My Roommate Has Cooked
Reply
I love that you mentioned Brand New — my favorite! Also, 23 by Jimmy Eat World and Third Eye Blind’s entire first album make me completely sappy and nostalgic.
flipflopsintherains last blog post..i’m kind of afraid to say it…
Reply
i totally agree with 3eb. reminds me of early high school.
also: jewel, jagged little pill, and any boy band.
and ps-guster is the best live band ever. please re-like them and see them live!
Reply
“Brand New Colony” by the Postal Service, and though it’s kind of a dated and insignificant song in itself, it supports your associative theory.
I CANNOT hear this song or I will emo all over everyone in a 10 foot radius.
nicopolitans last blog post..Nerd Talk and Colloquial
Reply
i effing hate nickleback.
Reply
Ah so many…
Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill was grade school for me.
Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, NoFx, GreenDay, The Starting Line, Gob etc. were high school.
Phish, Sweet Caroline, Sweet Home Alabama, Snoop Dogg, OAR, were the first two years of Uni, and Australian/NZ artists like Fat Freddy’s Drop, Samonella Dub, Katchafire, Grinspoon and Giants of Science were 3rd and 4th Year.
There are certain songs I still cant listen to without them bringing the flood of memories along with them.
But that’s exactly the way I want it to be.
Cazs last blog post..Ahm In Ur Footur Readinz teh Mindz…
Reply
It’s very lame, but one of my first boyfriends had a demo version of one of the old dashboard confessional CDs from when Chris was still circulating them around the Christian youth community, before he was signed.
I had *never* heard anything like it before, and I’m instantly in grade 11 when I head the properly recorded glossier versions of those songs.
Reply
As a DJ its often hard for me to escape certain songs, so I’ve become accustom to dealing with memories and de-associating them.
Luckily, I have many more songs which bring smiles of certain times or memories. There are only a few songs that I hate, and not because they are bad songs… but because the remind me of something I’m not happy about, two of which are Howie Day – Collide and Jack and Diane – John Melloncamp.
I also don’t really care for songs that remind me of school day (k-12) – luckily I wasn’t into music much then aside from some pop junk.
Drews last blog post..Happy MLK Day! & Get ready for Team-O!
Reply
Guster…wow, I haven’t thought of them since college! I use to have a great DMB cover of one of their songs…though the name escapes me.
Therapeutic Ramblingss last blog post..5 Questions, 5 Answers….by TR
Reply
WAY too much music to list. I connect music to everything.
Your comment about Nickelback made me laugh a lot.
lizs last blog post..All the miles
Reply
My Dad and I have a Billy Joel thing.
Sarah McLaughlin’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was a huge favorite in high school, and still is today….
Any music can bring me to tears if I’m in a crybaby mood, but most of the time, I enjoy the memories….
verybadcats last blog post..Housekeeping……..of the urgent sort
Reply
oh man there are so many songs to remember too.
ride wit me by nelly just reminds me of dancing and singing in the car with my friends in high school.
fill me in by craig david always reminds me of my time in germany.
and thriller by michael jackson brings me back to dancing with my aunt and pretending to know the moves, haha.
Reply
Any sort of 80s or 90s music totally takes me back. I love good 80s music. Also, what is this Pandora thing?
Jessicas last blog post..My introduction to tongue action
Reply
Oh so many.
There Is No Arizona (Jamie O’Neal)
The Funeral (Band of Horses)
100 Years (Five for Fighting)
Traffic and Weather (Fountains of Wayne)
Breathe (Taylor Swift)
L.O.V.E. (Ashlee Simpson)
Baby Keep Smiling (Lou Bega… actually anything by him)
and so many more.
Jordyns last blog post..Protected: Echoes
Reply
Oh my gosh Guster! Brand New! The Starting Line!
HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK ALERT
nicoleantoinettes last blog post..i mean seriously, look how big that mug is
Reply
My college boyfriend used to sing “Gold” by Ben Harper to me all the time – it was “our song.” I thought it would be our first dance at our wedding.
Then I found out he cheated on me with this total ho from his hometown, lied about it, and when he finally came clean about the cheating, the song was actually playing on my computer.
After I patched the hole in the wall I’d created when I threw the phone across the room, I made a promise to myself that I’d never listen to that entire CD ever again. And I kept that promise. But whenever I hear anyone’s version of the song, I still become irrationally angry. Anyone who has had their heart broken can empathize, I guess. Such a beautiful song! Add it to the list of things he ruined for me.
Jamies last blog post..…and Maybe Listen to some Cheap Trick on My iPod
Reply
All kinds of songs cause flashbacks for me- one of note? The “In Love With a Stripper” song. I heard it for the first time a little snookered on Bourbon Street in 2006 and it will always bring me back to that divey pizza joint with the really loud music and my best friend.
Eleanor’s Trouserss last blog post..2009 New Year’s Resolutions
Reply
david gray – this year’s love
SLAYS MY SOUL.
ds last blog post..(mr. president)
Reply
There are many bands/songs that take me back, both good and bad. Bands like Better Than Ezra and All American Rejects and Everclear all remind me of my car accident and laying in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. I could bring my own music for the four hour sessions and the current CD for each of them was just enough time to get through. Bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie remind me of Seattle. Bands like Cute is What We Aim For and Silver Chair and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs all remind me of Manhattan. Certain songs make me cry, certain ones bring back a feeling of uncertainty about what the future may hold. I try not to listen to those anymore. Geeze, I could go on all night here but I should let someone else comment too!
Vanessas last blog post..Honest to Blog?
Reply
Oh. man. just reminded me of the days when I used to blast ‘So Long’ by Guster in my college dorm. (we were on a break) hahahahaha
Julie Qs last blog post..I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend!
Reply
the song “the luckiest” by ben folds reminds me of my ex-boyfriend who i dated for four years. he used to sing it to me every night before i went to sleep and i haven’t listened to it since we broke up, i still love him, and he has an new girlfriend note.
i absolutely love guster, also!
Brittanys last blog post..Fights, friends, and the future
Reply
I’m such a music gal and almost every song brings back some memory. There are a few biggies: 1) “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” by Petula Clark will always remind me of Tiffany and make me laugh. 2) “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters is the song that Matt played for me when he proposed. Everytime I hear it, I smile and get a little misty eyed. 3) All the teen bands from high school (Nsync, BSB, etc.) make me think of high school. 4) “The Best Deceptions” is one of those songs that’s hard for me to listen to and it makes me cry because it brings back memories of someone. I could go on and on…
Biancas last blog post..dirty water, target, and feeling like a smartie
Reply
I’m so glad I’m not alone in loathing Nickelback with every fiber of my very soul. There’s two songs that totally spark memories that always get me every time: “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters and “Plowed” by Sponge.
Phils last blog post..Er Gent See
Reply
i have tons of songs i can’t listen to without getting upset because of my exs.
apologize-one republic
bleeding love-leona lewis
come around-sing it loud
heartless-kanye west
dont wanna miss a thing-aerosmith
kiss me thru the phone-soulja boy
no air-jordin sparks
shimmer-fuel
thunder-boys like girls
wont go home without you-maroon 5
Reply