Thursday, April 05, 2007

Meme too, set to music

*Sorry to edit twice! The formatting went horribly awry.

This meme is horribly overdue and now the interview meme (thanks for the questions Alpha DogMa I will work on it soon) is all the rage, but that won't stop me from finishing this one. If I am one thing it is good on my word and I promised Alpha DogMa I would do this. So what if I kind of changed the rules a bit, I am doing it right?! Maybe I'll even add a good poop story to distract in a kind of smoke and mirrors way, if only Rosebud pooped that is - we are on day five of no action, and that is with several meds. Oh the Joys always writes about poop and everyone loves her poopiness, maybe it could work for me. So now that everyone is suitably distracted on with the show, not that there really was a story mind you - that happens when there is no poop to write about.

The original meme was to list seven songs you are into right now. Since this would out me as horribly boring and clueless of current music I have decided to mix it up a bit. I had the idea to do an 80's version since many of my favourite songs are from the 80's, but Sunshine beat me to it; so my version is seven songs I have been obsessed with at various points in my life. Why I think this is any less revealing of my lameness is not completely understood. So anyhoo...

For the record there was a time I was all about music, new and otherwise. I vividly remember sitting in my room with my tape recorder held up to my radio, taping the CHUM FM Top 30 each week, waiting patiently for my favourite songs to come on. My radio with built in cassette player was years away. Once I started dating (let's call him Mr. Wrong, the dreaded Man/Child with whom I spent eight long years) my music taste broadened. We were forever going
downtown to Sam the Record Man and trolling the Import section for music. I will give him this, we were usually listening to stuff that would not make airways here in Canada for several years. Some of it I liked and some I didn't, but at least I was a little more aware of what was out there. Oh, I was still the queen of pop smultz don't get me wrong.

Nowadays I drive about 3 minutes to Papoosie Girl's school and back (detour at Tim's of course) and really only catch a few minutes of my easy-listening morning show in hopes they might talk about the weather since I am not so good at checking before we leave the house. Rain!? Where did that come from? If I do venture on a long drive I sometimes pop in a CD or listen to the radio, but usually I savour the silence. Now those who know me know that there is very little silence in my life. Chatty Mom = chatty girls. So to reveal my source of silence will out me as one of those people...hmmm. Truth all the way for this blogger, since I was never good at lying - think stuttering and scarlet cheeks. Our van has a DVD player (ducks in shame while good parents cluck wildly about such a thing) and I must admit I like it. I wish I could say our other car is a hybrid to make up for this, but it is not. It is a much smaller, more fuel-efficient car though if that helps.

When hubby's car was coming off lease we knew we wanted something a bit bigger to lug around all our stuff. We do a lot of weekend trips and drive quite a bit to visit family so making the jump to a minivan was natural. We were not really interested in any of the modest sized SUV's as they didn't have much more room than the car we were giving up. So we got a minivan for a fantastic deal since we bought in November when they were trying to get rid of the current year models and while the DVD player was not the deal-breaker it was a lovely bonus from our negotiations. I did briefly toy with the idea of not telling the girls, just not using it. Yeah right. I will say we do not use it for short trips, but once we hit a highway to somewhere, you can find it humming along. Did I mention the headphones? I never give them to the girls I just usually tune out the movie and drive along quite happily with my thoughts. Hubby likes for us to be able to listen to music so he gives them the headphones (again this is not very often - think driving to London to visit friends) I am usually amused and disgusted by these things on my girls heads. But I have to say it is a damn quiet ride.

So what the hell was I saying? Oh yeah the music meme, right so I used to listen to music and now I don't so much.


Seven Songs I have been obsessed about in random order:

1) When Doves Cry-Prince
I had a very big Prince thing in general and this song was a big favourite. I could listen to it over and over and never get sick of it, like all of my obsessions songs. I felt like these lyrics were speaking to me. I think it will become evident as you go through the list that many of these songs are telling the same story if you know what I mean. Keep reading.

How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I'm just too demanding...


2) White Flag-Dido
This sums up the eight year Mr. Wrong situation, in nicer words than I could ever come up with. It was very hard to get out of this relationship for reasons I will take to my grave. In many ways there is just no getting over something like this , instead you move on, and in a way that says you have surrendered.

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were


3) You Oughta Know-Alanis Morissette
Gotta love a woman scorned. Any of the lyrics from this song would have been good. I loved this whole CD in fact.

Cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able
To make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me you'd hold me
Until you died, till you died
But you're still alive


4) Time of My Life- Green Day
I have always loved this song while I have never been a huge Green Day fan. This song just strikes a cord with me and not just because it was on the series finale of Beverly Hills 90210.

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time



5) You Were Mine-Dixie Chicks
I always refer to this song as the "divorce" song in my head. It is a little known track from the Wide Open Spaces CD. I had never listened to Dixie Chicks until I saw them at Lilith Fair in August of 1999. They performed Wide Open Spaces and I liked them and the song. They didn't seem to take any crap. I got the disk and listened, this song made me cry and still does each and every time I hear it. My parents were divorced when I was quite young and there is still that little raw part of my child heart that never got over it. I actually liked a few tracks from Wide Open Spaces and really love their current hit
Not Ready to Make Nice, I admire how they didn't back down from their convictions even if it meant smaller venues and reduced record sales.

I can give you two good reasons to show you love's not blind
He's two and she's four, and you know they adore you,
So how can you tell them you've changed your mind

6) King of Spain-Moxy Fruvous

Bonus points if you know who they are. I went to York University and had several classes with Jian Ghomeshi (he was Jean then though) and this was the band he was in. He now dabbles in TV and radio and has a new daily national radio show launching on CBC Radio One this month. In the York days I thought he was political, charming, exotic (Persian!), and so nice. I was not available (Mr. Wrong still), but Jian would often give me tickets to performances. I did manage to see them twice and still prefer my indie cassette to my CD. The songs were fun and smart and I was so into that, they put on a great show too. How could I not mention the hair, those long luscious curls? He was the guy I would never think of myself as worthy enough of - looking back I just feel sad for that girl.


Once I was the King of Spain - now I eat humble pie
A palatial palace, that was my home - now I eat humble pie
I'm telling you I was the King of Spain - now I eat humble pie
And now I vacuum the turf at SkyDome


Well, this has been a treat diving into the mosh pit of my psyche...last but not least

7) You Raise Me Up-Josh Groban
While I have never listened to any contemporary Christian music and I am not sure if he is mainstream or not, I really was into this song for a while. I still like in fact, just not in that endless repeat kind of way. It makes me feel good and often reminds me of my father. It is strange to be so young and not have a parent, although I realize I am not alone. You feel a bit like an orphan sometimes, like how things would be different if I had a father in my life. I say any song that makes you feel a bit better is a good one.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

**************************************************

If you have made it to the end, I thank you for indulging me. I have always enjoyed all the trip down memory lane posts and I can see why they are such good reading. Looking back is a way to understand the present, a way to discern how the
light shines on your life and how you turn your face up to enjoy it.









10 comments:

N. said...

Thanks for doing this meme. Sorry for doubling up on the memes. No pressure.
Nothing is more Canadian than a crush on Jian. He has the eyes of a Persian love God. I'm so jealous that you knew him.
I love your list. That Alanis Morrissette cd is universally loved by woman-done-wrong across Canada. Does your Mr. Right like the Dixie Chicks - I love them but my husband does NOT.

Bea said...

I really like your take on this meme. This way, at least, I actually know most of the songs (including King of Spain, hehehe).

I keep meaning to take up the Dixie Chicks - I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Melanie D. said...

First of all, I'm jealous that you were at Lilith Fair. Second, Jagged Little Pill is one CD that I probably wore out completely because I listened to it front to back for months in the late 90's. Still listen to the whole thing from time to time. How about the creepy hidden track at the end? Love it! Third, You Were Mine is great, as are all songs from that album. The Dixie Chicks really are fantastic. Cowboy Take Me Away is a song that makes me fantasize, even if I'm not totally into cowboys. Fourth, I had a Mr.Wrong/Man-Child (I call mine Mr. Asshole) for almost 5 years - the scars never really fade completely, do they?

Great choices - I think you did an awesome job and it was well worth the wait!

Blog said...

VERY interesting, diverse list, Jen! I'll always love Alanis....

Mimi said...

What an awesome meme, Jenifer!

("I like to out dancing ... my baby loves a bunch of authors," ahhhh Moxy Fruvous!)

They're playing acoustic Alanis ALL THE TIME at Starbucks lately, and it shaves, like, nearly 10 years off my age and I get all retrospective angsty.

Phew.

Jenifer said...

AD-Despite my initial fear of meme's I am actually starting to like them! Yes, those eyes, he is all charm and has a little of the George Clooney thing going on. Hubby tolerates Dixie Chicks, I think he admires their stand more than anything.

B&P-I'm glad you like my take...it is nice to recognize some of the songs on someone else's list. Get yourself some Dixie Chicks they really are great. They write sing, play instruments and write (I think) most of their own music. Now they are all Mom's which makes me like they even more.

OM-First, I never planned to go to Lilith Fair. A friend had tickets on a lark I went. I had never been to anything like it and it was awesome. I have never done anything like it since. Second, me too, wore it out. Third, so enjoy the Chicks. Fourth, so yuck to think that there are so many of us who went through this; and you are right some scars just don't ever heal completely.

Haley-Diverse? Me? Well thanks very much.

Mimi-I love "Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors"! I almost used that one. I have got to get the new Alanis I don't have it yet but, I imagine it will bring me back a year...or two. ;)

Mad said...

Hey, I decided I liked the Dixie Chicks after I saw them at Lilith Fare in '99. They were incredible. And could they play those instrument. Aaaaa-haa, you know it!

BTW, I caught them at Lilith Fare in Edmonton. It was freezing with icy cold rain. Erg.

OhTheJoys said...

I haven't heard of those last two songs. I'll have to check them out.

(POOP!!)

Jenifer said...

Mad-I was at Lilith Fair in Toronto, at the Molson Amphitheatre at Ontario Place. It was hot and sunny- sorry!

Joy-Ha!

Her Bad Mother said...

First, poop is always interesting. Second, Dido rocks.