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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Flashback

So, have you ever been listening to a song that you're pretty sure that you've never heard before, only to find yourself humming or singing along to it as if you've obviously heard it many times before? Oddly enough, I was watching SNL last night while I was detoxing from a weekend teaching conference, and there I was singing Do you know your enemy? along with Green Day. It's bizarre, really, since I didn't even know Green Day had a new song out, nor do I profess to be the biggest Green Day fan. {Also, does it not seem that Billy Joe is perpetually 20something? Maybe it's the eyeliner, but that dude hardly looks almost 40.}

Anyway, a similar effect occurs when, say, Spiderwebs by No Doubt is recirculating on the radio, and there I am remembering every word and suddenly having flashbacks to eighth grade when I received Tragic Kingdom as my Very First CD Ever for my 14th birthday. Then I have one of those moments where I'm like HOW DID I REMEMBER THAT? Weird.

Oh, and I totally wanted my very own phone line so that I could say "Hey! It's Abby! I'm walking into spiderwebs. Leave a message and I'll call yooooou back!" on my answering machine in 1996. Instead, I might have practiced and recorded this hypothetical voicemail greeting on a cassette tape just in case.

Ah, the beauty of adolescence.

FYI, my Second CD Ever was the single by Fr*ak N*sty Put Your H*nd Up On My H*p. I totally rocked that dance at eighth grade formal. I don't even think my mom knew I bought or owned that totally awesome cringe-worthy hit. Which I'm sure I purchased on one of the many weekends I spent at the mall, pounding the pavement in my Nike Air Maxxes and stinking to high Heaven of Tommy Girl or Country Apple by Bath and Body Works.

Other songs that send me right back to the 1000 or so days I spent being awkward are:
  1. Anything on the Jock Jams CDs. I think I owned pretty much all of them.
  2. Ironic by Alanis Morissette.
  3. The Macarena.
  4. Foolish Games by Jewel.
  5. Any song associated with the death of Tupac or B.I.G.
  6. The Freshman by Verve Pipe
  7. Semi-charmed Life by Third Eye Blind
  8. No Diggity by BLACKstreet
  9. It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion
  10. I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis

What song takes you waaaaaaay back? Or, at least back to eighth grade? Do tell!

13 comments:

Gina said...

Awww. You are younger than me. A lot of those songs remind me of college. Fast Car, To be with You, and anything by Nelson take me back to 8th grade.

Gina said...

P.S. I left you something on my blog! :)

Aunt Ann said...

Oh my gosh... I haven't heard on any of the songs on your 8th grade list because I am MUCH older than you. How sad is that... the only singer I know on your list is Celine Dion. Let's see when I was in 8th grade it was early Michael Jackson, Donnie Osmond and of course everyone's fav.. the Beatles.

Mama Suz said...

I hate to admit this but I remember cranking up my stereo system (ha ha) to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" and "1,2,3,4 (Get Your Woman on the Flo)" I'm sitting here cracking up and shaking my head thinking about it! Ack!

I will email you soon here, as I should be in town sometime late in the month! Cannot WAIT to reunite!

Megan said...

I LOVED this post. I was cracking up! For me it's anything Boyz II Men, "Waterfalls" by TLC and "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan. Thanks for jostling those memories!

Mommy Webb said...

"I believe I can fly" by R Kelly. Hahahaha. And "If u wanna be my lover."

Northern Mama from the South said...

I loved Jock Jams!! and the NOW cd's I still listen to the first one. However, the Cardigans, Love me, Love me- classic middle school song.

Smith Family Forum said...

CDs!!! What ever happened to record ALBUMS???? I was a HUGE fan of the Monkees and Three Dog Night! And, of course, (sigh!!)James Taylor!!! Dylan thinks HE discovered James!! ;D

Love,
SGA Debbie

P.S. How could I forget CAT STEVENS!!! I still listen to his greatest hits!

Anonymous said...

It has to be "Mmm Bop" by the Hansons. I LOVED THAT SONG. Now, it's tough to listen to it the entire way through. Playing a single on repeat for weeks will do that to you!

Lyryn said...

OMG… you are so from my time!!! LOL! I just loved Alanis Morissette. I’m not sure if I was angry or had pent up aggression, but I always jammed out to her entire CD! I was also obsessed with TLC! Lol!

Nat said...

Oh my gosh I am loving this!!! I really, really, really wanted Nike Air Maxxes but my parents wouldn't buy them for me! I loved pretty much all those songs you listed especially Ironic and Semi charmed life, I was a fan of Polo sport for women, who didn't own at least one County Apple lotion or body wash?! Oh the good ole days!

Kids, Canines, and Chaos said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the trip down memory lane! I LOVED all of those songs and can probably recite all the lyrics. AND the Tommy Girl and Country Apple body lotion-- you hit the nail on the head! PLUS, I was all over CKOne and probably bathed in it! :)

Anonymous said...

OH. MY. GOSH. Sent me riiiight back to the 'good ole days' there! How about Brandy & Monica's "The boy is mine"? My girlfriend and I used to sing/act out the music video...LOL.