I recently read this great post by Ashley on her blog Uniqueness of Being about her youth in records. It was such a fun post to check out and inspired me to think about the records of my youth that influenced me.
Music defines moments in our life, it helps us celebrate milestones, get through the hard times, figure out what is staring us in the face all along, work through our emotions, seriously I could go on and on here.
Music was always a part of my life. Growing up I'd dream of my "movie moments", that one perfect moment in your life that has this amazing soundtrack to go with it. Like walking down the aisle to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours", yeah that was a movie moment come true for me.
Anyway, here is my own list of albums or songs that got me through my youth. This list by no means is complete, but these were definitely the heavy hitters.
Alanis Morrisette :: Jagged Little Pill
My first cassette tape. I felt so grown up when I got this, jumping around my room to "You Outta Know". My first major crush happened in 6th grade and "Head Over Feet" played in my mind while I daydreamed about riding off into the sunset with him and when the subsequent breakup occurred, because I ran from him the whole week we dated, "You Learn" soothed my pain. Yes, I ran from my first real boyfriend. Literally ran at the sight of him.
Jewel :: Pieces of You
My first CD. My parents surprised me for my birthday when I was in 7th grade with this CD, even though I didn't have my own CD player. I didn't think anything of it because I figured I'd just use the surround sound in the living room (yeah right, like my step dad would let me blare Jewel throughout the house), but then I walked into my bedroom at the end of the night and there was one last unopened present sitting on my bed. It was my very own CD player! I loved this CD, I still pop it in every now and then, especially when I start working on a new sewing project. "You Were Meant for Me" was my favorite song and I changed the lyrics to the song to fit my crush at the time, Drew. My little sister, Renee, to this day laughs at the rewrite and begs me to do it again.
Chevelle :: Wonder What's Next/Incubus :: Morning View/ Default :: The Fallout
Wow, I can't believe how much emotion floods back into me when I think of these CDs and what they helped me get through. I was 16, my ex-stepdad and mom were divorcing and it had to be one of the worst times of my life. I loved my stepdad, I still do. He was my best friend, my dad, my mentor. These CD's helped me work through those really dark times. Wonder What's Next is my angry CD, Morning View is my angry/chill CD, The Fallout is my nostalgia CD. My God I forgot how much these CDs meant to me. "Wasting My Time" will never get old. Ever. "Deny" still helps me struggle with the loss of my ex-stepdad. Still. Both of these songs just flow through me, I know that probably sounds silly but its the best way to explain it. The words just course through my veins and fill my soul. "Family System", "Comfortable Liar" and "Closure" have stopped many black eyes from occurring. As for Morning View, the whole CD is amazing. I can't pick just one...but if I had to "Wish you Were Here", because honestly? Sometimes I do.
Shaggy :: Hot Shot/ Mark Cohn :: Mark Cohn
I know, I know, these two don't belong together. But they do in my story. From 13 to 18 I worked every Saturday at my family's gas station. Every other Saturday I worked with my Aunt Penny and the whole day we would blast these two CD's. I smile now thinking about us dancing in the garage while we cleaned the floor to "Luv Me, Luv Me" and my aunt laughing at me doing the booty crank. Don't ask. Haha. Mark Cohn was for the rainy days, we'd listen to "True Companion" and dream about Aunt Penny dancing her first dance someday to that song. I miss those Saturdays. I would gladly give up every. single. Saturday of my life if I got to work at the gas station with her again.
Dixie Chicks :: Fly // Shania Twain :: Come on Over
Growing up I totally pretended to hate country. It was so uncool. I've since learned to embrace country and I enjoy it often. These two CD's were my guilty pleasures growing up. Fly is still in my car and I play it on a regular basis. "Cowboy Take Me Away"...are you kidding me? I still daydream about Dave whisking me away to a country home, playing this song in the background in a rancher that would make The Pioneer Woman jealous. Come on Over...I have this CD memorized. I remember babysitting one time and this baby would not stop crying. There just wasn't a thing you could do to get this kid to stop. So I sang him the whole CD. The Whole CD. By the end of it he was asleep, or maybe he was pretending to get me to stop singing...
I would love to hear about the music of your youth! What music has defined you?
