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dolorosa_12) wrote2010-07-06 03:52 pm
dolorosa_12) wrote2010-07-06 03:52 pm
Music is my life you see
I promise I'll write something other than music-posts soon, but I've been flat out with travel and work recently. I am, in fact, writing this (very self-indulgent) post while I'm on a break from editing my thesis chapter.
While I was on my run this morning, I started thinking about the songs that I would choose to define each year of my life.
The first two years of my life were music-free, or at least I'm unable to remember what songs I listened to. After that, however, my memory kicks in.
1986 and 1987 (ages 2-3): 'You Can Call Me Al' - Paul Simon. Apparently I liked this song because I misheard it as 'You can call miaow'. But it was the first step in a lifetime of obsessing over song lyrics, even if the lyrics over which I was obsessing were wrong. I think that just about says it all, really.
1988-90 (ages 3-5) were probably a weird mixture of songs by Lucinda Williams, the Playschool cast and, randomly, Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which was my favourite film during those years. These were all blasted out of the water by...
...'Under the Sea' from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. I know, I know, this film is a travesty, nowhere near as good as the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story, and I'm a bad fairytale fan for liking it, but for this entire year (1991, age 6), I listened to nothing else. Ariel was apparently all six-year-old Ronni aspired to be: a melodious singer, a possessor of flowing hair and a wearer of a purple seashell bikini.
1992 (age 7): 'It's Only the Beginning' - Deborah Conway. For some reason, I adored this album (String of Pearls). My mother even took me to see Conway in concert (Paul Kelly was the support act, it was awesome). Love the best in 90s fashion in the video clip.
1993 (age 8): 'Thomas the Rhymer' - Steeleye Span. My favourite Steeleye Span song, I think. Possibly also the start of my love for folklore.
1994 (age 9): 'The Sign' - Ace of Base. I'd forgotten how much they were channelling ABBA in this video clip!
1995 (age 10): 'What is Love' - Haddaway. This played constantly at the roller rink where I spent most of that year. That roller rink is now an evangelical church, which says something about the changing demographics of south Canberra, that's for sure.
1996 (age 11): Guys, it was 1996. Of course it was 'Wannabe' - The Spice Girls and 'Macarena' - Los del Rio. There was no way it was going to be anything else.
1997 (age 12): Again, I plead the 90s. It was 'To the Moon and Back' - Savage Garden and 'MMMBop' - Hanson. I was a follower of the herd. (I also had a ridiculous crush on Zac Hanson. That's right, the 12-year-old. Well, I was 12 myself.)
1998 (age 13): 'Polyester Girl' - Regurgitator.
1999 (age 14): 'Sweet Like Chocolate' - Shanks and Bigfoot and 'We Like to Party' - Vengaboys. Yeah, I don't know either.
2000 (age 15): Oh my God, was it ever about 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' - Eiffel 65. That's all I seemed to listen to.
2001 (age 16): I'm ashamed to say that I constantly, constantly listened to 'Yellow' - Coldplay. I adopted the entire album of Parachutes as a sort of personal soundtrack. It's why I could never quite forgive Chris Martin for becoming happy: I associate this album so strongly with my teenage angst that it's almost sacrilegious for Coldplay to write any angst-free music.
2002 (age 17): 'Thousands Are Sailing' - The Pogues. This was the year I rediscovered The Pogues. I don't think this is their best song, but it fits in with the pseudo-Irishness I adopted rather pathetically that year.
2003 (age 18): 'Teardrop' - Massive Attack. This year I belatedly became cool, although almost three years too late. I still think that the album Mezzanine is the best album in existence.
2004 (age 19): 'Freshmint!' - Regurgitator. I thought it was all profound and stuff. In reality, all bands write songs about the iniquities of fame when they're fumbling around for ways to remain famous.
2005 (age 20): Apart from rediscovering 90s eurodance this year, I discovered house music in a major way and bought every Ministry of Sound compilation I could. 'Star To Fall' - Cabin Crew and 'Falling Stars' - Sunset Strippers (which sample the same song) remain seared on my brain.
2006 (age 21): Oh my God, it couldn't be anything other than 'All This Love (Tonite Only remix)' - The Similou. I listened to nothing else, really.
2007 (age 22): I was living with my dad. I was working in a job I hated. I was depressed beyond words. I listened to 'All Systems Red' - Calexico.
2008 (age 23): I can't pick a single song, but the album V by Van She summarises this year perfectly. For a single song, 'Time to Pretend' - MGMT.
2009 (age 24): 'Kino' - The Knife. I didn't have to think about that at all.
2010 (age 25): Unquestionably, early 2010 was 'The Tempest' - Pendulum. Then it was replaced by the live version of 'Heartbeats' - The Knife. I can't see that being replaced any time soon.
I regret nothing.
While I was on my run this morning, I started thinking about the songs that I would choose to define each year of my life.
The first two years of my life were music-free, or at least I'm unable to remember what songs I listened to. After that, however, my memory kicks in.
1986 and 1987 (ages 2-3): 'You Can Call Me Al' - Paul Simon. Apparently I liked this song because I misheard it as 'You can call miaow'. But it was the first step in a lifetime of obsessing over song lyrics, even if the lyrics over which I was obsessing were wrong. I think that just about says it all, really.
1988-90 (ages 3-5) were probably a weird mixture of songs by Lucinda Williams, the Playschool cast and, randomly, Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which was my favourite film during those years. These were all blasted out of the water by...
...'Under the Sea' from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. I know, I know, this film is a travesty, nowhere near as good as the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story, and I'm a bad fairytale fan for liking it, but for this entire year (1991, age 6), I listened to nothing else. Ariel was apparently all six-year-old Ronni aspired to be: a melodious singer, a possessor of flowing hair and a wearer of a purple seashell bikini.
1992 (age 7): 'It's Only the Beginning' - Deborah Conway. For some reason, I adored this album (String of Pearls). My mother even took me to see Conway in concert (Paul Kelly was the support act, it was awesome). Love the best in 90s fashion in the video clip.
1993 (age 8): 'Thomas the Rhymer' - Steeleye Span. My favourite Steeleye Span song, I think. Possibly also the start of my love for folklore.
1994 (age 9): 'The Sign' - Ace of Base. I'd forgotten how much they were channelling ABBA in this video clip!
1995 (age 10): 'What is Love' - Haddaway. This played constantly at the roller rink where I spent most of that year. That roller rink is now an evangelical church, which says something about the changing demographics of south Canberra, that's for sure.
1996 (age 11): Guys, it was 1996. Of course it was 'Wannabe' - The Spice Girls and 'Macarena' - Los del Rio. There was no way it was going to be anything else.
1997 (age 12): Again, I plead the 90s. It was 'To the Moon and Back' - Savage Garden and 'MMMBop' - Hanson. I was a follower of the herd. (I also had a ridiculous crush on Zac Hanson. That's right, the 12-year-old. Well, I was 12 myself.)
1998 (age 13): 'Polyester Girl' - Regurgitator.
1999 (age 14): 'Sweet Like Chocolate' - Shanks and Bigfoot and 'We Like to Party' - Vengaboys. Yeah, I don't know either.
2000 (age 15): Oh my God, was it ever about 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' - Eiffel 65. That's all I seemed to listen to.
2001 (age 16): I'm ashamed to say that I constantly, constantly listened to 'Yellow' - Coldplay. I adopted the entire album of Parachutes as a sort of personal soundtrack. It's why I could never quite forgive Chris Martin for becoming happy: I associate this album so strongly with my teenage angst that it's almost sacrilegious for Coldplay to write any angst-free music.
2002 (age 17): 'Thousands Are Sailing' - The Pogues. This was the year I rediscovered The Pogues. I don't think this is their best song, but it fits in with the pseudo-Irishness I adopted rather pathetically that year.
2003 (age 18): 'Teardrop' - Massive Attack. This year I belatedly became cool, although almost three years too late. I still think that the album Mezzanine is the best album in existence.
2004 (age 19): 'Freshmint!' - Regurgitator. I thought it was all profound and stuff. In reality, all bands write songs about the iniquities of fame when they're fumbling around for ways to remain famous.
2005 (age 20): Apart from rediscovering 90s eurodance this year, I discovered house music in a major way and bought every Ministry of Sound compilation I could. 'Star To Fall' - Cabin Crew and 'Falling Stars' - Sunset Strippers (which sample the same song) remain seared on my brain.
2006 (age 21): Oh my God, it couldn't be anything other than 'All This Love (Tonite Only remix)' - The Similou. I listened to nothing else, really.
2007 (age 22): I was living with my dad. I was working in a job I hated. I was depressed beyond words. I listened to 'All Systems Red' - Calexico.
2008 (age 23): I can't pick a single song, but the album V by Van She summarises this year perfectly. For a single song, 'Time to Pretend' - MGMT.
2009 (age 24): 'Kino' - The Knife. I didn't have to think about that at all.
2010 (age 25): Unquestionably, early 2010 was 'The Tempest' - Pendulum. Then it was replaced by the live version of 'Heartbeats' - The Knife. I can't see that being replaced any time soon.
I regret nothing.