The songs in my heart

I have already divulged that I am a serious car singer. I have my stash of favorites on my iPod, and I have it wired in through the cassette player, so I can click through and operate the remote to get to my favorite songs.

B and I have the strangest taste in music. Probably mine is stranger than his, since I love 80’s music (he thinks most of it is superficial, and I respect his opinion, even though he’s wrong). Strange in an eclectic way, I suppose.

Just filing through a small number of artists on my playlist gives you an idea of my varied taste: AC/DC, Aqua, Beatles, Joe Walsh, Ozzy, Norah Jones, Prince, Cheryl Crow, The Who, Blondie…

And as background music for a trip, I just hit shuffle and away we go. However, when I am alone, I crank it up and sing along. I ride the remote and find my favorites. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for certain songs. But there are some songs that no matter my mood, I CAN’T pass up:

Why Worry – Dire Straits
Layla – Derek & the Dominoes
I Know Where It’s At – All Saints
Hook – Blues Traveler
Sweet Home Alabama – Lynrd Skynrd (I always turn it up when he says, “Turn it up!” Do you?)
Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Semi Charmed Life – 3rd Eye Blind
Lady Marmalade – from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack (now there’s some handy French to remember in your travels)
You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
Complicated – Avril Lavigne
Brimful of Asha – Cornershop
Late in the Evening – Paul Simon (I love the mariachi-esque horn solo—it can’t help but make you smile)
Come Dancing – the Kinks
Hair – The Cowsills
Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon (you’ll catch me grinning when that one comes on—reminds me of M—more on that later)
Mama Told Me Not to Come - Three Dog Night (listen to your mamma!)
One Week – Barenaked Ladies
When I’m Sixty- Four – Beatles (he always answers yes when I ask him)

If nothing else, I guess this proves I’m a Gemini.

I have to explain the Werewolves of London connection. My kids laugh at the songs and sing along. My parents were huge music fans—my mom adored the Rolling Stones and has all of their albums. I remember admiring her Beatles White Album as a child—the 33 is actually white, and they included all of their black and white glossy photos inside. My dad was a huge fan of the Doors, Van Morrison, and the Who when I was growing up. I listened to all of that stuff, and still think it’s great. I guess I’m subjecting my kids to the same thing—forcing them to listen to dated music. No top 40 in our house. So anyway, we always all howl together when the Werewolves of London comes on (okay, for the record B does no howling). But the kids and I do. When I went to London last year for work, the hotel I stayed at was the Hilton Park Lane, and in that hotel is Trader Vic’s. In the song, the line is “I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect.” We joked a lot before I left, that I would be on the lookout for werewolves. Remember that the time is 8 hours different from here to there. So one day I came up to my room after a long stressful day, and had an email from M. She said (and I quote—I have saved the email), “Hey Mom, How is London? Are there any Werewolves? Did you see one with a Chinese menu in his hand? Love M”

That one always makes me smile.

What songs can you never skip? What makes you sing at the top of your lungs in the car?