no good reason
The songs I hooked to Frenchy were either power ballads from the 80s, or French. The songs I hooked to Chicagoboy were mostly quirky singer-songwriter numbers. I find it hard to know a person for more than fifteen minutes without hooking on a song, and for the most part this isn’t a problem. For the most part this means that I’ll be riding in an elevator in the middle of a Sunday afternoon and the muzak version of You Don’t Send Me Roses will come on and I will think, Lauren! and I will smile for the whole elevator ride, quietly (or less quietly, if the elevator is empty) singing you don’t send me eggplants anymore, just the way we used to, ten years ago.A particular person gets a particular song because it’s a song they like, or because it was an inside joke, or because they play the song or mock the song or because the song was on at some key moment, or because the lyrics call that person up for me every time, like it or not. The like it or not thing, as I said, is usually not a problem. Unless I am trying not to think about someone.
This was easy with Frenchy’s songs. While I missed REO Speedwagon during the period when I needed to not think of him, it just wasn’t that hard to avoid. Ditto for French songs. Burgerville doesn’t pipe in Joe Dassin.
Chicagoboy’s songs were too obscure for the radio and too geeky for places of business. I only knew most of them because he put them on a mix cd for me. You know, cause why wouldn’t you send a mix cd to a girl you’re not into? A mix cd with I Believe in a Thing Called Love as the first song. But I digress.
Now, the main song I hooked to Disaster was a conveniently avoidable folk-country track that I encountered when my Austin friend was introducing me to Austin music. Kelly Willis is kickass, and she has a twangy voice to die for, but she doesn’t show up much on the northwest airwaves. So when I needed to move my mind along I put her cd back in the binder and turned up KWJJ.
I suppose that instead of shaking my fist vindictively at the sky, I should take it as a sign of my good taste that this old, unheralded song was just covered by… George Strait. George Strait, country icon, King of Country, nominated for more Country Music Awards than any other artist ever. George Strait. You know who has more gold or platinum albums? Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. That’s the whole list.
Well fabulous.
So now I can’t listen to country radio for more than fifteen minutes without hearing this delightful song, which – for a little extra poetry – is all about being caught off guard by someone who keeps reappearing. Are you laughing, Disaster? I am laughing. Ha, ha, haha! Stop reading my blog.
My small consolation is that these things cycle through pretty fast, even when it’s George Strait. George Strait, who has had fifty-four number one hits on the Billboard charts.
Hey! Guess which song is predicted to be fifty-five.
posted by tortaluga @ 2:14 PM
4 Comments:
p.s. several of you have now asked me about this song, and if you're going to listen to one, listen to the kelly willis version. it's much better. it's the one i mean.
I feel so honored that you think of my eggplants AND that you hooked on to Kelly, who incidentally has a new album out. I also just thought of you today. However I was not reminded of you by music - but rather, by a giant elephant whose insides I toured with my husband but once (10 years ago) visited with you, on prom weekend.
Sometimes it is best and easiest to forget by hiding away all the reminders, and sometimes we are forced to confront them and say, "Fuck you, this one now belongs to me and me alone."
Just a thought
ok, then what do you do when a song you've linked to someone you no-longer want a link to is stuck in the middle of a great album and you used to ba able to listen to the whole thing because every song was good or great and now you have to forward the song that has the link to the boy who doesn't?
Post a Comment
<< Home