Thursday, January 8, 2009

They're Playing My Song

This morning Mr. Daddy and I were listening to the radio in the car -- we commute together most days -- when The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" came on the radio.

"That song right there is the soundtrack of my teenage years," Mr. Daddy mused. "I wore out two copies of that tape. Even though I couldn't understand a word he said."

That got me thinking about my soundtrack. Hmmmm.... What would it be? I started to say "Strip" by Adam Ant, but that sounds all kinds of wrong. But then I started thinking about Adam Ant and how I was pretty much the only person at my high school who liked him. Or had even heard of him.

And then that reminded me of this awesome mix tape a guy made for me in high school. It was full of new wave songs by bands like Yaz, Squeeze, Flock of Seagulls, Depeche Mode. We just didn't get those kinds of bands on our local radio station, but this guy had been to a boarding school in a larger town and had been exposed to more progressive music.

That tape opened up a new world of music for me and the song that I loved most on it was "Goodbye Girl" by Squeeze. So that's going to be the song I choose as my soundtrack.

Man, I wish I still had that tape.

What's the soundtrack of your youth?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have different soundtracks I think. If I had to label them I'd say my early teenage years were very much characterized by the Violent Femmes.

Then I changed crowds and became a total neo-hippie girl. Those years were very much about Phish and the Grateful Dead. I toured around and saw many, many shows during those years and they were a blur but also a lot of fun.

Now, my soundtrack is a mix of all the music i've every really loved with the occasional new thing thrown in by my husband.

calicobebop said...

Oh my goodness, I would totally have to say that "Somebody" by Depeche Mode is my soundtrack. I freaking loved that song. I was really into The Cure and The Smiths as well... I actually sing my daughter "Sing Me To Sleep" by The Smiths every night. Of course, I do take care to omit the lyrics about suicide... Hoo boy, is she going to need therapy.

Anonymous said...

Love the soundtrack! I'd have to say anything off of the Barenaked Ladies album, Gordon. I wore that tape out, tooling around town in my '91 Geo Metro.

for a different kind of girl said...

I pretty much was on a nonstop Duran Duran rotation in my teenage years. I did have a friend who went to England one summer and introduced me to the music of Adam and the Ants when she came home.

It's so funny you mention that song from The Cult because I played that a few times this weekend, and I also was talking to my husband about the music we played a lot of in college, and that was pretty much dominated by Prince and a roommate who played Living Color's 'Cult of Personality' over and over again in an attempt to drown out my constant rotation of INXS' Kick cassette!

Burgh Baby said...

My brain is ready to explode because I can't think of the name of the band or album and Google isn't helping. URGH! The worst part is I know it is a totally obscure band, so few people will have heard the song I'm thinking of.

URGH!

el-e-e said...

Too hard to choose just one! But I loved that album by Squeeze, esp. Goodbye Girl.

I would have to probably say Cutting Crew (!) would be the band/soundtrack of my youth, with lots of Broadway musicals thrown in on the side.

Anonymous said...

Cyndi Lauper. I would get out of bed extra early (and if you knew me, you would be astounded) just to listen (and dance and sing to) that tape before school. A few weeks ago, I was having a horrible time. I just wanted to cry. Girls Just Want To Have Fun came on the radio and I couldn't help but laugh. I love those songs that take you back. :)

Sass said...

Hey - I saw Adam and the Ants in concert twice!

I think I'd have some Tracey Chapman (from lifeguarding weekend job), Van Morrison (from Bahrain), Squeeze (Whitstable) and Queen for all the good times.

Lauren said...

(Sadly) probably something by Paula Abdul...or possibly Milli vanilli.

Laurel said...

Oh, the mixed tapes. We didn't do that in Wyoming. I think it was the only place on the planet where teenagers didn't make mixed tapes for each other. It was such THE THING in CA, where my husband went to school, that I insisted that he make me a mixed tape when we were dating, even though we were in college. It was really adorable and I still have it.

As for my soundtrack...everyone here is much cooler than I am. My senior year I was very much into George Michael's Faith album. I also wanted to sing like Whitney Houston, so I had all her stuff, and I'm sorry, but no high school dance was complete without a couple of Lionel Richie slow dances. C'mon. Hello? Penny Lover? Oh, and then Janet Jackson was so hot with her Control album. And I will still feeling the love for Hall and Oats. I had older siblings, what can I say?

I'm really old.

Unknown said...

Hey, maybe you could recreate the mix tape using iTunes or LastFM. B. and I recently found a bunch of songs from youth on LastFM that we couldn't find anywhere else--British New Wave and 80s electronic--great classic Thomas Dolby, Art of Noise, etc.

Debbie said...

This is one of those posts that slaps me upside the face and tells me I am old. My soundtrack would be the BeeGees, Donna Summer, Bob Seeger, and other great 70s groups. Sad, isn't it?

Dysd Housewife said...

I don't have a soundtrack, however the song "our house" get's me everytime.