Songs That Bring Back A Thousand Memories

I spent a great deal of Sunday morning uploading songs to my Spotify account, dictated from a book I discovered in the wooden chest I had explored with curiosity the previous weekend while searching for clues to the identity of my biological father.

The book was a little floral covered notebook where my mum had carefully and dutifully handwritten a list of her all time favourite songs. I remember as a child and teenager that on weekends mum would pop in her old cassette tapes (the kind that were recorded straight from the radio) and blast her favourite songs, a myriad collection from November Rain by Guns n Roses to Little Red Corvette, a classic Prince track and everything inbetween.

On this particular early Spring morning with the sun pouring through the windows casting dancing rainbows on the walls from the crystal hanging from the curtain railing, I hooked up my phone and blasted every single one of those songs through my own stereo and danced and sang with my little boys. Though I didn’t recognise the names of the songs at face value, each and every one brought back happy memories of times gone by and brought with it a feeling of closeness to her that I have not experienced in years.

Oh, for her to have heard my 2 year old belting out her favourite songs in true Finn style would have made her heart sing!

It is absolutely amazing how a single song can bring you back to someplace in your memory, both happy and sad, an era, a moment, a holiday, a person.

Old-Photos

The songs that instantly bring back memories for me are:

Of my Childhood: You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi (known to me as a young child simply as Shot Through The Heart! This was my aunts influence through and through)

Of High School: The Thong Song by Sisqo (too many parties to count)

Of my trip to America: Dancing in the Moonlight (this became our anthem on our road trip around the East Coast)

Of my Mum: MacArthurs Park (the Richard Harris version). I love this song so much simply because it just brings back so many memories and takes me back in time.

Of my Husband: Jack Johnson’s first album – many a road trip with that blaring!

I have taken to listening to her music so much in the last couple of days. Music has been missing in my life the last few years and what a loss it was. I feel more at peace than I have in a very long time, the power of music cannot be underestimated.

While my mum was on her death bed a number of songs came on the radio in the last 20 minutes of her life that were uncanny in their timing. Or were it not a coincidence? I guess that all depends on how you look at things. I must say in recent days I have come to my own conclusions on the intervention of those who have passed away in our current lives.

I guess that is a post for another day entirely!

What songs bring back memories the strongest for you?

Linking up with #IBOT @ Essentially Jess

43 thoughts on “Songs That Bring Back A Thousand Memories

  1. How beautiful that you were able to connect to your mum through music! There really is nothing more powerful at evoking memories is there! I have so many songs that take me back and have made many a Spotify playlist too. Xx
    Shannon@ my2morrows recently posted…Crazy TownMy Profile

  2. Oh wow, I know what you mean. I was a child of the 1970s so just getting into music then and hit my teenage years in the 1980s. I think anything from that time brings back memories of my childhood.

    And just the other day I heard a Nicki Minaj song (Turn Me On) which reminded me of the dance class I used to do at a gym – and made me feel very nostalgic!
    Deborah recently posted…Sitting with feelings IIMy Profile

  3. I think music and songs form a very important part of both our identity and our memories. I have so many that shine the spotlight on moments in my life. I’m trying to make sure my boys have lots of songs and music in their life too as they grow up – so it becomes part of who they are and their memories x
    Josefa @always Josefa recently posted…Too Busy SleepingMy Profile

    1. Gosh, what a pain in the ass it was Malinda! I had a lot too and now look at us! We can listen to any song our heart desires at the click of a button! Though I do miss perusing the music stores sometimes.

  4. Oh this is great! I seem to have so many of these from my teens and early 20’s. Paul Simon reminds me of my childhood, Jump by Kriss Kross takes me back to school camp and Oceans by Sebadoh takes me back to a totally failed first date where I got the time wrong and we walked in right at the END of a gig that my date and I were really looking forward to. “Wow! They’re really starting with their strongest material aren’t they!?” *cue lights going up* D’oh.
    Hugzilla recently posted…Mythbusting With Microwaves – Share Your Cooking Disasters to Win!My Profile

  5. I love how a single song can take me back to a moment in time or memories of a particular person – my Mum, an old boyfriend, my sisters, friends, overseas holidays. Jack Johnson’s ‘On and On’ and Beck’s ‘Odelay’ are two albums that remind me of roadtrips down the south coast of WA with Handy Hubby. They are the two albums we would (and still do) always play in full.
    Tash @ Gift Grapevine recently posted…The item on every kid’s wish list this summer plus a GIVEAWAY!My Profile

    1. That’s so lovely Nicole. I didn’t look at it as a healer after my mum passed away but perhaps I should have as it is certainly helping me at the moment. I think I underestimated the power of a good lyric.

  6. I love when they have old school music days on the radio – every song reminds me of high school and my friends. Instantly I’m back there, laughing with my friends, remembering every little detailed memory! Our neighbour plays a lot of music from the 50s and beautiful old stuff – Frankie Vallie and Elton John reminds me of my wedding.
    Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red recently posted…Woman survives dinner time without losing her mindMy Profile

  7. Ah, so many songs for so many memories. Adam and the Ants Prince Charming, he was my first crush. Guns and Roses Paradise City played on the journey when we moved from Kent to Gloucestershire a huge upheaval when I was 15. Bon Jovi Always was in the charts when my first child was born the chorus said exactly how I felt about him and most recently GreenDay When its Time played at my wedding. #brilliantblogposts

    1. Paradise City reminds me of my very first disco as a child! My mum dressed my sister and I alike and it was held at an actual adults bar set up for the kids. It was fabulous! Now every time I hear that song I go back to being about 9 years old 🙂

  8. Oh my word, I can think of many. Whiter Shade of Pale, as it was on the stereo when my eldest daughter was born…Killing in the Name of reminds me of time I spent inadidgy nightclun in Israel, absolutely anything by the Chemical Brothers reminds me of Glastonbury Festival (in the years I used to go). Music, it’s a very powerful force. #BrilliantBlogPosts
    JOhn Adams recently posted…Hugging; #Neverstophugging your childrenMy Profile

  9. You’re Mum had great taste Haidee! I love how music takes you back! When I hear Rolling Stones or that song Lola I can hear my Dad belting it out on his guitar. Especially that song Gloria – he once played it on a grade 7 school camp. Everyone thought he was so cool but I was typical of that age and so embarrassed. I’m sure your mum can see your gorgeous boys already – and loving them to pieces xx
    Jo @ You had us at hello recently posted…Meet our Farm Fur BabiesMy Profile

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