Wednesday 2 February 2011

Songs in the Key of Single

Near to the top of the list of blogs I read regularly, you’ll find Dooce. I’m a bit of a lurker on the Dooce Community site, and the other day I came across this question: http://community.dooce.com/arts-entertainment/if-you-had-dollar-every-person-youve-slept-what-would-you-buy

Now, dear readers, a gal’s gotta have some secrets... of course I couldn’t possibly tell you the amount in pounds and pence, but it got me to thinking – instead of currency, could I make a CD? Would it be an EP? Full of radio edits or extended play versions? Would I have enough songs to compile a limited edition box set with bonus DVD? Shall I have a go?

OKAY THEN.

Disclaimer: this isn’t an exhaustive list... while it’s true that there might be a boy attached to each of these songs, there are sometimes two (or more) songs attached to each boy. Maybe there might have been a boy or two to whom, try as I might, I can’t glue a soundtrack.

Now then clever dick, don’t even go trying to count the songs and add them up to work out just how fast and loose I was in my formative years (as if you haven’t counted down to see how many YouTube links there are here) because I’M ON TO YOU AND THAT WON’T WORK.

Some of these boys I never even spoke to. Some of them have held my hair back while I’ve been sick. Some of them I sat next to in Geography. Some of them I only sat behind on the bus. Some of them stayed on the phone through the night while we both slept. And more. Some I admired, some I found entertaining, some unreachable, some always available. Some of them had important roles in the shape of my character.  Some of them I remember for totally random, insignificant reasons.  One of them – obviously – I had a couple of babies for. Some of them gave me great joy, others tragedy and heartbreak. 

The point is that no matter where I am or what I'm doing, hearing the opening bars of these songs all invoke the memory of an actual person, and all of them had – still have -- a well deserved and ever fixed mark on my heart. You can decide whether I mean the songs or the boys. :-)

So without further ado, here is my collection in a purposely non-chronological-or-any-other-kind-of-order:


The Wonderstuff – A Wish Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuQLPH5sV48  

The entire record from start to finish of The Cult’s Electric.
Wild Flower http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-eYwbbjbu0
 ...and okay – have another: Aphrodisiac Jacket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8ASM_EyCPk&feature=related  


Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhu-OyHqZM

Red House Painters - Mistress
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpYne2su3XM  

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Ship Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0spQCw35D4

Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGSKrC7dGcY  

A Perfect Circle – The Hollow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avgiqNapUx0  

Otis Redding – These Arms of Mine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqVrNK4uiB4

Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrzr4R3LpsQ  

David Gray - Please Forgive Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQTUCIU8nVQ  


King Cobb Steelie – Duotang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB3ebgExWSc  



Swell – Is That Important?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBW3bjnG1U4  


REM – Country Feedback
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boUZmibXQUQ  

Not bad for a first attempt. I know that the minute I press Publish I’ll think of a million more. I might make a Part 2. But for now – hope you enjoyed my trip down slutty memory lane.  :-)





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4 comments:

Fame Throwa said...

Wow, talk about facing your demons. Er, well, is it 'letting the skeletons out of your closet'?

This is precisely the exercise I intentionally try to get my mind NOT to do. If I hear a song that my mind has permanently attached to a boy, I try very hard to think about rainbows and puppy dogs and sugar plums (whatever those may be) so that I try (still without success) to block out those memories, so I can HAVE MY DARN SONG BACK.

(Can you tell I'm one of those gals who does NOT stay friends after break ups? :) )

2 February 2011 at 21:41
Mammy P said...

Hahaha... hilarious. I guess I kind of like my motley collection of malcontents -- they led me to where I am. And that's kinda neat. :-)

2 February 2011 at 21:57
Lynn said...

A most excellent list. If I ever get an iPod I'll put it together and have a listen.

3 February 2011 at 20:22
Mammy P said...

Why thank you, a fine compliment coming from you! Get thee to Business Depot - you NEED an iPod.

3 February 2011 at 20:27

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