It’s Time to
knock the rust off your noggin and think way way back to your first memories of
hearing music. Have you ever wondered which song was the first song that you
ever heard? Chances are you don’t consciously remember it. It was most likely
something playing on the car radio as you made your initial trip home from the
hospital after being born. It’s possible some would argue, and maybe I agree
that hearing your first song occurred while you were still in the womb. Your
hearing is developed at around week 16 of the pregnancy, some 20 weeks before
full gestation.
If I had to
pick a moment in which I remember specifically the song, the time and the
place, it would be in my living room at the age of 5. I remember playing my toy
guitar to Glen Campbell records. I would sit for hours and pretend to play and
sing. It is truly one of my fondest memories at that age. No one knew it at the
time that it would be a precursor to my eventual career. I was fully engaged in
the moment. Galveston, Wichita Linemen, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, are songs
that still ring in my ears.
These early
musical memories are wonderful and I can recall these songs at any moment. It
makes me think of why some songs stick with us and some don’t. Aren’t all songs
created equal? Why do some have more longevity? What makes a song a POPULAR
song? What makes it appealing? What
makes it stick in our memory?
Songs that
become popular GENERALLY have one or all these qualities
Catchy melody
A good
rhythm
A good
message
A song that
has these three qualities and that is given the proper promotion generally
leaves their mark on our pop culture. A
perfect example of the perfect hit song is “Stand By Me”. It exudes all of these qualities and has been
a classic for over 50 years.
There is one
key ingredient that the listener brings to the table of great songs, that being
personal emotion. In order for a song to have longevity in our personal lives
there has to be an emotional component. It has to embody something we relate to.
For me the Glen Campbell songs represent my happiest memory from that period of
my life. It has little to do with the songs themselves although the songs ARE
fantastic.
So I got to
thinking, if I had to choose, what are the 3 greatest songs in my life? What songs the greatest impact on me?
Without question
#1 is :
“Rocky
Mountain High” . The melody, the message just spoke straight to my heart. It
sings of one man’s self-discovery and does so with such beautiful imagery. John
Denver’s guitar playing, his vocals, his message…… whew!!! It’s a wonder I’m
not living in Colorado…. YET!
# 2 “Girl
From Ipanema”. This is a musical gem with intricate chord progressions that intrigued
me musically. It is one of the finest musical compositions ever written in my
humble opinion. Yes it has been covered by a multitude of artists (including
me) but I never tire of this song. It led me into jazz and to an understanding
of music that I didn’t have prior.
#3 “How
Great Thou Art” – With my interest in religion and spirituality, this song was
a powerful song that promotes the awe factor of God. Although I don’t hold to
the idea of an external deity, I still love this song tremendously. There is a
spirit to the song that I feel with every fiber of my being. I feel the power of
God when I hear this song.
Songs help
us express our emotions. It can be a love song that draws us to our lover, such
as “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg. It can be an anthem for a cause that we believe
such as “Give Peace A Chance” by John Lennon. It could be a song that recalls a
personal experience we’ve had such as “Garden Party” by Ricky Nelson.
I’d like to
hear what are some of your favorite songs and why?
personal note : Become a follower to my blog. I will be posting every Monday and Thursday
I loved all the songs you mentioned, and all the artists. As far as earliest songs, I have a clear memory of standing on a picnic table "performing" Downtown (Petula Clark)when I was about 3-1/2 years old.
ReplyDeleteI am partial to acoustic guitar and piano and so have always favored folk and soft rock and singer songwriters like Dan Fogelberg, Kenny Loggins, Dave Loggins, John Denver. I also loved CCM artists like Children of the Day, who were just coming into their own when I was in HS and attending Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA.
thanks Kim. I love all those guys too. We must have tuned in to the same radio station :-)
ReplyDeleteMy mom listened to Neil Diamond all the time so a lot of his songs roll through my head. When her husband was sick in the hospital my brother, sister and I took her to a Neil Diamond concert at the Kemper. The week before I saw KISS at the same venue. Both of them put on a heck of a show.
ReplyDeleteAs far as childhood stuff, I was never musically inclined but I did like music. My first album was Bachman Turner Overdrive - Four Wheel Drive. It had raised printing on the cover so you could feel the gears and the box in the picture. CDs have ruined that experience. Album covers used to be unique and contain other goodies. Heck most people never even see a CD anymore as they just download electronically.
Since I have ripped my CDs and put them on the server my son now likes the same stuff I do. Funny when you watch a commercial he will know the song and artist where his friends have no idea because it is old music. Songs that used to be "the work of Satan" are now played by marching bands. How many times have you heard a KISS song played on an elevator or by a band? Is it getting quite common. Rolling Stones at halftime? No problem. They are now the safe choice.
Not a big fan of new music. Get off my lawn you darn kids! I liked it when it was a band and they wrote the songs. Now someone else writes them and it is not a band, no one plays an instrument, they dance instead. Boy band? Give me a break, dancing lip sync group at best. If you write the song it has so much more meaning when you sing it. Singing what someone else wrote sure can make you money but we are losing the soul of songs. Lots of hair metal, my favorite genre, is about parties and sex. At least they are singing about what they know and a lot of it is very tongue in cheek.
i share your passion with album covers. How I miss them. I loved all of Yes's album covers made by Roger Dean. Albums were soooo cool.
ReplyDeleteMusic is definitely big business now. There are some new artist I like. You might like Jack Johnson. He seems to be the real deal.