[ takes me back ]

I've all by given up watching television lately. I only have basic cable, so there isn't too much to pick from beyond news, various sitcom reruns, and shitty reality shows. I've started listening to my vast iTunes library and reading instead, and I've noticed specific memories are cropping up when certain songs come on.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
When I was studying abroad in Italy, we were in Rome at the end of the semester, and had our final dinner at a really cute restaurant, tucked into a side road, off a large piazza. We ate outside, and were serenaded by a man playing guitar and trying to think of American songs to sing us once he realized we were American. His fly was also open the entire time. He started singing Bohemian Rhapsody, and our whole group started singing it at the top of our lungs. We even, without any planning, sang the different parts correctly (the Galileo part, mostly). Now every time I hear it, I feel like I'm back in Italy, practically yelling Bohemian Rhapsody, probably pissing off everyone within earshot, loving every second of it, and being insanely sad that the trip was over.

Listen To Your Heart by DHT
Reminds me of almost every single party we had in our senior year of college, because we always played it at least once, and every single person sang along. But in particular, I remember driving around with one of my closest friends, Brent, and we were randomly calling people. When Listen To Your Heart came on, we turned it up insanely loudly, and called our friend Hot-Dan, and proceeded to sing the entire song to his voicemail. Why? No idea, but it was fun as all hell.

Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy by Big & Rich
Another case of belting out a song with Brent. I agreed to drive to Wilmington with him to buy his gigantic television our sophomore (or was it junior?) year of college. After bickering the entire time we were in the store, we hopped back in his car (a bright red pick-up truck, lovingly named Little Bitty), and were jamming to a country station. We were pretty much the only ones in our group of friends who really loved country music, so we always listened to it together. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy came on, and we rolled down all the windows and started screaming it. And when the "and we made love" line came on, we yelled it especially loud... and totally freaked out a guy next to us at the stoplight. Goooood times.

I Love Rock & Roll by Joan Jett
Our senior year, most of the parties I went to were at my apartment. We had an awesome party apartment. And one of the most fun parts of the parties we had, and several chill evenings as well, was that one of our friends had the XBox Karaoke game, and was actually willing to bring the entire game system over so we could play it. And two of our guy friends, Aaron and Scott, were so incredibly determined to get a perfect score. But after trying on one song maybe four or five times, they gave up for the time being. Kelly & I decided to sing I Love Rock & Roll... and totally got a perfect score on the first try! It was absolutely fantabulous.

Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel
One of the a capella groups at our school sang this song as their alumni song at every concert... any alumni from the group who were at the concert would get on stage and sing it again. I think I actually prefer their version to the real version. It was so much fun, and always so good.

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows
My friend Darrell, who I had known since our freshman year, was in an a capella group in college also (same one as Jesse), and finally got a solo song our sophomore year. He's an incredible singer, and would also sing to us whenever we asked him. When he found out he got a solo, he came sprinting to my room, and was so excited he could barely tell me. And then I made him sing the entire song to me, standing in my doorway.


Maybe I miss college or something. All those memories are from college.

What song takes you back?