Music & Lyrics and Everything In Between or The Soundtrack to My Memory

Memory. It's a funny thing.

I remember faces more often than names. I remember lyrics more often than song titles. I remember smell more often than color or sound.

I remember music above all else.

There are some songs, some lyrics, some sounds and some moments that will never escape me. The way they hold the guitar, the bass, the violin; the way they pluck, strum and drag the bow across the strings. The way they make sounds and song melt into one emotional thump of my heart. The way I get goosebumps and my eyes crinkle within a moment of near sad, but yet I'm so happy. The way my mouth follows each word like they're worn and familiar stones on a path I've traveled a hundred times before.

Each song, a moment in time:

Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan is a church basement; linoleum floors, uncomfortable chair.

Popular by Nada Surf is a hot summer day in T's top floor; an uncomfortable futon and a coffee table.

Only In Dreams by Weezer, Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket and Good Feeling by The Violent Femmes are residual effects of a weeklong, years-long lesson of love and loss; sand, sun, tequila, and Manic Panic hair dye.

1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel is the second half of my senior year; the first Saturn I owned, tan interior, black-gold exterior, tape deck.

Pardon Me by Incubus is N's computer room; another futon, two windows, one desk chair.

Anything from The Get Up Kids or The Promise Ring is my 18th year on earth, the gym at URI and the Met Cafe.

Grace Kelly With Wings by Piebald is Reflections circa 1999/2000; cuffed dark denim, messenger bags, short black hair and pixie bangs, vegetarianism.

The Shape of Punk to Come by The Refused is my freshman year in college; driving at Christmas, the chill closing in, the night dark, and me trying to keep my eyes open for the road ahead.

The entirity of American Football is the weekend my parents went away and R & I tried to cook omlettes.

I could go on... but I'll spare you any further walk down Memory Lane. I know it's more fun for me than it is you.

Briefly, however, I will sum today up in music; a song that when I hear it next, and probably for a while, will always remind me of tonight:

Circle Dance by Stevie Nicks.

Why do I walk around in circles, walk around in circles, walk around in circles.... oh, here we go again.