Name That Tune

Music moves us.  It’s a primal reaction for whatever reason.  We all have “that” song that either makes us cry every single time or makes us laugh.  Why is that and what are they?

I recently polled friends and family and got the gamut in return from old classic hymns like How Great Thou Art, Silent Night, and Amazing Grace to novelty songs like The Streak, Teddy Bear, Who Wears Short Shorts, and Little Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.  Then there is The Wedding Song, Daddy Dance With Me, The House that Built Me, Daddy’s Hands, Stars and Stripes, and Jesus Loves Me.  Every song had a reason for the reaction, sometimes a milestone event like a wedding and sometimes a memory from childhood.

Music has been a part of the human experience since the beginning.  Music has been used for praise, to tell stories, or to call men to war with drums, flutes, or bagpipes.

Young Man and Princess mock me because even now as a grandmother, I cannot sing Puff The Magic Dragon without crying.  Well, I am sorry, but when the verse about dragons living forever but not little boys…what am I supposed to do?  Even when it was part of my third grade class sing-a-long, I cried.  I know it is supposed to be about marijuana, but to me it’s about how sometimes even the most precious relationships end for whatever reason, and that’s sad.

My “always makes me smile song” is Snoopy’s Christmas.  You just gotta love Snoopy, and then if you add the whole good-will-toward-men thing from the Red Baron, well that’s worth smiling about.  

I have Snoopy on my iPod.  I know, I know...iPods are out of date and I should get with eh program and have music on my phone.  I'm not that smart, so I;ll stick with the iPod, thank you very much!  My iPod is also loaded with Lady Gaga, KISS, AC/DC, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and the Mormon Tabernacle choir.  What can I say; I have eclectic taste in music.  Mostly I have two parameters for a “good” song.  It either has to make me want to chair dance (badly) or it chokes me up.  Now that I am a Nana, I will be loading nursery rhymes on there too so I can groove it out with Cubby, and nothing anybody says will make me regret it.

Captain doesn’t particularly have favorite songs; although Young Man and Princess will always talk about Dad stomping around in the morning belting out “Bare Necessities” to wake them up.  Captain is more into advertisement jingles like the very, very old Sears Christmas jingle, the ever-popular Menards jingle, and Armour hot dog jingle.  These are what he will sing on a daily basis.  Sometimes it will be songs from 4-H camp, like “Do Your Ears Hang Low” and "Honky The Donkey."  

But, if you ask him specifically, he will say that Rodney Atkins’ song “If You’re Going Through Hell” is his theme song.  It harks back to his family’s motto of don’t let anything stand in your way, and it’s gotten him through some pretty rotten days I guess.  

They say music soothes the savage beast.  It helps us celebrate, grieve, amuse, and educate.  Here’s to only high notes in your lives.