I was inspired to write this personal post after reading raishimi33’s blog post Songs that saved my life pt. 1. I’m going to write chronologically, beginning with the songs that marked my childhood and ending with the current music that defines my days and nights. Music is how I remember things – where I was, how I felt, what was going on and who was in my life. When I hear these songs, they transport me and they are the soundtrack of my life.
1. Harry Nilsson, Me and My Arrow (1971)
This is the from The Point! the first record I remember listening to. My mom liked it and played it on our turntable many times. I feel very at ease when I listen to the song as I was a happy baby and toddler. Or should I say I don’t remember being unhappy. I liked to color and this probably played in the background.
Harry Nilsson was inspired to write it while on acid, according to Wikipedia. I think a lot of music I have enjoyed during my younger years were probably written during acid trips.
2. Diana Ross, When We Grow Up (1972)
This is from the album Free to Be…You and Me which was created by the Ms. Foundation for Women to encourage post 1960’s gender neutrality. It also was a book, which I read over and over while listening to the album. These are the toddler and pre-K years. I played the album a lot and this song especially was encouraging. Diana Ross sang it beautifully. I hope I believed it back then. I was a confident girl until the pre-teen years.
Some lyrics:
Well I don’t care if I’m pretty at all/ And I don’t care if you never grow tall/ I like what I look like and you’re nice small/ No we don’t have to change at all
jillypopmusic 