Music Is What Life Sounds Like

I heard a song today that brought me back to 2009 and the memories of that time started to flood into my mind. It inspired in me thoughts about music that I feel I need to write down somewhere. 

I always thought it would be so cool if my life had a soundtrack, like in the opening credits of the newest movie. When I would walk around, I would imagine the perfect song to play in the background of my life. The sun shining, the loud bass pounding, a strong and happy beat drumming as I embarked on a new adventure. I still love watching movies for that reason, because the songs bring life into a fictional story.

I absolutely love music. It is my lifeline. It has helped me in the toughest of times and has enlightened my mind in the best of times. I feel the beat in body, and love to listen to lyrics that inspire. 

I also love how one song instantly takes you to the moment in time when it was most meaningful and memorable. It's like a personal time portal, where you can venture into the past and fully recollect how you felt, what that moment smelled like, and what was happening in that part of life. 

For me, the songs that instantly bring me back, are the songs of 2009. They are my soundtrack, and in them I find happiness and amazing memories.

In early 2009, I was finalizing my divorce, moving out into a downtown apartment, and discovering life again. My loving friend Susie was my rock, even though we lived in different states. She could not have visited at a more important time in my life. After leaving my house during Christmas she sent me a text that to this day I have not forgotten: "you are stronger than you know". A few weeks later, I received a mixed CD from her that included some Beatles songs on it. To this day, "Blackbird" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" takes me back to that point in time and reminds me that I really was stronger than I knew.

My love for Ingrid Michaelson also came from that CD, with her song "Be Ok" 

I started dating the love of my life in 2009. He introduced a new world of music to me, and also rekindled my love for music that had been lost in the shuffle of my past. I have always had a love for the "oldies". My parents listened to a lot of it and it was around while I grew up. Matty also loved this music, and had a lot of it on hand that we listened to often. Artists like Tom Pettey, The Beatles, The Mamas and The Papas were all brought back to life for me. "Learning to Fly" by Tom Pettey was most significant to me.

"Well I started out down a dirty road
Started out all alone
And the sun went down as I crossed the hill
And the town lit up, the world got still

[Chorus:]
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings..."

One band that Matty introduced me to is Portishead. The song called "Sour Times" brings me back to our courtship, and every time I hear it, the chorus rings true "Cause nobody loves me, it's true... Not like you do"

I can't imagine a world without music, it just doesn't make sense! What soundtracks do you have in your memory of life? 

xoxo

Rachel