Not all that long ago, a portion of the Kool Kids were out, enjoying one another’s company and dining on restaurant food, which is quite a common scene for us.
At some point, a truly terrible song from the 80s started blaring from the bar area, and Ann began swaying and singing along. I shook my head in mock disbelief, as if horrified by her taste in music, and then she asked if any of us had a theme song.
Nope. None of us did. Long ago I did, but nothing in recent years.
This was when she gave us an assignment to find our personal theme song.
I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I’ve completely moved on from my old theme song, which was “Better Man” by Pearl Jam. I had identified so strongly with that song long ago, not with that abusive undertone of the subject, but just because I so often found myself in relationships that were not right, trying to convince myself it was love because I was more afraid to be alone than with the wrong guy. It was a dark period and I had to bottom out without an ounce of self-esteem left before I would move on and find that loneliness was often more devastating when you’re with someone you don’t love than when you’re actually alone. The song hit home, and even after I found my Schwee, it was still a reminder of who I once was, and made me appreciate him all the more. Before “Better Man” there was “Rescue Me” by Y&T, but those were my weird, teen years. But I still love Dave Meniketti!
However, that was a lifetime ago. And I needed a new theme song.
It could be fairly obvious that my favorite band is Shinedown and my favorite album of all time is Operation: Mindcrime, by Queensryche, but none of their songs have spoken to me as a theme song.
As more and more stressors and tragedies seem to be heaped upon me, with chronic suffering, death, dying and suicide being things constantly on my mind, I did discover not too long ago that one of my favorite songs was written for a brother who killed himself. Though it’s steeped in darkness, there is such hope to the song that I feel empowered by it. Thus, I have decided that the current theme song of my life is “Rise Above This” by Seether.
Does anyone else have a theme song? It doesn’t matter how corny, how depressing, how popular, how obscure or how unlikely it might seem if it speaks your thoughts and emotions. If you have a theme song, or if you think about it and decide to declare one for yourself, please share it in the comments. I’d love to know.
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10 comments:
The song that I whistle (or sing) when I can't think of anything to whistle (or sing) is "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" &$!*#%ing ice cream trucks! :-)
In all seriousness, "Amazing Grace" always seems to work for me.
It is very difficult for me to pin down 1 theme song, because some fit me when I am struggling and others fit when I feel joyful. Whenever I get into a fight with my husband, my theme song would have to be Harry Connick, Jr's rendition of "Let's call the whole thing off."
Like cat, Amazing Grace has to be my on-going theme song. I would like to have the bagpipe rendition played at my memorial service. (I'm being cremated, not on display in a casket. That's just gruesome. My family and friends are to have a nice memorial time followed by an awesome potluck!)
Hmmmm...I think it would have to be "Soak Up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow. I love that song. It always seems to cheer me up. This past 4th of July, me, my sister, and my nieces sang it at the top of our lungs while driving to the Cities for a picnic. One of her girls was feeling kinda down that day, and we told her we'd all sing it until she smiled-and it worked! :)
No doubt, "Primal Scream" by Motley Crue. I'm an 80's metalhead with an MLS!
It's a toss up for me - depending on whether I want lyrics or not. If I feel like lyrics: "Hello" by Evanescence. If I don't feel like lyrics: "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber. Both morose to fit my personality. :P
Michael Andrews - "Mad World"
Yeah. That fits.
Currently it's "Where I Stand" by Machine Men, especially the chorus...
"Sometimes I fight against my own mind
Sleepless nights full of fears of life
No place for me on this cold and strange land
I'm searching the answer from my heart - where I stand"
I told Lummox his song was actually "Sing" by the Dresden Dolls, and he countered that mine was "Coin-Operated Boy". I'm not sure how I feel about that. I suspect mine is actually "Creep" by Radiohead.
"Badlands" by Bruce Springsteen
Because sometimes life sucks and it feels like the whole world's against you, but you have to have faith in your loved ones and yourself, and you can't lose hope. Then you'll make it through all right.
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