Name That Tune

My soul sister Debbie, who resides in that exotic part of the world I like to call Japan, posted a meme the other day featuring her iPod, and I thought it was a hoot, so I tried it. It was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. It essentially works like this:

Instructions:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod, whatever)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question below, type the song that’s playing
5. New question — press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

Some of my songs seemed to fit perfectly, and my responses are below, but first I feel compelled to talk about the iPod. Do you mind? Of course not. That’s what I love about you dear readers, you politely listen while I ramble at length about nothing in particular, and you come back the next day for more. You do come back, don’t you? Hello? Anyone home? Whew. For a moment I thought I had lost you.

I love my iPod. Really, I do. The Pod and I have a great relationship. My iPod not a big fancy one like Teen Angel’s. Mine’s just a Nano, but I carry it around as much as Teen Angel carries hers. It goes everywhere with me, all 826 songs. (It will hold 1000.) I can have a large portion of my music collection at my fingertips at all times. I use it in the car instead of the radio. I wear it while I’m running, and I play it in the docking station on my desk at work. I have to resist the urge to turn down the docking station, though. It’s not really professional to blast D*** I Wish I Was Your Lover or Push It throughout the administration wing. I love that I can create playlists that are tailored to my runs. David Crowder’s version of I Saw The Light ALWAYS makes me go faster. I can customize the music for my aerobics class, and keep Christmas music in there so I can pull up Wynona’s version of Mary Did You Know in the middle of August. I think one of the reasons I like it best is that it puts great memories at my fingertips. If I’m feeling nostalgic I can spin the wheel, pull up a little Rod Stewart and suddenly I’m in eighth grade dishing with my best buddy E. all over again. I can play Eric Clapton’s Cocaine and be reminded of senior prom..circa 1982. Happy Together by the Turtles takes me back to cruising with friends around town, and Vangelis’ version of Hymne has me walking down the aisle to my groom again just like in 1990. That little black gizmo has the power to make me laugh, make me cry and make me smile, all in one playlist. It’s a hormonal woman’s dream.

My iPod has an eclectic mix of songs, hence some of the answers below. I love all kinds of music which is why inside my iPod Amy Grant resides next to Amy Winehouse. Iggy Pop’s Real Wild Child is next to the theme from The Color Purple, and the Reverend James Cleveland’s Get Right Church (also good to run to) sits beside Rick James’ Super Freak. Sorry, Reverend James, but my preacher says you gotta go where the sinners are to reach them. Not that I’m trying to justify some of the nasty songs on my little jukebox or anything. My playlists run the gamut from Running #1, #2 and #3 to Slow Favorites, Treadmill #1,#2,#3,#4, Favorite Oldies and Sizzling Hits. What’s on Sizzling Hits, you ask? Hmm, you’re a nosey bunch today, aren’t you? It includes Let’s Get It On, Do You Want to Touch Me and You Shook me All Night Long among others. Hey, you asked.

I wasn’t much of a shuffle song girl until recently. Since I’m a bit of a control freak I tend to rely on the playlists and specific song selections. However, lately I’ve started to walk on the wild side and choose the shuffle option more. I’ve grown to appreciate the shuffle feature, especially when I run because each song is a surprise, like when I listen to the radio, only better, because I like ALL of these songs and there are no commercials. They say you can tell a lot about a person by what he puts in his grocery cart. You can probably say the same about the songs in a person’s music collection. Woe is the person who tries to discern my personality based solely on my iPod. He’s likely to wonder what hippie drinks margaritas and praises Jesus while dancing the Time Warp to Christmas music in a grass skirt. Well, as Popeye says, “I yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam”. Now on with the show.

Opening credits: Do You Hear What I Hear, Whitney Houston
First day at school: Boat Drinks, Jimmy Buffett
Falling in love: When the Heartache Ends-Rob Thomas.
Breaking up: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High-Sonic Flood. Who hasn’t prayed over a break up?
Prom: Margaritaville-Jimmy Buffett
Life’s Okay: Tube Snake Boogie-ZZ Top. Woops! How did that get in there?
Mental breakdown: Paint it Black-Rolling Stones. How appropriate!
Driving: Old Hippie-Bellamy Brothers
Flashback: Free Bird-Lynyrd Skynyrd
Getting back together: The Sunshine of Love-Louis Armstrong
Wedding: 3am-Matchbox Twenty
Divorce: Missing You-Rod Stewart
Current Mood: Hot Patootie Bless my Soul-Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack
Final battle: How Far We’ve Come-Matchbox Twenty
Death scene: Long Day-Matchbox Twenty
End credits: Peace of Mind-Neil Young

Guilty as Accused

I made fun of a man I know the other day for buying a Richard Marx CD. Chick music, I laughed. Then he pointed out the Bob Marley CD I had in my case, which he was holding at the moment. Hmm. Okay, so my music tastes are kind of eclectic, too. In fact, anyone who looked at my iPod and tried to size me up based on my music selections would be downright confused. I have everything from gospel to heavy metal. Amy Grant sits right next to Amy Winehouse in my Nano. How’s that for juxtaposition? In all fairness to this man (Ha! Richard Marx??) I thought I should fess up to a few of my guilty pleasures. These little treasures reside in my collection, and you are allowed to laugh at them.

1. The Best of Disco-What do you expect? I’m a child of the 70’s. Besides, who doesn’t like Donna Summer?
2. Aldo Nova/Fantasy-He melted my butter all the way through the early 80’s, serenading me every time I had a broken heart, which was often.
3. The Best of Poison- Lord forgive me for I know not what I do.
4. Barry White’s Greatest Hits-Don’t go there.
5. Disco Kings-Sorry. I’m a repeat offender.
6. Essential Eddie Money-“Shakin” was me and M.’s song. That’s all I’m tellin’. This is a family friendly website.
7. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts-Because I love rock n’ roll.
8. K.C. and the Sunshine Band/Just the Hits-Because I like to shake, shake, shake my booty.
9. Meat Loaf/Bat Out of Hell 1 & 2-#1 is a classic. I can’t explain #2. Must have been a sale at the BMG music club.
10. Rick James/Superfreak-It brings back memories of the skating rink. So does “Double Dutch Bus”, but I can’t find it. I wonder why?

Anyhoo, I could go on and on. That’s enough shame for one day. If you care to share your favorite guilty pleasures, so right ahead. If not, well, we all know you’re hiding something.