Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A Hairbrush for a Microphone was Just the Beginning...

Anyone who has known me for a quarter of a nanosecond knows how much I love music. I listen to music while working, driving, eating, sleeping...pretty much if I am breathing you can bet there will be music in the background. That's why one of my favorite blogger's post on music got me to thinking about my own obsession with...the Power Ballad.

Folks, just reading some of her favorite tunes transported me back to 1986, Brandon Mississippi, last bedroom on the left--yep, that's me with the big poofy bangs. One note of a gutwrenching love song and I'd kick into video mode. Suddenly, hairbrush (a.k.a. microphone) in hand, I am standing at my window gazing longfully out looking for the love of my life as I sing the tormented lyrics of whatever sappy song happened to be on at the time. It was very Debbie (I mean DEBORAH) Gibson,you know-- only without the record deal or millions of dollars.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, music. If there was one thing at which I was a master...it's The Mix Tape. With two fingers (to press Record and Play at the same time, of course) and my trusty tape recorder, I could transform any ol' cassette into a Torturous Tape of Longing and Heartache. I'd make sure it had the right balance of "I-love-you-but-you-love-her-instead" and "why-don't-you-love-me-anymore-cause-you-know-I'm-gonna-love-ya-forever-or-at-least-until-Prom" songs on there. And, when I was finished, I had a treasure trove of angst right there at my fingertips...ready to be blasted the next time he didn't call. Just think what I coulda' done with iTunes at my disposal y'all. I'm just sayin.

So this got me thinking of my favorite ballads from back in the day. There are simply too many to choose from. But, if you were forcing me by gunpoint to compile some some songs onto the Ultimate "Yank-Young-Katie's-Heart-Out-So-She-Can-Pretend-To-Film-A-Video" Mix Tape, these would have to be some of my picks (in no particular order, mind you):

1)All Outta Love(Air Supply)-- just the words "lyin alone with my head on the phone" qualifies this as one of the great anthems of love and longing. Air Supply was always good for a good cry or moment of lying on my bed, pillow snuggled under my chin staring at HIS photograph. You know the one. The one you put in the perfect frame...the frame just small enough to block the girl he took to Homecoming instead of you. Yeah, that one.

2)Never Gonna Let Ya Go-- (Sergio Mendes) Oh yes. Not only do I know every word of that song to this day, I know it was sung by Sergio Mendes. I so need to go on one of those know-the-lyrics shows! "I was as wrong as I could be, to let ya get away from from me..." Yes. I would of course think that this was being sung about ME...cause the boy was always missing me as much as I was missing him, right? RIGHT? Yeah, I was delusional enough to think so, too.

3)When She Danced--Love Theme to Stealing Home (David Foster/Marilyn Martin)-- This song was not a huge hit on the radio but oh my lands was it one of my favorites. My sister and I could sing this song word for word and identify with its theme of coulda been/shoulda been but not-the-right-time love. This song still gets me..."can you go back in time to a place in your mind to the one knew a part of you that you just couldn't find...?" Uggghhhh.

4)Open Arms (Journey...like I even needed to tell you that)-- need I say more. The first 5 notes of this song take me into the arms of a slow dance like no other song on the planet. Best love song ever. Ever.

5)When I'm With You" (Sherriff)-- I am sure I was always off-key singing this jewel but I didn't care. It was love. I was torn up. It simply didn't matter. What mattered was that he hear me singin it as I drove by his house with the windows down. Did I just put that in print?

6)I'll Be There For You (Bon Jovi)-- how can you not like this song?

7)Makin' Love Outta Nothin' At All (Air Supply)-- one part of this song requires a car window down and belting it out "I can make the runner stumble, I can make the final block, I can MAKE EVERY TACKLE AT THE SOUND OF THE WHISTLE, I CAN MAKE ALL THE STADIUMS ROCK..." Oh, you never belted that part out? Well, I did. :)

8) The Search is Over (Survivor)-- roller skates. my sister. an expertly choreographed performance in our carport captured on video. And no, it will not end up on You Tube...not as long as there is breath in this body.

9) Anything from the Chicago 1982-1989 Album. Hard Habit to Break? You're the Inspiration... classic rip-your-heart-out songs!

10)And how could I get to number ten without some Richard Marx, peoples? Hold Onto the Nights? Right Here Waiting? Any song that opens up with "Oceans apart, day after day..." I mean come on! Course, I was never oceans apart from my crushes but I could easily twist that into "subdivisions" apart...or "Three rows of desks apart in Algebra II..." Hey. You do what it takes. This is heartache we're talkin about.

So...there you have it. Just Volume 1 of 2,200 Mix Tapes I would compile if given the chance. So, what song rips your heart out?

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