Memories Behind A Song

By Courtney 36 Comments

This morning, both on my way to and from BodyPump (which was, again, awesome and paired with 20 minutes of intervals on the elliptical) I was pretty darn excited to actually hear a good mix of songs on the radio.

If you live up here in this area, then you probably already know that the radio stations around here, umm, kinda stink. They play the same “hit songs” over and over and over again, often forgetting about the “hits” that were popular even, say, 6 months ago.

But for whatever reason, this morning was different, and I had that volume blasted super loud so I could rock out with my ~~awful~~ best singing voice. Oh you know I did!

Some of the songs that played this morning are actually songs that I connect with various memories. I’ve found that this happens to me quite often lately; a particular song will be “popular” during a special event in my life, which then becomes associated with it. For example…

“Dynamite” by Taio Cruz – Joelle & Kyle’s Wedding…

…and our trip to Las Vegas

“Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston – A family vacation to Myrtle Beach in 2009.

“Umbrella” by Rihanna – A weekend trip to Maine with a few of our friends in September 2008(?)

“Toxic” by Britney Spears & “Headsprung” by LL Cool J – Just being in college. Smile

“Something More” by Sugarland – A girls vacation to Ocean City, MD in 2008.

“Sexy Love” by Ne-Yo – What Jay and I refer to as our “Dark Ages” when we were broken up for a year. This was during the days where MySpace was still popular and you could play songs on your page…remember that? We each constantly used to put songs up that we’d try to use as a way to communicate with each other.

“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas…“How Low” by Ludacris…“Love Song” by 311… – All remind me of our wedding day.

Ahhhhh, memories Smile

*****

Today’s breakfast was a pretty darn amazing one.

A PB&J Buckwheat Bowl!

I finally got around to ordering some more PB2 from iHerb.com, which came in the mail yesterday. I couldn’t wait to dig right in…which definitely didn’t take long.

And would ya take a look at that? Look who actually had hot coffee this morning! Crazy right?

Crazy or not, this breakfast was warm, comforting, and totally awesome…dude. Winking smile

**REMINDER: Don’t forget to enter my friend Christina’s Signature Tree Giveaway! I will be picking a winner tomorrow!**

Question for the Morning (I’ll bring back WYR this afternoon!)…

What songs do you have connected with various memories?

About Courtney

I'm a working mom of two beautiful little boys, Lucas and Alex, and I began writing Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life in April 2010. I enjoy chronicling my love of food (healthy and indulgent!), baking, motherhood, fitness, fashion, and everything in between!

« We’re Cool Like That

Family Lunch Date »

Comments

Nicole says

August 11, 2011 at 9:56 am

I love hearing songs and remembering special days/events too. Umbrella reminds me of my wedding day :) I love your little bowl you have your breakfast in. It's so cute!

Reply
Lindsey says

August 11, 2011 at 10:01 am

I have so many songs I connect with memories! I don;t even know where to start, I Gotta Feeling reminds me of my wedding too, Soul Sister reminds me of our trip to Costa Rica where my BF was married, the song Dirty - Christina Aguilera reminds me of my "bar" days, haha.

Reply
Jordan @ food, sweat, and beers says

August 11, 2011 at 10:01 am

Mr. Brightside was the last song that I actively remember from my senior prom (not in a "I blacked out and forgot" but in a "everyone was dancing and so happy and singing along as a whole class and was the best feeling ever") and it always makes me feel happy as a clam. Carolina in my Mind always makes me weepily joyous (as I went to UNC and when I got in, couldn't stop crying tears of joy). Wagon Wheel and Wolf Parade always remind me of college. and that's the best best thing ever.

Reply
Khushboo says

August 11, 2011 at 10:05 am

Your 1st pic of brekkie is magazine-worthy!!

Reply
- Courtney says
  
  August 11, 2011 at 10:14 am
  
  Wow! Thank you :-D
  
  Reply
Andrea @ Andrea out loud! says

August 11, 2011 at 10:08 am

your breakfast pictures are bea-utiful! And it must be something in the air because I posted yesterday about some old songs and it had me thinking of old memories too! Mine were like old old though, almost embarassing old (haha) including Spice Girls and the Bloodhound Gang. yikes!

Reply
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says

August 11, 2011 at 10:18 am

gosh, I love these. I feel like every song is connected to a memory for me. 8th grade graduation? "Hot in Herre" by Nelly. ;)

Reply
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

August 11, 2011 at 10:21 am

So funny you posted about this today, just last night I was cooking with my iPod blaring and OAR's Crazy game of poker came on and my first reaction was "COLLEGE!"..that song and Lil Jon's "Get Low" (I know completely different! haha) totally epitomize college life for me :)

Reply
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says

August 11, 2011 at 10:21 am

I NEED to get some of this PB2!

Reply
- Courtney says
  
  August 11, 2011 at 10:54 am
  
  You can get it off of iHerb.com and get $5.00 off with my coupon code, SAZ564!! :)
  
  Reply
  - Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says
    
    August 11, 2011 at 11:19 am
    
    Wow! Thank you so much Courtney :D You're making my wildest dreams come true
    
    Reply
Maria@La_Piattini says

August 11, 2011 at 10:22 am

The song Use Somebody by Kings of Leon reminds me of when I first moved here and my friends would drive me around to show me the area- that song always came on in the car!

Reply
Jamie aka "Sometimes Healthy" Girl says

August 11, 2011 at 10:26 am

Ohhh I love this post, especially since it's Theme Song Thursday over on Sometimes Healthy Living Blog :-) I have so so many songs that connect me with my memories. I'm always amazed at how a simple song can bring memories rushing back. Right now, country music in general brings me back to my week-long vacation in Nebraska a few weeks ago. "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" by Jake Owen makes me think of driving around the wide open roads of Omaha while sipping on my morning coffee. Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl" reminds me of the high school days, because I used to love it back in the day. It's still my fave country song of all time.

Reply
Heather says

August 11, 2011 at 10:34 am

1. i love that you love 311. I love that this has come up in our random conversations several times. 2. Umbrella totally is a memory song for me, too! 3. have you listened to 105.7 yet? It's 90's music and it is FUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLL of memory songs! DO IT. Jen and I listen to it ALL THE TIME when we are in the car together. 4. i now plan on playing "memory song" on the drive to Philly - in which we all share stories of songs and memories and such. i love that songs can help tell so much about a personal history.

Reply
- Courtney says
  
  August 11, 2011 at 10:55 am
  
  Haha, I am SO looking forward to playing memory game now...which is ONE WEEK from today! Wheeee!!! Yes, I do listen to 105.7 occasionally, but I feel like they aren't as good as they were when they first came out?
  
  Reply
Ruthie Hart says

August 11, 2011 at 10:38 am

I am so with ya girl!! Songs remind me of certain moments and memories, I love it! Firework and Yeah 3X remind me of our wedding and I get chills when I hear them!

Reply
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says

August 11, 2011 at 10:40 am

I HATE when radio stations do that!!!!!! Your memories through songs were AWESOME! ....My husband and I chose old songs for our wedding, that way it has already stood the test of time so they aren't going anywhere... My wedding: Kiss the Girl (from the Little Mermaid) The Way You Make Me Feel (The one and only MJ) & Queen's Crazy Little thing Called Love

Reply
Mallory @ It's Only Life says

August 11, 2011 at 10:52 am

that breakfast looks beautiful! you have such an eye for photography

Reply
- Courtney says
  
  August 11, 2011 at 10:56 am
  
  That is totally a compliment that I NEVER thought I would receive, haha! Thank you SO MUCH, Mallory! :)
  
  Reply
Cait @ Cait hates Cake says

August 11, 2011 at 11:05 am

These ones take me way back... "Shoop" - singing along to it in grade school (um, way too young for those lyrics!) "This is How we Do It" - we made up a dance to it in junior high (again, too young for the lyrics!) "Where the Party At" and "I'm Real" freshman year of college. Ah, memories...

Reply
Sarah Jane says

August 11, 2011 at 11:24 am

I've been wanting to do a post for a while (or a psychological study - kidding!) on the intense ties between songs and memories and nostalgia -- I find it fascinating and highly emotive! Every time I hear "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood I'll think of my first trip to Cape Cod :)

Reply
Claire says

August 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm

I love "how low"!! Such a good song :-) I have those song/memory connections, too. This was an awesome post idea! One of my major song/memories is "Memories by David Guetta"! I remember playing this song on repeat last year, dancing around my kitchen with friends/loved ones ALL night. We were all obsessed with this song and even had a somewhat bernie-style dance to it haha

Reply
Aine @ Something to Chew Over says

August 11, 2011 at 12:04 pm

I Gotta Feeling reminds me of a wedding too!

Reply
Steph @ StephSnacks says

August 11, 2011 at 12:26 pm

What an awesome post! I totally get memories from songs. Some of mine are 'Blue and Yellow' by The Used and 'Time of your Life' by Greenday... both bring me back to high school. And 'Papparazzi' brings me back to college watching Gossip Girl with my girlfriends!

Reply
Ashley@MyFoodFitnessFun says

August 11, 2011 at 12:27 pm

Delicious looking breakfast! I'm definitely going to try it out. :) Oh my, tons of great song memories... "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas totally reminds me of my wedding day too. If you got married in 2010, it most likely does. ;) "Then" by Brad Paisley...our wedding day. It was the song we danced our first dance to. :) "Paper Planes" by M.I.A....senior year of college Any Michael Buble song...one of my roommates from college (we would always blast his music when we were together) "I Run to You"...summer of 2009 There's SO many more, but those were some of the first I thought of. I love how songs can bring so many memories!

Reply
Stacey says

August 11, 2011 at 12:42 pm

Thanks for reminding me about my PB2 stash!!! I gotta dig in to that good stuff!!

Reply
Rosa - Fitness, Food, Fulfilled says

August 11, 2011 at 12:50 pm

OMG! I just PB2 from the store yesterday and made overnight oats with it last night! I love that you get a really good peanut butter flavor and it doesn't taste fake. Songs always bring up memories. One favorite is Champagne Supernova by Oasis, because it reminds me of a great Santa Cruz weekend of young girl madness.

Reply
Katie @ Changing Patterns says

August 11, 2011 at 1:11 pm

I don't so much have certain songs connected to certain memories, but more like genres of music and certain bands that I connect to different people. It's silly, but every boyfriend I had in high school/college exposed to different types of music...so when I hear a song by Umphrey's Mcgee I think of one certain ex, when I hear Smashing Pumpkins I think of another, etc. And anytime I hear certain electronica/indie bands I think of my best friend from college cause we were concert buddies back then. It is crazy how we associate music to certain parts/people of our lives!

Reply
Brittany says

August 11, 2011 at 2:14 pm

I went on a mission trip in high school. We stayed in a high school for the week. For our wake up call at 4 a.m. they would blare U2's Beautiful Day over the intercom. Now I can't hear that song without getting the horrible its time to wake up feeling...

Reply
Shayla @ The Good Life says

August 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I love this post...in fact I was thinking about a writing about this for a future post of mine! Sooo many songs resonate with memories of mine... Britney Spears/NSync era - majority of high school memories Incubus/Finger Eleven/Audio Slave/DMB - dating my hubby Forever by Chris Brown/Kings of Leon/Incubus/Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rossdale - my wedding ...and countless others!! :)

Reply
Erica says

August 11, 2011 at 3:07 pm

"All My Life" reminds me of senior year of highschool.... "umbrella" reminds me of when the bf and i started dating...

Reply
Lizzie says

August 11, 2011 at 3:43 pm

Holy yum. PB&J hot cereal is my favorite!! Yours looks so pretty! :) Certain songs deff bring back different memories, but it's sort of awesome, am i right?

Reply
Amy says

August 11, 2011 at 4:19 pm

Oh my so many songs come to mind but my hubby has this thing where he walks around the house singing the Black Eyed Peas " I got a Feeling" he sings it to his clients when he trains them too. He's a big kid. Also Aerosmith Don't Miss a Thing reminds me of my husband cause he sings that to me all the time. Gosh that buckwheat bowl looks amazing I wonder if Buckwheat is gluten free, where do u get it?

Reply
- Courtney says
  
  August 11, 2011 at 4:33 pm
  
  iHerb.com! It's great! AND you can get $5.00 with my coupon code: SAZ564!
  
  Reply
Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats says

August 11, 2011 at 4:32 pm

I love the song Love Song by 311! :) One of my most memorable songs is called "Do You" by Jon Young. My manfriend always used to sing it to me when we were first dating in his truck. lol. Your breakfast looks delish!

Reply