Tonight, I attended a talk on neuroscience and brain research, and there were a lot of interesting links between memories, behavior, and mental health. So I’m doing my own little version of that in this thread. What song do you associate with happy memories, even if it’s just a general feeling of happiness? Can you recall one of your oldest ones?
Go your own way, by Fleetwood Mac makes me think of fun car trips with my parents, roughly around 6-8 years old. Nothing terribly specific, though I do associate it closely with one of the city highway on ramps used to go visit relatives, go skiing, or get to the airport. :)
I have a wonderful memory of a friend singing stairway to heaven to my cat while I played it on guitar. Within a year my friend was gone and after another the cat too, but that song and several others bring me back to them.
Anything tied to a movie or TV show is probably obvious, but I immediately thought of The Power of Love from the old Sailor Moon dub. I remember swinging on the swingset singing it with my bestie while our moms held a yard sale.
The last song from Garfield On the Town also immediately puts me in mind of being a little kid sitting on my brother’s carpet, since he had a VCR.
The Offspring - She’s Got Issues
That song is embedded in my mind with the associated memory of Americana having released not long before, and we were playing Waveracer on N64 with a friend who has since passed.
Jesus, Nothing Else Matters, Metallica.
The song is indelibly linked to one of the best friends I ever had.
Me and him, arm in arm at a concert we had to drive hours to see. My first real concert, and the biggest one he’d been to.
So that song, every time I hear it, it takes me back to those two sweaty, goofy boys singing horribly along, and him leaning into my ear and saying “this is what it’s all about, brother, friendship, and nothing else matters.” And that opens up the doors to every other memory of him. All the silliness, all the tears, all the laughter and mutual support. And definitely the memory of him dying, and the funeral and all the chaos of that.
But it’s the happiness that wins out, every time. Images, thirty years old at this point, of him telling jokes and reading poetry and just being a fucking amazing guy. His rosy cheeks when we’d be fucking around in the southern heat, or headbanging, or lifting weights. He was such a rosy cheeked guy lol.
And all it takes is hearing the intro to that song for those memories to pour out.
What’s cool is that when I run across old pictures of him, or someone brings him up, the song plays in my head.
Gods, we were so fucking young lol.
When 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins comes on, I generally skip it because it makes me want to cry.
My girlfriend and I visited family in Florida and did a road trip down to Key West. I got the first album from Gorillaz and it was pretty much the only thing we listened to the whole time down US1.
And now, over 20 years later, I still get this relaxed cruising feeling and can smell the humid, salty air. Just wonderful.
Anything from the 70s or later 80s-early 90s. Psytrance.
Reminds me of a summer in Jr. High, parents worked, brother and I were bored as hell but made it fun. No responsibilities or problems. I listen to that song and it just takes me back to that summer.
Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts.
I mean, seriously. Could you not pick any time in your life that was awesome and not have this playing in the background?
Yes, a few songs from bands I’m not really that into, but great memories when I hear them.
Pinch Me by Bare Naked Ladies reminds me of sitting around in my friends room whilst he downloaded songs on Napster.
Every You Every Me by Placebo reminds me of a particular girls bedroom back in high school and the way she used to spray her deodorant everywhere before I visited.
Smells Like Teen Spirit just generally reminds me of old high school friends, the three of us - a punker, a metal head, and… all I can really say is, he liked the Prodigy… but we could all agree on putting on Nirvana and having a good time.
Whip It by Devo, which struck me as hilarious as a kid. And I hadn’t even seen the video!
SpottieOttieDopaliscious - Outkast
This blaring out of my 86 caprice with the windows down on a spring afternoon in the late 90’s…heaven
C U When U Get There by Collio. My brother listened to him when I was young and I tie this song to him and a brief period when I was happy as a kid.
Play It Right, by Sylvan Esso.
I adore it, i heard it in ‘Into The Forest’ (which i also adore), it shows up in a wholesome part of the movie, so whenever i hear it i get happy memories from that first watch, which i did with my then boyfriend, it was a special moment for me. It also made me get into the band.
Also here’s another lovely song from that movie: Wild is the Wind, Cat Powers.
“Scooter - She Said” would have me go back to 13yo me chilling in a camping site with my family, listening to my mp3
“Placebo - Special Needs” is connected instead to a period of trips with friends and complex feelings, especially feeling like being alive again
