The Boredom of Ramfree17

Associating songs with memories

Sep 09

ErinGarbage, Rubbish, Top of my head 1 Comment

I am a text-book Virgo especially when it comes to the arts. Many people think I am joking whenever I say that I am ‘artistically-challenged’ but that is the truth. I enjoy and appreciate works of arts but I can never participate in them actively.

Many people have proclaimed that songs can tame the beast inside men. Aside from psychologists, many people would regard the theory of that power as romatic mumbo-jumbo. Today I got a sampling of that power. I was listening to a pinoy internet radio station and it played an old OPM song. It was a cheesy song that gained a short popularity. The song goes something like

             Bakit si tisoy, pacute-cute lang...
             Ipinagpalit mo na ako sa kanya...
             ......
             Di ba non ay simple ka lang,
             Tayo ay padyip-dyip lang...

The moment those waves was decoded by my brain something magical happened. I was transferred to my college days, hanging out on the UST pavillion with some of my friends. We were chiding a friend and I can feel the shade provided by the gazebo and smell the grass on the soccer field. I dont know if it sounds crazy but I was filled with a sense of carefree-ness, something that was abundant during my college days.

That is not the only song that triggers such powerful memories in me. RHCP’s “The Zephyr Song” never fails to bring chills to my spine because I always associate it with dark cold winter. The reason is it was always blaring at MTV during my first stay in Helsinki, when the sun goes up at 9AM and comes down at 3PM, usually with temperature below -14 degrees celsius. Madonna’s James Bond song also has the same effect but to a much lower degree. Certain pinoy alternative songs also bring me back as far as high school days. Sadly I cant think of any song that will bring me back much further. 🙁

Songs are really powerful, but only if you have a strong memory associated with it. Many people are familiar with this which explains why they ask for the ‘song that moves you’. Most only associate with love songs but other genres can offer a much more diverse possibility.

ciao!