No matter how old I get, or how many years seem to roll by, hearing certain songs sends me right back to my youth. Growing up in New York's Hudson Valley, I heard it all. My formative years were defined by music as varied as punk, disco, folk music and classic rock.
I find that some songs continue to be touchstones for me. Just hearing the music I grew up with and revisiting certain songs again can send me hurtling back in time to my youth, remembering the events, thoughts and feelings of that time.
Here are some songs that have personal significance for me, as the music that helped define my youth.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by Elton John
As a little girl, I remember waking up early on weekend mornings and listening to Elton John on my little blue plastic Panasonic Toot-a-Loop radio (I used plastic ear buds and my big sister's matching donut shaped radio was bright yellow decorated with peace sign stickers!)
I had no idea what Elton was talking about when he mentioned the girl with kaleidoscope eyes, but I wanted to know more. This song fascinated me, as a kind of gateway to mysterious grown up stuff I then knew nothing about. I was a creative kid, I loved the imaginative lyrics and this song seemed all about play and wild fantasy worlds.
Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Whenever I hear this song, I am transported back to my second grade class taught by Ms. Lynk. My teacher was a hippie and I decked myself out in love beads and braids and colorful outfits so I could be just like her. How I adored Ms. Lynk and some of my other teachers at the time! We used to sing this song in class, and perhaps that stimulated my interest in performing (I would later go on to perform in plays and study acting.)
Memories of Dylan make me recall a time of peace and love and a circle of school kids swaying and singing along to that song. Everything seemed much simpler then, in an era before color coded alert levels, a time when the answer is blowin' in the wind…
American Pie by Don McLean
American Pie was one of those songs that was everywhere as I was growing up, and it became a sort of anthem of my youth. In a time before iPods and music downloads, there was just the local radio station to rely on, along with spinning some vinyl. American Pie was constantly playing in the background when I was a little girl; at about eight and a half minutes long, the song seemed neverending to my young ears!
The song has additional significance to me, because in 1964, Don McLean won the first ever talent search competition at a local summer fair called The Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck, New York.
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Along with American Pie, Stairway to Heaven was another one of those songs that seemed to go on forever. This made it the perfect background music for school dances and for the prom! When someone asked you to dance during Stairway to Heaven, you were assured of spending many minutes out on the dance floor, holding on tight to your crush and swaying to the endless strains of Zeppelin.
Stairway to Heaven always evokes for me memories of school dances in the old gym of our tiny rural high school in the Hudson Valley. When it wasn't being used for basketball games, our creaky old gym with the ancient wooden stage was dressed up in cheesy disco lights and lots of crepe paper for dances and special events. Led Zepplin makes me think of cotton ball clouds, too much construction paper and the crepe paper streamers that decorated the old gym for our junior prom theme: Stairway to Heaven (the effect was a little tacky, but fun!)Rock Lobster by The B-52's
School dances in our tiny farming community also featured a ritual called the battle of the “air bands.” I had a crush on a boy named Rick, a family friend. One night Rick dressed up with some classmates as The B-52's, complete with tight pants, punked out hair and sunglasses, and the group did their best Rock Lobster for the crowd.
Punk seemed a little preposterous for our tiny, All-American community in upstate New York that certainly had no edge. But Rick rocked the house. I also remember getting to dance with Rick for endless minutes to Stairway to Heaven, which was divine.
When I was a senior in high school Rick died in a tragic accident, but whenever I hear those songs it always brings me back to those sweet, innocent high school memories of the times we shared together.We Got the Beat by The Go-Gos
Who can forget the thrill of getting their learner's permit and hitting the open road? (and trying not to hit anything with the car!) We Got the Beat by The Go-Gos was the background music as I was first learning to drive. I loved the infectious pop beat and the girl power of this fun group. I loved every song on The Go-Gos Beauty and the Beat album and I played their songs over and over the summer I learned to drive (a tiny, four on the floor bright yellow compact Chevette with cool red racing stripes!)Call Me by Blondie
Before I got out of high school, something pivotal happened in my development: I discovered Blondie. Blondie was such a revelation to me and other girls. Here was a strong woman, unafraid to be powerful, individual and sexual. Anyone who undersold Debbie Harry as just another dumb blonde quickly changed their mind. Her lyrics, her sound and her delivery were unlike anything seen before, and she definitely helped change the role of women in the music industry. Every time I heard Call Me, I was impressed by how cool Blondie was, and their downtown New York vibe made me long to leave the Hudson Valley to pursue my own artistic career in New York City.New York State of Mind by Billy Joel
I'll admit it: I wasn't one of the cool kids in school. I was either a drama geek, or spending time in the library hitting the books, dreaming of my fabulous future that would begin when I left upstate New York.
I recall hours spent in our small school library spinning Billy Joel records. I was in the honor society, which meant that I could wander the school and do what I wished during my study halls. So I chose to sit in the library and hang out in the peaceful courtyard there, or go into the music room and put on some headphones and listen to Billy Joel.
Joel sang about Chinatown, and Riverside…and totally being in a New York state of mind. Whenever I hear that song I think about being young and dreaming of a performing arts career in the Big Apple, and a shiny new life that I felt was waiting for me in Manhattan.
Now that I've been to New York City and returned home to the Hudson Valley, I have a greater appreciation for growing up in a small town. These are some songs that make me fondly remember my youth in upstate New York.
