1.
Bullet With Butterfly Wings – The Smashing
Pumpkins
Probably the first band name that I could ever pronounce and the earliest
song I can remember. When the music video was released (and MTV was all about
the music) my mom would say “Who is this?!” and I’d be attempting my
three-year-old impression of a rock-star (tongue out, fingers up, head
chaotic) “Smashin-Punkins!” Thus, the very first seedling of my rocker
lifestyle dream was implanted. Alternative rock is still my favorite genre today.
2.
Part of Your World – The Little Mermaid
Well, yeah a Disney song is going to make it on the list. I was only but
a child. Yet, who hasn't caught themselves still singing these songs in their
mid-thirties? When I was a little girl my family had this lake house out in
east Texas that we called The Farm. For
various reasons of course. Namely because it was actually on a small pond out in the country and I believe my grandma owned some cattle back in the
day. Fortunately, I enjoyed the company of the neighbor’s cows, lounging around, chewing dirt. I sang my heart out to them. I thought they understood me; they
thought my voice was beautiful. I swear one time they all stopped eating to
stare at me; their almond eyes vacant, and yet somehow… awestruck…
3.
You’ll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins (Tarzan)
Maybe I’m just fond of singing songs to animals but this one is
definitely one of the few reminiscent ones. When I played recorder in the fourth
grade, my mom bought me a Tarzan music book. It’s not even one of my favorite
movies (like say, The Jungle Book). So eventually I jumped the baby gate to our laundry room and played to my dog, Nanook,
who was then just a pup. I felt sorry for him being behind bars as if he did
something wrong. Puppies are cute and cuddly and clean because they eat their
own poop so no one has to pick it up. And they happen to be great passengers to
life size Barbie jeeps; basically they’re innocent. So I sat there and
practiced my recorder and told him to stop his crying… it’ll be alright. One day he finally jumped over the gate, but I still
sang to him whenever he got in trouble or wanted attention; and I still sang to
him when he stopped eating eleven years later… morbid, indeed.
4.
The Price is Right Theme
Woah, who used to have sleepovers at their grandparent’s house? My
grandma was the bomb. She’d take me to the movies; to plays and
musicals. She’d let me play in her game room (which was really an old billiards
room that had all the good stuff; player piano, mini bar, juke box, a pool
table, a pinball machine). Pretty much when I stayed at her place I lived like a
child in the sixties. We’d stay up until four in the morning just playing cards
or dominoes, and in the waking hours it was pancakes and Scooby-Doo. Just
before my parents came to pick me up though, my grandma got to watch her show. Call me
a pro, but it’s because I’ve got years spent on grandma time that I can tell
you how much your 72” HD plasma with 8.1 sub “enhanced” surround sound probably
costs.
5.
Follow Me – Uncle Kracker
This song gives me the creeps. When my family took ski trips
to Colorado, we’d listen to (on cassette) Scary
Stories to Tell in the Dark; the scariest thing since Child’s Play (in my personal opinion). I was only eight then, and this one story scared the
hell out of me in the security of a moving van… It was the guy in the hearse,
the guy in the elevator (leading ultimately to death) saying “Going down?” It
was the last story on the tape, so when it turned off the radio came on and I’m
sure you can guess what the radio was playing…
6.
Batty Rap – FernGully (Robin Williams)
This
one is dedicated to the late Robin Williams. Wow, I was obsessed with every one
of his characters. He was truly an inspiration to my weirdness. The batty rap
is probably the most nostalgic song and maybe because FernGully was a movie I watched very early in my childhood that it
stuck for so long as my favorite and I still know every word (still feel
cool singing it), but I don’t think any other actor could’ve made that song and
others (i.e. "Friend like Me") more impressionable on my life better than he did. Batty Kota, forever.
