6 Songs From My Childhood

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.