Writing 101: Day 3 Assignment: Celebrate three songs that are significant to you. For your twist, write for fifteen minutes without stopping – and build a writing habit.
I have an eclectic array of music on my iPod and love listening to music. Anyone who has been around me will tell you I can’t sing, but that doesn’t stop me from bellowing out a tune like I was the best singer on earth. I just love singing along to songs on the radio, my iPod or satellite radio. If I know the lyrics, I am singing baby! That’s why this assignment is so difficult. How can I possibly be asked to narrow down my three favorite songs and write about what they mean to me? I will do my best, but be warned I can change my mind at any time about what songs are my favorites so my future me, like five minutes from now, will disagree with what I just wrote.
In no particular order, here we go…
First up we have “Shackles” by Mary Mary. This song has gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life. When I need to purge and talk to God, all I have to do is put this song on repeat and sing! No matter where I am this song evokes emotion in me. It makes me cry until my eyes are red and I am so congested that I can’t breathe. It can also make me so happy that I dance and get my life! It all depends on what mood I am in when I hear it and it is an automatic response. I never have to think about what is going on in my life, as soon as I hear that music it’s on.
Next up is “Lady in My Life” by the one and only Michael Jackson! Now comes some personal stuff that I usually don’t share, but I was once in love with this man. There I said it. When I was a teenager I was head over heels with MJ. I had posters and pictures plastered all over my bedroom walls and ceiling. I was somewhat obsessed with him and I hated Brooke Shields because she was dating him in the 80’s. I still can’t look at her without a side eye. Anyway, “Lady in My Life” was from the Thriller Album and the first time I heard the song it struck something deep in me. I imagined he was singing to me and only me. This was our song and even now I have to stop and listen whenever I hear it. The lyrics are great and I always get a warm feeling inside as soon as I hear his voice. He could make his voice sound like an instrument and I could hear the passion with which he sang. The entire album makes me take a nostalgic journey back to my teen years where I was carefree and in love with love.
Finally, I must speak about “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen! This song always gets me weird looks because I am a 40 something black woman from the South and no one expects me to know this song, let alone rock out to it. Whenever I hear this song my entire mood changes and I am the happiest person on earth. Now if you know the lyrics and what the song is about you may think this odd and it is, but so am I. I embrace being different and this song takes me from the slow harmonic melody where I can sing a ballad like Steve Perry. Then the music builds and builds and builds over opera until the rock and roll guitars get loud and make me bang my head so violently that I have a headache when I am through. It makes me so happy to let loose and be free! I absolutely love being silly at home with my husband, but when I am out and about I never let my guard down. This song makes me, almost mandates that I act a fool and I don’t care who is watching!
So now you know my three songs, for now, and a little more about my personal life than I wanted to share, but you know what they say. No pain, no gain!
Lisa W. Tetting 