Top Five: Songs That Got Stuck In My Head

I am a words woman. It's a given then that I love to read. Give me directions, and I prefer them written out as opposed to being handed a map. And yet, even as I describe myself as a words person, I confess that words alone do not always convey emotion, desire and thought quite as well as music can. It is a powerful medium, quite expressive, and can say so much in a single note or a simple lyric. I am not always good at saying what I want when I need to say it--but somehow, music rarely fails me.

What of those songs that get stuck in my head? Sometimes it's a song's catchy tune or lyric. Occasionally I hear a song so often that it just sticks with me no matter how hard I may try to shake it off. There are also those songs I keep replaying on my iPod or in my mind that become sort of temporary anthems.

My darling husband came up with a list of five memorable songs that have gotten stuck in his head. I decided to give it a try as well. Songs speak to me at differing times--depending on the time of day or year, my mood and what is going on in my life. Do I need inspiration, a little push, am I feeling melancholy or romantic? And the songs that I am drawn to change constantly over time.

Here is a list of five songs that I've got stuck in my head most recently:



Particularly when I am going through a rough patch, Rodney Atkins song, If You're Going Through Hell, pops into my head. It's an uplifting song both in music and lyrics, making me feel like I can get through just about anything. Given events in my life lately, this song has been playing in my head a lot.



Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol became a fast favorite of mine when I first heard it several years ago. To this day, when it's on the radio, I turn up the volume and sing along. The melody is simple and beautiful. It's a love song to be sure, one that evokes a feeling of wishing time could stop so that I can revel in the moment. I often catch myself singing or humming Chasing Cars without even realizing it at first.



Several months ago a popular song caught my attention, Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are. The song is yet another love song (I'm partial to love songs, what can I say?). There isn't anything particularly profound about the lyrics or music, but it is a song that I imagine speaks to many of us. Who doesn't want to be loved for who they are? While this song is about a man's love for a woman, it has, in part, come to mean something else entirely different to me. I can't help but think of my daughter when I hear (and sing) the song. So, not all the lyrics are fitting for a love song from a mother to her daughter and some probably take offense to the focus on outward appearance, but when I hear the song, all I see is my daughter and I feel an overwhelming sense of love for her. I can't take my eyes off her. She is perfect to me--inside and out. And I do love that smile--as far as I'm concerned, it's impossible not to stop and stare for awhile.



The movie Beaches starring Bette Midler is one of those movies that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I enjoyed the movie, but I fell in love with the soundtrack more. While Wind Beneath My Wings is an awesome song, I confess to fancying a couple of others from the album much more. I adore Bette Midler's version of I Think It's Going to Rain Today. But perhaps my favorite is Otto Titsling about the invention of the brassiere. How can you not laugh when you hear that song? It's silly and not at all true, but oh so fun. Not to mention it's a story in a song--and I do love a story!

The most recent song to enter the ear worm stratosphere is not one that has especially deep meaning or influence over my life, but there it is. I hear the song every day, Monday through Thursday, at least twice in the span of an hour. Teeter Totter is a children's song by Tanya Goodman. It's got a sweet, gentle melody with very simple lyrics. It's part of the lullaby album my daycare provider plays for the children during their afternoon nap time while I am there to nurse Mouse. I find the entire album relaxing--a break from my hectic work day and a chance to settle in and enjoy my lunch hour with my daughter. Teeter Totter is the one song though I have playing in my head when I return to the office each afternoon.

So there you have it. Hop on over to Bullet Points to see what songs ended up on my husband's list.

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