Saturday, February 7, 2009

What's your theme song?

Yes, I'm still sick. Better, but not better enough to do anything involving deep breathing. A slow walk is about all I'm good for at the moment. I'm a bit disappointed since I'd hoped to have a big week on the bike and in the pool. But the rest will do me good. If you listen to Cohen's "Everybody Knows" you have a good idea of what my voice sounds like now. I actually like that sound, but I hate everything else that goes along with it.

I've had lots of music from the infamous ipod playing recently. One of the ones I discovered, almost by accident, was Sarah Vaughan singing 'Whatever Lola wants'. It's a slow, sultry (with a capital S) rhumba. You could also Argentine Tango to it as well, and you girls are going to like what happens about the 2:53 mark. You can hear the original here. It isn't what you'd think of an inspirational, drive you to the finish kind of song. Yet I had it going through my mind during one bike session. It made me dig deep, reminding me of my goals. Plus I had a bit of fun playing with the lyrics. There's a bike in our group named Lola, after all, and some names scan very well in place of Lola.

If you look at the movies, any self respecting movie that is, the hero has a theme song. It plays when he or she rises over adversity, conquers all odds, and comes out on top for a triumphal finish. (Yes, I'm gagging a little as I wrote that.) The theme from Rocky is a well known one. (note to self, I suppose I should see the movie first before talking about it.) I'm a big fan of the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme song. (the trouble with writing about music is trying to hear a song in your head when you've got the ipod plugged in playing something else. k.d. lang singing Halleluhah, at the moment, if you must know.) I don't care for some of her music, but she has an incredible voice. James Bond probably has the coolest, best known theme song, but then I'm probably missing some really obvious ones.

But what about you? If you aren't the hero in the movie of your life, then who the heck is? What music is your sound track when the going gets tough? When you're feeling good and things are going your way? When you're worried about how something is going to come out? When you're dealing with bad news? What's the one song that other people probably don't know about that you wish you could see their faces when they listen to it?

At one spin session, my co-spinees were talking about music that got them going. I was lost. I didn't even know the names, let alone have any idea what the music sounded like. There's days I think I'm long down the geezer road, since I have no idea what music is happening now. Yet I keep finding great music, and then find out it's been around for a long time. Makes me wonder where I was then.

4 comments:

  1. my theme song: baby got back, sir mix-a-lot!! gets me shaking my bootie everytime. music i melt to, anything by eddie vedder. feeling down? then it's time for sarah maclaughlin. feeling pumped? gotta throw on some punk. love music. just love it!! so many songs, so little time...

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  2. Working on my playlist right now for the run tomorrow:
    Blue Monday - Orgy's version
    Right here Right now - Fatboy slim
    What are you waiting for - Gwen
    Human - The Killers (OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!)
    Chattahoochee - Alan Jackson (yeah? Try keeping YOUR feet moving to this song...)
    Hurts So Good - John
    Girls on Film - OH YA BABY!!! Some Duran Duran always puts me in a good mood....

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  3. Ugh, I HATE when you're sick and thinking about all the missed workouts-completely empathize with you on that one. Feel better soon!

    I have a lot of "theme songs" unfortunately the words don't always 100% accurately reflect my sentiment, but some are close.
    "Friday Night" by Lily Allen about her sizing up a girl at a night club wanting to kick her a$$ (prepares me for competition, all though I'm not THAT cutthroat) and also I love "Paper Planes" by MIA although the sound of a gun being cocked is not me either. Also, "Keep on Movin'" by UB40 is great to run to but I don't identify with the lyrics at the beginning part. Oh yeah, and being from Detroit, Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is probably the one that hits closest to home. I couldn't wait to get out of that town growing up, although I hardly had it quite as bad as Eminem...

    Great post!

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  4. Thanks for the song input. I've had fun 'tubing and listening. Not trying to dis anybody's choices, just giving my feedback.

    I actually knew one of them! Hurts so Good. I was surprised to like Human, I wasn't sure what to expect. And Chattawhatever is a great two step. Paper Planes was surprisingly catchy. I caught the Ice Ace version of the UB40 song, and quite enjoyed it, but that's my reggae quota for the week.

    Sorry Susi, your buddy Eddie doesn't do anything for me. Never been a big fan of Duran Duran, and Girls on Film was ok, but nothing more. Same with Friday night.

    Oddly enough, I've never heard Eminem doing Lose Yourself. But I did hear two guys singing this, with one of them pounding a drum, late at night, as we were unpacking our cars at a campground, for, of all things, an SCA event. If you don't know what that is, I have no way of explaining just how strange and surreal the experience was.

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