Jana's Playlist: August 2010

Music. I can't live without it.

My earliest memory is being snuggled with my mother in our red chenille rocking chair, listening to her sing or hum hymns while we rocked. Hearing a song can take me on a memory-ride to a place or an experience where I either heard to song or something happened to remind me of one.

"Close to You" reminds me of riding on the freeway in Houston during the summer of 1970 with Mom as we drove past Meyerland on one of our adventures. "Great Balls of Fire" or any Jerry Lee Lewis song reminds me of my daddy, whether it was Sunday morning, getting ready for church, or Saturday night, bar-b-queing hamburgers, he usually requested that album. The Beatles remind me of Gary. My cousins and I drove each other to distraction with "Henery the Eighth" and the Stylistics remind me of my high school best friend, Machelle. My love song for Bosco is the Oak Ridge Boys' "Dream On." Weddings, funerals, picnics, good times, bad times, everything seems to have it's own song. I love the verse from Harry Chapin's "Mr. Tanner."

"But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole."

There is not one type of music I like better than others. I am musically eclectic. Classical, country, rock, opera, oldies, heavy metal, swing, religious, hiphop, historical, even a little rap. It all has a place in my life.

Writing this blog was to invite you into my life. I think the best way to learn about a person is to listen to their music. So... I will be blogging some of my playlists from time to time. Right now I am listening to the following on my IPOD:

Aint That Lonely, Yet - Dwight Yoakum
Angel - Jack Johnson
The Book of Love - Peter Gabriel
Daughters - John Mayer
Dear Mr. President - Pink
I Don't Believe You - Pink
I Have Seen the Rain - Pink
Mr. Tanner - Harry Chapin
My Little Girl - Jack Johnson
Please Don't Leave Me - Pink
Taxi - Harry Chapin
Sequel - Harry Chapin
So What - Pink
Suspicious Minds - Dwight Yoakam
Your the One - Dwight Yoakam
Too Damn Young - Lane Turner
If you don't know these songs, check them out!

"But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good." Harry Chapin, Mr. Tanner