Sunday, December 13, 2009

THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE

"When I was a child, my family would travel..."

That song (John Prine's "Muehlenburg County"), has been playing in my head this morning. When Jerry and I travelled down to western Kentucky this past summer, a variety of music played in my head. Of course, as soon as I saw the sign for Muehlenburg County, that one began. Then "Bowling Green" (Everly Brothers). Before that, the bluegrass song, "Eight More Miles to Louisville."

Every summer my mother would drive us to visit relatives in West Virginia and she would always begin singing the Johnny Cash/June Carter song "Jackson" when we got to Jackson, Ohio. It's the only time I ever heard her sing.

When I was a child I sang myself to sleep. Literally. I would begin singing quietly, just to me, until I fell asleep. Sometimes I would finish the song. Sometimes not.

Many songs mean many things to me, and they often take me back to certain periods in my life, happy or sad.

Does your life have a soundtrack? Do you ever wake up with a song already playing in your mind that plays, off and on, throughout the day?

(I have a drawing to post later this morning, done in yesterday's last Life Drawing session...so check back later today!)

7 comments:

Christiane Kingsley said...

Rhonda, this is a very interesting post and I certainly can identify with what you are saying. I am told ( because I don't always notice) that I always hum or sing while I work...I don't know how my subconscious mind picks a particular melody over another).
Certain songs on the radio do bring me back immediately to certain specific moments in my life. However, I must say that "smells" or "tastes" are what bring back the most vivid memories for me: fresh raspberries bring me back to a certain summer when I was 4-5 and we would pick berries at the cottage etc...I can feel the sun, smell the hay etc...It is amazing how the mind works.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Hey Rhonda, love your link with music in your recent posts and the strands of wool look particularly interesting. Your colour scheme will really make it zing - can't wait to see how it progresses. Such a unique subject.

Sandy Maudlin said...

Looking forward to the new posts later today. My big brother calls songs that keep running thru your head "AUDIO VIRUSES!' Songs like Little Bunny Foo Foo drive me nuts when they play continually in my brain. Others are wonderfully welcome.

RH Carpenter said...

I'm glad I'm not the only koo-koo out there with songs in her head so often, Christiane (I, too, hum a lot or sing out loud if I'm alone). Certain smells of summer are wonderful...freshly mown grass and the way it sometimes smells like turtles (turtles also sometimes smell like tomatoes).
Thanks, Joan, I'll be posting another stage soon.
Sandy, I'm so glad I don't know that song! haha

debwardart said...

"Tonight" from West Side Story - high school boyfriend would pick me up at French class and sing it to me!! Gene Pitney's "Town Without Pity" all time favorite - also high school memories. "House of the Risin' Sun", "Dream Walkin'" - evocative melodies???
To change subject - on prior post - what about some soft collage work along the lines?

RH Carpenter said...

I'm wrong about the turtles - freshly mown grass sometimes smells like watermelons and turtles sometimes smell like tomatoes (maybe because they eat them). Now off to have some spumoni ice cream (can only be found this time of year).

RH Carpenter said...

Deb, some of these I know, some I don't. I sure remember House of the Rising Sun. It's interesting to me that I can remember words to songs I learned when I was young and it's hard for me to remember words now.