Got an email today from a friend, describing her mood as lyrical. It's a great description of a mood, don't you think? I love lyrical moods; I have them all of the time. Seems like I always have a song that reminds me of someone or something. (Kinda like my clothes, but that's usually because I "borrow" them as a way of keeping those people close to me. Some -like my sister- call it stealing, but that sounds so harsh. It's done completely in love! ;) ) It's funny she mention this today, because 101.5, a local talk/oldies station does these themes every so often. Today callers were asked to call in with their favorite "spring" song. It's always hard to break out of an era when I listen to the two deejays. You see, I was a babysitter for the kids of one of the deejays. Whenever I hear his voice, I'm transporter back to my freshman/sophmore years in high school. Lyrical moods are pretty interesting and why certain songs "go" with certain people always amaze me. The moods and the memories don't always have to be good, happy feelings or memories. Alot of times they are, but the sad ones mean just as much to me.

As Harry Chapin once said, "Music, has been my oldest frined. My fiercest foe. It could take me so high. Or it can make me so low." Sing on. Sing on. So, with this in mind...off I go into my musical memories. I'm gonna list a couple and why the strike me just so in the gut. Usually, the feeling hits me when the song comes on and takes me back. These are ones I know without even hearing them.

LADY-LITTLE RIVER BAND ~ Some of you may know this is my favorite song. I doubt many of you know why. When I was young (like 4 or 5), we lived in The Colony, TX - a suburb of Dallas. There were two boys who lived across the street from us. One was named David (he was the heavier of the two. The skinny younger one was cuter, but I can't remember his name). I think their parents used to babysit us (I know they babysat us at least once. See my JAWS memory! :) ). It's the only explanation I have for why a High School boy would let a 5 year old hang out with them. I'll never forget the KISS poster on the wall in one of the rooms; and I'll never forget this song. David used to play it all the time. I heard it again when I was 13 and instantly became flooded with the "feeling" of warmth and happiness. So, I searched all over for the title and the artist. Haven't stopped listening to it (or the rest of the Grst hits ablum) since.

COMFORTABLY NUMB-PINK FLOYD ~ I had just gotten my braces on the summer after my Freshman year in High School. My best friend,at the time, Danielle and I were headed over to a going away party at her Aunt's house. I took my favorite jeans and sweatshirt (a white B.C. one) to her house to wash. (See...favorite...so, of course....they were dirty) We always hung out with her cousin Erik and his friends, who were out of H.S. I had a crush on one of them, Jimmy. One of the friends had just graduated and was off the Marines. The night was fun, but turned fun-ny toward the end. Kristen, Erik's sister, slept with her boyfriend for the first time when her mom walked in on them. So, everyone was relegated to separate rooms by gender. Jimmy had leaned over and kissed me just seconds before and I was in heaven! Anyway, he had been drinking, so he just sat in the "boys room" yelling for me to come here. Every time I hear that song, I can smell the laundry detergent, the sweet summer air mixed with the smell of beer, the pain of teeth being pulled and prod in twenty directions, the feel of the wax against my lips to keep the braces from rubbing on the inside of my lips, and the feeling that maybe braces weren't gonna be so bad after all. :)

WHAT IT TAKES-AEROSMITH ~ Jimmy, from above. The summer I turned 16 Danielle had a shore house. I used to go down there and spend alot of weekends. Jimmy used to sing this song and change the words around from F-I-N-E fine to H-A-P-P-Y. This song reminds me of Art, Jimmy, the "stuck" boat on Nights In Venice, the shore, and that summer.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN-THIN LIZZY; FAITHFULLY-JOURNEY; SWEET CAROLINE-NEIL DIAMOND ~ These all remind me of my prom date; how we met, the whole asking to the prom debacle; and basically the Cinderella feeling of Prom Night.

GOOD ENOUGH-SARAH MCLAUGHLIN ~ Anyone? Anyone? Kare used to play this song all the time when I was living with her Sophmore year in college as we were going to sleep. I don't know why this one sticks out in my head. It usually floods my head with SO many memories of that year...like Bray, Tommy, Linda, Sue, Sully and Big Man, baseball, radio stations, dining hall visits in barefeet, night at Wayne's, etc. Whenever I need a little pick me up I throw this one in the CD player.

FARE THE WELL-INDIGO GIRLS ~ The night in our room writing Brian's resignation letter. Kare played this song on the radio/t.v for him in a block of good-bye songs. (One later which shouldn't remind me of him, but does is You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome by Tori Amos?)

I LOVE YOU-CLIMAXX BLUES BAND ~ Alright, so I'm a little out of order, but this song reminds me of Trish (and reminds her of Ron N' Keith). And the whole summer we spent walking aroun Kings Grant my junior year in h.s.

JESSE'S GIRL-RICK SPRINGFIELD ~ This one is two-fold a guy I used to hang out with when I was 10 was named Jesse. We never went anywhere without the other one in our after-school program. On Tuesday night, our mom's used to take us to Pizza Inn for buffet and video games or Larry's dinner for Chicken Fired Steak and Texas Toast. Jill is fond of this one too, so apparently a good childhood memory all around. The second memory is of Amy and hanging out Friday nights at Pickles (bar in college) with DJ Fast Eddie. It has since rolled over to encompass all the memories of my Senior Spring Semester.

AIN'T EVEN DONE WITH THE NIGHT-MELLENCAMP ~ I remember one of my first nights out in Greensboro we went to Box Seat (a bar in town) It was just me, Tara, and Neil. The bar was fairly empty, but friends of Neil's were playing that night. He got up and sang this song. I remember thinking how I can't believe how good he sounded singing. He never struck me as an "artist" type. He did this one and Jack and Diane, both are great remindeers, but the words of this one when he sang it always struck me. As I later learned, Neil wasn't always in a state to remember the words, b/c although he loved to sing, he wouldn't do it without a few drinks in him. It always reminds me of the fun days with him.

I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT ~ ENGLAND DAN AND JOHN FORD COLEY ~ To piggyback on the last one, this one reminds me of Neil too. I remember our first road trip together. Neil called one night (I was in bed, so I remember thinking it was late. Althought this wasn't always the case) to ask me if I wanted to go home. He had to recruit in Jersey and wanted to stay at my house. I didn't even hesitate. Neil prided himself on his music knowledge. Little did he know what he was getting into. He decided we needed to play his road trip game. He'd find a station and we'd have to guess the singer and the artist before the other one. I think he strated to get frustrated when no matter WHAT station he picked I knew the answer. I ALWAYS stumped him on this one and the words just seemed to fit how I felt about him. I still can't listen to this song without tearing and smiling at the same time. (Althought lately Not A Day Goes By - Lonestar does that...but that's just the lyrics hit so close to emotion)

MOVIN' ON - RASCAL FLATS ~ I cry everytime I hear this one. My friends, Beth and Erin, both highly recommended this CD. I had never heard it. After talking to Neil on Sunday night and learning about him dating his roommate (female), etc. I decided I couldn't stay in Greensboro any longer. I'd spent too many days crying in bed and this was the last straw. I made my decision to move home on Monday, told Mike Monday at lunch and began packing. My old neighbors let me "borrow" their son to drive my U-Haul and help me pack. I said good-bye to Mike and tried so hard to hold myself together as I looked around the empty house and hugged Mike one last time. I hopped in my dad's SUV and Adam in the U-Haul and took of for Jersey. Somewhere about Chapel Hill this song came on. I'm surprised we didn't end up in a ditch somewhere in the next 50 miles.

Well, As I said, I know there's more...but...after writing that last one, the screen on my computer went blurry. (Hmmm...wonder why? ;) ) This is enough to give you an idea. I'm sure you all have your own and I'd love to hear them. They lyrical mood could strike any minute. And I'm always hoping it does!

"When you're down
And troubled
And you need a helping hand.
And nothing, no nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me.
And soon I will be there.
To brighten up,
Even your darkest night." - JT