Soundtrack of My Childhood
I was sitting on the subway going to see a friend and my service went out for the third time. That’s when I remembered the last time I was on the subway, where I told myself, “next time you get on the subway, download your playlist so this doesn’t happen again.” My only downloaded music I have is from way back when you bought songs on iTunes for $1.29. I needed some type of entertainment to drown out the crying child sitting 3 seats away from me. So I pressed shuffle.
Back then when I first got an iPod Touch in 5th grade, I remember begging my parents for iTunes gift cards so I could download the songs that I was hearing on the radio or listening to in my favorite shows. Little did I know that these songs had more influence on me than I thought. I have always been afraid of losing my memory and forgetting about the road I’ve taken to get to where I am today, the people I’ve connected with, and the silly moments I’ve experienced that made me me. Songs hold memories, phases, and obstacles, which I have become so grateful for as my vision of my childhood becomes a little blurrier. Here’s some songs that reflect that time in my life.
Song #1 – “Butterfly Fly Away” by Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus
Let’s just say I was obsessed with Disney. Hannah Montana was my fixation. I wanted a Hannah Montana lunchbox, Hannah Montana Halloween costume, and even a Hannah Montana birthday cake. Watching the show on my Dora television set before school was my sanctuary. Miley had a double life, where she could go to school, hangout with friends, and be treated like an average person, but also get to perform and be a popstar. During this time in my life, I was beginning to have this curiosity in performing. Seeing Miley get to become this entirely different version of herself when she performed showed me that maybe I could do that too.
Getting “Hannah Montana the Movie” DVD in Blu-ray was like winning the lottery back in 2009. Butterfly Fly Away at the time gave me hope for a future where I could spread my wings and be who I wanted to be as an independent adult. Now it looks so much different. Looking at it now, it makes me sad that I ever wanted to skip the childhood that I had. I am grasping onto time with my family where I can spend quality time, and things can be like they were before. The cocoon is pretty comfortable to me. Spreading my wings means that I have to make decisions, step into unfamiliar environments, and find a way to live on my own. I guess I’m not the only one, though. Miley had to grow up and fly away too.
Song #2 – “Play It Again” by Becky G
I remember flying home from a family vacation and hearing this song on Radio Disney. I was obsessed with rap at the time, most of the song choices I wanted to listen to were not my parents’ favorite. This was the only one they would let me listen to in the car. I would replay this song repeatedly. I can’t forget the feeling of finally memorizing the song and performing it with my friends. This song is a great example how music has been a way for me to connect with people by just pressing play.
Song #3 – “Downtown” by Macklemore
Back when my mom drove me to school, she always let me play my music. Whether she liked it or not, she put up with my music phases. There were some songs that she liked, one being “Downtown” by Macklemore. Driving to my first day of high school, we screamed this song at the top of our lungs. I felt this rush every time my mom liked a song I showed her. My mom is my best friend, and connecting with her through my favorite outlets allows me to share that uplifting feeling that only music gives me. It’s funny how I can still step into a car with my mom, and we can still replicate this moment, now with an entire list of songs that we share.
Song #4 – “There She Goes” by The La’s
This one is complicated. The way I see this song is me sitting in front of the TV watching my favorite movie of all time, “Parent Trap”, specifically the 1998 film starring Lindsay Lohan. This song starts playing when Hallie flies to London to meet her mother for the first time and is disguised as her twin sister who was separated from her shortly after their birth. A riveting story that I am now not allowed to watch with family members since I annoy them by quoting every line. When I hear this song, it gives me those goosebumps it always did, and reminded me of the twins doing whatever they could to connect with family.
Sure, the song is actually about heroin. “Pulsing through my veins,” “no one else can heal my pain.” Those lines went right over my head as a kid. That’s one thing about music, there’s more to a song besides the lyrics.
It’s crazy how much more a song could mean to someone than you think. My absolute biggest pet peeve is when people yuk someone else’s yum. Music is supposed to be something that instills an emotion in someone, and who are you to judge someone else’s taste when you don’t know the story behind it. One favorite song can tell you so much more about a person if you look deeper. So come on, hear me out, and dig a little deeper!
