Wednesday Poll: Theme Songs

I have this maybe-kind-of-weird habit of assigning theme songs to people and events in my life. 

My first big, dramatic high school break-up?  "Never is a Promise" by Fiona Apple.  (Important lyrics:  "I realize what I am now / Too smart to mention / To you.") 

The first few months of dating Sweet Husband?  "Bucket Seats" by Cake.  ("Stick shifts and safety belts / Bucket seats have all got to go. / When we're driving in the car / It makes my baby seem so far.")

Nice Sister?  "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison.  ("Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah.")

Even my dog Moe has his own theme song--"Upside Down" by Jack Johnson.  ("I can't do everything / Well I can try" and "There's no stopping curiosity".)

For this week's poll:

If you had to pick a theme song for yourself, what would it be?  For someone else?  For an event in your life?  Share some of the lyrics to help explain why.

Comment and discuss.

Comments

[Sarah]

I have known my theme songs for years. They are:

"Bitch" by Meredith Brooks. It captures my very all over the place emotional nature and says not only is that ok, but the final line is, "You know I wouldn't want it any other way!)

"I'm Only Happy When it Rains" by Garbage. I love rain and anyone who has been in my office will confirm that "I only smile in the dark."

And last, but by no means least, "I Tough Myself" by the Divinyls. That song came out when I was a senior in high school. My friend Stacey and I embraced that song because we loved the fact that a woman unabashedly wrote and recorded a song about masturbation. During that year when we were getting ready to go off on our own (as much as 4 years of parent-paid college is off on our own), that song made us feel liberated and free. It made us feel our possibilities were endless. Who knew a song about masturbation could have such a profound effect?

Good choice on Never is a Promise. That has long been one of my go-to songs when I'm bitter and angry about something.

[StacyH]

I love the entire Fiona Apple Tidal CD senior year. Loved it.

My family has an anthem ... I Feel Lucky by Mary Chapin Carpenter. My Dad's anthem would be either "WOLD" by Harry Chapin or another Harry Chapin song.

When I think of my mother I always think of "Memory," Andrew Lloyd Weber and Cats ... because she would play it at the piano and sing.

The first speeding ticket I ever got, "Fly" by Sugar Ray was playing. So I had even more reason to hate that song.

"Emotional Girl," by Terri Clark fits me well. "Some folks say I'm too extreme, but I never could do anything, with half my heart." And lots of Tori songs remind me of different times of my life.

Lately I love Defying Gravity from the Wicked Soundtrack. Such a "take on the world" song.

I know ... the song that's been my theme for the longest. "Let the River Run," Carly Simon. It's cheesey, perhaps ... but I love it. "We the great and small, stand on a star and blaze a trail of desire through the darkening dawn." It's so 80s! I love it. I'm so glad I thought of it. "Let all the dreamers wake the nation!"

And how wonderful is Harrison Ford in Working girl?

[Sarah]

A few more:

I always associate the song "Better Man" by Pearl Jam with my college roommate's wedding. Had that song in my head the whole weekend because I felt like she was settling.

One of my (male) best friends and I went through a crush incident (he had the crush). I associated the Dixie Chicks song "Don't Waste Your Heart on Me" with that incident.

college road trips all had Billy Joel's "My Life" as the official anthem. That song ALWAYS came on the radio whenever we were driving anywhere. After a while, we embraced it.

[Meryl]

"I Touch Myself" is probably the official song of the cooks that worked at the restaurant I waitressed at for several years in high school and college. (In a fun, silly way--not in a sexual harassment kind of way.) They had a whole Madonna-vouge-esque routine they did whenever it came on the radio--it was hilarious!

I also like "Let the River Run", but I love all those cheesy-80's-feel good songs.

For myself....

When I originally thought of this question I was going to answer, "Miss Halfway" by Anna Marina. (Basic premise of song is, "I'm not perfect, but I'm way cooler for my flaws.") Favorite line: "I'm busy making paper airplanes...out of resumes."

But really it's different things on different days...

On good days..."La Vie Boheme" from Rent (when I first started commuting to work--before I joined a carpool--I set a goal to learn all the words and used to sing this over and over on the way home.) "The Fall" by the Avett Brothers. ("Only good things can come / to those who practice reason and recognize good fun.") "The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band. (Which--sadly--seems to be my song of choice for drunken kareoke.)

On bad days..."Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson. ("I want to change the world / Instead, I sleep.") Or "Taxi Ride" by Tori Amos. ("Lily is dancing on the table / We've all been pushed to far.")

For Sweet Husband and I lately it's definitely "The Way I Am" by (yes, she's my new favorite) Ingrid Michaelson. ("I'll buy you Rogaine / When you start losing all your hair").

For my Dad and I it's "Two of Us" by the Beatles...and various and sundry Jimmy Buffett songs.

I'm sure I'll think of others as the day goes on....

[Kenda]

What a great question, and where do I start...
Anything Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd makes me think of Kris. The entire Singles Soundtrack, Pearl Jam (this is pretty broad). The song, Given to Fly, by Pearl Jam.

The White Stripes make me think of my brother and a friend that is no longer with us.

Artists make me think of people: Ex-Boyfriends: Tool & Nirvana. Friends: Aerosmith & Guns 'N Roses

The Story, by Brandi Carlile, is my song for Me & Kris, "These stories don't mean anything when you got no one to tell them to, its true, I was made for you."

The song Deathly, by Aimee Mann, describes almost every failed relationship, comically! "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again, cause I afford to climb aboard you no one's got that much ego to spend." You really have to listen to the rest of the song to get the picture.

Fidelity - Regina Spektor - Miss Em, when she first heard it she said, "but it doesn't break my heart."

I love how the music can take you back to a place you had forgotten. I used to really like Garbage, I feel old!

[Meryl]

I just spit out what I was drinking when I read that comment about Emma! I can just see her tilting her head to the side a little and saying that!

[StacyH]

I want to add some more ... :) I love music questions.

Life is a Highway was my song all through college. To any question posed, "Life is a highway."

And when I was particularly heartbroken, "Don't Ask her on a Straight Tequila Night" ...

A Sample:
If you really want to know, she comes here a lot. She just loves to hear the music and dance. K13 is her favorite song. If you play it, you might have a chance. Tonight she's only sippin' white wine. She's friendly, and fun-lovin' most of the time.

But don't ask her on a straight tequila night. She'll start thinkin' about him, then she's ready to fight. Blames her broken heart on every man in sight, on a straight tequila night.

So true ... so true.

You guys miss a lot of good songs cause you don't listen to country! Back when I listened to the Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces was a theme for Freshman year.

Cross Canadian Ragweed, Alabama (Lew and I) - "Are you coming back soon? By the harvest moon if I have to walk every mile on my knees."

Keith Urban, Who Wouldn't Want To Be Me? (Lew and I, circa D.C.) - I got no money in my pockets, I got a hole in my jeans, I had a job and I lost it, But it won't get to me.
'Cause I'm ridin' with my baby, and it's a brand new day, We're on the wheels of an angel, Flyin' away.

That last one because he was looking for a job and couldn't find one, we were broker than broke, and we took a weekend and drove to Virginia Beach.

[Meryl]

I've also thought of "Better Man" by Pearl Jam when I thought friends were settling. That and "Grey Street" by Dave Mathews, which actually made me think of my Mom for quite awhile, but thankfully not anymore.

And--you and your country music Miss Stacy--"Born To Fly" by Sara Evans was my "Wide Open Spaces". (The video was a Wizard of Oz parody and one of the lyrics was, "I will soar away like a blackbird." How could she NOT have written that song specifically for me, right?!?) And--although I'm almost embarassed to admit it now--my freshman year of high school my best-friend-at-the-time and I got our girl power kicks from "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain.

I'm curious as to why the White Stipes make you think of Blaine (aka Sweet Husband) though, Kenda? He says it's probably because he introduced you to them--is that accurate?

[StacyH]

Oh Sara Evans! I love born to fly ...

"Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" always makes me think of my friend Amber.

[Fergus' Mom]

OK, LOVING THIS!!! But I'm totally going to need to think on this to narrow my list down (more of a soundtrack right now than a theme song!)

College road trips = Queen's Greatest Hits

And now I'm challenged to identify one for Fergus.

I can say that I've been listening to Paralyzer by Finger Eleven incessantly lately. You know, "I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you." Makes me think of a new someone that I'm struck by ;o) which is an improvement over the last song that summed up my love life. How Many Times by Zack Hexum, "how many times before I fall in love for real and maybe just one 'cause this one makes my head like a wheel and where's the love that'll make me completely be me? and what makes these hazy is oh so much mystery "

Then I can completely relate to Jason Mraz's The Beauty In Ugly (the ugly Betty version):

"she's so big hearted,
but not so remarkable
just an ordinary humble girl
expecting nothing as we're made to think
its a pretty person's world

but you are beautiful and you better go show it
go look again, you gotta be true to your own
if you really wanna go to the top
do you really wanna win?
don't believe in living normal, just to satisfy demand

well if you wanna get free
and if you wanna do the passionate thing
and if you wanna get smart for the sake of your heart
you should own your name and stand up tall
and get real and see the beauty in ugly"

and Mika's Big Girl You are Beautiful:

"You take your skinny girl
Feel like I'm gonna die
'Cause a real woman
Needs a real man here's why

You take your girl
And multiply her by four
Now a whole lot of woman
Needs a whole lot more"

Oh I'm sure there are more, but that is a start. Loving the others, I now have a whole new list of songs to check out!