...Procrastinator

Last Saturday I spent nearly all day putting together "The Soundtrak Of My Life," a mixed CD of significant songs to me, from birth until now. My girlfriends decided it would be a fun for each of us to make a CD and then exchange with each other for Christmas.

I, of course, have known about the project for months. I, of course, waited until the day it's due to actually start it. Thankfully, I had been collecting song ideas for a few weeks, so I kind of had an idea of what I wanted to do. So Saturday was spent downloading, organizing, burning, and writing stories to go with each of the esongs.

So what's my opening song?

"Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys.

Yep, that's right reader(s). Of all of the songs in the entire world of music, one of my earliest memories of loving a song and singing it over, and over, and over, is "Elvira." What can I say? I was only five, and they played it on the radio all of the time.

Here's my story behind the song selection...
Summer, circa 1981 (or '82), my family took a camping trip “up north” (which in our case was Canada) to the Canadian Rockies to Banff and Jasper, Alberta. We caravanned the entire trip with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Three packed vehicles – all equipped with C.B. radios.

I probably don’t need to tell you how super cool C.B. radios were at the time. This was, after all, during the height of trucker tv shows, including my favorite show “B.J. & the Bear.” (A cute trucker, a lovable chimp, who wouldn’t love it?)

I have a lot of great memories of the trip, including a lot of reports back and forth with my cousins: “10-4 Big Buddy” and “We’re gonna’ make a pit stop at the next exit,” and this song by the Oak Ridge Boys. My cousins and I sang it the whole way up the mountain and the whole way back down.

...
Another classic which made my CD was Wham!'s "Freedom." It was the very first cassette tape I ever owned that wasn't a Disney-esque/kid songs kind of thing. I felt so grownup. And I had a crush on George Michael and his feathery tresses. I have to admit, Wham!'s "Make It Big Album" it's still pretty fun, yummy pop candy. Give it a listen, and check out George's side-to-side dance action with extra snaps for good measure. You know you want to!



Here's my full track list. The songs may be strange (read: lame) to you, but I have stories behind each of these songs. And I wasn't always as cool as I am now. :)
1-elvira (oak ridge boys)
2-freedom (wham!)
3-footloose (kenny loggins)
4-livin’ on a prayer (bon jovi)
5-iko iko (cyndi lauper)
6-baby, baby (amy grant)
7-eye of the tiger (survivor)
8-i do i do i do (abba)
9-unbelievable (emf)
10-temptation (new order)
11-the concept (teenage fanclub)
12-creep (radiohead)
13-dumb little band (mr. t experience)
14-why does it always rain on me? (travis)
15-take me out (franz ferdinand)
16-no surprises (radiohead)
17-expectations (belle & sebastian)
18-the way we get by (spoon)
19-people take pictures of each other (kinks)
20-in my life (johnny cash version of beatles classic)