My last music based post was last November (2023). If you are a regular reader you know that my best friend and I are counting down our top 100 songs of all time. Today was number 39. Each day we share a little about why the song is part of the top 100. The coolest part is appreciating the memories that go with the songs. The first concert for my second son, singing in the hallways of high school, playing Nintendo Ice Hockey.
No, I am not going to share all the songs or memories. But it is a Saturday night and it feels like a good time to share a few of the songs from my list, but only the ones that have been shared. (I might do a post about the top 10 when we are done.)
The first song is “The Men Who Drive Me Places” by Ben Rector. (Number 96)
What I love most about this song is the reminder that we all have stories. We all have dreams. Sometimes they come true. Other times, the dreams are partially realized. But we chase them, and along the way we live life with the people we love.
The second song is “Who’s Behind the Door” by Zebra. (Number 82)
Yes, a trip back to the 80s when you would go to a friend’s house to lounge around and listen to music. Zebra was a band we both loved. We would go to the mall to buy their cassettes. And listen to it in his car on the way home. (I did not have a car in high school… that is another story.) I love the idea of what is beyond our world in the song, and the memories of a friendship that has lasted for decades. Side note: if you like live albums, Zebra’s live album is fantastic.
The final song is “I Can See It in Your Eyes” by Men at Work. (Number 47)
Business as Usual by Men at Work was the first cassette I ever bought, and with my own money. I would listen to this album while I played Atari 2600 after school. Centipede was one of my favorite games. Next was Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The only game I ever finished. I kept dying on the last level of Frogger. Back to the music, this is one of those rare cases that I like the album songs more than the radio hits. This song is a unique look at the end of a relationship and the passing of time. Their music has always been original and I have been a fan for a long time.
The bittersweet aspect of listening to the soundtrack of my life is knowing that all I have now is the memories. After all the events over the past year, I can’t lie that I wish I could somehow go back and relive some of the best moments of my life. I know the future has joyful moments to come, but still…
It is all Connected 
You got me thinking back to the first 45s I bought with my own money… years before the invention of cassettes… One of the oddest, and most fun was the 1970 “Spill the Wine,” by Eric Burdon and War.
It was inspired by some wine being spilt on one of the band’s mixing boards. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s worth a listen.
I know that song! It is interesting to see LPs becoming popular, at least in sales… Don’t know if people are stopping to actually just listen to them.
Ah, you took me back with these shared memories, Jamey (although I wasn’t familiar with Zebra).