A Little Night Musing

Tonight, I'm on youtube and listening to music from the 90's to the early 2000's- basically, my growing up music from high school and early college. It's this whole playlist of over 200 songs and I know most of them. Plus a few more playlists and single song searches that yielded more songs and playlists since searches yield more songs.

It's amazing some of the memories but mostly the feelings. Just the way the songs make me feel even now. A little lonely, a little sad, a little I don't know what I want or where I'm going but I'm on my way. It's the feeling of so much in front of you and aching to get out.

And it's the way it makes me feel now. Like wanting to dance when I hear "Mr. Jones." Or be a little sad with "Round Here." Live's Throwing Copper album wants me to just up and leave in the middle of the night and go- anywhere but here. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" will just always make me feel happy and I have to roll down the windows of the car, turn it up, and just belt it out. The magic of "Return to Innocence" and that one dance in 8th grade where we ended up singing "Basket Case" out in the parking lot because of a bomb threat and being cold. This was 1995, so Dookie had just come out and I'd only started school in that district that year. A few years later, I graduated high school at the other end of the road from where we were. Our class song? "(Good Riddance) Time of Your Life"- also by Green Day.

Then there's the memories of buses. A lot of songs that remind me of buses- band, drum corps, driving on trips, getting stuck in New Mexico, driving somewhere in the middle of the night and I've no idea where I am or when I'll get there.

Sometimes things don't change; but sometimes they do. We grow up and move on. But the music's still there. Those old feelings come and go and the music's there to remind us.

Maybe I'm making no sense as it's 12:19 am as I'm writing this and ten hours ago I was leaving Waco. Maybe it's because on the way back, I went to a town I lived on over 25 years ago- which is crazy- and it was the first move I ever had and still I remembered how to get to the house where we lived- the back way. Maybe I'm just having wishful thinking and wished for different things. Maybe I'm just having a night where I feel a little lost and I'm trying to reclaim who I wanted to be when I was 10 or 15 or whatever age so long ago.

Maybe I just don't know. Until I do, I figure I'll just keep listening.

You're never alone cause you can put on the phones
And let the drummer tell your heart what to do
Keep on believing 
And you'll discover baby

There's always something magic
There's always something new
And when you really, really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through

For you

~Meat Loaf, "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"