February 28, 2010

Repeat Worthy




Certain songs grab me at the core of my being. Similar to the way the character Elaine on Seinfeld deemed a select group of men as “sponge worthy,” I deem the songs that affect me—either by melody or lyric—as repeat worthy. These rare songs can get set on repeat for—I am embarrassed to write—hours.

I mean, I have to get into the zone with these songs--absorbing every nuance. Thank goodness for headphones as otherwise, Parental Unit #2, would look at me over his desk and say, “Really? Again?”

“Mykonos” by Fleet Foxes is one of my current repeat worthy songs. I am a sucker for the group's Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-type vocal harmonies, and it just fits as the melancholy, but somewhat uplifting soundtrack to these constant grey, snow laden days.

So I have to wonder what makes The Fall’s cover of the Kinks “Victoria” so doggone repeat-worthy for young Master Bertram? I’ve posted about this song and Bertram’s love for it in January. Yet, I swear if I loved that song as a teenager, back in 1988, I think I can honestly say that I do not need to hear it again for the rest of my life. Young Master B requests the song by demanding, “Tick! Tick!” And, woe to the poor parental unit who tries to put on another song or, perhaps, be so bold as to let “Tick! Tick!” play only once.

What is equally amazing to me is that Bertram cranks out some major toddler boogie each time he hears the song. Mind you, the act of listening and getting down to the song is only to be undertaken by young Master B—parental units and siblings cannot shake their respective tail feathers unless Bert says so. On the occasion that Bertram invites us to join in the fun, he wants us to do a move that I call “air dribbling,” which involves raising your arm up and down to the ticking sound of the drum sticks.

So, 8 people who visit this site regularly, do you or your child have a repeat-worthy song? I’m interested to know what songs move you.

2 comments:

hilary said...

A. can listen to "The Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton over and over and over. I am embarrassed to say that I rarely listen to music any more, but one song I listened to repeatedly when I first had an iPod was Let Go by Frou Frou, from the Garden State soundtrack. It's particularly awesome when you can hear the different tracks in each ear.

Anonymous said...

When Sam was merely 3mos, our go-to insta-calm song was Weezer's "My Name is Jonah". It would repeat and repeat and repeat and a fussy baby would be rapt in music appreciation and tired parent would rejoice.
--Abby