Songs that Trigger Memories

I love music. I can get completely lost in a song. I was thinking about this tonight as I was deciding which new songs to put on my Nano. I was also thinking about the fact that the first note of a song can sometimes bring back such vivid memories. Here are some of the songs that trigger memories in my life:

"Achy Breaky Heart" (Billy Ray Cyrus, 1992) - Laugh if you want, but this song brings me right back to second grade. I remember someone would always have their casette player on the bus, and we would listen to that song over and over. I'm sure our bus driver loved us for it :-P

"The Sign" (Ace of Base 1993) - Another song that brings me back to elementary school. More like 4th or 5th grade this time. I think my friends and I made up a dance to it. Because we were awesome like that.

"All My Life" (K-Ci and JoJo 1998) - Aww, this song. This song seriously gave me butterflies back in junior high. I had my first real crush back then. I seriously thought I was in love. It was one of those situations where the boy talked to me once or twice, I fell madly in love, and admired him from afar (I know I'm making myself sound like a creepy stalker). Anyway, I was sure that one day he would really notice me and we'd fall in love. And then this would be our song. HA! It obviously never happened. I didn't exactly have boys fighting over me back then with my glasses, braces, frizzy hair, and acne :-P Either way, that song will always have a soft spot in my heart, and I can't hear it without remembering what it was like to feel that way for the first time :-)

"All I Want for Christmas is You" (Mariah Carey 1994) - This song is a Christmas song from 1994, but it reminds me of my first boyfriend in 2001. He was 18 and I was barely 16. An older man! Haha. I, again, thought I was falling in love. We dated in the fall, and I was really head over heels by about December. I would listen to this song over and over and think of my guy. So everytime I hear it, it makes me think of my first boyfriend, my first dates, and my first kiss. Aww, young love. Such a sweet, innocent time. Buuut, apparently the feeling wasn't mutual. He broke up with me five days before Christmas! lol...it's funny now, but it wasn't then! So the song also brings me back to my first heartbreak :-P

"I Hope You Dance" (Lee Ann Womack 2000) - This song reminds me of all the great friendships I had in high school. I remember my sophomore year being in the musical at school. My friends and I had a lot of "backstage" time to just hang out, and I remember listening to this song with them over and over while we played cards or talked. This was one I would turn on and belt out at the top of my lungs! Our concert choir even sang this at our pops concert my junior year. It just reminds me of the fun times and great friends I had in high school.

"Time of Your Life" (Greenday 1997) - Every time I hear this song I get nostalgic and sometimes a little tear sneaks out. It brings me back to 2003, walking down the aisle in our auditorium at the senior assembly with tears streaming down my face, just days before I graduated. It was our class song, and it reminds me of the end of a big chapter in my life!

"Amazed" (Lonestar 2000) - This song reminds me of my freshman year of college when I had my first serious boyfriend. We thought we were in love and talked about marriage (definitely WEREN'T in love though :-P). And this was our song. Now it leaves sort of a bad taste in my mouth when I hear it, because that relationship was not great. But it's a part of my life and I learned lots of lessons from it. And I can't hear that song without thinking of our relationship.

"Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts 2004) - This song reminds me of the beginning of my relationship with Luke! I can still remember how I felt back then, almost six years ago. I was giddy all the time, I was constantly thinking about him, I wanted to do nothing but spend time with him. All those times before that I thought I was in love suddenly paled in comparison. THIS was the real thing ;-) And this song reminds of that time and that feeling.

"Surrender" (Barlow Girl 2004) - This song has always touched my heart, and reminds me of graduating from college and having to start my life in the "real world." I was terrified. And I listened to this song to remind me that I needed to surrender it all to God. I still listen to it when I'm stressed out and want to do things my way.

"When God Made You" (Newsong feat. Natalie Grant 2003) - This song brings me back to our wedding day! I first heard the song at a Winter Jam concert a few months after Luke and I started dating. Luke was sitting beside me, and Rachel Lampa and Matthew West actually sang the song that night. I remember feeling so close to Luke as they sang the lyrics, and feeling so special thinking that God had Luke in mind when He created me and vice versa. I knew I wanted to dance to that song at our wedding, because even at that point, I knew we were going to get married. And I was right! A few years later we danced our first dance to that song, and everytime I hear it, I remember that special moment :-)

And I think that's enough for one night! Do you remember these songs?? What songs bring back memories to you?