My Life As An '80's Song

I've been considering adding another category to my life: My Life Sounds Like An 1980's Song.

Music is one of those things which I wish I understood better. I play and can read music, but I scarcely understand the hold music has on our brains: music is one of the senses which, by hearing something, has the ability to catapult us back in time to where and when we were when we heard that song. It's a sort of time machine, captured in 3 minute sections.

(As an interesting side note, the sense of smell also has this ability with me).

In being transported back to those times - which for me were high school and college - I am, of course, transported back to a simpler time (virtually no responsibilities) and probably a more ignorant time (dear Lord, why didn't I think more about a career?) - which is probably natural for anyone that age. I am also transported, through that music, to a time and place where I was different person in so many ways.

In listening to the music today, I wonder if really listened to or heard what the music said.

80's music (for the uninitiated) was not some great source of inspirational, life changing lyrics and tunes (Rush fans may argue differently, but they have their own issues). If I had to make vague generalizations (really generalized) I would find their themes around 1) Love and 2) Freedom (Yes, I'm sure there were plenty of sexually related songs there but not nearly what exists currently). The here and now was paramount; the later was not really paid mention to.

I listened to a wide variety of "rock" music (now characterized as "Classical Rock"), with favorites probably being Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Areosmith, Night Ranger, Queen and a large smattering of others (Van Halen (original), Scorpions, Hagar, The Cars, and numerous one hit wonders).

But looking back, now, I wonder what song my life has become.

Is it a soulful rock ballad of love, or of love lost? Hardly an uber-pumped up song about living life on the extreme, or being a man of action.

Hmmm. For wistful music, maybe "When You Close Your Eyes (Do You Dream About Me)?" by Night Ranger or "Once in a Lifetime" by The Talking Heads. "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar, or perhaps "Blue Collar Man" by Styx (Close runners up: "Long Way From Home" by Foreigner or "High Time" by Styx).

A far cry indeed from the music I thought spoke to me the most.

However I would like believe that, buried beneath this exterior of responsibility and duty, there exists that young man whose heart still races across the sunshine of endless fields of adventure, blood pumping to the thought of the here and now and all that the world has yet to offer, instead of what has been.

Kickstart My Heart indeed.