We all have them. The mental or emotional response about an earlier time or event that is triggered when we hear a particular song.
I’ve been on a quest to record my memories associated with a host of songs. As I continue to research the time period of the song and events of history during the time of its release, I am finding that songs not only evoke a memory in my life but also serve to connect pieces of my life.
1962 – Introduction
I was born in 1962. The President of the United States in 1962 was John F. Kennedy. The European edition of The Stars and Stripes had headlines on my birth date as “Rapacki Plan Rejected by U.S.”, “French Push Search for OAS Band”, and “Pro-Nassar Revolt Ended, Syria Claims”. My mother kept that newspaper, and I recently found it in a box of her things.
One of the top movies for 1962 was To Kill a Mockingbird (“Greatest Films of the 1960s”). That book (and movie) would become one of my favorite pieces of literature to teach many, many years later with my sophomore classes. It will always be a pivotal work for me. When I left my first school after twelve years to go to another, my friends gave me a 40th Anniversary special edition of the book and each wrote a parting thought to me. It sits on my nightstand, and, periodically, I will pick it up and re-read passages from the book. A couple of years ago my sister gifted me with a necklace with a cut out from a page of the book that reads “Hey, Boo”. 1962 proved to be a good year.
Song and Memories – “The Twist”
According to Billboard “1962 Archives”, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker was the #1 song from January 13-20,1962. It is one of the earliest songs I can remember hearing in our home. (I have it playing in the background now.)
I remember as a girl, probably about six years old, when Daddy and Momma had people over and were entertaining. We weren’t allowed out among the guests when my parents had parties, but my sister and I would peek out from the hallway every once in a while to see what everyone was doing. Daddy was dancing just like Chubby Checker to this song. He was most definitely “doing the twist”.
Later, during my sophomore year in high school, I would dance to this song at the school Sock Hop and, along with my partner, win the dancing contest. My heart was broken over the breakup with my boyfriend at the time (oh, teenage love and heartache). My friend asked me to the Sock Hop, and we danced as though we had been dancing together for years. He was the cousin of one of my best friends. He would later marry another one of my best friends. It was a small rural school, and we were all pretty close then. Whenever I hear this song, I am reminded of these three people who were my friends in an earlier part of my life. Sadly, two of those three are no longer with us.
Song and Memories – “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
Also, in 1962, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by the Tokens was a number one song the week of January 6 (“1962 Archive”). I remember listening to it in later years because my older siblings liked it and we had the 45 in the house.
I remember playing that 45 record over and over, mostly because of the tension in the house and playing that record helped me hide away. (It is now playing in the background since I had to look up how to spell “weeoh aweem away”.)
In 1994, The Lion King movie was released. My oldest daughter was 7 years old, and my youngest was yet to be born. After my youngest was born and was old enough to watch, it became one of our favorite movies for the three of us to watch together. Of course, Timon and Pumba sing part of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Each time we watched the movie, we’d have to sign along:
“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.”
Then, just like Timon and Pumba, we’d belt out:
“Weeheeheehee, dee heeheeheehee, weeoh aweem away. Weeheeheehee, dee heeheeheehee, weeoh aweem away” (“The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight”).
Then, for the next few days, at random times – we’d starting singing the song together as it popped into our heads. Precious memories.
What Music Can Do
Music can teach, soothe, inspire, and trigger. Music goes beyond what words alone can do. There are scientific studies as to why this is true. I’m not really interested in the psychological aspect right now. I just know that I have memories connected to certain songs, and, more than likely, I will hear one on the way home tonight that will trigger my brain to remember.
What about you? What memories come to mind when you hear a particular song?
“1962 Archive.” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1962/hot-100.
“Greatest Films of the 1960s.” AMC Filmsite, AMC Network Entertainment LLC, http://www.filmsite.org/1962.html
“The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Genius, Genius Media Group Inc., genius.com/The-tokens-the-lion-sleeps-tonight-lyrics