Music That Brings Memories Back to Life

I was working out at the gym, not really paying attention to the overhead rock\pop music used as background noise. As I worked out a series of songs were played and my mind began to drift to a specific year, place and time. It was clear as day, I recalled everything in detail, what was said, did and happened.

People with Alzheimer's disease often are in a blank state but many times a song will trigger a seemingly cognitive response as if there was nothing wrong. It is rather startling to see in person, especially if they really don't know who you are anymore, yet the song, triggers a very alert response. They recall everything in detail. Then, after the song, they return to their former state, staring out a window and unresponsive.

At the gym, the songs that triggered my long forgotten memories were:

• It's My Party by Leslie Gore - I was not more than eight when we were driving in my mom's Chevy Corvair in Austin, TX. We were going to a store and stopped at the traffic light. The pop song came on the radio (circa 1965). I was looking out the window and the song's "hook" of, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to" just became part of me, never to be forgotten.
• Paperback Writer-The Beatles- Even today, the opening guitar riff and drums are stirring, the harmonies are iconic Beatles signatures, so copied today here and there. My brother and I were coming back from San Antonio to Austin. The radio was always controlled by the parents and it was long drive. We were in our blue new 1965 Thunderbird, on the highway. My mom was changing the radio station and she passed the pop station. The announcer was just introducing the song. I screamed, "Stop!". My brother made a face."It's the the Beatles!, I wanna hear it!" Luckily, my mom was more tolerant than my dad about rock music. It was bliss. I started tapping my foot, humming. I told her to turn it up. She complied but it didn't last long, my dad turned it down. I begged for him to turn it up. I was ignored. Of course, I went on to buy the single, play it at full volume in my room. When my dad told me to turn it down, I did only did until he left, then, I cranked it up.
• Santana's Abraxis LP came out in 1971-2, it was a breakthrough LP for the band that remains his best fusion of Latin and rock music. By now, my friend and I were smoking weed. His parents had left for the weekend and it was PARTY time. A small group of friends gathered that night and the records came out at full volume. However, the dominant one was Santana's. After everyone had left, only my friend and I remained and we were very wasted. I recall laying on the floor, near the heating vent. The Santana LP played, the heater came on and the heat rolled over me like a warm tropical breeze. It was very comforting and I longed to go back to Hawaii.

What songs take you back in time?