Monday, April 8, 2013

What's Your Theme Song?

I often think of the old episode of Ally McBeal where she picks a theme song for her life.  For years, whenever I had a big project at work, just before things really got intense in terms of workload, I would create myself a cd of music to listen to in my car during my late night and early morning commutes.  When I was working 18 hour days and racing against the clock, I considered these cd's my "theme songs" for the project.  The real purpose behind the music was that I would blast it loud and roll the windows down and use it to keep myself awake, especially when I was driving home in the wee hours of the morning after a killer day at work.

I would always label the cd with the name of the project, so that eventually I had a collection of cd's with project names scrawled across them.  I would listen to nothing else on my way to and from work, other than my "theme songs," so this collection of cd's essentially became a collection of memories of the projects and of my life at the time (although to be fair, often my life at the time WAS the project).  The cd's were always a mix of songs that were currently popular, and songs that reminded me of the project.  On one project for example, I had Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," because it reminded me of a jerk that I had to work with, who was working on the project from another company.  Every time I played the song during that project, I thought of him and laughed.  Years later, when I run across these old cd's and pop them into the cd player, I am transported back to those times.  They are like auditory scrapbooks.

I have to show off my (newly acquired) Spanish skills later this week, to see if my company thinks I am sufficiently proficient to do my job in Spanish.  If I am not, I will continue studying (sigh--both a blessing and a curse).  If I am sufficiently proficient, then I move on to do some other things and gear up for our big Latin American move.  So of course, I made myself a theme song CD.  Since I'm not commuting at this point, I've been playing a song or two as I start and end my day.  This Silvio Rodgriguez song is one of my favorites.  Plus, it's full of the subjunctive, so I can call listening to music "studying."   :)  

Do you have a theme song for your life?  If you had to choose one, what would it be?

2 comments:

Lori Lavender Luz said...

Oh, boy. Did I used to love Ally McBeal, and especially that episode.

Too funny about "You're So Vain." The term "auditory scrapbook" is so apt!

A song for my life....maybe Ingrid Michaelson's "Be OK." Or, even though it's dark and haunting, "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar has great meaning to me.

I'll be thinking about your question the rest of the day!

Lollipop Goldstein said...

Not theme songs, but I have songs I play as I'm driving somewhere to psyche myself up or get myself in a mood. Like if I have an interview, I'll play Rainbow High from Evita. At least I used to play Rainbow High.

If I had to sum up myself with one song, we jokingly always say "The Grouch" by Green Day. Go Google the lyrics if you're not at work.