The Soundtrack of My Life, Part II

I did a project with students a few years ago to create the "Soundtrack of Their Life" - a list of the songs that played a major part of their life or reminded them of a special moment.  I asked them to write a paragraph about each song and I even went so far as to help the kids create cds of their soundtracks. It was a great project, one that I wish I were able to continue (I really should run it by our literacy teachers).

Since it's a nice long Labor Day weekend, I've decided to expand the list I started a few years back. I want to encourage bloggers to share their own soundtrack choices, or maybe even just a song or two.


1. "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart.

The first song of the soundtrack is the #1 song on the day you were born.  That song for me is "Maggie May".  I gotta say, for a nearly 42 year-old song, it really holds up! Stewart's voice is one that I've thought is so wrong it's right. While I can't say I like all of his stuff, I must admit that I have rocked out to more than my share of his collection.

2. "Breakout" by Swing Out Sister

Absolutely, positively my favorite song of all time.  It's cheesy British pop from the 80s and I love every note of it.  Swing Out Sister is my favorite group and while there are other songs that I might want to listen to at a given moment, my love for the group began with this ditty.  It takes me back to being in high school and all of the good and not-so-good memories.  

3. "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael

Simply the best concert I've ever seen in person.  I was a senior in high school and George Michael brought his "Faith" tour to Pensacola.  It was the final show of the tour and there was no opening act, just 3 hours of George.  I had floor seats about 25 rows back and the entire night was incredible.  His 2nd encore was "Sex" and I remember him introducing it by saying, "I don't know how many of you enjoy multiple sexual encounters in one night....." The crowd went bonkers.  And oh yeah, there was that bootie of his.

4. "Only You Can Love Me This Way" by Keith Urban

Matt and I got married in 2010.  We were having quite a time trying to pick out a song for our first dance.  We'd hear stuff that we liked, but nothing that just said, "YES!"  That was until we heard "Only You.." in the car coming back from a cake tasting.  We both listened in silence and didn't say anything for a few minutes afterward. We just knew that was it.

It was a closely guarded secret (two people knew other than us) and for as much as I remember how wonderful that night was.  When I think of the first dance, I think of Cy the Cyclone, the Iowa State mascot.  We hired him to be at the wedding (we're big Iowa State fans) and he was there during the first dance.  I remember him being off to the side, watching up as we danced.  He looked as if he was wiping away tears of joy while we were on the dance floor.    

5. "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion

When Matt and I first started dating, this was our first "song".  Yeah we were two 20-somethings in love and Diane Warren's schlocky, co-dependent lyrics were just enough to top off any romantic evening.  I've always loved Kathy Griffin's take on the song. She was attending a Celine concert and hadn't sung the song.  She could tell the gays were getting nervous and were verging on revolting. Celine comes out for the encore and starts "For all the...."  "The place goes apeshit!  Gays were flying around me left and right."  That mental image never fails to crack me up.

6. "Always A Woman To Me" by Billy Joel

This one is dedicated to my great-Aunt Betty.  She was always the most elegant woman that I have ever known.  In 2005, I made the trip to Delaware to see her a few weeks before she passed away. I sat with her and we reminisced about years past.  It was truly a special moment for me.  

Added to that was a story shared with my by her stepdaughter, Dale.  After I had come out in 1994, Betty and Uncle Karl, along with Dale, were having dinner with my grandparents.  Both Grandma and Pop Pop were just not sure about me coming out and were worried about things would "look".  Betty looked at them both and said, "Get Over It!  It's not a big deal anymore."  I was never prouder to have her as my aunt.  

When I was leaving the care facility, I turned on the car and this song began to play.  I lost it.  I must have just sat in the car for a solid ten minutes just bawling.  I knew I was losing someone that truly meant the world to me.  I was so grateful that I was able to say a proper farewell.

7. "Why Georgia" by John Mayer

I've written about this song previously.  Hearing it takes me back to my days living in Tallahassee after I had finished graduate school.  I was at a crossroads in my life where I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do, where I needed to be, or who I was meant to be with.  I had amazing friends in Tally, but in retrospect, I was lonely.  Finally being out and wanting to start dating was something I desperately wanted to do (yet dateable guys were few and far between).

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy my Tally days.  I have some of the most amazing friends that I made while I was there along with some truly great memories (including one amazing audition for MTV's Lip Service).

8. "Time and Tide" by Basia

Basia is by far my favorite female singer.  This song comes from the very first cd I ever purchased.  It's amazing it still plays from the number of times I listened to it over the years. 

During my junior year of college, my roommate, Mark, and I traveled to Atlanta to see Basia in concert. We had a great time and I will never forget Mark keeping me awake on the drive back with some of the most inappropriate jokes ever.  

9. "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor

In the summer of 1998, my best friend from graduate school, Jennifer, was getting married.  I was supposed to fly to Salt Lake City for the wedding.  Unfortunately my grandmother passed away and I instead had to head to Philadelphia for the funeral.  When I called Utah to let Jenn know, I was wasn't able to speak to her, but to her fiance Kevin.  I shared with him that I was truly sorry that I wasn't able to make it and that I was hoping to dance with Jenn to "You've Got A Friend", a song we bonded over at FSU.  

I found out a few weeks later that Kevin surprised Jenn during the reception by having this song played.  As they danced, Kevin told Jenn, "this is from Robert."  I was so grateful that he would make the effort to do that.  It's been 15 years and I have yet to make it out to Utah to have that dance with Jenn.  I really need to do that. :-)

10. "Vogue" by Madonna

Seriously, how can a gay man have a personal soundtrack list and NOT include a Madonna song? 

I chose "Vogue" because of my experience in college.  There was a guy who threw the most amazing parties in Montgomery.  His name was Bill and he didn't go to Huntingdon, but a lot of students there got invited to his parties.  If you got an invitation, you were considered "in".  During my sophomore year, I got the invite and I was on top of the world.  At the party "Vogue" was played and I remember being on the dance floor (the living room) and having the time of my life.  I wasn't anywhere near being out, but that moment was so freeing.