“Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it”. So said Stevie Wonder, and he wasn’t wrong.
I have so many memories of various events throughout my life, and a large proportion seem to stem from my formative years – certain songs attach to certain things in your life, and it seems as though those teenage years are loaded with significant events.
Be it my first kiss, my first job, my first New Year’s Eve party, even argument with my best friend, there are so many different tracks that can whisk me straight back to the very moment, so much so that I could close my eyes and be there. Do you ever experience that?
As soon as one of those songs come on the radio (and there’s no doubt that the older you get, the less frequently you hear your favourites over the airwaves!), off I’m dragged down Memory Lane, whether I want to go or not, transported back to the exact time when that song first developed its meaning. Very often it involves an encounter with the opposite sex, but other moments can include fantastic times with friends or even long days in certain jobs or dreary lessons at school.
Some of my favourite songs are those from many decades ago, proving that the longer you know a melody, the more significant it can become in your life – just as Stevie said.
We’d love to hear what your favourite songs are, and where they take back you to. Do your favourites tend to stem from your formative years, or do some of your life-changing event memories come with their own soundtrack? Tell us in the comments below…