Dear friends,
The other day a friend told me I listened to "dad rock." I actually took this as a compliment, because my Dad's rock still plays in my heart more than any music.
Today I was cleaning the house. Windows open, music on, vacuum going. When I turned it off a song came on that made me sit awhile to just look through old family photos. I love how a song can bring you back to memories 20 years old.
When we were little, Auva and I would sit in the backseat of my Dad's car. And in those short trips to the doctor's office, way home from school, or errand to run, we heard all of my Dad's favorite songs.
One day she heard me humming Don Mclean's American Pie.
I was probably 7 years old, and for a good Summer, she had me convinced that she had written that song for him, and he performed it.
Today, I just can't get into music that way. I can't imagine driving my kids to the lake, and blaring Lady Gaga. I don't see them 20 years down the road hearing one of her songs while they clean their homes, overcome with emotion at the memories we had together, listening to Poker Face.
So I guess I listen to Dad Rock. I think I might be completely okay with that.
Have a wonderful weekend, lovelies.
I will be ankle deep in the mud, trying to save my garden.
31 comments:
I like 'dad rock' too, but my music collection is very eclectic.. and wouldn't you know, my 20 month old daughter loves the Lady Gaga. :] We have made many memories having nitely dance offs to the likes of Gaga!
HA! I stand corrected.
Maybe I'm just biased :) I can't do the gaga.
I'm right there with ya...I love everything my dad used to play. I don't see my dad much anymore, so it's a way to remember the good times :)
lovely post!!! as a child, i grew up hearing "dad rock" too! haha! it holds so many early memories for me. popular music today just isn't what it used to be... lady gaga just doesn't have that sound. lol
it's ok... I couldn't stand her music at first, but I found that it's great to work out to. And the little one likes The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.. so she's still cool. :]
you know, it's funny. technically, i agree. and yet, it's always a surprise what memories our kids hold onto as "good" memories. there's magic in there...
Whenever I hear "Southern Cross", I am immediately transported back in time to a cabin in the mountains of North Central Pennsylvania. My family used to have epic gatherings there and my older cousins (much older - 20 years older) used to invite their super cool friends to come and camp in the fields. There would be tents and camp fires, guitars and long hair on both the boys and the girls.
I remember sitting with a group of them and singing along, "I have been a-rou-ou-ou-ound the world"... oh, those days of old!
On the other side of the field, my father sat with his cousins, listening to Scottish trad music with a bit of Dylan thrown in.
I agree - Dad music and family music is the only way to go!
Weird.
This is the same conversation I had in my head just today, driving in the car. Aura, I recently found out I am pregnant. I am so happy, but I also worry about raising a child in this modern world of ours. I decided that I would go to the library and burn copies of all the music that I remember growing up (Neil Young, the doors, CCR, the Beatles etc etc) and only let my child listen to old folksy music. I want my children to have memories of mom singing peaceful, hopeful songs while doing the dishes. I want them to know real music.
Thank you for posting this.
ps. no one else know's my little secret! sssshhhh
I feel the exact same way and it shocks you a little when you hear your child singing 'Don't cha' by the Pussycat dolls, my daughter came home singing that from school, it was a little scary especially when she would emphasise 'Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me'. I have to giggle about it now but back then, I was a little worried. Songs just aren't the same anymore. A lot of influence on your children taste in music has to do with your taste in music. Most of my ipod music are songs that my parents listened to like Kenny Rogers, Roger Whittaker and Ray Charles and it is the same for my brother and sisters. And I'm sure your children will love all the music you love.
I hope your garden is ok :)
today's music makes me want to weep... one of my favourite songs is American Pie... keep crooning, keep listening to Dad Rock and urging today's youth to remember depth of song...
"...drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry...." My kids may know the pop crap but they also know a little Van Morrison and John Lennon. This Norah/Willie is a fave of mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU9hWiYjVTY
i can't do the gaga either, Aura.
I share this feeling with you, I can't stand the "new" music what the radio is full of. And because of you, I have found really good artists!
Good luck with the garden, I'm crossing fingers that everything will be saved!
i love dad rock! and i love the memories i have of being a little girl, sitting in the front seat with the windows down, hair blowing, watching my dad sing and drive.
I was just told something similar recently.. "Old man music" I think was the term used. I too, took it as a compliment :D
"..Bye bye ms. american pie"
we always lived far out of town beside a lake on the oregon coast, and my dad would pick me up from school in his scout international and we'd listen to velvet underground on the way home, while he sipped from a beer bottle. this post did bring back some great memories, so thank you. gonna put on a little more dad rock in the car for my kids. :)
Man oh man oh man oh man! Im so happy I found your blog. You have made my weekend! I love everything about it!! You're wedding looked beautiful and all the hand mande things just made it that much more YOURS!
congrats
You really hit the spot with this post. Modern music just doesn't have that "lasting" factor. The good old rock of decades past had passion and feeling. Sure Lady Gaga and the like make good music, but a few years down the line no one's really going to remember it in any special way. It won't mean anything to us like "Dad rock" does. I'm never happier than when I'm listening to some good old classics, so to speak.
That is totally not a thing to be ashamed of. I used to listen to Simon & Garfunkel when I was drawing. I still do. Later I found out my Dad listened to the same albums when he was in architecture school in the 60's.
American Pie happens to be the only song I know all the words to (yes the whole song). I used to sing it to my horse when he was a baby. It calmed us both down when things got tense. It's my favorite song ever. I even named my future (hopefully very soon) Etsy business Whiskey and Rye.
Dad rock is awesome.
Ladies- It makes me so happy to read all your comments. I was reading over them on the couch with Michael last night, and I told him that it's so incredible to read your own memories in response to something I said. Thanks for reading along, and for your always personal and touching stories.
Anonymous- Congratulations, Mama :)
I have to say we subscribe to the same music taste. I adore all the music my father had me listen to growing up, and my mom's favorite tunes as well. I always get excited when I movie has Neil Diamond in it.
The Ga has taken a while to grow on me. Given the right time and place I like her music. She is a performer and I do think that from an entertainment aspect she is a star, however like you said I don't see my future children getting all mushy over childhood memories listening to her music. I'll leave that to me, I get all 'Remember back in the day' whenever I hear Ice Ice Baby ;)
In all seriousness - classic rock is my childhood, my teens and my today. I still rock out to stuff I listened to in high school as well as my first years of college.
Classics will never die - they will only stand the test of time. We will see where miss Ga is in a few years. No hate to her but you know what I'm saying. We all thought Madonna would rule for a lifetime and I really think she's still amazing in her own right but I doubt she will ever hold a candle to the the Beatles or the Stones. ox
I listen to 'dad rock' too and I wouldn't have it any other way. I remember growing up and having kids look at me funny for being utterly obsessed with the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. Even though a good song or artist comes every now and then, I know when I get older and have kids I'll still be rocking to the same old tunes I grew up with, sitting in my dad's car. He's taught me everything I need to ever know about music.
i love this post. i have a new baby, 9 weeks old, and the song I sing to him over and over is John Denver's "leaving on a jet plane" and already i have daydreams of him, grown, feeling nostalgic for this song and his mama.
Haha! I listen to Dad rock too! My dad collected cassette tapes, and always had a stash in the car. I remember many long car rides to the ocean, blasting the Who, the Beatles, and Pink Floyd! Ah, the good times!
The good old rock of decades past had passion and feeling.
I like dad rock too-your dad's anyway! My dad has always been faithful to Sinatra, Dean Martin etc. Which I like too. I think it's a comfort spot we all go to when we hear the sounds that surrounded us when we were young. Nice post:)
I want my children to have memories of mom singing peaceful, hopeful songs while doing the dishes.
Oh Dad rock...I am right there with you. As kids, my brother and I would sing along to American Pie with my Mom in the car. We were like 6 and 10. My brother loved that song. Even as a teenager, he would sing along to it like it was just as cool as JZ and Eminem. He died in a accident in 2006 at age 17. When ever I hear that song...I picture that 6 year old little boy singing along in the back seat of the car...
I love that song. I agree that there is not a lot of current music I feel will last past our current era.
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I like the two pictures of the kitty, it was really creative how you took a picture of it's head and and picture of kitty feet and put them together. Really cool idea :) and your blog is beautiful, good work!
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