Name That Tune

This morning I woke up to the sound of the Byrds singing Mr. Tambourine Man. You know the song. “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me. In the jingle jangle morning, I’ll come following you. ” What a great lyric by Bob Dylan! Jingle jangle morning! Wow. The song, like music often does, took me to a place in my memory. In particular, it took me back to high school. Our football coach used to beg us to put money in his tambourine for a piece of gym equipment he wanted, that the school wouldn’t buy. I’ve written about that before. This time I am talking about the places music can take us.

If I hear early Beatles, like “She Love You”, I am right back in my seat in Mr. Dorward’s sixth grade class. What a fun year that was! “Lady Willpower” by the Union Gap reminds of a particularly bad breakup with a girlfriend in my junior year of high school. “Wonderland by Night”. Well, I never hear that song anymore, but if I did, it’s prom time! I’m sure you all have songs that are special to you from different points in your life.

Most of you know that my daughter, Amy, died at seventeen in 1989. She was a huge Guns and Roses fan. Today, if I hear Axl Rose singing I think immediately of Amy. Especially if the song is “Sweet Child of Mine”. Instant teary eyes. If I hear a Monkees song, I remember my wife being thrown up on, at a Monkees concert, by a very drunk teen girl. Sometimes the memories are not the greatest.

Music brings back memories, both good and bad. But music also heals. Van Morrison’s album “Avalon Sunset” came out right around the time of my daughter’s death. To me it felt like it was written just for me. To me it felt like he knew he could help me cope with her death. Do you know some of these songs from the album? “Have I Told You Lately”, “Whenever God Shines His Light”, “Contacting My Angel” “Daring Night”, “These Are the Days”. Sometimes, in a quiet hour, I will just close my eyes, listen to this album. and remember that time, and her.

I hope I stirred up some memories for you. I hope you will think about songs that have been important in your life. Revisit them. Wait for the memories and the emotions, good and bad, to wash over you. You know the best time to do this? In the jingle jangle morning! I love that phrase.