This series is a result of blogging buddy Susan at Transient Travels post, “When music takes you places” a couple of months ago. There had been my own post sitting in my draft box for a while on the same topic, but as I kept adding notes on songs and memories, I realized it was too much for one single post so I decided to develop it into a series. I may not do this every Monday, but once I started reflecting on the songs that had special meaning in my life I came up with quite a list!
Wasn’t easy figuring out where to start, and I am not really sure how I settled on this one, but here goes!
Journey’s Lights
Or as I call it “City by the Bay.” As I have mentioned many times, I grew up an Army brat, meaning we moved around a lot. I did not have a home town, but my parents did. Both of them grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. So visiting relatives (for the most part) meant trips to California. And California was magical. Land of the Beach Boys, surfing, avocado, the sun.
Whenever I would move somewhere new, there was always the inevitable, “where are you from?” The answer would always be, “California.” Since 90% of my life up until the time I was a sophomore in high school was spent on the East Coast, this was a magical answer that ensured instant “aweness.”
California was magical for me as well. Visits to see Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles. See’s Candies, Nation’s Hamburgers, It’s-It Ice Cream sandwiches. Marine World, swimming pools and Portuguese food.
When I hit my teens I was enamored with Journey, who of course came from the San Francisco Bay Area. I always felt like it was the greatest tragedy that by the time I moved to SF to go to school, they had already broken up!
I loved their songs and played them on my tape deck over and over, watching the MTV videos and concert specials. I have favorites, but whenever I heard “Lights” I was instantly transported to California.
And still today, every time I hear it, I remember exactly how I felt growing up when I heard that song – “home.”
Do you have a song that reminds you of home?
Thanks to gal pal Christina Martinez who developed the logo for me. Sean is on hiatus for awhile and Christina is filling in with graphics work.
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I was born in L.A. – grew up across the South Central Plains. My dad was a sailor-turned-preacher. We moved a lot, too. I went to high school in rural Kansas, so John Cougar's Smalltown and Jack and Diane remind me of that place. But, Kansas isn't home. HOme is wherever all my mom's stuff is. And, songs that make me think of her – anything from the Sound of Music.
Great post, Andi. I love the line about avocados. I spent many summers visiting family in California , too.
Ahh, those musical memories….thanks for the memory jog for the song that reminds me most of home. I grew up in Milwaukee, and I would say that the ONE song that really brings me back is Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love". Every time I hear it I'm back in High School, trying to get up the nerve to ask a pretty girl to dance.
Did I ever get up that nerve? Rarely.
But it's still a great memory.
Thanks Andi!
PS: "Lights" is awesome.
You know what, I am doing another post on this tonight. Thank you so much for the shout out
I love Journey too, I've seen them in concert a handful of times. You have such a great memory of them!
I love that song…and how dumb…I did not know Journey was from San Francisco, and how coincidental that it was in 1987 that I moved to the Bay Area. Great memory!