Suzanne's Soundtrack Sunday

The music of Mom.

If you're the average person, certain songs are flashbacks to certain times and events in your life. Other songs remind you of friends you've lost touch with years before, the summer hanging out at the pool or hours spent assembling/disassembling sets from one college production after another.

Meanwhile, there are songs that are stamped indelibly with loved ones that years later, you can't help but smile when you hear them, no matter hokey they may be. And so it is with my Mom.

Mom loved music. If you came into our house and Mom was there, the radio was on. Sometimes, it was 'Beautiful Music' or 'The Music of Your Life', AKA the elevator music stations (WHLI and WKJY, if my memory serves me well). Those were typically on when Mom wanted music, but was probably thinking through stuff or needed to concentrate on a sewing project or tax return for a friend.

More often than not, it'd be tuned to an easy listening station and you'd hear Mom singing along with her favorites. Only problem is that my Mom couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Her enthusiasm shone through, so even after she's gone, I can hear her not quite dulcet tones singing some of those favorites.

What were those favorites? There were a few dozen, but here are a few:

Kenny Rogers-Lucille
. I don't think she ever did the mondegreen "400 children", but boy, could she belt out "You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, LUCILLE!"

Wedding Bell Blues-Fifth Dimension
I believe this one was particularly for "Won't You Marry Me, Bill?" that Marilyn McCoo wrote to her intended, but my mom would croon this one to HER Bill long after they had tied the knot.

Copacabana-Barry ManilowI think Mom had a soft spot for all of Barry's stuff, but this one earned the distiction of Mom actually learning more than just the chorus!

Breakin Up Is Hard to Do-Neil SedakaThe slowed down version, not the original.

I can still hear her singing along with them. Mind you, there are probably about 200 more songs that I can hear and remind me of my mom and that stereo in Merrick playing, but these few? I can't hear them without Mom singing along.

And Mom isn't hear to explain why, when I'm holding a kid in a pool, I have this irresistable urge to bounce them around and hum the Mexican Hat Dance. Any ideas? ;)

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms out there. I hope that your kids all have songs that as soon as they hear them, they smile, because the song says "MOM" to them.

Boy, do I hope my boys someday can say the same thing...







Comments

my mom still loves to sing -- off key and with mangled lyrics. her favorite seems to be "All That Jazz" from "Chicago".
Unknown said…
I hope you had a Happy Mother's Day, Suzanne.

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