some of my earliest memories of growing up involve hanging out with my dad, going for a drive and listening to the kingston trio. whenever i hear their music, i am taken back. and it was such a happy time, i can't help but feel happy when i hear the music, besides the fact that it makes me automatically and instantly think of my dad, who i absolutely adore--obviously. and my dad does play the guitar and he plays this music...so obviously i like it.
then, i remember when my older sister was in high school, one time she had her friend over and they were listening to "45's" on the record player and one of the songs was chantilly lace.
they were doing this skit in the kitchen or something...i mean, i may have all of the details completely wrong, but i know that this song and that night go together. and i love my older sister and i loved her friends (i thought they were so cool and "mature"), and so when i hear this song i am taken back and i am reminded of my sister and again, those happy times. (and don't get me started on her obsession with duran duran...i mean, buttons and all--besides the fact that every 80's song ever written reminds me of her, her friends and my brother.)
and then i remember a van halen album that my brother had and i was so shocked by the cover art.
i remember just staring at it for long periods of time, trying to figure out why they would have a smoking angel. but i loved the music, especially this song.
and i love my brother and, i'm not gonna lie, i may have idolized him a little...so of course i loved the music he listened to, too. and then there is that whole happy times thing, as well.
so, my point...well, my point is that because of the music that i was exposed to at a very young age, i have grown to appreciate all kinds of music. and through music, i have awesome childhood memories. and teenage memories and adulthood memories. you know they say that music triggers memories and i can't agree more.
so, why this post? well, i was "browsing" youtube and happened across this incredible cover of my favorite song, hands down, no questions asked.
in the fall of my twenty-fourth year, i up and moved to boston for two years. it was one of my most favorite life experiences and i cherish the time that i spent in that amazing city. i am so grateful for the friends that i made while i was there and all the memories that i have...vivid memories that are triggered by this song.
for the first little while that i was in boston, i was a bit homesick and music was how i soothed my little homesick soul. i would play my james taylor cd non-stop (just ask the roommates). i loved listening to my baby james because the music reminded me of "home" and helped me to not be sad.
well, when i moved back to utah in the fall--two years later--i listened to my baby james so i wouldn't be homesick for boston. because i had played my james so much during that first fall and so much during the fall that i moved home, to this day, every single time that i hear a james taylor song, i am immediately back at 158 kelton street. i'm am reminded of those unbelievably amazing and indescribably beautiful new england falls--if you have never experienced it, words cannot describe it. i attribute the fact that i love fall so much to the memories i made in boston and to the music that reminds me of it.
to me, the power of music is incredible and amazing and i really can't even express in words how i feel about music. but know this...i love music. and i love my baby james. and i love this song.