As it is with many others, music has played a huge part in life for as long as I can remember.
While my late nanny, Bibi Koya remembers my brothers as fussy eaters, her biggest memory of me is a non-stop dancing and singing toddler.
Not much has changed, especially in a Karaoke studio. Ahems.
There’s also the songs that define certain chapters of our lives.
Not necessarily one that acquires our personal taste but somehow synchronicity transforms a certain melody into a life long memory.
Voila! It becomes part of the soundtrack of life.
I have a tonne of these ditties. Some stuck in my head cushioned with a whole load of loving nostalgia. Others I wish there was a brick wall to beat them out. (Thank you, Thomas and his friends)
I’ve nailed it down to 3. Not sure how I managed such a harsh cull but here they are:
Got To Be Real by Cheryl Lynn
Having an older brother who was a big disco goer, I grew up around a LOT of funky 70’s music and this song was no exception.
Then, it did another round of success when Sex And The City featured it in that classic episode where Carrie trips on the runway. Besides being hilarious, there was a poignant message there about bravery and staying true to yourself.
“When real people fall down in life, they get up and keep on walking”
It stuck with me like it was dying to be part of my life in some significant way or another.
So, it seemed like the natural choice to have it for our bridal waltz.
The band we hired rehearsed it for weeks and in the meantime, we took ballroom dancing classes and came up with moves that would send John Travolta to shame
Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
The birth of the twinions was planned meticulously by my obstetrician.
Due to be born 5 weeks early, a c-section was scheduled and wow, what a performance it was! There were at least 8 staff in that operating theatre, not including the overwhelmed medical student in the corner who kept giving me shifty looks. Luckily I was too drugged out to care.
Apparently, music in the theatre had just been allowed so one of the younger staff members brought in their brother’s iPod. Deciding that The Ministry of Sound playlist was probably inappropriate, we unanimously agreed on Jack Johnson. Which was a much better idea. I heart Jack.
“But just maybe, like a ukelele, Momma made a baby” (or two)
Fernando by ABBA
In a new country, new climate with no friends or family, Australia was a very scary place.
But it was the mid 70’s and the entire world was swept by ABBA.
We arrived from the tropics of Indonesia to the dead of Canberra winter. (Talk about lousy timing). I remember my mother sitting in our cold kitchen and humming Fernando while cooking Indonesian spring rolls to sell as a bit of pocket money as she was looking for permanent work.
“They were shining there for you and me, for liberty, Fernando”
As the ABBA hit stayed #1 in the Australian charts for 14 weeks, the same time we slowly settled into our new lives, filling it with opportunities, good, clean food and water with backyards where we could grow our own apple trees. Imagine that. Our own apple trees.
(And that’s about as topless as you’ll ever see me).
What are the songs that make the soundtrack to your life?
Tell me or better yet, write a post about it! I’m always looking for new songs to love. Link it to next week’s #FYBF
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Do you remember Come on Eileen? Yep, I used to rollerskate to it! Ha! I was really good at rollerskating – I bet I couldn’t even stand on the things now! ABBA were just the best until they all divorced and their music turned all depressing (Winner Takes it All.)
I am surprised to read you had only 8 people present for a c-section! The most I had in attendance at one birth in the surgery was 18! Straightforward and standard c-section delivery of a singleton!
Jody at Six Little Hearts recently posted..The Melbourne Series – Christmas in July at Sovereign Hill – A Review
Music does play a huge part in your life. I must say though that it plays a much bigger part in my hubby’s life. He loves music and plays drums in a rock band. Me, on the other hand, I love music but in more of a turn the radio on and see what’s playing kinda way! xxx
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PS: Refrain from using images of your beautiful babies as they make me extremely clucky and we just cannot continue to make people at the rate we have!
Jody at Six Little Hearts recently posted..The Melbourne Series – Christmas in July at Sovereign Hill – A Review
Will have to get my thinking hat on….
Lydia C. Lee recently posted..Why I write…
Huge SATC fan right here! That episode would have to be one of my absolute faves. It does have a great message about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off – just in case you find you’re ever fashion roadkill. Great idea for a post. X
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Gorgeous photos! Will have to contemplate your question all day… 🙂
Lee-Anne recently posted..Short Sojourn and Shameless Selfie.
I’ll have to give it some thought once the Frozen craze has passed. Right now all other music has been replaced in my brain by Let it Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman? !!!
Bec @ Seeing the Lighter Side of Parenting recently posted..The crazy truth about Mothers Group – Guest Post
I love Fernando – Yet I wasn’t even born when it came out. Some songs are just timeless.
Emma Fahy Davis recently posted..What the MRI said – and what it didn’t say…
What a gorgeous mite you were!! So Enya features a lot during the important moments of my life, at the birth of most of my babies and when I finally realised I was giving my heart to the wrong person! LOVE your songs… and your zest for life Gracie xx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me recently posted..Time with grandparents is precious – Wordless Wednesday
What a great idea for a post Grace. Music is a very big part of my life too. The soundtrack to my life is of very questionable taste, but it’s my soundtrack and I love it! xx
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At the moment my days are filled with the Frozen soundtrack but I am learning to embrace it and decided the best way to cope is to sing along crazy loud and proud. And yes, it was funny to be linking back to a post about you today 🙂
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages recently posted..Wanderlust Istanbul
Love love love your wedding waltz! We had Calvin Harris, I Feel So Close. It puts me on a high every time I hear it. x
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So many songs to choose from! How did you get it down to three?
Don’t you sometimes wish you could watch your life as a movie, and hear the music in the background?
I don’t know all the sings I would pick. Drops of Jupiter would be there for a few years I think.
And switchfoots Learning to Breathe would also appear.
Aargh it’s hard to choose!!
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Wonderful choices Grace. It’s amazing how certain songs can send us zinging back to a particular time and place. You got lucky with the twinions’ birth though – the anaesthetist governed the playlist during my first c-section and he was all about Guns and Roses!
Lara @ This Charming Mum recently posted..Reservoir Dad – The Book by Clint Greagen
Oh too many to choose … What would we do without music? I just drove 10 hrs to banora point last night and put my iPod on shuffle and turned the volume up! It was so enjoyable, and kept me alert too as I was pretty tired. Grace the first song that popped into my head though when I read yr post was Big yellow taxi. I used to play it for friends at parties. I just love Joni Mitchell’s voice … And now my little girl loves it and asks me to play it. She sings along, and is learning the guitar (on and off). I don’t think we’ll have another Joni but I think she’s developing a really lovely social conscience. What would we do with out music xx
Look at your gorgeous little self with your mama!
Different songs for different stages here, and when I hear them they all prompt a different reaction in my brain. I went through a big Don McLean stage at a significant time in my life, and can’t go past American Pie for number one on my soundtrack. Not that hack job Madge did, but the original!
Poor Carrie, that just made me love her all the more x
Lisa@RandomActsOfZen recently posted..Would You Change?
I would not know where to start, I love so many different types of music! Will have to put my thinking cap on! x N
Nikki@WonderfullyWomen recently posted..The only good thing about winter…hot chocolate!
Music is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it? I have two songs that resonate with me because of the message and its personal meaning to me. One was ‘Dive in’ by Darius which I heard around the time I was 20 and was struggling with my future options and the other is ‘Moment in the Sun’ by The Living End which I could say is the story of my life… 🙂
by the way, I love that first picture — glorious!!!
Sanch @ Living my Imperfect Life recently posted..Time for an Imperfect Giveaway
I will definitely be writing a post about this! Music is such a massive part of my life, and I have incredible memories formed around different tunes and lyrics.
I’ve been thinking for a while now about how certain songs/artists are forming the soundtrack to writing my novel—Bastille, Sia, Muse, Lorde, Susanne Sundfor and Royksopp. I love that—that one day I’ll read my novel back to myself (because it’s just so *cough* good— and will be able to hear those songs in my head. Or vice versa. Music is so amazing, like smells and perfumes, to fire up that frontal lob! Kx
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You had me until Abba! Haha…
My soundtrack is mostly made up of REM these days, thanks to a slightly obsessive husband.
But one of my favourites is Darren Hanlon who played at our wedding.
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I loved this little walk through your life told through music. I have no idea what my soundtrack would be I must have a think about it. How gorgeous are those wee twinions! That must have been hard adjusting to Canberra from warm and tropical Indonesia. I love the last photo of you with your Mum. There is something about photos from times past that always intrigue me. Happy FYBF.
Druime@SnippetsandSpirits recently posted..Your Story Sunday-Leanda Michelle
I agree with Jody. Those photos make me clucky too. Interesting question and prompt for next week Grace.
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Thank you Grace, you’ve just give me inspiration for next week’s post! There are so many to choose from, it will be hard to narrow it down to just a few. And it will probably be a very 90s heavy list, although there are a couple 80s ones that will most likely make it in too.
Kylie Purtell recently posted..Unspiration – Don’t Suck.
I love the shot of you two, bustin’ a move at your wedding! Fab! I love the idea of music as life’s soundtrack… and the one that most recently springs to mind is “Awake my soul” by Mumford and Sons. Tiny took her first breath to it, so it’s pretty darn special. X
Bec | Mumma Tells recently posted..Dear Winter
I’m all about music. At one stage, I had a theme song of the week on the blog. You can see my Soundtrack of Life here : https://www.msmysterycase.com/2013/10/soundtrack-of-my-life.html
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I grew up in a very sedate home, where the music playing was most likely Hymns or Nana Mouskouri ( not even joking!).
Hubby is still firmly wedged in 1980’s rock – His Ipod is full of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses… In fact at our wedding, apart from the bridal waltz, the only time he danced was to Kai San ( Cold Chisel) and he wasn’t dancing with me. I don’t think he has danced since then.. 21 years!
I love music playing in our house, It’s most likely to be Country Music, we all love Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Lisa (@lybliss) recently posted..Giveaway Ranty-pants
Fun walk down memory lane, thanks Grace 🙂 Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and all their crew still do it for me. Van Morrison always holds a soft spot for me too, Crazy Love was our wedding song 🙂
Kate QTQF recently posted..Time does not define me: 7 truths that are hitting home right now
Great choice of songs Grace and love the pictures you have shared 🙂 My soundtrack includes a very strange collection of songs ranging from ‘Walking on Sunshine’ by Katrina and the Waves which takes me back to singing in my Nan’s back yard, ‘Rainbow Connection’ was the first song I danced to at a concert, ‘Time of your Life’ by Greenday was our graduation song and ‘I’ll be there’ by Mariah Carey was the song played at my late Mother in Laws Funeral and again a few months later at our wedding for our first dance. One of the most special songs is a gorgeous version of ‘Twinkle Twinkle little star” which was played during our babies funeral. I now sing it to our boys and it’s one of their favourites which I just love. Great post Grace xx
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The Thomas theme music (from 18 years ago – not the song they have today) still makes me feel sick. That’s because when I was morning sick with Miss 17, I would bung a Thomas video in to entertain my toddler son while I lay on the couch and felt like dying!!!
Janet aka Middle Aged Mama recently posted..Blogging Clarity Challenge 5: Energise!
What a fantastic list. And what a gorgeous baby smile so early on. They were so handsome from the beginning. My song is and always has been, ‘Wake me up before you go go.’
‘There’s 2, there’s 4, there’s 6, there’s 8. Shunting cars….’ 😉
Cybele recently posted..How to have beach hair everyday, a salt hair spray tutorial
Great selection of songs there Grace! Fernando particularly featured in my life. I was so proud that I knew every word to that song 😉
Min@MinsMash recently posted..Why I Write
Love that photo from your wedding, Mr Surfer looks super professional 🙂
Tat recently posted..Find the wisdom of your dreams
Love all of your song choices! Our bridal waltz was ‘Let’s Stay Together’ 🙂 Lovin’ your groovy wedding moves!
Kaz @ Melting Moments recently posted..Weekly Wrap Up – Things I forgot about 4 Month Olds
Haven’t blogged this week, so no post to link, but love this topic!
Burn For You by John Farnham, Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds, Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, Man! I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain, Heaven by Bryan Adams. Was I supposed to pick only three? Sorry! I’ll stop there though could add many more.
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I slow-danced with my hubby (boyfriend then) for the first time to Air Supply’s Making Love Out of Nothing At All” at our college’s Orientation ball night and it has since become ‘our song’.
Songs by The Carpenters especially Karen’s haunting voice always bring me back to my childhood days.
I have shared this on a much earlier post – https://ofmiceandramen.blogspot.com/2012/07/hainanese-pork-chops-and-my-hometown.html
I always look forward to reading your blog, Grace.
Happy Friday!
I probably have break up or romance songs that define a relationship, more than a song that becomes a life soundtrack. Still, I hear these songs now and I am back in the first throws of love or the angst of heart break.
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Oh I love Banana pancakes!! Brings back such great memories for me too. Wow, so many songs are popping into my head right now and making me quite nostalic! I wonder is “Do you wanna built a snowman?” will become one of them?? x
Robyn (Mrs D) recently posted..Our little Miss L turns two
Oops can’t spell -meant nostalgic!!
Robyn (Mrs D) recently posted..Our little Miss L turns two
Music is a huge part of our life as well – it brings back so many great memories. I have always loved “Amazing Grace” {wanted it at our wedding but wasn’t allowed!!!} but my all time favorite song is”Just the way you are” by Bruno Mars – its so beautiful.
Love the pictures of your twins {and perfect music for the delivery room!} and gosh it must have been so very cold in Canberra in Winter time. Your Mum is so clever with her ideas on making money, need to ask her secret for inspiration!
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Well done on narrowing it down to three. This would take a fair bit of thinking from me, and it would take even longer to actually post about it lol. I will have to try though!
Alicia recently posted..The aussie pear cookbook.
A gorgeous post Grace. I love that music can have so many different meanings to everyone.
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I love all the songs you have mentioned too. At the moment I keep singing ‘We are done” and doing the music interlude…. in-between , my husband keeps saying don’t ruin it for me!
I thought it was a cover of an old song, I love it because it’s new, it feels like it been around for ages.
Oh and I’m a big fan of “Skyful of stars” at the moment too.
There are so many Grace but I can tell you that when I was watching The Voice yesterday and heard Total Eclipse of the Heart, I was brought back to when I was about fourteen as I went with my best friend’s family to a cabin and we had the time of your life, this song playing in the background!
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