The "Remember When?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking back over the many, many years of stories I have written on this blog.   Had many a good laugh as well as a few sniffles after reading some of my more heartwarming stories.  Some were so much fun to read that I thought I would share one with you every so often.  So, hope you enjoy today's story that I wrote quite a few years ago.

The "Marooned Tunes" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching and listening to YouTube videos of a few songs I had never heard before.  Reason for my listening to the songs is a survey I recently gave to a few friends and relatives.  After reading a similar survey and enjoying filling it out for myself, I thought I would do much the same to see what types of music my friends and relatives have enjoyed during their lifetime.  My question to all was: You are stuck on a deserted island, but you have access to shelter, food and your choice of music.  What three tunes would you want to be able to hear to keep you company.  Those taking the survey had to list the songs as well as give a reason for their choices.  I also gave them the chance to list one additional song if they were having a tough time listing only three.  The people who filled out the survey ranged in age from our niece's 10 year old son to an old friend and classmate who is as old as dirt.  I must admit there were quite a few songs that I had never heard before, from both my older friends as well as the couple of younger kids who filled out the survey.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1. Ten year old Jack listed the Beatles song "Yellow Submarine" as his favorite because it is "relaxing".  I enjoyed his extra pick which was "Believer" by Imagine Dragons since it "gets me movin".  I must admit I had never heard of the group Imagine Dragons.
2. Surprisingly my daughter Brynn picked the song "Bird Dog" by the Everly Brothers as her extra pick.  I had no clue that she even knew who the Everly Brothers were.  She picked as her top choice a song by Outkast titled "Hey Ya".  Once again ... I have never heard the song.
3. My 13 year old granddaughter Camille's choice for her 2nd favorite song was a song by Usher and Alicia Keys titled "My Boo", because it's music to dance to.  Sounds like something kids on "Bandstand" with Dick Clark would say.  Her extra pick was titled "Body Like a Back Road" by Sam Hunt.  She liked it because it has a catchy chorus and background to the song.  Anyone other than me ever hear of this song?
4. My nephew Matt's first choice pick was "With a little help from my friends" by the Beatles.  He writes that he listened to a lot of "oldies" while growing up because of his mom.  Seems she listened to MoTown as well as the Beatles.  The song was also the song he and his wife picked for their wedding party to enter the room at their reception.  His second pick was "Better Together" by Jack Johnson.  He was introduced to this artist while crabbing at the beach with friends, thus this music always reminds him of the beach.  Funny that one of his extra picks was a Rolling Stones song, "Sympathy for the Devil."
5. Matt's mom, my sister-in-law, picked the Beatles song "In My Life" because it reminds her of dancing with her son at his wedding.  Her #2 pick, and one I would have thought would be her #1 choice, was the Notre Dame Fight Song.  It was written by the Rev. Michael J. Shea, a 1905 Notre Dame graduate.  Her third choice was the Temptation's "Ain't no Mountain High Enough" since it brings back high school memories.
6. My son Tad lists "Your Love" by The Outfield as his favorite since it always makes him smile and sing along.  His second favorite is "Burning Beard" by Clutch.  His all-time favorite singer is Chris Cornell and he lists his extra pick as anything Chris sings.
7. My good friend Sue, who is also a traveling companion along with her husband Jere, picks "Theme From A Summer Place" as her #1 pick.  Songs lyrics were by Mack Discant with music by Max Steiner.  Brings back good memories she says.  Her song for third place is "Hallelujah" from Shrek.  Gives her goosebumps when she hears it.
8. My other granddaughter, 15 year old Courtney, lists "8teen" by Khalid as her top choice since it is a happy, upbeat song that talks about being a teenager - like me!  Her extra choice song is "Attention" by Charlie Puth.  She chose this song because it talks about other people wanting attention instead of doing the right thing.  
9. One of my brother's grandchildren, Megan, lists "Roar" as her favorite, because she just likes it.  Good reason.  Miley Cyrus sings her second favorite called "Malibu", since it is relaxing for her.
10. My nephew's father-in-law Joe, who is close to me in age, picks as his favorite song "Pieces of April" since it was the song of he and his wife Cathy when they were dating.  How romantic!  Song was by Chicago.  His second choice was "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" by Nat King Cole and reminds him of Christmas as well as a great song to enjoy your time on a deserted island.  Another MoTown song by the Temptations "My Girl" was his #3 song since it would be a great fit to watch the waves roll in from the beach!  His extra is another beach hit by Otis Redding called "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay".
11. Good friend Jere picks "The Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page as his favorite, since it was his dad's favorite.  His second choice is "The Little Brown Church in the Vale" by Steve Hall, since his grandparents lived in Wildwood, NJ across the road from the church.  Surprisingly his extra pick is "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" by Loudon Wainwright III. Why?  Who knows!
12. As for my wife, Carol, her #1 pick happens to also be "Theme from a Summer Place" which she writes is the best love story ever!  Can't be better than our love story ... can it?  Carol was always a fan of the Beach Boys and she picked "Kokomo" as her second pick.  Another favorite group of her's was The Beatles and she picked as her #3 song "Let It Be."  An extra choice was one that came about because of our learning about a guy by the name of Jimmy Buffett.  We both love quite a few of his songs, but "Margaritaville" is her favorite Buffett song.
13. OK, time for me to reveal my favorites plus a few extras.  "Were You There" is a hymn that brings tears to my eyes every time my dad would sing it on Good Friday.  He would sing the stirring spiritual a cappella and by the end of the final verse you could hear sobbing throughout the church.  How he could sing that song without crying himself is still amazing to me.  This hymn is probably my #1 choice.  My #2 pick would have to be "Lady Of Spain" by Toichard which was written in 1931. When I was in 6th grade I began taking accordion lessons with a man by the name of Mickey Sinopoli.  He taught me a few songs on my 120 bass accordion with Lady of Spain being my favorite.  Played it in the only concert I remember.  And, my #3 pick would be "Green Stamps" by the T-Birds.  Bought the record when I worked in the record department of Grant's Department Store when I was 16.  Had very few copies sent to us and I bought one of them.  I had quite a few friends who wanted to buy it, but turned them all down.  Then, when I began teaching school, the school's photographer was a record collector and I traded him the record for a 35mm camera.  The memories of the record are perhaps much better than the song.  Naturally I have some more recognizable favorites.  Songs such as:  "True Love Ways" by Buddy Holly, "Back to the Islands" by Jimmy Buffett, "No Particular Place To Go" by Chuck Berry, "Sunshine On My Shoulder" by John Denver, "Why, Because I Love You" by Frankie Avalon, "When I Fall In Love" by The Lettermen, "Only You" by The Platters and "Walk, Don't Run" by the Ventures.  Recognize any of these?  If so, you are an old-timer as I am. So what might be your favorites?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.