Mundane Music Moments

It's pretty much conventional wisdom that music is tied to memory. I'm sure almost everyone has experienced the uncanny ability of a particular song to evoke a particular event from the past. What I've come to realize is that this is true not only for important moments, but also for really mundane ones. Sure, I can tell you that it was Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" that was playing before one of the last football games of senior year while I stood crammed in a huge group, jumping and singing along, yet simultaneously thinking about the fact that it was one of the last tailgates my college friends and I would have together. That makes sense...it's kind of poetic, right? But I can tell you in equally vivid detail that REM's "Nightswimming" was playing on the radio one random weeknight when my three roommates and I drove to the Arsenal Mall outside of Boston during a rare car trip for some suburban shopping. I have no idea why that particular moment has stuck with me, but I think of it every time I hear that song.

Even more puzzling is when this happens with a song I don't even particularly like. You know that Kid Rock song from a few years ago? The one that's a take off on "Sweet Home Alabama"? Every time I hear it I'm reminded of one time that I ate at an Applebees with my family. The song came on in the restaurant and I had what probably was a three second conversation (likely disparaging) with my cousin about it. Now I'll forever think of Applebees when I hear that song. Bizarre!

Do you have any random, mundane music associations? I'd love to know.

(image via Pinterest)