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I've been thinking about songs I'd choose as the soundtrack to my life, those songs that left their imprint on me and still cause me to pause whenever I hear them. As fellow lovers of music can imagine, there are way too many that come to mind. I could easily list hundreds of songs from different genres based on my experiences, where I grew up (Omaha), places I've lived (Chicago). I'm sure many other people can do the same. Some songs will forever remind us of certain individuals because of what we were going through at that particular time in our lives. Music is so powerful. It makes us think about the happy moments we love to remember and the sad moments we'd rather forget.

There are so many songs that have resonated with me throughout the years. What's interesting to think about is those times when I felt something that I wasn't able to fully grasp yet because I was just learning what my emotions meant. I finally chose songs that moved me at various junctures in my life, perhaps a major turning point or a time of significant learning, reawakening. I initially came up with about 35 songs or so but then narrowed them down to six songs and one genre. This was not easy!

With that said, here we go...

Lovely One by the Jacksons

I recall hearing this song in the car when I was a really young teenager, probably only 13. It wasn't the first time I'd heard the song but something hit me while in the car driving with my mom, her friend and her daughter I believe. Mind you, I'd already been in love with Michael Jackson for some years by that time. But it was at this moment I felt something else, like, I don't know, he had IT. How I'd know what IT was is beyond me, but I remember it rather clearly. Something inside of me felt like he was about to become an extraordinary young man. I can't explain why really. I just know that this particular song impressed me and made me feel some type of way. There's something about the strings, the lyrics, the hook, the authenticity in his voice as he sang it. I felt warm and tingly inside every time I heard it. Maybe he just made me feel horny, and I didn't know what that was at the time.

Double Dutch Bus by Frankie Smith

The Double Dutch Bus reminds me of my youth and having a great time. I could never get enough of this song and everything stopped whenever it came on. I couldn't double dutch to save my life, but it was time to go dance! The music was so fun, so intoxicating. Today, it still gives me some sort of weird sensation and unexplainable joy that I can hardly contain. I feel like I'm going to burst every time I hear it. Sorry line dance songs, you have nothing on the DDB! Every single syllable and beat is still holding strong in my memory.

Superstar (Until You Come Back to Me) by Luther Vandross

I've never listened to a song on repeat as many times as I have Superstar (Until You Come Back To Me). There is only one thing that can make you do that: your first love. What can I say, I felt every lyric, every syllable, every beat of this song and could probably sing it backwards if someone asked me to. It was the first record that made me cry so intensely and so consistently. Of course that could've been because I was so broken-hearted, and I didn't know how to handle it. It was a new emotion for me ... my first experience with true heartbreak. Although hearing this song still takes me back to those days and nights, I just love it as a beautiful song that I can relate to now.

For The Love Of You by The Isley Brothers

I remember hearing For The Love Of You a lot on the radio when I first moved away from home. I didn't realize it how bad it was then, but I was truly homesick. I was staying with relatives I barely knew, missed the ex-boyfriend I'd left. If I recall correctly, this song was one of the many songs he had put on a variety of tapes (yes, I'm old) for me. So, every time I heard the song I felt an overwhelming amount of sadness. I remember it so vividly that it makes me tear up right now ... tears of joy as well because it wasn't something that lasted very long. As soon as I got settled, met people, found a job, and changed my surroundings, everything was great. My nose was wide open. But those first few months over 23 years ago were really awful and incredibly lonely.

'Cause I Love You by Lenny Williams

Well, I seem to have a theme brewing here. Love songs definitely have a soft spot with me. This song obviously makes me think about love, but it also just reminds me of my beloved Chicago. It came out in 1993, one year after I left Omaha. I absolutely love it. Chicago radio loves it. R. Kelly clearly loves it too judging from his well done "Oh oh oh oh oh ohs." I'm not mad at you Kelz. At all. (And the only reason you're not on my list is because, well you already know, you got hits for days!) Anyway, I just love the delivery of this song. It's so wonderfully convincing.

Giving Up by Donny Hathaway

I promise this is the last love song. The first time I heard Giving Up was in the original Sparkle movie when the character Sister (Lonette McKee) sang this song without even trying to fight back the tears. It was a powerful and passionate scene that still touches me every time I watch it. It may have been one of the first movies where a song touched me so deeply, so much so that I somehow felt the pain Sister was feeling. Then I heard the song again in Disappearing Acts (with Sanaa Lathan and Wesley Snipes). This time it was the Donny Hathaway version. I haven't been the same since, and Donny Hathaway records aren't safe around me. Just like the other songs on my list, this song still causes me to pause when I hear it.

Chicago House Music

Chicago house music is so significant to me that I don't even know where to begin, and as you can see, I'm not even picking a song but choosing a genre instead. I cringe to think that I could've possibly never heard these delicious sounds. What if Chi-town househeads never spoon fed this music to me? It gives me shivers. God bless all of you. And to think, when I first moved to Chicago over 23 years ago I didn't like house music at all. I can't quite recall the turning point, but something happened and house music got into my soul and never left.

It's important to note that the exposure to this genre of music could've only happened through a change of environment. To get a full appreciation of Chi-town house music you need to be fully enthralled in it. That means sweating among the best at house parties, a lot of house parties, and really feeling the music while it mysteriously seeps into your soul. It's beautiful to see the magical, organic thing that happens to people when house music gets into their system. I don't think I'll ever see anything else like it in my lifetime.

What songs make you weak in the knees or make you pause when you hear them?

#songs #music #soundtracks #housemusic #Chicago #love