Tales of an intrepid alter ego

I often get the feeling that there’s a song for every situation. It seems like my life’s soundtrack is constantly playing on my head, and at the least expected time, a tune reminds me of a great moment. There was always music in my house. My grandfather was a great philarmonic musician and used to write children songs. He would always change the lyrics of famous songs into vulgarized versions of them, which was incredibly funny, and we had songs for everything: eating, going to bed, peeing, etc.  My parents also owned great records, so I grew up listening to Queen, The Beatles, The Ventures, the King and others that had a tremendous influence on me. Although that did not matter; we changed the lyrics on their songs as well.

Over the years, for a strange reason, one tends to forget about things like singing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush, screaming at the top of one’s lungs: “she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah”, or doing one-man performances of Bohemian Rhapsody, with opera singers and everything. Undoubtedly, you do it still, but now there has to be enough alcohol in your system for it to sound exactly like it used to, at least in your head.

I had a friend with whom we used to write songs in high school. We tried to write songs for our class, that featured happy themes, like partying, going crazy, rock and roll, but they always ended up being depressive. Usually whining about girls that we couldn’t have. Ahhh, if I only knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have suffered so much for girls like that. Plus, I probably would have done them. Heh, heh. Not! After that, I discovered Aerosmith (even though they had been on the scene longer than I had been alive) made it my favorite band of all times, and bought a bunch of albums that my friends hated, like Toys in the Attic, but that was it. Music didn’t make much echo ever since.

I hadn’t realized how much music meant to me, until this morning, when a friend of mine showed me a picture of The Simpsons (great influence that deserves a post of their own). He thought it was funny. But that was it. When I said to him “yeah, great parody”, he immediately turned his face into a question mark. He was not aware that the famous Yellow Album picture was a parody of the all timer Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.

It hit me; music has been an immense part of my life and I should be more aware of it. I have to bring ”the notes” back into my life and give them the spot they deserve, so now I will try to explore some of the less travelled roads of music in search of great sounds to serve as background in the different episodes and scenes of my days.

The first song I want to share with you, has been a top-tenner at GarageBand.com for some time now. It’s from a Canadian band called Desert Radio. And, wait… I know what you’re going to say, but think about it, Barenaked Ladies are Canadians too, and let’s face it, they rule. I believe Desert Radio deserves to make it in the business. The song’s called February Day. Lyrics are a bit melancholic, but I think it would make a great song for one of those days when you’re driving home at dawn, preferably in a convertible, but if you’re like me, and can’t afford one, well, just roll your window down to get the same “wind blowing in your face” effect, sun in your eyes, and smile remembering that incredible chapter of your life you shared with that special someone, regardless if later on she or he turned out to be a complete psycho…. with a knife and everything! Anyway, I hope you like it.