Bringing back the 90's....One Song At a Time

Do you remember the 90’s? I sure as heck do. It was a wonderful decade for yours truly. I was too young to care about much, but old enough to be dangerous with my limited knowledge of the world. With my sidespike, Bugle Boys and Trapper Keeper in hand, all I wanted was to play basketball, watch the newest Saved By The Bell and buy CD’s. We all still had that innocence about us; that flicker of hope that made us believe the world would indeed become our oyster one day. No mortgages, student loans or taxes. Just basketball games, Social Studies and hoping we were the first to get the new Jordans when they came out. When I think of those days, I cannot help but smile.

I think of those memories like a tiny pilot light in a heater. Sometimes, it’s so small and blue you think it has gone out. Other times, you turn the knob, and the flame ignites into a glowing orange. Turning that knob can be a problem in this world today, with all the stress and worry placed upon us by the recession and all the speculation that the war on terror will never end, oil prices will never be lowered and finding a job will be harder than peeling a grape. I say to hell with that. I did not go to school and go into all this debt to be miserable. How do I turn the knob to get my pilot light burning again? Music.

When I am having a bad day, I turn on my Ipod and find songs that remind me of good days and times in my life. Many of these memories come from the 90’s. I know that living in the past is not healthy, and that is not what I am doing. When I hear certain songs that take me back to those days, I remember the carefree nature of that kid with the sidespike and it reminds me that the world is not so bad. It helps me simplify things. I take emphasis off my problems and put it to something good, like catching up with an old friend or taking a day just to play outside. It is amazing how a song can do that for you. So, without further adieu, here are my top ten 90’s songs that bring out the kid in me.

#10: “Can’t Stop” by After 7 (1990) – this is an old New Jack Swing song beautifully done by this awesome group, headed up by a young Babyface Edmonds. I loved this sound. It is without frills, it’s just harmonizing vocals and a little dance music mixed together. When I hear this song, I go back to all those basketball camps in my mind. Me and my Barkley jersey, tucked into my Ocean Pacific shorts. The smell of the gym fills my nose and all I care about is making two free throws so I don’t have to run suicides. Great days.

#9: “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish (1995): This song reminds me of a field trip we took back in 8^th grade. We went around the entire state of Georgia in a week. Everybody had Walkmans back then (that weighed 3 pounds) and I guarantee you that every single person had this song blaring in their ears along with the rest of that album. We spent the whole trip playing truth or dare and staying up all night talking to the girls on their hotel room phone.

#8: “Baby-Baby-Baby” by TLC (1992): These girls were great, the Supremes of the 90’s. This song reminds me of the first girl I ever liked and wanted to “go with.” Remember when we would say that? Passing notes between Art and Science, with about five P.S.’s at the end of every one of them. I never kissed her, and barely held her hand, because I was too scared. What a Casanova I was.

#7: “Far Behind” by Candlebox (1993): This one hit wonder really had an impact on me. I thought for awhile that I could be grunge, started acting afflicted and bought a flannel shirt. No, really, I enjoy this song because it reminds me of watching all the kids who went grunge and wondering why they traded their Nikes for Vans and grew those butt-cut hairdos. Now, I see them as adults and it cracks me up to remember them as acne faced “skaters” who stuck it to the Man as thirteen year olds. Good times.

#6: “Wheelz of Steel” by Outkast (1996): The first thirty seconds of this song can be quoted by just about every guy I knew growing up. We used to play this one over and over when we played ball, then hit the pool to cool off. We didn’t care how hot it was. We didn’t care about tests or applying to college right then. We just let Andre and Big Boi get us through another 3-on-3 slugfest and we loved every second of it.

#5: “Lucas With the Lid Off” by Lucas (1995): This was our intro song when I was on the 8^th grade basketball team. I cannot listen to it without remembering my crooked buck teeth (it looked like my tongue was in jail), complete with Starter Jacket and San Diego Chargers hat (hey, I was fairweathered, they went to the Super Bowl and I wanted them to win). After practice, I would sit on the sidewalk with the guys as our moms would pick us up, one by one. The only thing we worried about was whether we would get to wear black socks that season.

#4: “No Rain” by Blind Melon (1992): This mega popular song takes me back to 7^th grade, specifically the Olympics that took place the last few days of school. I think we were China. I dumped my girlfriend (or maybe she dumped me) because we would never see each other over the summer. I mean, I was in Cassville and she was all the way out in Sugar Valley. That’s impossible with a bike. I never kissed her either, but we did hold hands a lot, so I’m 0 for 2 in the chick department. Big pimpin’.

#3: “Cryin” by Aerosmith (1993): This is the Alicia Silverstone bungee jumping video, where she shoots a bird at her boyfriend. This was riveting stuff in 1993 and she was the hottest thing since Kelly Kapowski. I always watched the top ten videos every morning with my Apple Jacks and this video played so many times that it could have had its own channel. Plus nearly everyone I knew had the “Big Ones” and the “Get A Grip” albums in their Jansport backpacks. (yeah, I had the same one for six years!)

#2: “Show Me Love” by Kilo Ali (1997): If everybody had the Aerosmith CD’s in their backpack, then they had Kilo’s album “Organized Bass” in their Kenwood system. This song absolutely marks my high school years. It reminds me of riding around in my truck, trying to decide whether we would cruise Barrett Parkway or go to US Play and which Waffle House we would end up in. Big decisions.

#1: “Right Here, Right Now” by Jesus Jones (1991) – This song had a political message but in my mind, it was a personal message to live life to the fullest. Every time I hear this song, I just come alive. I was only 10 years old, with a flat top and acid washed, tightrolled Jordaches, but I knew this song meant something to me. I used to play this in my old room over and over, especially the first fifteen seconds. I loved that guitar riff and then Mike Edwards singing, “a woman on the radio talks about revolution, when it’s already passed her by…” Awesome.

            You may not like any of these songs and that’s cool. Music is personal for everybody. But remember that when your day is sucking wind and you need a pick-me-up, plug in something that reminds you of better times. You will remember what it was like to smile and not worry about work, money, job security and all the other stresses that life throws at us. Even if it’s just for minute, be a kid again, I promise it helps.