# What song defines adolescence? (for wedding Slideshow) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294 "2006-07-13T03:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/1 "2006-07-13T03:58:20Z")
I have a friend (24 years old) who is planning a wedding and wants a good song to play during the teen years of her slideshow that talks about teen years and growing up. Any ideas? She wants something upbeat, and everything I can think of is kind of nostalgic or bittersweet. She’s playing a laid-back version of “over the rainbow” for the childhood part. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/2 "2006-07-13T04:19:22Z")
_Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen_ by Neil Sedaka? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/3 "2006-07-13T04:22:12Z")
What kinda of music was she into. I’m 26 and when I think of music during my teen years, I think of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins (Specifally Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness), Live, Led Zeppelin (that wouldn’t be current at the time, but it’s what I think of), Tori Amos, Pink Floyd, Rusted Root, Black Crowes, anthing Ska, Green Day, Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes, Steve Miller Band, Tom Petty. Was she into Alternative, Rap, R&B, Pop etc… That’ll help alot I think. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/4 "2006-07-13T04:35:40Z")
_Teenage Wasteland_ by The Who. But it may not be wedding appropriate… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/5 "2006-07-13T04:58:12Z")
The Beach Boys Wouldn’t it be Nice. Beatles I Saw Her Standing There The Cure Pictures of You, well maybe you should go with Friday I’m Love Pick any song from any Cameron Crowe movie soundtrack. I recomend Waffel Stomp Blues by Joe Walsh from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/6 "2006-07-13T05:19:47Z")
[QUOTE=alice\_in\_wonderland] _Teenage Wasteland_ by The Who. [/QUOTE] Note that the actual name of the song is Baba O’Riley. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/7 "2006-07-13T05:50:53Z")
Are you thinking of something in the vein of Big Star’s “In The Street”? I mean, that song might not be good for a wedding, given that it includes car theft AND yearning for marijuana, but it’s certainly fun and upbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/8 "2006-07-13T07:30:39Z")
How about _Remember the Days of the Old School Yard_, by Cat Stevens? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/9 "2006-07-13T10:33:12Z")
Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/10 "2006-07-13T11:23:06Z")
How about _Sixteen Going on Seventeen_ from _The Sound of Music_? Homer Simpson’s version of _It Was a Very Good Year_ (“When I was seventeen/I bought a very good beer…”) might go over well, too. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/11 "2006-07-13T12:29:22Z")
Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen” is the song with the truest idea of adolescence. ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/12 "2006-07-13T15:01:43Z")
[QUOTE=SusanStoHelit] Any ideas? She wants something upbeat, and everything I can think of is kind of nostalgic or bittersweet. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > Baba O’Riley by the Who The first song i thought of was _The Punk and the Godfather_ by the Who. I guess that one is right out. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/13 "2006-07-13T15:14:57Z")
Ugh. Make that _Cut My Hair_. That whole album (Quadrophenia) all mushes together in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/14 "2006-07-13T15:17:50Z")
Green Day - Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) ---
**Author:** ![TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/15 "2006-07-13T15:21:59Z")
Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/16 "2006-07-13T15:29:56Z")
[QUOTE=Jackknifed Juggernaut] Green Day - Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) [/QUOTE] Sorry, I missed the “upbeat” request. How about The Ramones’ “Rock N Roll High School”? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/17 "2006-07-13T15:31:20Z")
…or “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/18 "2006-07-13T17:39:49Z")
[Sense of Henry by I Mother Earth](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/imotherearth/senseofhenry.html) - I don’t expect this band to be well-known outside of Canada, and even then, they are a little “old”, but I really like this song. Seemed to reflect me a little when I was 15-17 or so. [Down Together by the Refreshments](http://www.sing365.com/music/Lyric.nsf/Down-Together-lyrics-The-Refreshments/3FB8F040F9B4D4E448256DDE0029BE06) - Especially good if her and her fiancé were friends/dating as teenagers. I love this song. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/19 "2006-07-13T23:31:58Z")
Of course she should just set the entire show to ‘In My Life’ by the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294/20 "2006-07-14T02:38:16Z")
I nominate “What’s my Age Again?” by Blink 182, even if the narrator claims to be 23. The song just screams “adolescence” to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-defines-adolescence-for-wedding-slideshow/364294.md?page=2)