# What song(s) defines a part of your life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191 "2019-12-21T20:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/1 "2019-12-21T20:15:24Z")
Had the radio in the car on America’s Top 40 reruns today and “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (Temptations) came on. It occurred to me that it was very much spot on as to the (non)relationship to my own father, who deserted us when I was about two years old. Never met the useless alcoholic fucker, and when he died (it was the 3rd of December) at age 52, all he left us was alone. When my older brother told me about it, I just shrugged. He’s buried in an unmarked grave in Fairbanks, AK. So what songs do y’all closely identify with? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/2 "2019-12-21T20:57:08Z")
Damn, **Chef**! Way to harsh my mellow. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/3 "2019-12-21T23:03:56Z")
nothing, really. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/4 "2019-12-22T00:05:32Z")
Another bust. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/5 "2019-12-22T00:10:50Z")
well, yeah. The Boomers love to talk about how the music they like was the best music ever made, but that’s in the past. I don’t have a “soundtrack to my adolescence” or “soundtrack to my teenage years” because _I don’t act like I’m that important._ This whole notion is Boomers acting like they’re the best thing to happen to this planet in its entire existence. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/6 "2019-12-22T01:54:34Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > well, yeah. The Boomers love to talk about how the music they like was the best music ever made, but that’s in the past. I don’t have a “soundtrack to my adolescence” or “soundtrack to my teenage years” because _I don’t act like I’m that important._ This whole notion is Boomers acting like they’re the best thing to happen to this planet in its entire existence. You tell 'em baby! Here’s [mine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/7 "2019-12-22T02:22:25Z")
This is a pretty normal question to me. There are definitely periods of my life that are associated with certain songs. I’m 44, so not a Boomer. Don’t know how being a Boomer comes into any of this at all. This is trans-generational stuff. These are personal associations of music. I mean, I can probably give you a song that relates to every half-year of my life for the last 30 years. But for a sampling, let’s see if I can do this year by year for a decade (years are not when the songs were released but when I associated them with that year) 1992- “Girlfriend” - Matthew Sweet 1993- “Statue By the Phone” - Bad Examples 1994- “If I Could” - Phish 1995- “Drunken Butterly” - Sonic Youth 1996 - “Forbidden City” - Electronic; or “Children” Robert Miles 1997 - “Tonight, Tonight” - Smashing Pumpkins 1998 - “Torn” - Natalie Imbruglia 1999 - Hmm…this is a tough year to fill in. I don’t remember what song brings up memories of this year. 2000 - “Map Ref 41N 93W” - Wire 2001 - “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” - Kylie Minogue 2002 - “Only Shallow” - My Bloody Valentine 2003 -“Dig Me Out” - Sleater-Kinney And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/8 "2019-12-22T02:26:46Z")
When I was a teenager, I had a ferocious case of acne and I did my best to avoid eye contact and social interaction. My song was [Creep](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk) by Radiohead, and I played it over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/9 "2019-12-22T02:50:38Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > well, yeah. The Boomers love to talk about how the music they like was the best music ever made, but that’s in the past. I don’t have a “soundtrack to my adolescence” or “soundtrack to my teenage years” because _I don’t act like I’m that important._ This whole notion is Boomers acting like they’re the best thing to happen to this planet in its entire existence. [insert impolite comment here] ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/10 "2019-12-22T04:21:12Z")
My last year of college and first year after were marked by countless hours in Kansas City bars playing pool and getting drunk while “Ninth and Hennepin” played on the jukebox. Whenever I hear it, I’m back on 39th Street. (I’m Gen X, not a Boomer.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/11 "2019-12-22T04:43:42Z")
**[Moderating]** This thread is about music, **not** about Baby Boomers. Please keep it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/12 "2019-12-22T13:01:28Z")
The week my father died _Alone Again (Naturally)_ by Gilbert O’Sullivan was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. When my first fiancee broke up with me, Nazareth had a hit with _Love Hurts_. During one bleaker part of our marriage Madame P. threatened divorce and Billy Joel’s _And So It Goes_ was popular. Maybe we just notice the songs’ relevance more when we’re hurting. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/13 "2019-12-22T13:29:54Z")
For me there is Take The Long Way Home, but only because I can fit life situations into the lyrics of the song. For example, it has “Oh, calamity”. I put in a bad situation that was a calamity to me. ---
**Author:** ![stolatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@stolatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolatt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/14 "2019-12-22T14:40:10Z")
When my dad passed away, on top of the usual service, we had to close his business, which was somehow more heartbreaking. His life’s efforts being sold off and filed away. We visited with his old friends and former employees, which on one hand, was wonderful, since they said so many nice things. But on the other hand, grieving and trying to manage all of it in public was super uncomfortable. If I could leave all these nice people something to remember that time by, it would be Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp or Tea and Theater by The Who. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/15 "2019-12-22T15:12:45Z")
Steve Miller Band, The Joker was a hit when I got my first car and job. I connected strongly with the care free vibe of that song. Drift Away, Embodies just how important music is in my life. Music sustains me throughout all the ups and downs. \*Give me the beat boys to free my soul \* ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/16 "2019-12-22T15:18:45Z")
Back in 1995 I was in the process of being made redundant and trying to make somewhat of a career change. I had quite a few interviews over the space of a few weeks. As I drove around to get to them, [Roll With It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em8SMZ6mT1c) by Oasis was on the radio all the time. The resiliency that it exhorts kinda struck a chord with me at the time so, yeah, that was my song for those uncomfortable few weeks. j ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/17 "2019-12-22T15:36:29Z")
For the longest time it was Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender.” ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/18 "2019-12-22T20:14:38Z")
Few years back, during a rough time in my marriage, my wife’s job was moving us (again), with one possible destination being Kansas City, where I’d lived before but she hadn’t. At the time, Mumford and Sons’ version of “Kansas City” was getting decent airplay. And I love you dear, but just how long Can we keep singing this same old song? Going back to Kansas City! ---
**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:** [December 23, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/19 "2019-12-23T14:37:53Z")
Desperado by the Eagles is the story of my life. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191/20 "2019-12-23T17:27:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Steve Miller Band, The Joker was a hit when I got my first car and job. I connected strongly with the care free vibe of that song. > > Drift Away, Embodies just how important music is in my life. Music sustains me throughout all the ups and downs. > > \*Give me the beat boys to free my soul > \* We must be about the same age. Steve Miller was great at voicing the feeling of freedom. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-song-s-defines-a-part-of-your-life/845191.md?page=2)