When An Awesome Song Reminds You of a A Lousy Past...

[seoulsearch]

Hey Peeps!

There is a song that I absolutely love but don't play very often ("Missing", Everything But The Girl, radio remix) because when I do, something in my heart has often responded by yelping, "OOOOUUUCCCHHH!!!"

At first, I couldn't understand why because it's a very old song (1994), but then I realized that this song was playing on the radio all the time when I was going through a very turbulent relationship in my life.

I couldn't play it for years afterward without wincing... But occasionally, I felt as if God was actually nudging me to play it now and then... because it seems to trigger any leftover pain I have from that time, and it's a chance for God to do a check-up on my heart: "Are you still mad about so-and-so?" "Have you forgiven this or that person?" "Do these lyrics still seem to represent how you feel, or are you willing to put all this behind you?" Every time I heard it, I felt as if God was trying to get me to do what I needed to do (repent, confess a sin, etc.) in order to chip away at that once-seemingly huge block of negative emotions.

On a whim, I played this song a couple of days ago... and for the first time in so long, I could just enjoy the song (and life) without having any searing memories come back. I took it as a sign that God had completed His work in this area of my life (now moving on to the other 8,432 things I'm sure He wants me to deal with!)

* Do any of you have these kinds of experiences/reactions to songs, places, food, etc.?

* Are you able to get past it, or do you have to give them up?

* Do you keep trying to go back to that old favorite (no matter how much it hurts), or do you just move on to different things?

I would love to hear about your experiences and how you've coped.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[wwjd_kilden]

Not quite like that, but most songs do bring back memories of time times I started listening to the artist or listened more to it than I do now. Some take me back to college (eeek!), some to past long distance relationships, and some to times spent with friends talking "nonsense", which felt more comforting and real than other more "serious" talks I've had with other people other times.

 

[JonahLynx]

LOL I cringe at so many songs I couldn't list them all. Anything from early Linking Park, anything from 3 Days Grace, half of My Chemical Romance... I was the gothest goth of all time.

 

[wwjd_kilden]

LOL I cringe at so many songs I couldn't list them all. Anything from early Linking Park, anything from 3 Days Grace, half of My Chemical Romance... I was the gothest goth of all time.

Gee, thanks, now I'll be humming to myself all evening

 

[JonahLynx]

Gee, thanks, now I'll be humming to myself all evening

Just don't let me hear it lol

House of Wolves is ok though only heard that after my awkward phase was dead and buried.

 

[Yahweh_is_gracious]

These songs remind me of an unrequited love I'm still not over and probably never will:

https://youtu.be/2lLmYLw0WRI

https://youtu.be/cXr8gxSjmq8

https://youtu.be/1Cw1ng75KP0

I am incapable of listening to any of these songs without turning into a sobbing, blubbering, hot mess. They give me a big, nasty, case of the feels.

 

[slave]

I remember in 1977, (yes, people lived on earth back then), I was going to a concert with Heart live. And I had taken some mushrooms as a teen with some worldly friends. The reason I say, worldly friends is because I was a Christian and this was not my norm, but this night I was tempted to do some things I was not prepared in my walk with God to say no to, so I went all in this night, as a "vacation?" from God? I know: I wasn't mature yet, obviously, in Christ. So I was so not Christ-like that night I was also so convicted as well. The song Heart was playing that I remember well was: "Crazy on you" and the lyrics went like this:

Every time I think about it I want to cry
With bombs and the devil, little kids keep coming
No way to breathe easy, no time to be young
But I tell myself that I was doing alright
There's nothing left to do tonight
But go crazy on you, crazy on you
Let me go crazy, crazy on you....

And I remember going crazy on God , crazy on God...Every time I still here that song, I am remised into returning to that time of conviction and sadness. But, I have since surrendered and experienced God more, and my spirit immediately reminds me how I now understand the tendency in us all to mourn over something - to say that the past was a great deal better than the present, or in my case then, that the future will be better; but the Holy Spirit reminds me the worst time we ever lived in is the present - forgetting that we never lived in any other time!

Here is a day I live with new issues, but issues nonetheless, issues of employment, issues of a divorce after 29 years etc etc, but as I have come along life with God, I have learned Here is the day, O Lord, Thy day! Cause it to shine forever in our individual lives like a jewel regardless of the Tyranny of the Urgent.

 

[Lynx]

I don't know about a lousy past, but I heard a song in my collection just today that reminded me of an awkward moment. Sierra: "Color my world."

"So You can color my world with sunshine yellow each day
Yes You can color my world with happiness all the way
Just take the green from the grass and the blue from the sky up above
And when You color my world just paint it with Your love"

A friend who happens to be a lady, and happens to be married, was not familiar with the song and was not sure how to take it. The song is phrased as talking to God, but if you haven't heard the verses you don't quite get that. In hindsight I can see how the chorus alone might be ambiguous for intent.

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

Tiny Dancer by Elton John is tied to memories of my first ex, but they're not painful ones (anymore).

Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes reminds me of another ex, and is one of those songs that induces a kind of vague nostalgia. I don't miss her either, though.

Sentimental (ironic much?), and Fadeaway, both by Porcupine Tree, remind me of the last time a large chunk of my family and I spent a Summer vacation in Oregon, right before some crud went down and splintered a 20 year marriage. Subsequent vacations there haven't been the same.

All of these tunes I thoroughly enjoy now. ♥ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♥

 

[seoulsearch]

While I'm really sorry for the painful things everyone's been through , it's really touching to read your stories--thank you for sharing them, and I hope people will keep on sharing.

Associated memory is a really funny thing.

After I wrote this thread, I was thinking of a certain dish I used to make while I was married that was native to the place where my ex had grown up. I haven't been able to bring myself to ever make it again, even though I liked it. Just too. many. sad. memories.

I have to wonder though, why some things "attach" themselves to very strong memories, and others do not.

Ironically, another popular group during that time in my life was Ace of Base, and I just listened to a whole slew of their songs the past couple weeks--but didn't even flinch.

 

[Ugly]

To name a few
Resurrection Band - Lament. The entire album, the song At Lands End especially.
As a teen i had a lot of depression and isolation, as well as guilt. The album seemed to resonate with those feelings, yet still felt hopeful. The song was about flying over an imaginary world in a hot air balloon with friends and away from the struggles of the world, being closer to God.

That's one, may give more later.

 

[Galatea]

I don't listen to romantic songs or break up songs anymore. Not at all, it is too painful. Now, all I listen to are hymns.

There are songs that remind me of different family members, their favorite hymns- and different people I went to church with, growing up. A song will come on the radio, and I'll think "that was Sister____'s song". I know because people would request certain hymns to be sung the next Sunday, so our song leader would say "Turn to page 56, we'll sing Amazing Grace for Sister____" It was kind of nice, actually. Very homey. So I like listening and remembering everyone's favorite hymns.

 

[Lynx]

Associative memory is strong, for sure. My sister used to listen to certain rap songs when I was a pre-teen playing on the Windows 95 computer somebody gave us. Every time I hear a certain song I remember Sim City. The oooooooold Sim City, where when your mayoral popularity drops below a certain point and you lose the game, you get a message that a mob led by your mother in law has come to kick you out of city hall.

 

[Pipp]

My older brother went through a period of time where he was very depressed (he also went through a suicidal period) and listened to stuff like Numb by Linkin Park along with many other heavy depressing songs... I still get sad when I hear them.... The song "How to save a life" reminds me of him alot. He's much better now, but of course still faces dark times...I'm just thankful they aren't as sever as a few years ago.

 

[Tinuviel]

I have a few similar to that, but wouldn't ya know it, as soon as I see this thread I can't remember any of them

 

[notmyown]

it's not a romance song, but there's an old 4Him Christmas song my oldest daughter used to sing.
then she and her sisters sang it in three part harmony, acapella.
quite a few churches nearby asked them to come to sing it.

at first i couldn't listen to it. now i do, and just let the tears flow.

thank God. This IS Such a Strange Way to Save the World.

 

[zeroturbulence]

A woman I dated, who I later wished I didn't break up with, who was a sweet, caring single-mom and a kind soul and attractive to boot, dedicated this song to me and said she wanted it to be "our song" and that it made her think of me. I didn't really even know the song back then, but now I can't believe what a sweet song she dedicated to me. I certainly don't deserve such a beautiful song..

[video=youtube;WQnAxOQxQIU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQnAxOQxQIU[/video]

(She ended up getting married and her new hubby had a little girl but she (the little girl) got very sick and may have died - I don't know if she did - that was the last time I spoke to her. It was around 1998)

 

[Reborn]

My awesome past reminds me of lousy songs.


My early twenties were filled with days lounging in coffee houses to songs by Britney, BSB, and Cher.
It's kinda funny,... my great great great great grandpa remembers lounging to Cher too.

 

[Tinkerbell725]

Give me one reason by Tracy Chapman

Reminds me of someone who bewitched me with songs. It's called "harana" in Filipino.

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

Give me one reason by Tracy Chapman

Ooh! I like her. Fast Car is a good tune, too.