Nananananananananana!

Nananananananananana!

Hold ‘tight, my little windmills – I’ll explain my DEEP CONNECTION to this one at the end of the post.

Ah! It seems like only yesterday (well, September 16 to be SPECIFIC) that I decided to dive in and join this Twisted Mixed Tape Craziness that is Jen Kehl’s weekly blog hop.

You were ever so welcoming that, well, I have yet to miss a week since then.

That was the last time there was a free for all “No Theme” week.

And now, here we are again.  Please, click below and check out the randomness that will undoubtedly occur.

Last time I gave you my edgy musical stylins’ at 11 as I mused on “them kids these days” and “the things they listen to” (Read: I’m now old and just don’t get Miley Cyrus and that whole twerktastic blurred lines … thing).

This time I will endeavour to be even less deep.

Last week or the week before, someone on this hop made a passing comment about how you can’t dance to Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls.  Given I have done just that, many a time, it made me think about how much I miss when nights out involved dancing and then the songs I use to feel NEEDED TO BE PLAYED before a good night out was over.

So here they are: my top five songs from my early bar days (read: 19-21 – aka 1996-98).

Number 5

DJ Kool – Let me Clear my Throat.

Such a classic beat.  And this part: “All the ladies in the place!  If you got real hair?  Real fingernails?  If you got a job?  You’re going to school?  And you don’t need nobody to help you out with your business?  MAKE SOME NOISE!!! [I know they don’t sing it in the above video, but they do in the mix from my bar, in my day, in my head AND in the originally posted video – I wish to still find THAT version online in this May 2016 update, but this one’s close].

OMG.  It was like he was SPEAKING.  JUST. TO. ME.

Preach on! Independent ladies RRRAWR!  Ooooh – And let’s get shooters!

I always smile when I hear this song.  And I was forever disappointed when I thought I was about to hear this song – because they did the who DA DA DA DA DAH!!! teaser – and then it instead turned out to be …. Return of the Mac. (Bleh).  Have to say?  While I can shake my whatever-sized-ass to Fat Bottom Girls?  This one was REALLY an effort.

But in glass half-full land I once again smiled when I found reference to that fun beat in later movies.  Like that CLASSIC Bring it On.  Ah! To feel culturally sophisticated at 23! Thank you DJ Kool!

Number 4

Tupac Featuring Dr. Dre – California Love.

I started university the fall he died.  So he was kind of a big deal. Even in Ontario, which, North-American geographically speaking, firmly puts us, well, on the east side of the continent.  Notwithstanding, we totally all learnt to make that “West side!” hand sign as we all intently danced to his music.  I also liked this guy who liked Tupac.  He even got “Machiavelli” (or however Tupac spelled it) all artistically tattooed on his back.  It was totally cool.  Because, of, like, that connection I never bothered to read up on until this moment when doing this post.  He believed Tupac wasn’t really dead.  Yeah. Totally living it up, all West Side [HAND SIGN!], somewhere with Norma Jean and Elvis.  He also read really deep books and stuff.  So despite not knowing who Bon Jovi was, I gave him a pass.  Spoiler Alert!  It didn’t work out.

But every now and then, when I’m at the wave pool with my two girls, and I look at all the 30-something folk with random tattoos in odd places, I think of him and wonder if he still feels, well, all Machiavellian.  And I kinda hope yes.  At least he wasn’t like my one girlfriend who got Winnie the Pooh with his hand in the honey pot tattooed on her lower back at 18.  That one’s now a flower.  But, I digress.

Number 3

Spirit of the West’s Home For A Rest

Welcome to Canadian Content!  I’d  be curious to hear if this band travels (ie: if any non-Canadians have heard of them).  This song makes me smile for a number of reasons.  Reason #1: I discovered them during my frosh week at university when it was TOTALLY OUR SONG.  Reason #2: Then I was a frosh guide for the next three years.  At which point, I discovered, it was TOTALLY EVERYONE’S SONG.  But I passed kindergarten so I’m all good with sharing.  Reason #3: It’s just a great pub anthem.  Let’s all jovially link arms and just dosie-doe, m-kay?

Number 2

U2 – Sunday, Bloody Sunday

This song was a staple of closing time at the campus bar – so I danced to it many a night.  In earnest.  I could give some deeper speculations as to why THIS SONG – but, really, I don’t know.  Aside from the fact that it’s a great song.

Number 1

The Tragically Hip – New Orleans is Sinking

Now this be the band that I KNOW doesn’t travel because as I ventured out into Brave New World circa 2000 (read US and UK) y’all hadn’t heard of them.  Given they were the cat’s meow here at that time, do illuminate me if that’s all changed.  However, I suspect my bar night circa ’97, remains strictly Canadiana.

That said, they are awesome.  And very danceable.  So love them.  The end.

As for my homage to Blink 182 at the beginning of this post?  Well!  That was OUR SONG! for my first Contiki Tour in 2000. From London to Amsterdam.  In 14 days. London; Dover to Calais; Paris; the Beaujolais wine region; French Riviera; Pisa; Florence; Rome; Venice; Austria (in passing); Munich; St. Goar; and, Amsterdam.

Yeah.  We made sweatshirts.  With our names ’round a beer stein.  And the lyrics “Turn the Lights off Carry Me Home” written along the bottom.  Pretty much sums it up.

Cheers!