The Stone Roses Mark Time
July/16/2012 01:53 PM
Music Marks Time
Editor’s note by Nicole Hanratty
There is no better feeling than finding an old disc or album that you loved, one you listened to religiously on repeat. The songs on it take you back to a certain time in your life.
Today a song popped into my head that I haven’t even thought of for over a decade, but I remember it like I last sang it yesterday and I had to find it right away. Not on iTunes, (although it is there), but on the disc I knew I had bought in 1989 and was buried somewhere in a box in my garage.
There was no need to even consider making a post it note to find the cd later, this was an urgent priority. I was on a mission that knew only victory. And, I must admit, getting my hands on the dusty case made me feel like I had won the lottery. A gem hidden amidst chaotic remains of my life.
The lemon slices on the cover made me smile instantly. The album was already re-working its’ magic. 1990 was a great time in my life, (maybe that’s what made me think of it) and if you were in my car, you were listening to this album.
The Band: The Stone Roses.
The Song: “I Wanna Be Adored.”
Played: On repeat, through the portable disc player that fed into the cassette deck of my pull out stereo via some strange cassette with a wire coming out of it. And the portable disc player skipped, a lot.
The Car: My white VW Cabriolet convertible.
The Guy: Chris Swank. (Just the name brings back memories.)
Where: Driving up and down the coast, always with the top down…
My maiden name is still written on the cd insert as it was on all of my CDs while I was in college. Just seeing the album cover makes me realize how many lives I’ve lived since then. It was a time before responsibility and life’s tangled dances.
While I had already known loss at that point in my life, I didn’t yet know my greatest joys or journey.
Regardless of age, music acts as markers on our live’s timelines. Most of us can take our life and chart it sans events and fill it up meaningfully with just music.
I hear “I Wanna Be Adored” and I know just where to place it. Forget high school graduation, filling in The Stone Roses that June says so much more to me.
The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored”
Where has music taken me? What has it seen me through? Where will it get me tomorrow? What has it taught me? These are all things I think about, and the answers are my own. They are different for all of us and universally applicable.
“I Wanna Be Adored” transitioned me into adulthood. It made me smile and marked fun times: a trip to Tijuana, BBQs, silly mischievous fun, amazing friends, a fun job, camping trips, graduation, drives up the coast and a crush on a boy.
I hope everyone has a song like this in their life. We all need a “go to” tune to remind our hearts that life is not always so serious and good times--if not here today--are just around the corner.
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