Song reaches us in every aspect of life. It soothes a child to sleep or motivates an army into battle. It celebrates good times yet comforts us as we mourn. Research shows music reduces stress and improves memory. It decreases anxiety and boosts creativity. Songs sung together even unite us in a sense of common brotherhood – not an easy thing to do nowadays. It’s unlikely there is a pill that can do all these things.

What is likely is that songs chronicle our life events. Hearing a particular song play on the radio as I drive down the road brings me back to a specific age or even an exact moment in time, along with the emotions that accompanied it. Therein, I suppose, is the “secret sauce” of the wonderment of song, emotions. Songs package emotions along with rhythm, beat, and lyrics into bite-sized creations we can “pull off the shelf” when we need them. It’s similar to medicine in that regard.

If I had to list the songs that spike my memory, it would be a long one. Rock, folk, soul, country, pop, classical – each has marked a place and time. I must apologize to Disco, as it never did anything for me. However, any form of music that followed Simon and Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater, the Supremes, Carol King, and the Eagles was going to have a tough go of it. Still, Disco Duck somehow found a tiny fold in the frontal lobe of my brain to lodge itself. The song is the glorified rice of foods – it doesn’t belong at the table.

With this, it is reasonable to compile an exemplary list of songs that are a soundtrack of sorts of my life. With no further ado and even less exhaustive thought (I’m retired. I’ve eliminated exhaustion as an option), I offer here a sample of my list.

Bobby Aro – Highway Number Seven – Sitting on my mother’s lap in our 55 Chevy while driving to Hibbing for Saturday morning shopping. Circa ‘59

Beatles – All My Lovin’ – Watching the Ed Sullivan Show and experiencing the excitement of this new group. ‘64

Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind – A haunting song I played over and over that marked the beginning of recognition for world events and social responsibilities. Circa ‘67

The Monkees – I’m a Believer – My crush over a little brown-eyed girl sitting across the room. ‘70

Creedence Clearwater Revival, I Heard it Through the Grapevine – My heart was crushed by a breakup with that little brown-eyed girl sitting across the room. ‘71

BTO – Taking Care of Business. The theme song for my endless summer after graduating from high school. ‘74

Elton John, Your Song – The wedding song with that little brown-eyed girl who sat across the room from me. Woo hoo! ‘77

Bobby McFarren, Don’t Worry Be Happy – A fun little summer song that our three young kids and I sang while sitting around a campfire. ‘88

Hoobastank – The Reason – A song, our youngest son’s favorite, that was popular at the time of his leaving us. 2004

Songs don’t register with me today as much as they did in my youth. It likely speaks to the fact that the youthful years present a wide range of strong emotions through new jobs, budding relationships, growing responsibilities, and other new experiences. Oh sure, I still enjoy music, but I appreciate quiet times now. When fishing on a beautiful summer eve, I prefer the lonesome calls of loons over the pounding rhythm of “Revolution” by the Beatles. Still, if your life has become monotonous, maybe it’s time to get out and do something new – experience new emotions. You could make a poor choice, but then you might find something quite rewarding. Either way, there’s a song to help you recover or a song to help you celebrate. Don’t Worry – Be Happy.

Leo is retired and lives in rural Cook with his wife, Lindy. He is the author of three books, She Won’t Mow the Daisies, The Cabin Experience, and Life Over Easy. Leo can be contacted by email at llwilenius@gmail.com.