The Echo in My Head

Unfortunately, I have been listening to the same songs on the same burned CD for over a year now whenever I’m driving, maybe longer. I cannot be sure because days morph into weeks at an alarming rate. I can’t keep up. The only way to monitor the passage of time is by cleaning out my fridge and noting the expiratory date on the foul-smelling yogurt container lost in a jungle of partially consumed condiments. 

Time issues aside, the main reason for this maddening repetition of song is that I cannot be bothered to program any of my more technologically advanced devices for delivering sound. It just seems like a huge time commitment and time is something, in an exhaustible list of things, I lack. But really, my sanity should be worth the time and effort. 

Two of the songs I listen to over and over again are AC/DC Who Made Who and a live version of Tragically Hip’s 38 Years Old. They are the only two songs on the CD I like. The other choices on the disc, which somebody else made me, are live, badly recorded and terrible sounding performances by Sinead O’Connor and Metallica.

I do realize the above music dates me and I swore when I was younger that I wouldn`t become one of those people stuck in a music time-warp, but then pretty much everything I once said I would never do, I now do or have done. I don’t know if that makes me a hypocrite or not, but at this juncture in life what does it matter?

Now, let me just say that I have never been embarrassed by my love for the haunting acoustics, poetic narrative and clever wordplay of Tragically Hip’s lyrics and music. They are quintessentially Canadian and I have many fond, as well as some bittersweet memories attached to their songs.

On the other hand, while AC/DC also brings to mind vivid memories and the feelings associated with those memories, particularly from my “troubled teen” period, I have been a little less willing to admit how much I still enjoy their music – that is, until last week.

Last week I was watching an interview on TV with Stephen King, (and who doesn’t like Stephen King?) when it was mentioned how the famous author was a huge AC/DC fan. I was unaware of this until then. Apparently King alludes to a few of their songs in his book The Stand, which I have read so you’d think I would know about the AC/DC fetish, although I was something like 17 when I read it – so a while ago.

It appears I have a poor capacity for retaining bits of information that do not directly traumatize me in some way. Thank goodness for the digital age, or I’d remember nothing of my children’s growing up years. I might not even know who they are to be perfectly honest…but I’m kidding.

I digress…

It also turns out Stephen King used a strictly AC/DC soundtrack for the movie Maximum Overdrive, which he wrote and directed. I have never seen this film, but I understand it was not well received by anyone. I’ve always liked his novels better in any case.

I thought I was a loyal fan, but now that I’m trying to think of the last Stephen King novel I read it occurs to me it was his memoir/writing guide, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, which granted is a book anyone interested in writing should read, but it certainly wasn’t a page turner like Misery, Needful Things or Carrie.  I will have to add Stephen King back onto my growing list of books I plan to read.

I digress again…

The point of my tangential thoughts is that because I’ve become aware that AC/DC is Stephen King’s favorite band, I now feel completely comfortable admitting I too am a fan. What can I say? I am a sheep.

Naturally, (as a person who inadvertently follows Murphy’s Law like an accidental religion) now that I’ve come out of the closet regarding AC/DC, it seems I’ve developed an intolerance to the song Who Made Who.

Whereas it once evoked powerful nostalgic feelings of being strong, free and excited by life, now the only thing the song evokes is the feeling of being inside my car. And believe me, there is nothing nostalgic about being inside my car.

I can hardly stand the tune anymore, yet I continue to listen to it. Maybe there is some kind of subliminal message involved, I don’t know, but I’ve had it. 

Tomorrow I am throwing the thing out and starting fresh with fresh music and fresh material with which to build a new nostalgia….of course first I’m going to have to figure out when exactly “tomorrow” is because it keeps getting postponed, but one thing at a time…

CLICKING HERE GIVES LALA MUSINGS A VOTE. TA!