I love it when you hear a song, and it instantly transports you back in time. 

I can be in my car, our favorite restaurant up the street, or somewhere random when it happens. It’s usually the first 3 notes of a song when I get sucked into a time-travel machine. 

Here are 3 songs I have heard lately that turned the clock back to a distinct memory. This should be fun! …

“Shadow Of The Night”, Pat Benatar, from the album Get Nervous. Incidentally, this song won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards in 1983.

Even though this song debuted in September of 1982, I remember it specifically from my freshman year of high school,1983. For a bit, I ran with some friends involved in the Canfield Players, aka, the drama club..Suzy Dunn, Marnie Murphy, Stephanie DeAngelo, and Chris Cestone (RIP), just to name a few. One of the perks of being involved was the infamous cast parties. There were lots of upperclassmen and a ton of liquor. I don’t recall whose senior’s house we were in, but the music was loud and the red cups were full..lol. Every time I hear this song, I remember our arms around each other, belting it out, word for word, really loud! See the official video here!

“He Can’t Love You”, Michael Stanley Band, from the album Heartland. Those who aren’t from Ohio, MSB was a popular rock band from Cleveland and the Midwest in the 70s and 80s. 

I saw Michael Stanley live probably 10-12 times. They were my favorite band. I listened to them in late middle school, high school, and college. I had older siblings who liked them too, so I followed them early. “He Can’t Love You” reminds me of the dances we used to have in high school after some of our home football and basketball games. When the DJ played this song, my friends and I would go crazy! Dancing with Gina Monaco, Marnie, Suzy, Patty Dobos, Nawal Beshara…we had so much energy, probably some liquid courage, and not a care in the world in our high school cafeteria. Oh, those were good times! Check out the video here.

“Let The Good Times Roll”, The Cars, from their debut album, The Cars, in 1978. 

This album came out in 1978, but when I hear it, I go back to the week we graduated, June 1986. Our high school is full of tradition. To this day, there is a Junior/ Senior Banquet to celebrate the graduating class. (Although, I don’t think it’s held at the high school cafeteria anymore..sad.) After dinner, we would head to the auditorium, where the teachers would put on a skit and slide show. For me, it was like yesterday when I heard the guitar notes of “Let The Good Times Roll”, sitting with my best friends and my classmates. It would be one of the last times we were all together. On the big screen, our Senior pictures were shown, one by one, as we all cheered each other on. 

I heard this Cars song about a month ago, and I pictured myself sitting with all my friends, the world at our fingertips, at our beloved high school, with tears in our eyes, thinking, ” This is just the beginning”…Most of us were barely 18 years old. Wow. Listen to the song here. It still gives me goosebumps.

Do you have songs with associations?  I have many more that I may share eventually. This brought back a lot of memories..

Incidentally, our Class of 1986 will be celebrating our 40th reunion this year on the weekend of July 4th! I have a feeling, once we’re together again, it will be just like old times!