Flashback

Last night I decided to wait up for The Hubster to get home.  I watched a dvd that a friend on one of my lists sent me - it was a copy of Wife Swap, pitting a super busy, no time for her family mom of three who sells bedroom toys against a homeschooling christian mom of 8.  The whole thing was sad, and really reaffirmed my intent to never be on the show.  "But, the money!" says The Hubster.  Tough cookies.  I can't imagine ever doing that to my family. 

After I was finished with the show, I read blogs for a while and ultimately dozed off with my laptop on my lap - duh.  It's a LAPTOP.  I woke with a start when I heard the garage door open, and I snapped my head to attention.  OUCH!  The cramp in my neck woke me thoroughly, if nothing else. 

The Hubster sat, and we talked for a while.  He flipped on the tv, and we were almost immediately sucked in by an infommercial for Time Life music - I think it was called 70's Explosion.  I was blown away, though, by the amount of songs I knew.  Remember Brandy?  Cat's in the Cradle?  Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?  Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves?   Yup, all now reside on my iPod.

There were songs that I remember singing as a kid - Delta Dawn topped that list.  Really, though, what's that song about? 

Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by
And did I hear you say he was a-meeting you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky

I was joking around with The Hubster, since I really didn't know what it was about.  I said it's a woman who is a Moonie - you know how they are always selling flowers? - and she's joining in a suicide pact - mansion in the sky?  The real lyrics are nothing like that.  The Hubster decided I have a sick mind.

When I was a kid, though, my drop dead favorite was Gypies, Tramps and Thieves.  Really, a MOST lovely song for a school age child to sing, and yet I remember belting it out in spades, and shaking my thing a la Cher. 

Allegra was singing a song the other day, and I realized that she had the words wrong.  Our lips are sealed had become I was a seal. 

What songs do you remember from your childhood, that you still know all the words to?  What songs did you sing as a kid that maybe could have been inappropriate?  What songs have you totally screwed up the words to?

Comments

[deborah]

I was the only one who knew all the words to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" at my Christian School dance my freshman year. It must have been a fun parent-teacher conference for my parents.

[kalisah]

I don't think my parents listened to popular music much when I was a kid. I do remember singing along to "Silly Love Songs" (PM & Wings, I think?).

My best friend Lisa had the 45 of "American Pie" that we used to listen to on her bright orange plastic record player and we'd dance on the fireplace hearth in her basement like it was a stage.

Oh! And in third grade I was invited by some of the girls in class to dance to "Wildfire" in front of the class. Not really sure what the purpose of THAT was - especially since the appropriate dance to that song would be a SLOW DANCE.

[Wicked Stepmom]

Ooh! I LOVE this game! The most inappropriate song I used to sing was "Afternoon Delight." I didn't know all of the lyrics but I would belt out the chorus like nobody's business!

Some of these songs I haven't thought about in YEARS:
- Love to Love You Baby (Donna Summer)
- Copacabana (Barry Manilow)
- Tie a Yellow Ribbon (Tony Orlando & Dawn)
- America (Neil Diamond)
- Love Will Keep Us Together (The Captain and Tenille)
- The entire soundtrack to the film version of "West Side Story"

And then there was that little ditty, 'bout Jack & Diane.

I could go on and on!

[Suzanne Balvanz]

"Bad girls" by Donna Summer....

This was GREAT on Career Day when I told my school that I wanted to be a PROSTITUTE when I grew up .....because they got paid to KISS all day....

I still have not lived that down, ya know? Saw my 2nd grade teacher about 8 years ago (I am 37 now) and she STILL remembers that....

Suz
http://suzannebalvanz.blogspot.com/

[carolb]

Ha Ha - this IS fun!

"One Tin Soldier" was my song! I sang that like no tomorrow. Was quite sure I was going to be famous singing that one day!

[Lisa]

I owned and used to sing many of the songs from the soundtracks of Hair and Grease. Ironically, one of the reasons I decided not to decided not to make the monetary sacrifices necessary to send oldest child to the local Catholic high school is that said high school last year put on a production of Grease.

[Child of Mary]

Remember the song Rock Me, Amadeus? It always sounded like hot potatoes, hot potatoes when they'd sing Amadeus, Amadeus.

[Brandy]

Do I remember Brandy? Um, yeah, EVERYTIME someone says my name. My mother seemed to like the song sooooo much she named me after it. Oh, and my middle name? Yeah, Michelle, by the Beatles. *sigh* What was she thinking?

[Chris]

My brother and sister formed my music interests at an early age. One of my all time favorites is ELO. Most people my age haven't heard of ELO. I guess it would help if they had siblings graduating in the early 70's.

My brother taught me all the words to You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin. I used to belt that out for his friends. I guess it was funny a five year old could sing that.

My two older boys know all the words to I've Got a Woman" by Ray Charles. No "I'm a Little Teapot" in this household...

[child of Mary]

My niece would sing from the Evita soundtrack.. "they called me a whore, they actually called me a whore!" She was probably about five.