Soundtrack

I guess I could have been more specific. Natalie pointed out that I said that the video was significant. Actually it is the whole album that is significant. Let's go back, shall we? '89 hadn't been the greatest of years-well, at least as far as my love life was concerned.

I know there's pain.
Why do you lock yourself up in these chains?
No one can change your life except for you,
Don't ever let anyone step all over you.
Just open your heart and your mind
Is it really fair to feel this way inside?

In 1990 I was moving into my very first apartment with a friend, going to summer school, finishing college. Summer school was fun-although I'm sure it wasn't meant to be. I only had one class, Grammar, so how hard could it be, really? (Especially when I was the teacher's favorite. But that is a tale for another day...) I was also Panhellenic Rush Chairman, so in the Greek office every day working on some project or another. Amy reminded me that that is the year that she left our college, so of course she wouldn't have known. But I'm sure she'll remember some of the story. Wilson Phillips was released that spring and became the soundtrack of my life for the next year or so.

Someday somebondy's gonna make you turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry? Don't you know,
Don't you know, things can change?
Things'll go your way,
If you hold on for one more day.

My best friend was Susan-also my roommate in the apartment, on Panhellenic with me, and my cohort in crime. We studied hard (thanks to Susan I graduated with a decent GPA,) and played equally as hard. Those of us that stayed for the summer had a unique bond-we had class every day, and would go out every night. Ah, the days of dollar pitchers on a rotating basis around a college town. Wilson Phillips was our go-to music for riding around in her Pontiac GTO convertible.

You could sustain. Or are you comfortable with the pain?
You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness
You got yourself in your own mess
Lettin' your worries pass you by
Don't you think it's worth your time
To change your mind?

One night Susan and I ran into a bunch of Sigma Chi's that we knew at the bar, The Gambler. (It was known in those days for cheap beer, gaming tables in the back, a killer dj, and the hangout for the Denver Broncos that were in town for training camp.) We drank and danced the night away, and before I knew it I was dancing with one guy. JP. We danced for a very long time-about 2 years, and then some, on and off.

Some day somebody's gonna make you turn around and say goodbye
Until then, baby, are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry? Don't you know,
Dont you know, things can change?
Things'll go your way,
If you hold on for one more day.

There were other songs of the summer that year: Madonna's Vogue, The B52's Love Shack, but none compared to the Wilson Phillips self-titled cd. It played in our cars, during study time, during our pre- and post-parties. Susan, JP, and I have all had to replace our copies over the years.It's hard to point to one specific memory for this soundtrack, like a scene in a movie. It was more of a sweeping score for an epic film, of being young and independent, falling in love, forging life-long friendships, and looking toward an unknown future.

Can't you change it this time?
Make up your mind. Hold on, Hold on.
Baby, Hold on.

Lyrics verification courtesy of Yahoo music.