Do you have songs that trigger a specific moment and time in
the past that you can pin point?
There is this Japanese boy band called Arashi that I
follow since my late teenage years.
I often had music or a movie playing in the background
while I work on my essays and theses at univeristy.
Which sometimes work in my favour but at times it became a
way for me to procrastinate. In fact, I am currently writing this while I watch
the second disk of a Arashi concert.
Each song associated with a memory, an emotion, a location,
or a stage in my life.
Most of the time it is a combination of all of them with a story that comes
with it.
When I listen certain songs, it brings me back to that exact moment.
Some memories are hazy but some can be very vivid.
I think this is because I really enjoyed listening to them
while I was thinking different things.
One song is called "Oh, Yeah!" which is a really good music to listen
while you riding a bicycle down a gradual hill. I used to listen to this song
on my iPod or MD(Mini Disk) player(I sound really old here) while I ride home
from high school. Every time I listen to this song, it makes me feel nostalgic
and take back when I was riding my bicycle home in my uniform feeling the wind
on my face.
*2025 Ellen here. You can listen to the song here: Oh Yeah! Arashi
Another song that brings back good memories is called
"Shake it!". This story is silly one.
It was when I was at university in the winter semester, I watched Japanese and Korean
dramas with one of my American friend called Becca regularly then. We were
watching this exact concert DVD I am listening now together in my dorm room. We
were enjoying the concert and I remember that we had to pause the DVD because
the dance was quite unique and seductive for a Japanese boy band and the lyrics
made us laugh a lot as English speakers. We laughed a lot!
*2025 Ellen here again. The Concert name was called “ARAFES NATIONAL STADIUM 2012” and you can see the
dance here
if you are interested.
The memories and emotions I feel when I listen to a song are not always positive.
They can trigger negative ones too. I do try and prepare myself but it does not
always work out. There are times where I hear a song randomly in public which do
bring back both positive and negative mixed emotions and memories like: nostalgia,
emptiness, the feeling of missing someone.
The intensity of the emotions I do feel has a gradient of strength depending on
the situation I am in. I do try and shift away from it and try and think positively.
It is very hard and I think it will take time to master it.
"Wake me up" from Avicii is a song that reminds me
of one period of life at university which was difficult. I can relate to some
of the lyrics which added to some of the uneasy emotions I feel when I listen
to it. However, it also brings me back good memories like meeting wonderful people
and dancing with them to this song. It reminds of my friends and make me miss them
at the same time. Missing them makes me want to do my best to work towards
meeting them again!!
I miss my friends so much now!!
Are there any songs that remind you of a specific moment(s)?
Let me know!
