THE CITIZEN ON MARS

Ipanema has answered this entirely original tag over there at Under The Canopy and had read through it, reminding me as a result of how the song Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross was so melancholic and affecting that even I had admitted (in my comments there) that I too was one who hadn’t had escaped it’s very sentimental tune.

So now it’s my turn to list down Five Famous Songs When I Was 18 and say something about them. I have scoured through the net and found this timely site listing the hits of the year 1990 (the year when I was about 18—when I was still never been that and never been this). I realized that in that year, there were so many memorable songs that I could have listed even to as high as twenty but I just got to name five. So now perhaps, I may just list the five songs that I may not necessarily be most fond of (since there were lots of songs that were so popular that year) but those that I think I can say something most of. So now, let’s do this.

In no particular order:

1. It Must Have Been Love by Roxette—Who could forget this very sentimental lament of a brokenhearted individual. This is one love song has a very famous movie that goes with it (Pretty Woman remember?). Before I saw Richard Gere riding virtually on top of his limousine, with roses in hand, I have already heard this song played—either on the radio or on a record I had bought then. The first few lines of this song told everything about it, “Lay a whisper, on my shoulder”, of how melodramatic it was and was in fact so sad and lonely; where a love had apparently gone awry when in the first place “It should have been love, but it’s over now. It’s all that I wanted but I am living without.” How tragic can love and affection become? This song’s lyrics remind the listener that love or relationship could really be gone like whispers in the wind—very fragile and fleeting; like feeling so near and yet so far; like a free ride when you already paid. Or rain in your wedding day.
2. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You by Heart—This one got me thinking if at all, reasonable censorship do occur in our country, or in America (where the song emanated from) for that matter. Aside from its very catchy hooks, the one that had really occupied my mind whenever I was listening to this song that fateful year was it’s unusual lyrics. I had thought then that it was not really normal that one should hear on a very public manner about “ all I wanna do is to make love to you”. We all know what that means. It means that the singer merely wants to have carnal knowledge (as we law students refer to it back then) with some guy with handsome blue eyes. I don’t mean to be so tight-assed here but at that time, I just found this music’s message to be so unusual and blatant for comfort that I thought the government should have kept it away from the kids, or else they would gain some dangerous ideas you know. Of course, I am aware that Air Supply had been singing about “making love” previously in a so very popular way yet I just could not help but think when Heart’s song went on to say “please, please understand I am in love with another man. And all that he couldn’t give, is the one thing that you have.” What the hell did that line mean? It escapes me.
3. Don’t Know Much by Linda Rondstadt and Aaron Neville—This is one song that I thought had came from the 70’s when I got to hear it initially back then, and even just hours ago if not for this tag that had gotten me researching about music. It has that very old-fashion feel and sound and I mean this in a very good way. It is so simple and relax as Neville’s icy voice floats into the ears like a popular eucalyptus candy, so soothing and calming. The song says, “I don’t know much, but I know I love you. Let me be all you need to love”. If love and loving could be so simple and uncomplicated like this love song, then I believe the world would be a better place by now.
4. I Don’t Have The Heart by James Ingram—Mr. Ingram is one of my most favoritest singer of the modern times (as aside from the era of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet), along with Peabo Bryson and Lionel Ritchie. And when he had this unexpected hit in 1990(he recorded this when his popularity had already been waning from his peak in the 80’s), you could say I was pleasantly surprised and felt so good that James Ingram has still something good going on with him. Yet, despite the breezy voice of Mr. Ingram and the beautifully unique melodies of this song, the message it got was of despair and tragedy in love where he sang “I don’t have the heart to love you; but I don’t have the heart to hurt you; It’s the last thing I wanna do.” Gee, I wonder to whom downtrodden woman did he sang or made this song for. It just breaks my heart. Sigh.
5. Another Day In Paradise by Phil Collins—I should not be forgetting about this one because it has very distinctive and catchy intro—beating drums with killer keyboards. This song had been so captivating that during that time, and even through years ahead, I just couldn’t seem to pull it out of my system. The tune was so very fresh and excitable that it felt like Phil Collins was a genius scientist who had invented a new way of making music. It was really one good tune. A classic, I dare say. Although later on, I had a discussion about the song with a friend and he had informed me that the song was about poverty and hunger among the street people in America, that it was in fact a very socially-relevant tune from the former drummer and singer of the legendary British band Genesis. As I read through the lyrics (albums mostly already had inserts of lyrics at that time), I did realize that it was really a song about the hardships felt by the marginalized sector in America. It had taken me aback a little upon knowing what the song really had meant and wondered how an ultimately radio-friendly song—one with so very catchy melodies—can be about a very serious social problem.

So there goes the five songs that got so popular in the year that I was 18. In return, I’d be naming five other bloggers to list five songs when they were that young and say something about each one of them.

1. Snglguy—I am so well-aware how he loves music that I am so anticipating his kind of list.
2. Eric of Wish You Were Here—He was once a music industry executive and I am so certain he knows his list all too well.
3. Buffwings—I would be so curious about the songs in his lists.
4. Myepinoy—He is also music savvy and I am sure we’d enjoy his retelling of five memorable songs when he was young.
5. Abaniko—He has done lots of cool tags before except a musically-inclined one. It’s time that he must let the world know the music of his younger days.