Girl in Florence

A Tuscan Texan immersed in Florentine life

Of music and memory

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I am sure I am not the first person on the planet to be transported into a fleeting memory when a certain song comes on. You know what I am talking about, the song that you end up pressing repeat 10 times in a row until you wonder if your neighbor thinks you may have some sort of issue with your computer.

Just for fun this Friday — I want to share five songs that transport me into another world & a short description on what they mean to me. In addition I ask you, cara reader, why not do the same? I for one would very interested in reading your own version “of music and memories”. If you wonder why a Texan has no country music added to this list well that’s because my love for country music is only a recent development ;-).

1. Tom Petty – Free Falling. This classic is one of those that for me, just won’t ever stop being addictive. I remember being 20 years old, driving my car on ventura blvd. in Los Angeles blasting this song wondering where life was going to take me. In that particular moment — living far from home in the ‘scary’ city of Los Angeles it was nice to feel cool for at least that very moment. After all if it wasn’t for the city of angels — I doubt I would have had the chance to travel to China and teach english, study abroad in Italy or dance the night away in some mansion in the hollywood hills with my girlfriends. ah yes, L.A. will never be forgotten.

california
free fallin in los angeles

2. The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony. Ah of teenage angst and moody moments. Who didn’t love the movie Cruel Intentions for the outstanding soundtrack and this song alone. We all pictured ourselves in some luxury car with a beat up leather journal off on some adventure of life and love {hopefully less complicated and twisted than that in the movie even though who didn’t enjoy seeing Ryan Phillippe’s derriere.. }. Like many of my friends I loved going on roadtrips to the Texas coast or Austin, Texas listening to this song and sometimes wishing I was in NYC and had rich-kid problems.

T-man having a very NYC tough Italian guy moment

3. ATB – Don’t Stop. Why yes I once had a very techno-music stage and this was top on my list. When I listen to this song, I remember dancing to this song with my friends in various locals in Austin, San Antonio and again in — China! I went to China in summer 2005 as part of a summer teaching program through my university in Los Angeles. The month and a half I spent in Huzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai were incredible, life changing really. I used to play this song on my generation one ipod when I needed a little energy transmission.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgvePeDIt3Y&w=560&h=315]

Hangzhou, China

4. Jane’s Addiction – Jane Says. Ah yes I may have been born in 1984 -but my musical tastes range from Edith Piaf to Janes Addiction to Kaiser Cheifs. When I studied abroad in 2005-2006 in Florence,  a group of us decided to rent a car and drive (by drive I mean me driving since I was the only one who could drive a manual transmission) through Spain. No organized tour, just one diesel van, six girls, a crappy map and many a random moment and great nights. Once I couldn’t even get the van up a steep incline (shame) and had to ask a local guy in the parking garage to drive it up for me. Fun times. We stopped at Barcelona, Alacante, Granada, Malaga and Madrid and what better song to rock out to than Jane’s Addiction!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0hFQdEUQKM&w=420&h=315]

travelspain

5. Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones. I have never been a huge Rolling Stones fan but this song always captured something deep inside of me. I probably didn’t even notice how much I loved this song until I saw one of my favorite movies “Children of Men.”  I would say I associate this song more with my time in Italy and just sort of being a free spirit in life. Sometimes I think about what my life would have been like if I would have never left Texas and I shudder at the thought. Not of staying there but just of missing out on all of the incredible experiences I have had living life like a semi-nomad since 2003.

Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams
And you will lose your mind.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYx_NfnoHL8&w=420&h=315]

Can you tell I like caffeine?

Now your turn! If you do end up writing a blog post with your five memory-inducing songs — let me know! Or tell me what you would add by commenting here, I could use some new music in my generation three ipod.

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0 Responses

  1. Great post Georgette, and great idea. If I come up with something, then I’ll let you know. There are certainly many songs that I associate with different periods of my life.

  2. This is a great post, though I have to admit it definitely highlights age differences! I got through my college-aged “angst and moody moments” with unlimited plays of “Closer to Fine” by the Indigo Girls and “Bad” by U2. My more recent anthem was “American Idiot” by Green day – until they bailed on us in Bologna in September – now I’m jaded!

  3. Ciao e buon giorno! Great post which has started me thinking – hope nothing is burning. 😉

    Narrowing a list down to five, having lived outside the US for more than nine years, would be difficult. Right now Les Mis has been running amok in my head.

    A piu tardi,

    George

    Sent from my iPhone

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Georgette Jupe

Welcome to my personal blog by a curious American girl living and working between Zug, Switzerland and Florence, Italy with my husband Nico, our newborn Annabelle and Ginger the beagle. This space is primarily to share about my love for Italy (currently on a 13 year romance) with a fair amount of real talk, practical advice, travel suggestions and adjusting to a new culture (Switzerland). Find me on IG @girlinflorence @girlinzug

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