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.

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.

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]

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]

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]

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.