Recently, my son Jared texted with this request:
"Can you make a playlist of the songs you played in the van circa 2002? Trying to recall but can't remember some."
When I used to drive the kids around in our Dodge Grand Caravan, I would play for them a range of older music, some of which they would sing along to. At the time I didn't give it much thought, but now I realize those minivan singalongs are probably the stuff of fun childhood memories for them.
Fortunately I didn't have to do too much work because I remembered my daughter Chloe had already made such a playlist, which she dubbed "scott's minivan." I asked her to send it to me (see the screenshot above), and I in turn forwarded it to Jared.
He and I agreed that with only one or two exceptions, Chloe had pretty much nailed the songs in heaviest rotation on family road trips back in those days.
In alphabetical order, these were the tunes on the playlist:
- Brown-Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
- Copacabana - Barry Manilow (OK, OK...a guilty pleasure)
- Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
- Jackie Wilson Said - Van Morrison
- Jump - Van Halen
- Love Shack - The B-52s
- Low Rider - War
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Beatles
- Mack the Knife - as covered by Sting (an odd pick, but so catchy)
- Maneater - Hall & Oates
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles
- The Reflex - Duran Duran
- Road Man - Smash Mouth
- Roxanne - The Police
- When Doves Cry - Prince
- Ya (Rest in Peace) - Colin Hay
- You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall & Oates
The list largely reflects my penchant for the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s, but more importantly, these are songs with strong melodies and, in many cases, fun choruses with which even little kids could sing along.
Sometimes we wonder whether the things we tell our kids really stick with them. My answer is that, heck, if Barry Manilow stays in their heads, your important bits of parental advice have to have gained a foothold in their little brains somewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment