There are certain songs that spoke to me so strongly, that I remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing the first time I heard them. It’s amazing how certain songs have this kind of amazing transcendent power for people. I’m sure everyone has one or two of their own. For me, the following songs will be permanently seared in time and space.
The first time I heard Black Sabbath was in my buddies car in high school, in 1987, cruising along the South Service Road in Oakville. He put “War Pigs” on and it was a “holy shit” moment.
The first time I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, I was alone, driving to my parents house in Oakville, and was just crossing the train tracks near their house - it was 1991. I remember thinking, wow, this is a pretty unique sound.
I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard Rage Against The Machine. It was late 1992, and I was in the car driving to night school on the QEW, and the DJ on Edge 102.1 announced that she was going to play a new song by a band I’d never heard of. The song was “Killing In The Name Of”. I was completely blown away. I got to class and my head had just exploded into a whole new universe.
The first time I heard “Da Funk” by Daft Punk was in the house I shared with two other dudes, at Trent University in Peterborough in 1995. My roommate Jason and I had just come home from a night of drinking, we smoked a big doobie, and started watching the tube. Suddenly this bizarre video came on. We laughed so hard, but also couldn’t believe how funky it was!
Similarly, the first time I heard “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes was while I smoked a joint. Tanya, Bryan and I were at my apartment in Oakville, 2003, and had just sparked the spliff. We were watching videos, when “Seven Nation Army” came on. The video was utterly mind blowing, and the song has one of the most distinctive riffs ever. Totally amazing!
Those few songs are branded into my memory, and will be forever. Those are my songs.
What are yours?
Seven Nation Army. Funny you mentioned it, as it is one of the few I really remember hearing for the first time. I was in a cheap hotel, very hungover/still drunk, in Dubai. Sitting there, wondering if I had enough (or any) money left to pay my tab, or if I had anymore beer. Suddenly the non english tv channel that had been on since I checked in the day before came alive with Seven Nation Army.
Wow-Fuckity-Wow!!
Blown away
Wait. Shit. That was the video. Damn. Guess I dont remember when I first heard it. Frack.
Rock on!