After writing so romantically about my favorite Top 5 movies last night and thinking about which one to watch… I suddenly (ok, not that suddenly) found myself in the middle of the dancefloor of the hidden club called QUIT in the heart of Pera in Istanbul, chanting the lyrics of New Model Army’s ’51st State’ by heart and dancing the dance of way back then… The last time I did this must have been two decades ago while we were still living in Duisburg and me and my older brother were going out together to parties in the Pott.
My brain and memory never fails me when it comes to music and lyrics. I start forgetting the names of people or have a hard time memorizing phone numbers ( I used to be very good at both). When it comes to my favorite 3 minute pop-songs and this includes pop/ rock/alternative/ punk/ psychobilly etc. songs, certain songs w/ certain lyrics are ingrained in my brain for eternity. I might not have heard them in ages but when, like last night, they are played in the according surrounding (alternative, dark, club, booze) everything comes back in no time.
Being a kid of the 80s most of the songs I know by heart are from that era. Sometimes they are connected to first time events ( first boyfriend, first kiss, first party aka first ‘stehblues’), sometimes they are connected to collective memories shared with my friends or peers back then. Of course the 90s have also left their marks in the book of past encounters, incidents and feelings but the 80s were my musical initiation and firsts were more happening then.
Top 5 of Songs memorized forever
George Michael- Careless Whisper ( first party, first stehblues)
Madness- My Girl ( first boyfriend’s and my favorite back then)
Well I wonder ( first Smiths Album, present of my brother in ’87- eternally thankful)
Bus Stop- The Hollies ( favorite song of my best friend and me)
New Model Army- 51st State ( no first but important on the dance floor)