It’s one of those times when I allow my daughter to play country on the radio. We’re driving home from the movie on Interstate 5 from Eugene to Albany. From one of her CDs, Alan Jackson’s “Once In a Lifetime Love” starts playing.
And she starts laughing.
Considering my history of hate for country, that’s not very nice. Working late at night at a newspaper back in Forks, Wash., there was only one radio station available and it was country. They played the same songs about trailer houses, lost dogs, lonely beer and corn dogs over and over again.
Oh how I hated country. It’s Pierce Brosnan singing, slow drivers in the fast lane, and peanut butter all rolled into one.
Years later, I’ve found myself coming back around slowly. Some songs will get me to sing along no matter how hard I try to resist. I’ve enlisted a counselor and shock therapy to help me out on this.
Tonight seems to be one of those times.
Unwillingly, I find myself singing to the words. I think I sound pretty good. Maybe it’s not too late for a recording contract. What to wear on Letterman?
And then from the passenger seat, she starts laughing at me.
“What are you laughing at,” I ask in mock disgust.
It only makes her laugh even more.
“I tell you what. We’re going to start the song over until you stop laughing.”
Of course, I sing with even more gusto, causing her to laugh again.
So we start the song over again, propagating our own little Groundhog Day. In the next 30 minutes until we get home, I find away to start the song over five or six times.
The boys have joined in as well, either half seriously or with exaggerated gusto.
By the time we get home, the song is firmly entrenched in our subconscious.
And it’s given us a pretty good memory to boot.
Thanks, Alan Jackson.
1 comment
gabriellevalentine says:
May 18, 2012
Caught up on google reader – your posts have been great, as usual.
I, too, was never a country fan but slowly am coming around. I find myself leaving it on when the other channels have commercials. Sometimes I listen just to make fun of the lyrics but lately I find myself even liking the songs!