Y’know when you read those articles in magazines where a celebrity is asked random questions?  And of course, you find their answers interesting, but more selfishly, you think about what you’d say? (Or, it’s just me!).  Either way, EW has a column called ‘Soundtrack of my Life,’ and I really want to share my answers.

That, and music makes me think of road trips, and we have one today.  Heading north and west, toward the man’s hometown for Mother’s Day.  It’s very relaxing being up in the mountains.  Of course, I miss certain commodities of being near a big city (Starbucks, anyone?) ~ but a few days decompressing is good for anyone.

Using my most recent EW magazine (Entertainment Weekly ~ I’ve probably had a subscription for 10 years ~ it’s my utter favorite), here is the “Soundtrack of my Life.”

1.  The first song I was obsessed with: This is a tough one.  I’m what you might call a ‘repeater’ ~ meaning I can listen to something over and over and over again.  I remember being obsessed with the British “Chess” soundtrack when I was young ~ and “Cats” even more so (…Memories, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then … oh, Elaine Paige, you are my hero).  In my teens, during a blizzard that stranded people in their homes for a few days, I remember listening to “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on repeat for hours while writing “the next great American novel” (haha).  I am not sure how much stock to put into that, as I think I was also obsessed with Jeremy Jordan at the time, and “Two Princes” by Spin Doctors. (Does everything from the early 90’s make me want to cringe?)

2. The album that reminds me of my first love: I have two.  “Rocky Horror Picture Show”soundtrack (this probably deserves a blog post all by itself) and Phish’s double CD live album.  My high school boyfriend loved Phish, and we listened to “Bouncing ‘Round the Room” a lot.  Every time I hear that song, I think of my old house in Wyo and my high school boyfriend in 1997.  Craziness.

3. My favorite soundtrack album: While a tough call, I say that “Footloose” (the real one, not the re-make) narrowly edges out “Dirty Dancing” by half of a quarter of a fraction of a nose.  At the end of my senior year, my girlfriends and I drove around, feeling like ‘queens of the world’ listening to ‘Holding Out for a Hero.”  It was like the soundtrack of my high school graduation.  Every song rocks.

4. A song I love that people might not expect: “The Real Slim Shady.”  I am a huge Eminem fan.  His second album, “The Marshal Mathers LP” ~ I’m pretty sure that every song is ridic.  And by “pretty sure” ~ I mean, the man is an utter genius.  ** Additionally, I absolutely love a song called “Love is Dead” by Mad Sin ~ a rockabilly group I was introduced to a little after I graduated from college.  Yes.  I went through a punk phase.

5. My favorite song to play air guitar: How can a person not say “November Rain”?  That moment, when Slash is ripping it outside a tiny little chapel in the middle of nowhere?  We all wanted to be him.  Well, anyone of my generation, that is.  True story.

6. My favorite break-up song: “That I Would Be Good,” by Alanis Morrisette.  She reigned supreme for all aspects of break-ups, and always seems to sing in a minor key, making the music sad and haunting.  And “There’s No Need to Argue” by the Cranberries.  I get chills just thinking about how a person can wallow in sadness listening to that song.

7. My favorite hip-hop song: “Gold Digger.” Kanye.  Or … “Hey Ya,” Outkast.  I have a ton of memories with Gold Digger as the soundtrack, but the memories of blasting Outkast with my new roomie in State College and making up our own lyrics while decorating our apartment?  Priceless.  Even now, when I hear “Hey Ya” and the line “You know we’re not happy here” I finish it up with “….at 211 Amblewood Way” and think of Sonia and her convertible.  Great memories.

8. My favorite love song: “Something” by the Beatles.  It’s utterly gorgeous in every way.  George Harrison = genius.

9. My favorite 12 a.m. jukebox song: This is an easy one.  “Don’t Stop Believing.”  I was managing a restaurant and a banquet booked a karaoke machine.  When all the customers were gone, and work was done, all the employees grabbed a beer and we blasted Journey while hanging on the outside patio.  One of my favorite memories from that job.

10. My go-to karaoke songs: Oh boy.  Top 3: ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ because I do a mean Cher, ‘Goodbye Earl’ because I adore the Dixie Chicks and always will, and 3. ‘Killin Me Softly’ … because I’m trapped in a world where the Fugees are still making music (or, covering a Roberta Flack song, as in this case!).

11. The band I’m currently obsessed with: Twenty-four hours ago, I would 100% have said Mumford & Sons (the man and I even looked into go to the Rockness Music Festival in Loch Ness ~  Sidenote: It’s cray-cray expensive to fly to Scotland in June!). But right now this very minute?  I cannot stop listening to Florence + the Machine.  The woman is ah-may-zing.  Seriously. Shake It Out.

12. The song that makes me think of my love: “Walking In Memphis.” When we first moved in together, we started introducing each other to television shows we liked.  The man was a big fan of America’s Got Talent, and he showed me clips of one of the contestants singing “Walking In Memphis.” It sort of became our song ~ and every time it comes on, I get butterflies in my stomach and immediately look for him with a goofy grin on my face.  Love it.