-Isms

When Billy Joel said, “Music is an explosive expression of humanity,” I hope he meant music shapes our lives and reflects current culture.

I tend to associate music with certain events, an expression of mood and tone of a nation, a bookmark comprised of notes and rhythms denoting importance, a mix tape providing background accompaniment to daily life.

Ask someone to name their favorite song. More than likely, they’ll pause momentarily, contemplate for a few seconds more and rattle off a current hit.

Think deeper. Are there songs that shaped our lives, tell the story of us? Are there certain songs that define the decades of our lives? Yes.

I’m a ‘60s babe, grew up in the age of Aquarius, flower power and war and peace. At the time, music simply provided entertainment. Our family listened to different musical genres - country/western, rock, folk, instrumental. Tunes by Patsy Cline, The Beatles, Nancy Sinatra and Al Hirt and the Tijuana Brass were catchy, but for me, “The Sound of Silence” defines that decade, although nine-year-old LuAnn would have believed “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies was a top hit.

The Simon and Garfunkel song, released three months after the assassination of President John Kennedy, reflects on the importance of honesty, how staying silent causes more harm than good.

Songwriter Paul Simon says the song was not written in protest of the Vietnam War, although the tune skyrocketed to popularity as America became entrenched in the war effort. The acoustical tune still haunts, a contrast to the strains of war.

During the 70s, my musical tastes expanded to the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, Carole King and Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd Band. Puppy love, teen angst, heartbreaking loss: the high school experience provided the perfect fodder for rock and roll.

I can’t decide if “Stairway to Heaven” or “Go Your Own Way” best represent the 70s of my youth. The Led Zeppelin hit taught me you don’t always get what you want (oh, the Rolling Stones shared that lesson, too). And Fleetwood Mac explained that choices are difficult to make, but sometimes, you deviate from the expected and forge ahead on your own.

The ‘80s brought college and sleepless nights, marriage and house hunting, kids and more sleepless nights. “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Under Pressure” are accurate depictions of life as a 20-something.

Most of the ‘90s, I listened to Garth Brooks, on perpetual repeat, finding time to sprinkle in a little R.E.M. and Destiny’s Child. There comes a time in one’s life when unexpected events teach powerful lessons. What song best sums up the last decade of the 20th century? Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best For Last.”

The first few years of the first decade of the 21st century brought grief, but friends and family helped me make it day by day. “Watch the Wind Blow By,” by Tim McGraw sums up the rest of those years. Take time to relax and enjoy life.

And then, I turned 50 and life really changed. A new house, a career change (times two), grandchildren. More love and loss. Self-reflection on life and its cycle of ups and downs, successes and failures, gives pause. “Humble and Kind,” by Tim McGraw teaches powerful lessons you hope everyone learns and practices.

I’m not sure what the next decade will bring, but I’m sure music will provide inspiration and mirror actions taken around the world.