Z is for...

Zeppelin

One last exception...Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

Angst can be defined as "a feeling of anxiety, apprehension or insecurity". After twenty-five letters, I am getting to the crux of it. I am closing out the challenge by making an exception for the group that was playing in the background for a decent portion of my first couple of official teenage years.

I had been a pretty simple girl as far as my taste in music was concerned. Billy Joel was a big favorite, and I was starting to dabble in Top 40 hits. The advent of MTV gave me insight into all sorts of new music, as well as a new reason to sit in front of the television for ridiculously long periods of time. In the spring of 1983, the cool kids were almost close enough for me to reach...and they were listening to Led Zeppelin. As a result, I was listening to Led Zeppelin. I bought nearly every album, in an attempt to expand my repertoire beyond Stairway to Heaven, and made sure to have the appropriate scribblings on all of my folders and brown paper bag book covers.

The boy I started dating at that time introduced me to a beautiful song, off of Led Zeppelin II. It was a sort of Led Zep for newbies sweet ballad. It became our song. I still have my second copy of the album. (The first copy fell victim to some sort of teenage girl meltdown and ended up in two pieces.) Here it is...Thank you

I have enjoyed putting this puzzle of songs together in an attempt to capture the angst of a particular decade, and appreciate all of you who have stopped by to sing along! 

**A special shout out to Misty, who helped to keep me going from letter L on by messaging with me on facebook every day trying to guess the next day's song. She even managed to understand that I didn't develop an appreciation for U2 until the nineties. I hope we can find something to talk about today...I can't live With or Without You, and hope you're with me When It's Over**

Y is for...

You Give Love a Bad Name...Bon Jovi, 1986.

Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

I remember taking a break from my freshman roommate, and her satin powder blue comforter, to see who else lived on our dorm's second floor. There was a room down the hall to be immediately envious of. The inhabitants were friends from high school, so let me describe the scene (as I remember it) that resulted from their planning...There were red ruffled curtains, matching red comforters, a red shaggy rug, and loud Bon Jovi music to accompany their eighties hairstyles as they danced on their beds.
An angel's smile is what you sell
You promised me heaven, then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion's a prison you can't break free
Such drama! The words were so filled with angst...
No one can save me
The damage is done
...but the video was a hot happy hairy happening, that was hard to shake the picture of, for me.
Shot through the heart
And you're to blame
You give love a bad name

Playing my part for just one more letter....

Randomly forgotten

All of the sunshine and beautiful weather distracted me this weekend. Tune in Tuesday for a return to the regular (but rarely ordinary) random!

X is for...

eXception, eXtra, and an eXceptional eXtra

Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

eXception: 

Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'...Journey, 1979.

Oh when I'm alone, all by myself, reminiscing about my middle school years, this song frequently comes to mind. I remember being slightly baffled for some time over what all of the lovin', touchin', squeezin' actually entailed. However, I was pretty sure I had the crying part figured out!
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na

eXtra:

Against All Odds...Phil Collins, 1984.

I stand by my original song for the letter A; but, will admit to being sorry I hadn't thought of this one early on. I never saw the movie by the same name, as I was far too busy starring in my own drama, continuously adding selections to my soundtrack. 

How can you just walk away from me

When all I can do is watch you leave

Cuz we've shared the laughter and the pain

And even shared the tears

You're the only one who really knew me at all

Oh this made me cry the ugly cry. Each word seemed perfect...

Take a look at me now

Cuz there's just an empty space

And you coming back to me

Is against all odds

And that's what I've got to face

(Tissue, please. Seriously, I had to stop listening.)

eXceptional eXtra:

Time for Me to Fly...REO Speedwagon, 1979.

This gem gives me the stinging sort of tears that can sometimes be blinked away. Did I say gives? Oh, I meant used to, like thirty years ago. (Yikes, that time disclosure alone might make me cry.) Moving on to my favorite rhyme...

I've had enough of the falseness

Of a worn out relation

Enough of the jealousy 

And the intoleration

(awesome)

Oh I make you laugh and you make me cry

I do believe it's time for me to fly

Only two more letters folks...

I know it hurts to say good-bye

But it's time for me to fly

W is for...

When It's Over...Loverboy, 1981.

Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

Oh Loverboy, how cruel of you to write songs like this, making twelve year old girls think that twelve year old boys were this thoughtful...always looking to rescue us from poor relationships, always intending to treat us far better. 
What did he ever do for you
What's he trying to put you through
I just don't understand
Why couldn't you just keep working for the weekend?

I am vacillating between trying to come up with the words to tell how this song resonates with my memories of the early eighties, and laughing so hard at the video. My first bad news boyfriend was a huge Loverboy fan. Come on, who was a huge fan of theirs, anyone? Even among eighth graders? I did not see that warning signal.
What's he trying to say to you?
What's he trying to tell you?
He don't really care
Nope, nobody was telling me I would not be lonely when that was over. (Not even a handsome fella with a sweet red bandana headband.) Okay, I really did choose this song because of how it captured so much of the spirit of my angst-filled world in the early eighties, but I made a colossal mistake by not only watching the video, but also sharing it with my kids. (Giggles all around.) Now I cannot pull it together.

I guess all that I can say is...
I hope you're with me
I hope you're with me when it's over
(Only three more letters!)

V is for...

Voices Carry...'Til Tuesday, 1985.

Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

First things first, I originally thought the words to this song were "Hush hush, keep it down now, this is scary." I am not sure how long it took me to connect the very title of the song with the actual words. (Note: I do still find something scary about it.)

It was clear to me that the guy in question was similar to what I was seeing in some teenage boys. Her choice to put up with his nonsense echoed what many girls were doing. 
Oh there must be something he's thinking of
To tear him away
When I tell him that I'm falling in love
Why does he say
Hush, hush

This may very well have been the essence of some relationships when I was in high school...
He wants me
But only for a good time
He wants me
If he can keep me in line

The angst in her voice as she sang...
He said shut up, he said shut up
She sounded so fed up, and I remember wanting to cheer for her when I watched the video.

U is for...

Under Pressure...Queen & David Bowie, 1981.

Angsty 80's songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

I admit that I do not recall exactly what words I used to sing when this song played. I am positive they were incorrect now that I have reviewed the actual lyrics. The line "under pressure" was clear as a bell, and that is probably all that mattered to a pre-teen who was convinced she was being absolutely crushed by the pressure in her life.

It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming "Let me out!"

I probably didn't know what questions they were asking with such desperation...
Why, why, why?

Yeah, I had no idea...
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance

Amazing how a song, that felt so familiar at a time when I couldn't even begin to comprehend its message, can still be so relevant over thirty years later. Now I have an idea of what they were talking about, and it's frightening.