In many ways, my upbringing was somewhat unusual.
For instance, as a product of my parents' mixed marriage, I was raised both Jewish and Christian.
(I turned out to be a humanist who feels vague stirrings in early-mid April.)
I was also born and raised in Portland, Oregon.
I graduated from high school and moved to Michigan in 2006, by which I mean to say that when I lived in Portland, we all knew it was a cool place but it hadn't quite become the Behemoth of Coolness from which I currently feel myself to be in quite happy (self-induced) exile.
But in any case, while being born and raised in Portland, Oregon, was in many respects exactly the same as being born and raised anywhere anyone else was, I will admit there were some distinguishing factors.
(My views on recycling, for example, are hopelessly entrenched.)
Where it came to music, I had to SPRINT to have any HOPE of keeping up with the cool music my cool music friends listened to. And usually I did not keep up, but still lamely tried in the way high-schoolers do, all the while listening to Top 40 radio alone in my room and in my car.
But luckily enough, there was Jens Lekman, the best damn Swedish pop musician of today.
(Yes, I said it, and I will stick with it
because
BLAAAAAAAAACK CAAAAAAAAAAB
BLAAAAAAAAAAACK CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB)
The song: Jens Lekman, "Black Cab"; 2003
This song, which apparently was actually played in heavy radio rotation in Sweden, features our narrator Jens leaving a party after the close of public transportation and getting into an unmarked private cab--knowing it might very well be driven by an ax murderer but so lost in his shame and guilt about ruining the party with his mopiness that HE JUST DOESN'T CARE!
(We've all been there, right? Metaphorically speaking.)
In addition to being awesome, this song also gave me a point of connection to my super-cool cool music friends--and I am glad of it, too, because even though things have changed a lot since 2003 for me, for us, and for Portland--
you haven't LIVED until you've driven over one of those bridges in your friend's mom's Subaru Outback singing at the top of your lungs
BLAAAAAAACK CAAAAAAB
BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK CAAAAAAAAAB
Yrs,
AW
PS This song also reminds me quite a bit, and rightly so, of another song tailor-made for teenage angst-scream-singing. It reminds me of a different time in my life, and of different people, and of things that are less unreservedly good. But it simply CANNOT be overlooked in this discussion of teenage music memories...
The song: The Smiths, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"; 1986
sing it with me now
AND IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS CRASHES INTO US
TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE IS SUCH A HEAVENLY WAY TO DIE
AND IF A TEN-TON TRUCK KILLS THE BOTH OF US
TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE
WELL
THE PLEASURE -- THE PRIVILEGE -- IS MINE.
(also, hey, flute solo! I do love a good flute solo.)
