As Mr. Chesney says “We all have those songs that somehow stamped our lives, takes us to another place and time.” and I just thought it would be neat to look at mine, maybe they will also be yours, maybe they will make you think of your own.

In no particular order but the order they came to my mind.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen – I first heard it when Wayne’s World came out and I loved it, I learned to head bang to that song. My friend Don Malcolm hipped me to Queen and from that moment I was a fan. I still believe no one holds a candle to Freddie when it comes to voice and stage presence. He was the consummate performer and I regret greatly that I wasn’t old enough to see him live. This song more than any other may have defined my teenage years.

2. Fahrenheit, Five Iron Frenzy – When I became a Christina Ska was the stuff. I loved the goofy style and the music. FIF was one of my favorite bands, and they still are on some levels. This song is older but I have only heard it recently, it is about Freddie Mercury and how, as a Christian, Reese Roper (FIF front man) turned his back on Freddie as a result of misguided religion. Reese is still a great lyricist, he has a great way of putting things into words that you understand but don’t have the means to express.

I was in eighth grade,
I said he was a queer,
I thought he had it coming,
he died of Aids that year.
My liberty,
like Christ’s death meant nothing to me.

When my veins choked thick with spite,
blind man’s bluff burns in hindsight,
for Freddie Mercury,
Mr. Fahrenheit.

Predisposed to bigotry,
the regular run-of-the-mill American story.
The stench of greasepaint on our faces,
pass the mask to our next of kin,
instead of wiser idioms,
like “love the sinner, hate the sin

3. Hunted, Insyders – This song is one that not to many people have ever heard but is it amazing. It formed a story in my mind that I someday hope to get down on paper and helped me to live better as a Christian. For a fuller understanding of this song see it’s entry in this blog here: The Hunted

4. Nothing Else Matters, Metallica – The “Black” album is still the only Metallica album I have ever owned. This song used to keep me company alone for hours when I was in my room; you remember those days when you could listen to the same song over and over again. (Some of us never grow out of it) It may have been my favorite song on the album.

5. Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Nirvana – I completely appreciate what they did for music but I never became a big fan of Nirvana, with the exception of the “Unplugged” album. I heard it for the first time the night I found out a friend had died in a tragic accident and the memories of that night are forever attached these songs, particularly the last one.

While I am on the subject of music, why does that new Avril song have to be so catchy!!!