19 Something....

I was driving home from school today and 19 Something by Mark Wills came on the radio.  It's a song about growing up in the 70s and 80s.   It's a 'guys' version of the song, so some things, of course, don't apply, but hearing this song always brings a smile to my face because most everything in the song means something to me.
I was a poster child for the 70s & 80s and I wouldn't trade those years for nothin'....I L-O-V-E-D my growing-up years.  My mom moved us around ALOT and I never really had stability; but if I had the chance to be born again, I would absolutely choose my same childhood and same era.  The music from that special time is so unique and awesome.  My opinion?  If you weren't born in that era, with the incredible music I grew up with, you MISSED OUT!   Even now when I hear a song from the 70s or 80s, it takes me RIGHT back to my childhood/teenage years.  I will never grow tired of listening to the music. Ever.

"I saw Star Wars at least 8 times
Had the pac-man pattern memorized.....

Well...I wasn't much of a SW fan, but pac-man...that's a whole other story.  My best friend Eleanor, her twin Elaine, and I could be found many a nights at the arcade or the PDQ.  First with Pac-man and later with Ms. Pac-man.  It was 1970 something.  We were all  12 at the time and we absolutely had the pattern memorized.  I had the chance to play the game a few years back at Casa Bonita in Denver and I STILL had the pattern memorized!  I couldn't believe it.  Well back then, me and the twins had the high score displayed on the screen with our initials at least 99% of the time.  We'd have our quarters lining the screen to mark our place in line for the game. HA!

...And I've seen the stuff they put inside
Stretch Armstrong,....

I was Roger Stauback back in my back yard;
Had a shoebox full of baseball cards..
And a couple of Evil Kinevil scars
On my right arm.
Well, I was a kid when Elvis died,
And my mama cried...

I clearly remember the day I found out Elvis died.  It was 1970 something, just like the song states..  I was still 12.  My mom was devastated!  I spent countless hours reading about his life/death/family.  You couldn't pick up ANY reading material without at least half of it dedicated to Elvis!

Chorus:
It was 1970- something
In the world that I grew up in
Farrah Fawcett hair-do days

Who can forget the Farrah Fawcett 'feathered' hair??!!   It was an absolute phenomenon!

E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E  had this hairstyle.  Yes, I did too :) No pics though...things tend to get lost when you move so many times...

Bell bottoms and 8-track tapes

I clearly remember wearing bell bottoms.  I saw a picture a few years back of my neon green bell bottoms....NOT KIDDING!!  And who can forget those HUGE 8-track tapes.  I remember 9 times out of 10, the player would EAT the tape, so you had to open the 'box

 and wind the tape back in it's place.  Sometimes, you had to splice the tape because a chunk of the tape was irrepairable.  Shoot...you learned to splice the 8-track tape before you learned to read!  I also remember folding a piece of cardboard or something thick to wedge into the top or bottom of the 8-track to align it right so it would actually play the song.  I remember they usually held about 8 songs.  Then technology of course brought us the cassette tape.  It was sure handy to already know how to splice tape!   :)

...Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy...

See above:  neon green bell bottoms :)  I will try to track that picture down so I can post it.  That clearly deserves it's own post.  Talk about a walk down memory lane!

..But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1970-something...

..It was the dawning of a new decade
When we got our first microwave,..

I know it's hard to imagine NOT having a microwave...but I still clearly remember needing to use the stove to warm up ANYTHING that needed to be warmed up.  As a kid, if you wanted a quick 'warmed up' snack/meal, that meant you'd get a fork, stab a weiner on it and warm it up on the stove.  I remember you could always find black (burned) forks at my mom's/grandma's/aunt's houses.  Oh, and did I mention that our "New" microwave was almost as big as our console tv??!!

..And Dad broke down and finally shaved
Those sideburns off,
I took the stickers off of my Rubix cube;
Watched MTV all afternoon...

My brother took MY stickers off...I was soo mad!  And what can I say about MTV...WOW!  My favorite favorite video of all time would have to be the original We Are the World video.  I still watch it occasionally and it still has the same effect on me..probably always will.  Back then, you could watch MTV with your parents because it certainly was not the present day MTV, with all of the inappropriate stuff they have on it.  Back in the day, you could watch Dr. Hook, Bruce Springsteen (sigh..), Paul McCartney & Wings, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Rick Springfield, Meatloaf, just to name a few AMAZING singers.  Have I mentioned that 80s music was/is the best?

..My first love was Daisy Duke
In them cut off jeans.
A Space Shuttle fell out of the sky
And the whole world cried....

I also clearly remember the exact moment I watched this live on TV with my mom.  I remember I was laying on my mom's couch, she was flipping the channels and said "You want to watch the space shuttle take-off?"  I told her I did and we watched the pre-take-off interviews with the astronauts/teacher.  10 minutes later they were gone.  Right before our eyes.  Unbelievably sad.

Chorus:
...It was 1980-something
In the world that I grew up in-
Skating rinks and Black Trans Ams,...

You really couldn't grow up in the 80s without a skating rink nearby.   I was 16 at the time and I remember I went skating every. single. weekend!  We moved 60 miles from the town that my best friend Eleanor lived in, so the twins went skating with me a few times, other times, my friends, Elva, Nelda, Lily and Tippy would go with me.  That skating rink will always be special to me.  And about the Trans-Am:  believe it or not,  my boyfriend at the time had a brand new Trans-Am!  Not black, but still...

..Big hair and parachute pants... 

 

I never actually wore parachute pants.  My brother and all of his friends may or may not have worn them.  I'll never tell. HA!

..Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy!
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'...
It was 1980-something...

Now I got a mortgage and an SUV
But all this responsibility
Makes me wish sometimes
Sometimes....

Chorus:It was 1980-something
In the world that I grew up in
Skating rinks and Black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1980-something...

..1970-something..
..Aw, it was 19-Something"........

I personally think Mark Wills wrote this song just for me... ;)