I can't believe I've become "That Girl"

So I remember being in my late teens and starting to notice that "older people" (you know, like, in their late 20's and such. Ahem.) were always listening to the music that they listened to in their teens. Like my parents and aunts and uncles were always rocking out to Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and even some Grand Master Flash thrown in for good measure. Even older siblings of my friends were all into Debbie Gibson and Metallica and always had that stuff on in their cars when they were forced to pick us teens up from one practice or another. And I remember thinking to myself that I'd never be "one of those". That I would always stay up on whatever the newest cool stuff available was.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Joke's on me. Cause yesterday, as I'm driving home from my oh-so-boring late 20's job, I found myself incessantly pressing skip on my ipod for all the new supposedly cool songs of the present in favor of the stuff I listened to in, you guessed it, high school. I mean, I was bringing out the old school No Doubt, 311, Third Eye Blind, Ben Folds Five, Fiona Apple, Poe, Fugees and Natalie Imbruglia and even some out of the college mix like Jack Johnson, G Love & Special Sauce, Incubus and Stroke 9. Jill Sobule's "I kissed a girl" was even in there and it pains me that the teens of today only know the not-so-homo-friendly "I kissed a girl" a la Katy Perry and not the wonderful original circa 1995 that helped me become the good lesbian I am today.

So it's official. I've become "that girl" I said I'd never become. Now that I am one of them, I feel comfortable in giving my analysis as to why this phenomenon happens. I think it's because those few years between say 16 and 23 are those times where you have the most freedom, yet the least responsibilities, thereby making it the most FUN time in your whole damn life. And fun, in a general sort of sense, is very often accompanied by good music. So therefore, whenever you hear these songs, it brings you back to those good times in your head. And even though we'll never get those times back, we'll always have their music to take us back, at least figuratively.

What do you think? And what are your favorite teen songs?

7 comments:

Mamasoo said...

You weren't even a thought in your momma's head when I was a teenager, so you wouldn't know ANY of the songs I listened to when I was a teen, just like I knew 25% of the songs you mentioned in your blog!

small town dyke said...

Wait till your over 30 and you still want to be the cool one. Trust me it only takes my 15 year old daughter to remind me that I am no longer the cool one.

Anonymous said...

I feel the same way. Although I am not as old as you (not that you are old) I still find myself thinking that the 90's has the best music ever. hence my sreenname: tebjunkie07---- Third Eye Blind junkie and 07 was just following the trend of either adding your graduation year or your birth year onto your sn. I think that your taste in music is directly connected with good times in your life. Although I must say now is probably the best time of my life. But the reason my music tastes aren't directly from the now, it is partially due to the fact that I refuse to listen to the radio, and i hardly ever watch tv. Especially channels like MTV and VH1. I personally think they are a bunch of horsesh*t. But who am I to judge? Anyway, I don't really care about the era the music came from as long as it's good. But don't feel bad, I am experiencing the same phenomena at a younger age than you. I think it's in our nature.

Lauren said...

Umm...is it really bad that I'm about minus-ten-years your age and...I find myself skipping past the "I Kissed A Girl" and Natasha Bedingfield songs of today to also find the Fugees and Fiona Apple?

I feel like I'm pre-maturely aging...
:/

Anyway, I love your blog. I'm growing up in the conservative Bible belt of America where there are very few ADULT lesbians to be seen. I feel like I fit in somewhere reading your blog. Thanks for that. :D

--Life As An Underage Lesbian, Lauren

missyandchrissy said...

first of all, love the new look!

and i am completely going through this phase as well. i've been listening to pearl jam (the old stuff) at work so much lately i fear my coworkers are going to think we timewarped back to 1992.

soulspeak23 said...

mamasoo - I was so!

Small - I've got awhile to go before anyone is gonna tell me I'm not cool!

tebjunkie - Motorcycle Drive By : Best Song EVER!!

Lauren - Dont think of it as premature aging. Think of it as knowing what is good much earlier than your peers. I'm glad to have you fit in my blog. You're welcome to it!

Missy&Chrissy - Thank you! I'm really liking the new layout too. And I've been freaking out because my Ten CD is missing!! Must download soon!

Anonymous said...

do you remember when you were 18-21and the 25 year olds were OLD...

well im 28 and "that" 21 year old girl sat in my salon chair and said to me " i was in the bar and all these old people were around me... they were like 30..."

I wanted to stab her!
i think it would have been validated....
p.s i loved the group olive....anyone else hear of them?

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Me & HH
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