I Got the Music in Me - But Where Did it Come From?

by Caroline and Kathleen


Funny the random things that pop into one's head. I was thinking about my music choices and where I formed my tastes. Before starting this post I couldn't remember listening to much music in my teens (other than Pink Floyd on the jukebox in the cafeteria) but when I listen to 70's oldies I know I am listening to "my" music. So, where did the rest of the music come from?

- Johnny Cash - love - comes from my parents. We had an 8 track of his Western songs (Stampede!, The Streets of Laredo). And don't forget Marty Robbins and "El Paso" (Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, Ifell in love with a Mexican girl...).
- show tunes! My parents, once we were old enough, brought us to the theater many times. I remember singing "Jesus Christ Superstar" on car trips... we knew ALL the words. And I mean all... start to end. I... I think I still do!
-sea music, I can also thank my parents for.
- The Christmas album from The Harry Simeone Chorale that we listened to so much that I started singing Deck the Halls with the skip included.
- folk songs learned in school, well who didn't learn She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain? I went to Catholic School. I didn't learn "Comin' Round the Mountain"... I learned "Sons of God" (Including the unforgettable lines "Eat his body, drink his blood...").

I know we had the radio on in the car but I can't say I remember getting my music from the radio. I could be wrong here, but I believe most of my music memories and tastes come from my sister Kathleen.

- Kathleen who brought home the girl scout songs that we learned in the car (Sammacootchacatchacamma, Sipping Cider Through a Straw, Fried Ham). And Dad's "Goodbye Horse" and "On the Trail of the Lonesome Spine". And that deathless classic by Herman's Hermits... "I'm 'Enry the Eighth I am"?
- Kathleen who introduced me to "grown up" musicians like Peter, Paul, and Mary; Simon and Garfunkle; The Kingston Trio; The Carpenters; and The Beatles. Well... we have to give Mom and Dad the credit for PP&M I think. They had the album "Peter, Paul and Mommy" and that's where we first listened to them. Also The Kingston Trio was theirs. But I sure did play the heck out of those... I loved "The Hungry I"!
- Kathleen who, in more recent years, brought me Irish music (Martin Hayes) and Quebecois (Matapat) Okay. I'll take all the credit for this one.

I can't sing, well, I can but I seem to be the only one who enjoys it. But I have 2 friends to thank for giving me back my joy of singing out loud. A former co-worker, Mary-Ellen, who burst into bits of song all day long. And Lora, a member of my knit group, who can find a song for almost any subject that comes up at knitting.

Where did your music come from?

What I do vividly remember music wise, is Dad coming back from a tour of duty and bringing home a close and play stereo for me with a pile of records. Petula Clark, Nancy Sinatra, Beatles, Englebert Humperdink, 1910 Fruit Gum Co ("Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy..."). These were bootleg copies I'm sure... some were in colored vinyl with half the lyrics printed in Chinese. But I played them for years.